big jim

Brilliant, will defiantly be getting a few more log carriers to go with the 5 i’ve Converted from Heljan Cargowaggon flats

Just 3 from today, toton tripper again with the same loco 66708 passes by (named after my roster Clark, Jayne) 60096 heading toward the shed and my train ready to head back to bescot with a load of falcon wagons, despite the clouds it didn’t rain

I didn’t even know it was coming that way until I had a look at the map linked to above!

Funnily enough just driven a train past it and there is a sign which says it’s to do with HS2 works

Toton tripper, 66706 again ready to depart and picking up the new traffic in Toton, 56049 for company 66850 DIT 66779 Then a nice treat of “Tornado” passing through First and last 68 passing through And back in bescot

Couple of pics from the train on my way in to work

There certainly is, there is a row of cottages on the opposite side of the railway line to the new pylon that are being pulled down, they are really nice early 20th century buildings, just a shame they were right on the perimeter of the huge s**t farm at coleshill and now directly under a power line!

I like waterfall taps, we had a new bathroom back in March and had them fitted, the only thing I wish I hadn’t had was a double ended bath with a waterfall tap in the centre, one accidental knock of the tap and you scald or freeze your balls! Also regards the double ended bath when your trying to get out there is no where to push your feet against to push yourself up, you just end up slipping back under the water like a floundering whale causing a huge tidal wave!

Not put any cooper pics up for a while, done a few bits and bobs to it he other week I broke the recliner on the passenger seat so I changed the seats for a set of blue/black leather seats off eBay and I’ve just done this, added black headlight surrounds using carbon fibre wrap, comes in a sheet that you heat and wrap around whatever you want to, I didn’t know how I’d get on with it but it went on really well with no creases or folds the car is now 1200 miles off its supercharger service, might get that done in the next couple of weeks, if it goes well (ie the rest of the car is running ok) I’m going to possibly get a smaller pulley fitted while the charger is off the car, that will give it an extra 20bhp, ive also got a superchip bluefin that I may configure to the cooper, the stage 2 chip combined with the smaller pulley and bigger intercooler will push it from 175bhp to 240bhp!

The one I’ve seen is defiantly exactly where the map reference is, I’ll see if I can grab a pic tomorrow

There is a warehouse building between the m42 and coleshill parkway that has had a good 20 metre or so removed from its whole length and a new gable end built, in its place now is a brand new pylon, it’s probably the one in the picture above edit: if fact if you look at the map above you can see a ghost road running through the “auria solutions” building which is the new gable end, the dark roof area of that building to the right is the bit that is now gone and the pylon is roughly where the lower of the 3 gables is

Just a couple from today, possession train from wigston to bescot 66706 at wigston and awaiting departure from the work site at Narborough (red lights protecting the crossing) and that was that, Toton tripper the rest of the week

For those who are wondering what the heck those of us in the know are on about below is part of an RT3185 for coal trains between various loading and discharging points you can see it is specific to types of wagons generating a specific RA (route availability) Below that is a comprehensive list of routes that the train must take with a route letter next to it (a, b, c etc) You can see on this page the route from Rugeley north jn to rycroft jn is shown (as part of route q) you then cross reference the route letter with any restrictions shown in the next list, as you can see route m, n, o, p, q, r have no restrictions applied whereas other routes with restrictions give you the location, bridge number and speed or other restriction such as on the ironbridge line “only one train permitted on bridge at any given time” the bridge in question being the Bridge over the Severn (the restriction could have been removed a long time back as the line was singled between lightmoor and the power station back in about 2010) there are further RT3973s too CON- container trains (so larger sized containers don’t hit tunnel walls, bridges or station canopies etc) EXL- exceptional loads (things like side tipping point carriers and some cranes) NUC- nuclear traffic (to keep to booked routes) then in top of that you have table upon table of locos, units and coaches in the sectional appendix listing where they cannot go, class 70 for example can go derby to stoke via uttoxeter but cannot go the opposite direction along the same route due to a bulge in the wall in meir tunnel! hope that helps people understand the complexities of running different types of freight trains, it’s not just point and go!

Yes they are all on there

It’s not so much the line actually having restrictions the issue was the paperwork I had didn’t feature the line between rycroft and Rugeley (which is RA8) so i couldn’t go until it was confirmed it was a paperwork error rather than a routing error the other thing to bear in mind is the train should have been RA8 but the one loaded wagon pushed it up to RA10 thus making it require the HAW form, otherwise I wouldn’t need it and I could have gone without issue to be honest I also told control that loaded coal trains used to work over the route to and from the power station and those wagons when loaded were also RA10 (same as my loaded wagon) so the likelyhood is the train could run without issue but again without my ‘cement traffic’ specific RT3973HAW paperwork I couldn’t go (or at the least get confirmation from NR that it was ok and be told where, if any, restrictions were)

Bit of road learning today, kidsgrove to Macclesfield for the upcoming (already) RHTT, decided to stay on to Stockport to get the bit between Macclesfield and cheadle hulme I’m too, a line I’ve done loads of times with Colas but conducted over it stoke on Trent with its impressive over roof stockport, a GBRf stone train passing through, a biomass has passed through a couple of minutes earlier too class 57 heading south got a couple of trips in each way as well as a refresh from stoke to Stafford via stone as I’ve had to go and collect my car from bescot as my job tomorrow is cancelled, was hoping to leave it there until tomorrow! long week coming up, possession Sunday, Toton trippers and an iport!

Just a couple from this morning, did a cement train, Landor st to crewe, it was booked to run into bescot to run round then go over Cannock Chase to Rugeley, as it happened it had a loaded wagon in the consist the when I checked the heavy weight axle form the route wasn’t showing on the form so I had to sit and wait while it was decided if the train could go over the line, as it happened it couldn’t but by the time a decision was made a possession that was blocking the original route was lifted so I went that way instead! Into crewe And off it goes road learning again tomorrow, local to me though

I knew you were a bad un’! dave is right I did get stuck one night and had to fill my hard hat with sand to get some on the rails between the docks and bootle jn, the problemnis you have the 5mph crossing and 15mph facing points to clear so you can’t give it some beans until you exit the first tunnel where the line is dry and then you hit the leaves and slip to a stop! unofficially you used to go faster than the 20mph line speed after bootle jn to get a flying start at the bank, getting a train over line speed (not saying by how much!) would result in it getting down to about 5mph by the top of the bank at Walton

The stop exiting the docks is bizzarly to activate the now closed regents Rd level crossing lights! also in the cupboard is a ‘line clear’ indicator to let the driver know there is nothing occupying the track between the start of NR metals and the signal protecting bootle jn the top and tail train runs into tuebrook to remove one of the locos, the rear loco banks the train up the branch hence why it’s manned, I’ve not actually done that move so I don’t know which loco is removed on arrival (ie remove the rear one and run the lead loco round OR just remove the lead loco and use the ‘banker’ to work the train forward) micheal Delamar is your man regards the docks, he used to be shunter there and is now a driver who regularly works those trains, I’ve only done a handful of trains into the docks and tuebrook since I started with Gbrf but have worked in and out of there with fastline and colas since 2008

When I learned Holyhead nearly 20 years ago there were 3 blue bulk bags trackside full of ballast that were used as a braking point for bodorgan station on the up, they are still there now, faded and deteriorated somewhat but still used as the braking point!

Just 3 from today, did the toton tripper as planned then got a call, could we go to Bletchley and rescue a failed intermodal train so off we went as 1Z99 toton-leicester-nuneaton-rugby-Northampton-Bletchley changing ends in nuneaton And into Bletchley we left the loco with the driver, brake tested the train and walked back to the station to get a train back north, as we did a 230 unit passed by heading for Bedford, never seen one before, quite impressed with it to be honest! and that was that, home I went, couldn’t be bothered getting my car from bescot though, that can wait til later in the week

Today was quite colourful too 66724 and 66150 one way dropped the gb 66 onto the return working and took the DB one on the shed 57 and 60 And the return with 66724 and Maritime livery 66142 And into bescot same again tomorrow

Nope, too fussy for my liking (shades of fastline with the stripes though)

Don’t rush out today expecting “evening star” jack, it’s 66724 on the tripper today (with 66150 dit to Toton and 66142 dit back)

Some from today, rugby to bescot with an engineering train, 66779 ‘Evening Star’ up front and 66724 on the rear, first time I’ve had 66779 im in the bescot - Toton tripper again tomorrow so either one of those locos should be my loco, I’m hoping 724 as it has aircon and a comfy 2nd mans seat! rugby and into bescot