big jim

Just got the little in a Nintendo switch for his birthday, been asking for one for months but told him they are too expensive then one came up for a bargain 2nd hand price, think he’s gonna be chuffed on his birthday Regard the Atari I got a new power supply has it working, next issue is how to connect it to a ‘modern’ tv!

Started in Wigton this morning Class 88 heading towards Sellafield Then my train turned up, happened it was top and tail 68s Eventually got to derby for today’s job EMT hst on etches Park, revised livery 37219 with RILA attachments Derby to Leicester and over to nuneaton where I sat on the chord to the west coast mainline while the equipment was fettled And it was away to crewe where it was stabled for the night on the PAD

I thought exactly the same thing when I saw that!

A blast round the midlands last night, should have had a DVT in the train but it was causing issues so it got knocked out, the plus side 2 37s in multi with 3 coaches went rather well, had speed restrictions due to only 3 vehicles (lack of brake force) but could still do 80 where permitted It left 85 mins late, I was booked to pick it up from burton on Trent so the driver who was on board said she was happy to still do so so I took her van there and met up as planned 37099 leading Blockade engineering train Panorama From burton it wa across city line to Aston then stetchford to international International to Stafford via bescot One for mick, an extra vent on TIC2 for the air con Stafford to redditch via bescot and New st Redditch to Washwood Heath and back to new st New st to Lichfield and onward to Alrewas and burton and then due to the derby blockade over stenson to sheet stores jn and into Trent loop Trent loop to derby, my poor 08 looking a bit forlorn in the sidings And the other 08 looking a bit healthier in the sunshine Should have been on the logs tomorrow but looks like I’m out with 37219 and the RILA machine on the west coast main line instead

The dvt never made it out last night, caused too many problems so was taken from the consist The consolation was 37s in fine fettle top and tail in multi with 3 coaches shifted somewhat!

Had I taken the job with freightliner the other week I’d have been leaving the orange and black team for the orange and black team!

Internal Wall built and secured today as well as moving the electrics temporary to the wood frame ready for the first fit Certainly looking like something now

don't worry BR lives on in Colas, that one quote sums up how i'm feeling at the moment so time to get out

Head up for tomorrow, all being well I will have 37099 and 37254 top and tail a test train with a DVT buried in the formation which will actually be recording the track via the yellow painted wheels which have sensors in them All I need to do now is figure out how to fit a front coupling to the Hornby model!

Dunno if these are of any interest, the palbrick in Basford hall yard

Probably my last cambrian trip today, landre to crewe with a rail delivery train, had possessions in front of me at dovey so tookbthe opportunity to stop for some pics next to the river just as the sun was rising Landre Near dovey jn Welshpool Basford hall Class 56 back from peak forest And that was that, whether I see the Cambrian again is another thing!

And back to Llandrindod from derby On the TRU Craven arms Knighton Llandrindod And away it went Cambrian in the morning

Had one of those days today, a nice little van positioning job, leave it in Llandrindod for when I arrive there tomorrow with the 950 unit, got there for 13:00 only to find the next train was due at 17:00! Went for a drive to Builth wells which was in full swing preparing for the royal welsh show next week, shocked to see how much of the town was fenced off and speaking to a shop keeper she said there is that much trouble in the evenings they fence areas off, her shop was closing for the duration of the show too! I last visited the show in 1993 and stayed in the young people’s village and admittedly I don’t remember much as ‘I was very very drunk’ but I do remember seeing 37s crossing the river bridge at the far end of the field and as at the time I wasn’t really into railways I didn’t know what line it was and didn’t care really but it’s funny to look back 25 years down the line and now be driving the same locos on the same line (10 miles north of there) I went for a drive to Builth road station too but didn’t bother with any pics but I’ve finally seen the place where the lines crossed at 90 degrees (heart of wales and Hereford-Rhayader line), the pub is now a private residence Then went back to Llandrindod to wait another 2 hours for the train home Station building Signal box (not in its original position, it used to be at the crossing towards craven arms) The grey building is the token exchange point So TRU back there tomorrow and a night in the famous ‘metropole’ hotel before a cambrian ballast out of Aberystwyth on Sunday! I can pretty much guarantee it will be my final trip to Llandrindod and possibly my final cambrian this weekend before I leave

Log wagons just in time to correspond with me leaving Colas!

I’m going to continue it with 50mm stuff purely based on price, unless of course eBay comes up trumps with some over ordered stuff as it did for the ceiling Next working day is Monday, electric box off the wall to add the noggins and secure that pane to the wall, secure the others then build the internal wall and doorway 4ft back I’ve had an idea for the internal wall that I may put a small hole in it so I can have a siding going off the layout into the workbench area so I can have a programming/test track in there attached to the layout, or the other thing I though of was have the layout actually come through the wall into the utility area and run on a narrow shelf to keep the inside of internal wall clear for the ‘home cinema’ seating I have been ordered to put in there (currently 2 gaming chairs)

It’s an ex barrier vehicle, just there for brake force now Quick vid of it leaving Sheffield this morning

Trip to the seaside last night, crewe-blackpool-Manchester-Stockport and Sheffield! Blackpool The new platforms And in Sheffield this morning And away it went

The Cement is a definite for me

He did that at chiltern! Think so, can get it as far south as Didcot

One thing I have been told is I will be refreshing 20s and Marcus37 May be teaching me the class 59!

I had to get permission to move that from freightliner I can’t move anything I don’t sign so just as well I sign 66s Only one pic from last night And it’s now official, last day with Colas is the 10th August and I start with GBRf on the 13th August!

Loco move last night carlisle to crewe as the logs were cancelled Got to Kingmoor to find the dead class 70 blocked in by a freightliner 66 and the 56 on the opposite side of the yard! Class 56 Finally ready to roll Brief stop in carlisle And into crewe to stable Logs tonight

Today’s charity shop find All For the princely sum of £5 had it powered up for a bit then the light went off and the power supply is red hot so gonna let it cool down and try again but have ordered a replacement one off eBay for £5 anyway, even if it is a knacker it’s a nice little find fully boxed up with instructions Toad every time

Some from today, site driver Chorley then back to crewe Chorley Into Preston to change ends And away to crewe, passing swifty11 en route, had to do a bit of shunting when I got there Tonput both of the locos on a log train that had been left in Basford hall over the weekend Logs tomorrow

Not had a look at the job properly yet but I’ve got to go to Chorley station, I think the possession is right up to Euxton jn