big jim

Glad I did get stopped, chance for the pics! some from today, thought I was in late but discovered I was actually booked to take a loco to and from longport from bescot! 66744 to take changing ends at kidsgrove and took 66788 back to bescot

Some from today, 3 trains to work to bescot, 1st was late so never worked that one the 2nd one was 2 hours late so I ended up driving to market harborough and meeting it there (and got a haircut while I waited!) worked it back to the yard via new st into bescot 66175 “Rail Riders” being photobombed by a pigeon and back to Leicester for train 2, 66706 again back to bescot via new st, luckily this time I got stopped so could grab some pics

I think most of the essential the work has been done at longport, it’s probably something as simple as it doesn’t have yellow ends! when I dropped it off in longport I had to run round in Alsager loop and got in the cab to discover things I’d never seen before on a uk loco, the strangest thing being the loco brake (straight air) lever was the opposite way round to normal, normally pushing the lever away from you applies it, Whereas this one applies it when pulled towards you! that will have been turned round to match the others no doubt or it would be a recipe for disaster with the possibility of the brake being left on when being dragged

They did, it was called ‘design clever’

No probs, nice to see other bits of the network wasn’t in the mood for pics the last couple of days but here is one of 66754 in iport yesterday and today, stabled up with 66755 in decoy got the train home from Doncaster, one of the newly transferred 170 units Interesting job tomorrow, got to take 2 trains coleshill to bescot via new st station then over to Leicester to work a possession train which again will be coming back through new st, I’ve got the job as I think I’m the only person who signs the station! a bit of variety the rest of the week including Leamington to crewe, landor to toton and IM on the Mersey rail to Ormskirk and Kirkby (Which seems to have come round quickly since the last time I did it!)

when I say ‘nowt wrong with that’ I meant, it’s obviously wonky on one side but I think I could live with it looking from normal viewing distances, then again I’ve not just paid £220+ for them!

Some from today, first bit, cement from landor st to crewe Then a road learning loco landor st to kings norton with marcus37 driving and after a few trips I got off at landor st and the loco continued to bescot iPort tomorrow

Nowt wrong with that to me!

got a feeling that may have been on the morning of the crash, as it happens I went over it this morning on a train and the whole lot is properly fenced off both sides with 6ft palisade fencing and those big red and white barriers across the whole road, the red lights are flashing but one of the barriers on the Alsager side has totally been removed

look again, it’s a rake of 8, works out at £13.75 a wagon (without postage) all Proceeds towards the restoration of a bagnall loco at worksworth too EDIT: posted the same time as Damo666

some from today, landor st to Hereford via Donnington (Telford) landor st, 66720 at the helm Run round in wellington Waiting to get permission to head along the branch waiting to be loaded and after loading, into Hereford and off it went Nice little modelable train, just 5 wagons And that was that

Funnily enough in Hereford earlier a pair of 153s came in on a cardiff service, luckily I had a 175 back to crewe!

I meant out if use for road users?

Speaking of Hereford models, just called in in person and got me a couple of bits and bobs the owner is happy for me to post the following, I think these are a cracking buy Dapol class 22s in various states of weathering and renumbering for £85 (the Heljan western is £70) the weathering isn’t the best on some but it’s more than passable, the renumbering is also not fantastic, only the last 2 digits changed, the head codes could be better applied too this is one I got for myself, as there was a dodgy renumbering on one end (which came off with my thumbnail after I’d paid) it was priced at £65, my model has the spare head codes in the box so I can’t see a reason any of the others wouldn’t obviously these are in the cabinets in the shop so if you want one you will have to call them to see what they have left

And just as I’ve read this post one has gone past my house on the chester line (about 1/2 mile away in a straight line) heading for shotton sounding mighty impressive I do miss driving them, not had one for 18 months on the mainline, they are still on my traction card as I sometimes get to start them up and drive them around the yard at bescot which I can count as a refresh

I think it was also used as a move to get the 73s back south

Hopefully the link will work Alsager crossing out of Use for 12 weeks following a crash on Monday night! https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/truck-crashes-alsager-level-crossing-18514539?utm_source=sharebar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sharebar

they have closed the road by my house to renew a normal size bridge over the crewe to chester line, the road will be shut for 6 months! They had the bridge out the first week and the rest is the work to reconnect the road by the look of it

i managed to get the old livery ones for under £100 on eBay and already have the Railtec decals to rebrand them when I can be bothered, for all the coaches to do as well! I was tempted to get the latest Hornby release coaches and plate the windows properly (as I’ve already done with my existing NMT set) and patch paint the work I’d done as the Hornby decals and finish are far better than I could apply but I don’t think it would look quite right

If they do replacement bodies then can sell the old ones off cheap to people like me who aren’t bothered by the slightly wonky Decal but want to update their old livery NMT power cars to the current livery

Today was interesting to say the least, should have been in at 7pm but got a call just after midday, can I go to basford hall and work a train to landor st, no driver rostered Colas class 70 66765 on the Clitheroe to Avonmouth service Worked it to landor st but decided to stay on to have a look at landor st to kings norton which I’ve got to learn for the RHTT, had a look and stayed on a bit further to Bristol parkway! Caught this to filton abbey wood Where I caught a local service to Newport, fully expected a 158 to pull in only to have this turn up This sign made me laugh at Newport TFW 170 175 unit XC 170 CASTLE HST IEP unit 158 unit DRS 66 IEP Unit and finally 2 hours late, my train pulled in I travelled in it to Hereford (did a bit of road learning) where I took over to take it north to crewe gresty lane where I get off and went home, long day To say the least but something different (and another trip to Hereford!) back in Wednesday (trip to Hereford again!)

I never normally see anyone in there! Some from today, cement train, should have met it at shrewsbury but did the other driver a favour and met him at shotton (he lives along the coast so could get away and straight home!) first up I stopped at Buckley to video the train passing through the station having just shunted out of the cement terminal yard 66709 leading which is a new 66 for me to drive, it avoided me at fastline and it’s taken 2 years with GBRf to finally get it! Shotton another video by my dad of me passing through Gobowen hereford got another job to Hereford on Thursday which gets there in the afternoon so hopefully I can pay Hereford models a visit!

£495

already been done on the Cambrian under RETB, every crossing numbered, 196 alone between shrewsbury and Machynlleth, under ertms a lot have been shut but there are still numbered signs at the crossings which have remained open, for example ‘22’ is still there which I know to be hanselmans crossings, the signallers tend to ask have you passed crossing number XX and the name when they need to know your exact location, for example if someone has requested to use a crossing, ertms can’t tell the signaller your exact location ‘on a map’ as it were but does show them the trains meterage from point zero of the system (shrewsbury end of the line)