big jim

first day of a week of IM training, got to refresh someone on 37s and teach him DBSO and IM stock 37116 37610 off to doncaster tomorrow to catch up with 37610 again and maybe nick it for a run to and from toton if we can get a path in

Enjoyable 1/2 hour sorting out my stock, while I did it I put an old BRM mag DVD in the Xbox and watched that too! Simon paley’s ‘Norwood road’ on the screen shockingly I’ve just discovered I’ve got 20 class 66’s (of which 12 are GBRf!) amongst other items, no major surprises other than an arriva 153 I didn’t know I had! Edit: whoops, found another 66 a thumper unit and 3 silver bullets under the bed and I’ve just remembered I’ve got a 37 and 7 more silver bullets in the boot of the car!

Door fitted today by a joiner, just need to add a door jam to the top myself as I’ve lost it in the build! got a nice heavy duty mortice lock in it too for a bit of extra security now it’s extra secure in there put my stock onto the cupboard shelves out the way of being knocked around the floor

I was looking forward to getting some of the track carrying metronet ones but really can’t afford the difference in price between those and the standard ones, seems an awful lot just for some extra flat panels saying that the price of the standard empty wagon is the same regardless of livery (£32) but the metronet track carrier is £9 more than the freightliner one at £59, seems a bit odd, the only thing I can think off is having to pay extra royalties to use the metronet name

Yes ‘we’ as in GBRf As mick has put various other TOC have been asked to help cover IM work that Colas are struggling with due to staff shortages, route knowledge etc the only difference the public will see is the uniform the driver wears

Just 2 from today, had to run round in hams hall to get to Doncaster as the train came in from nuneaton direction and into Roberts road for a service

Yep, a week of class 37 and DBSO training before we start working IM trains the week after

only 2 from today! iport again 66782 in "railtour" livery the usual masborough picture same again tomorrow but just northbound then an interesting week coming up

They probably are just rubbish bins but they could also be spill kits for diesel spillages etc EDIT: they are bins for cab rubbish, just asked a work colleague who was based at warrington at the time of the picture

Council have been and signed the job off (just a couple of cosmetic jobs to tidy up), I will get my certificate next week my dad came round today and built the cabinets, I can’t take any credit as all I did was go out and buy the chippy dinner as whenever I was in the garage he put something together wrong or I dropped the screws on the floor so he told me to go and have a sleep as I’d been working all night! We were going to put a 500 wide cabinet in the corner but it lined up with the plug sockets so we have decided to leave the space empty, maybe put a shelf in there but it’s a handy cubby hole (maybe for one of the gaming chairs to be stored in) On top of those cabinets I’m going to fix plywood and lay the fiddle yards, the layout will then be somewhere around 10-12 inch above that i recon i had to pop to jewson to get some panel pins (closest builders merchants) I don’t normally like going there as they aren’t the cheapest around but I managed to pick up a nice little bargain from the reduced section A solid oak internal door for £20 +vat, also in the bargain bin I got the hinges, multi point lock and handles etc, the whole lot coming to £39 inc vat! Just arranged for a joiner to come round Sunday to fit it for me, busy every day next week though so will probably be slow progress for a week after this weeks big push

I saw forza 4 for £20 in cash converters yesterday, I’ve got it on gamepass (and downloaded the ultimate dlc for it yesterday too) but was still tempted to get it as a ‘physical copy’ I’ve been quite impressed with the idea of downloadable games so far a week into owning the Xbox one, there is stuff I wouldn’t have thought of playing had I saw it on the shelf But at least if I don’t like it I can delete Dom is made up as Just cause 4 has appeared today as a download

just a few from yesterday/today 66724 leading my train first time I’ve seen bicester village station since it was rebuilt, last time I was down here the station was temporarily closed and the line was still single while the upgrade was carried out and back into crewe this morning, a new TPE unit parked on LNWR depot iport tomorrow and Saturday

Only took one pic yesterday, 68014 at bicester worked a train north from bicester to crewe, got it back south later tonight

The only progress you will see on this thread is the layout getting smaller! Keep an eye on the garage conversion thread I’ve got going for any layout building that will go on

Ive got 4 of those LED spots to go on the BMW cooper S when I get it back

Well that’s it, final closure orders delivered today, all stock moved and track lifted, boards removed on one side, this layout is an ex layout! And now I have a shed, still the other side to remove, I’m going to keep 6ft of the baseboard at the rear of the shed to act as a table

Big job broke out! kitchen cabinets all ready to open and build, was hoping to get them started this morning with my dad but wickes delivery that should have happened yesterday morning before 12 finally turned up today at 13:00 so a whole morning lost but we got plenty done in the shed

well i instantly thought of this when i looked at the evil glint in your dogs eyes!

i've never likes mini grilles with built in spotlights

thats the scrappy in spondon that had a couple of MK1 coaches on site for years, you could see them from the MML, they have gone now though

getting into forza horizon now!

Sat in all morning waiting for wickes only for them to decide they would be delivering at 16:00 despite me paying extra for a 8-1 delivery, that on top of them attempting delivery Saturday while I was in work really narked me off! Anyway whilenj was waiting I fitted up the led lights they change colour using the phone on WiFi they can also pulse to music via the phone mic, ideal for a bit of a rave up! Wickes defiantly delivering tomorrow morning now so hopefully I can crack on with building a few units before work

Quick ballast job yesterday, Loughborough to Toton with a freightliner 66 Into Toton where I stabled the train for someone else to take the loco away 66620 isn’t a ‘new’ loco for me it was actually my passing out loco when I was with DRS when I first stated in the freight back in 2005! Loco move tonight, hams hall to bescot

dunno if im gonna make it now, my train should have left wellingborough an hour ago and is still stood there, will have to see how quick toton can deal with me and then assess the weather "over the tops" as its been sleety right the away across the A50 between crewe and loughborough so i dont fancy the higher road back to macclesfield

Just 2 from today, one way iport trip 66 passing through coleshill good run to iport, stuck behind a steamer from barrow hill to swinton but kept at 50 so just far enough back to not catch up with single yellow signals, still made it in on time, loco to decoy and home nice little job tomorrow, Loughborough to Toton, gonna take me longer to drive the car there and back than how long I’ll be driving the train!