big jim

Thought I’d had a leaving present from Colas earlier, but no, new uniform from GBRf! Hotels booked for Peterborough too, they sure seem super organised

A few from last night, NMT crewe to burton on Trent Another driver boughtbut in, Didn’t think it would fit in the bay at crewe but it did! 345 unit on test And into burton Derby blockade today

The yard in Northwich is shocking considering it was cleared about 5 years back! Still a few french registered wagons knocking about the jungle I think

It’s coming back tomorrow to save the day!

No that wasn’t me BUT I am in it later on when it arrives back in crewe to take it back to nemesis in burton in Trent

Some from yesterday, loco moves crewe to shrewsbury and back 66850/60021/66847 in Basford hall, they needed moving to repair the AWS in one of the 66s and to fuel the 60 66850 into the shed at coleham 60021, worked out this was the first (and last) visit if a Colas 60 to coleham We then had to giggle round locos to get the 66s over the pit so the 60 has to move 60021 on No 1 road and 66850 bought forward a touch Then when the work was done even more changing around so the 60 was leading 66850 and 66847 was left at coleham for further work! Back to Basford hall where another driver took the 60 and attached it to the traffic and drew forward I then dropped on the rear with the 66 And it was all set to go Only to discover that class 60 weren’t clear for a certian part of the route so it had to be taken off and a freightliner 66 hired in to replace it! NMT tonight

Some from Saturday night, Doncaster Belmont to Sheffield then back to doncaster station with a railvac Belmont My train ready to go went off to Sheffield via Meadowhall, my maiden voyage between masborough and Sheffield since signing it, in Sheffield the lead loco was uncoupled and drawn out of the way Lots of units stabled around the station Gwr 153 158 named barbara castle Railvac on the move ready to suck up ballast around the pointwork Scotrail 158 Rear loco Then after the work, and in daylight I returned to the lead loco And set back onto the train, brake tested and away to the worksite marker boards Once the possession was lifted it was then for some bizarre reason all the way to chesterfield to change ends! Derby blockade possession train passing through Then a nice bonus, another possession train with top and tail 56s Which I followed to Sheffield only to pass it just outside the station It then followed me in to the station Pacer departing Panorama shot So off I went toward doncaster, got stopped in swinton where another pair of 56s we’re heading toward derby And while I sat there the 56s heading the same way as me went round thyborough and ended up in front of me again! There were a lot of photographers on the bridge just past mexborough who in the space of 10 mins would have seen 4 x 56s and 2 x 70 pass through! I went into doncaster station where I got relief and the train went on to decoy before the driver took the locos back to barnetby And that was that, quite possibly my last class 70 job, gonna be sad to lose them off my traction card as I do rather like them but I think a 59 might make up for it Loco move later today possibly

Thanks everyone Last night was probably my last driving a class 37 and going out in style I had ‘our Merl’ 37099 as my final loco (other than the change ends onto the RTC) Started in crewe To Stockport Buxton Didn’t quite fit! Into Piccadilly Back to crewe Back to Stockport Away to chinley and back to hazel grove Hazel grove to Sheffield Sheffield to derby via the Erewash and Toton And into the RTC And that was that, away to Doncaster to a hotel, no more 37s for me! Railvac tonight Doncaster to Sheffield and back

No more cambrian work for me

Just a couple from today, supposed to move some 70s bescot to doncaster but it was done yesterday so I just went down to Basford hall to check the fuel levels The future! IM tomorrow, either hope valley or heart of wales, both are good!

Dunno about Eastleigh but she wouldn’t get on the platform at Blackpool!

Unless it’s changed or slightly different rules apply for passenger drivers then there should be your company name on the hi-viz, it’s certainly something that was mentioned during my T3 training (and I’m sure PTS?) so as to identify a person or persons doing any unsafe practices on worksites as there can be a number of different contractors working at any time All companies I’ve worked for have had the name on be it freight or passenger EDIT: just had a look at my rule book and it just says ‘clean hi-viz’ no mention of company name but it’s defiantly something I’ve heard in the not too distant past

Unfortunately there is a trend for the younger fraternity of what I would call ‘you tube’ spotters who wear hi-viz vests purposely so you will see them and give them ‘tonezzzzzzzzzzz’ as you pass If the person in the OPs post was an official railway worker (on duty) then the hi-viz will have the name of his employer on the back and possibly the front Breast so they can be identified should a near miss or other incident happen Oh and he should have safety boots on and I’m pretty sure sport direct don’t supply a ‘le coq sportif’ PPE range

Which one is missing nameplates, 8F or 37? It’s currently looking like my final job with Colas is going to be next Thursday and it’s very nicely the NMT to Holyhead and back, a nice way to bow out if it happens

Day off today but went into carlsile for some shopping, got back to the car just in time to see the Dalesman charter leaving for the s+c 48151 dragging a 37 And a quick vid of it https://youtu.be/wQiPRfKMu1g

I’ve never had or indeed seen a 66 with a door over the battery switch yet

http://www.wnxx.com/18/1807/300718/66413.htm

What a way to start the day, hour and a half on a pacer! Working with GBRf today refreshing drivers on class 60s Next time I drive these I will be working for GBRf!

Someone mentioned the Cambrian a few posts back regards the woman who crossed and was hit by an in timetabled class 97 Last year we got asked about 2nd men on the Cambrian and whether they were required, emails flew back and forth between us drivers and management which got quite heated, I received a phone call from a manager over the tone of the emails that were being banded about and one of his comments was “the thing that made me laugh was what such and such a driver put about the locals taping timetables to the windscreen of the car” to which I replied “well if you think it’s funny have a word with our driver who killed the old woman and had to go to court to give evedence and see what he has to say about it” He was genuinely shocked when he realised that we were tellign the truth

Just a few from last night, couldn’t be bothered with pics! Crewe to rugby via the west mids then back to Tyseley Crewe And the end of the shift in Tyseley And a 172 passing through Tyseley station I wonder if that’s my final goodbye to 37025?

Picked up ltd ed Fallout 4 for the xbox one complete with boxed pip boy wearable accessory for the eldest son earlier from CEX for £80, he’s been after one for a while but they rarely come up 2nd hand so I grabbed it for him and he’s well chuffed he helps out at the holiday camp we have our caravan at so the money he gets from that will be diverted to me to pay off the cost of it! The only thing is we don’t actually have an Xbox one, he has fallout 4 on his PS4 and i forgot I’d already picked up a sealed copy of it for Xbox one 2 weeks ago at a car boot for £4 with a view to trading it in for something else! Regards TSW I keep threatening Dominic with it, I say I’m going to trade all his games in and just leave him with that, Be fun if it worked with the VR headset?

Some from last night, a proper round robin around Manchester Started in longsight Over to Stockport, routes into the bay platform, didn’t know if it would fit but the signaller was adamant it would with 8M to spare Which it did, right up to the buffers and sure enough about 10m to spare! From there it was off via reddish to rose hill marple, back to adwick, miles platting, Manchester victoria, Salford and over to Hindley. Back from there via the same route to miles platting and away to stalyvagas From there to Newton Heath, back to baguley fold, where we misread the diagram and missed a bit of recording but thanks to the signaller we managed to get back to a point where we could pick it back up and re-record it via miles platting again! From there it was miles platting to Philips Park jn, ashburys and on to the old woodhead line to hadfield There was nothing for me there! Local wine bar for local people Then away to glossop From there to Stockport And away to crewe And that was that

Re the cantrail stripe, you can see on my pic it’s already applied and masked off on the body side, it didn’t appear to have been added to the front yet so couldnt see what colour it was This is a heavily cropped pic as i don’t want to get in trouble posting a pic of the almost complete loco

Got to say having seen it in the flesh this morning it does actually look pretty fine!

And so it begins, the first of the Colas 60s are off to GBRf this week, one of my drivers has collected 2 together in carlisle for their final Colas journey to doncaster and I believe 60087 has made its was to doncaster already My roster next week, my penultimate one before leaving Colas has me training a GBRf driver on class 60s!