big jim

what program was that, see if i can see it on catch up? only took 4 pics today kingmoor and warrington

Did you get it from C+M in carlisle? I’m sure mike has/had a 2nd hand one in last week that said noisy on the label, bargain price too, was tempted You could just pretend it’s the traction motors on it m, they whine like hell on the real thing too

Not me today, on it tomorrow though Nowt wrong with iPhone cameras 99% of the pics on this thread are iPhone

when i read this reply i instantly thought of this..... https://youtu.be/ZnJcZ-5P8hE

Some from the weekend, Saturday night was a ballast drop between Wigan and coppull Basford hall 56105 on another train that went off to wem While I had 60047 again! The end of the possession found me below the wild fires that are burning on winter hill, taken Just at sunrise Then relief turned up and I headed off to carlsile with the van And that was that, drove home in the afternoon from the caravan, came back via the dales as I did the other week so show the family ribblehead etc and the desolation going over the mountains Got home just in time for last nights job, 60047 again, crewe to carlisle light engine for the logs later today Basford hall Had a cracking run, after leaving the siding at crewe the next stop was to change the points to get into the wood yard in Kingmoor! And onto the train In all I’ve driven the best part of 600 miles since Saturday night, off today then just for a change 60047 on the logs Tuesday!

We’re off for a weekend in the caravan (despite me working tomorrow night!) and packed the murano ready to go, that car has no air con as the condenser is leaking, we got 2 miles from the house and turned back unloaded it and got the phaeton out instead which has absolutely fantastic climate control, just sat outside the school waiting to pick the little un up and it’s saying 30.0 on the car temp gauge

Only took 2 pics last night as it was the same job Dalston tanks waiting to depart

it wa so warm last night at 03:30 I had to open the side window on the class 60 to keep cool, only thing is I missed the vigilance going off and came to a stop in a heap between Penrith and carlisle!

I think your being a bit harsh, they have been around for 20 years, a lot longer than some steam or early diesel prototypes that have been produced have managed Geographically 175, ok not too far afield but south cumbria to South Wales and lots of places in between is a fair spread, 180s Newcastle to london and Hill, and london to Oxford, Hereford?, Bristol etc is pretty widespread too Both have carried lots of liveries or variations of, 175 not so much as the 180 but not limited to one livery per unit I’d certainly be interested in a 175 in arriva livery as I used to drive them (in barbie livery for FNW too)

They went to Windermere too (175s that is)

Because they couldn’t unload them again!

Some from last night, logs to carlisle Crewe And at 04:00 Into Kingmoor to run round GBRf 66 60021 on the Dalstons And Home I went, same again tonight

There were a few about today videoing and fotting, the Fellsman was diesel hauled today and had it been steam hauled I suspect there would have been more about again

Thanks for the support everyone Some from today, 60047 crewe to carlisle light engine so it can be put on the logs tomorrow! So it won’t be my last Colas class 60 after all as I’m on it later in the week Basford hall I asked for a path via the s+c again, glad I did due to disruption on the wcml Blackburn Cold drink break at hellifield I then picked up a guest at settle for a ride or carlisle, got a shot of me en route for posterity! Departing carlisle At carlisle I was asked to go for fuel at DRS Then into Kingmoor via the recess line, one I’ve only ever done once before, you by pass the main yard and back into it from the north And stabled Then I headed home only be caught up in chaos from lineside fires near carlisle, the 17:38 off carlisle has just left at 19:25 back to crewe, I may get home at some point! GBRf in Warrington with a drax service that had been cancelled so was heading off to run round in Northwich and return to liverpool Still got to go back to Basford hall for my van yet!

They are just being prototypical, if you remember the first batch of the real thing sat on the docks at Liverpool for 2-3 weeks before being collected

there is a lot more to me moving companies than im willing to put on the forum, im looking forward to the change of direction, im under no illusions that the grass may not be greener at gbrf but i have to think about number one (and the family) and am thinking of the long term future, as i was hoping to do with colas but things have come to a head and i feel i can no longer happily contribute any more to colas, workplace problems are coming home with me and getting in the way of my home life which is not good im certainly not going to slag the company off or rip into it, its been very good to me the last 5+ years and what they have allowed me to achieve regards becoming an instructor, mentor, assessor has helped me to get not just the job im hoping to sign for by the end of the week but also one with freightliner too i dont see how i can put 5 years work into one pithy closing paragraph and im not going to try, besides ive got to work my notice so this thread will continue for a short while, to be honest i'll probably keep it running under a new title when the time comes to move on if you had said to me the week i started that 5 years down the line id be driving the likes of class 70s and the NMT i wouldnt have believed you, im very very sad to be leaving, the word i used to my manager when he heard i was thinking of leaving is 'heartbroken', i dont want to leave but i feel i have no choice for my own sanity! ive shed a few tears making the decision to quit as i know i'll never have another job like it variety wise and my route and traction card will shrink a bit but needs must, ive watched colas freight grow from what felt like a family company when i started and turn into a large company that has unfortunately lost its personal touch when dealing with us on the ground looking at what ive achieved in the last 5 years, traction wise learned or refreshed everything from 08, 37, 47, 56, 60, 66, 67, 70, HST, DBSO some of the highlights include: delivering pretty much all the class 70s off the docks in liverpool first train on the bicester chord during construction learning network rail rolling stock and trains class 47s on ballast jobs to and from hinksey learning ertms (as much as a pain in the bum it is) signing the cambrian coast signing the settle and carlisle snowploughing the buxton line with beilhack ploughs working coal trains into ratcliffe again after doing it with fastline signing 08s and driving it mainline driving class 37s on the heart of wales line class 60 with 3000 ton trains i think the one thing that will stick out more than most would be signing the NMT, wouldnt have thought id ever sign that in a million years, only got a couple of years of driving it but its been fun, have had it to holyhead, liverpool, newport, paddington, didcot, doncaster, settle and carlisle, wcml, manchester, all over in fact! so, still over a month or so to go so pics will carry on until i finish its marcus' fault i'm moving over, while he was off duty (and slightly anebriated) he introduced me to his big boss for a chat, applied for a job and the rest is/will be history!

Medical today down in Hampshire, went down by train New st Reading, awful place for pictures now, so much clutter! Blackwater Back to reading Failed IEP HST Class 59 That was about it, and Home I went! 60 crewe to carlisle tomorrow, will it be my last Colas class 60 move?

Not sure about those but Internally class 70s have an ETRMS circuit breaker fitted and I believe the plan is they can remove one of the in cab screens for an ERTMS screen, but there is no other wiring or equipment on them yet such as the external balise reader or special black box but space has been left for it

That’s the problem, too many pieces of cake!

Let’s get the medical passed first!

Some from last night, UTU recovery run from banbury to Didcot with the train going transit from crewe diesel depot First job is prep the loco, incase anyone hasn’t seen inside a 37/6 before this the door I need to get through to get to the engine, anyone who knows be will know I’m not exactly small in the middle area but I can fit through this door with will power, it’s only about 12-15 inch wide! And the side of the engine to check the turbos, overspeed lever and water, oil on the other side The loco itself Into crewe station loop Sparkly dbso This caught me by surprise, class 90 dragging a 66 and 2 class 59s Then it was a non stop run to banbury via the wcml to nuneaton, Coventry and Leamington spa Had to wait there as a ballast behind would have caught me by the time I got to oxford so the signaller let it go first, absolute beast of a loco I’m rather hoping that when I start with GBRf I get to have a go of it! And these, not driven a 20 since DRS And away I went to Didcot And back to derby, chadd curve before heading back to the RTC That was that, GBRf medical Monday

I think mick has hit the nail on the head, gutted to see them go, didn’t like them when we first got them as they seemed a bit boring but seriously got to love them by the end, a stunning loco to work on, , got to move one next week which could possibly be my last move (in Colas livery anyway!)

thats correct, you can see it in the distance but as you say the platform end one is the next one and that applies to both lines

So have a few drivers!

If you look closely the main aspect behind the indicator is showing a yellow That’s why it’s a sneaky little signal, obviously from the train on the through it’s far easier to see