big jim

I can't even remember what I did last week a lot of the time, my colas thread is a good reminder if someone asks did I drive a certain loco on a particular day! I used to put the units and locos I've driven in my diary but don't bother any more as it's the same few all the time

Hopefully pics will emerge soon, I've got the official drawings for it but I'm not too sure about how it's going to look in the flesh compared to them! Anyway some pics from Monday, first up, non work related I had to catch a train from the Wirral to crewe after dropping off a car I bought that unfortunately failed after a couple of days, got the train from spital which is near bromborough, nice little station that at one time looked to be 4 tracks, as did all the stations back to Hooton, I'd have loved to have seen it back in the 'olden days' with the great western 'zulu' passing through on its route from Birkenhead to Paddington, unfortunately it's just 507/508 units now on 2 tracks Then to work, 37116, Derby to Stratford on Avon Then to Langley green where I changed ends and away to tyseley and home And a taster for tonight's pics, took the proper camera with me, Tyseley to Stratford, back to Nuneaton and whitacre jn, back to Stratford and in to tyseley Whitacre jn Leamington spa As I say proper camera pics later when I get up

Hobby goblin in burslem getting 20 of them in tomorrow 11 of one 9 of the other DRS livery ones

That pic of Anthony..... "I will call him mini-Marcus"

forgot to upload this yesterday, did an additional derby-chesterfield-alfreton-chesterfield-derby before the shunt yesterday, 37025 up front

Secured the top boards today, first up was to cut the track further back on the existing incline as I'd previously added an exaggerated cant to the track which despite looking good was a bit impractical Then it was a bit of time thinking about how I was going to bed in the transition from foam riser to the wood of the 'bridge' after a lot of messing about the most obvious answer sprung to mind, extend a rider out and place the wood on top As the right side board is ever so slightly higher than the left then the unintentional join in the bridge now actually serves a purpose as the start of the rise I will add wooden legs to the bridge when I fit it up properly for stability, strength etc With track placed to get the idea again At the other end I'm going to have to raise the inner track up to the new baseboard level with some additional poly risers, luckily I have a few left so I can start the rise quite a way back to keep it smooth

12 minutes in our house and the bin looks like that!

I would find that funny if our recycling bin sometimes didn't end up looking like that as it's my 12 year old responsibility to empty it to earn some pocket money

Supply and demand! I've bought from Jacksons a few times as the shop isn't far from my caravan in Cumbria, it's not a name that springs to people's minds like hattons or rails hence last time I called in was the height of the Dapol 'freightliner hopper' feeding frenzy I picked up 3 for £21 each while everywhere else was showing them as sold out and eBay prices were extortionate, (I did of course let everyone else on here know there 7 left and they sold within the hour!)

Fair enough but why take down a post with a link to Donald trump colouring in stuff but leave a good half dozen on this page alone referring to the president being a comedy figure?

One of mine has gone too, a link to twitter, perhaps Andy has had a visit from the FBI as it was trump related?

You will have to attach me to the frankly less than useless 'jockey seat' that's behind the driver on the bulkhead, a complete waste of time trying to use it if your route conducting someone

I thought 68005 was familiar, it was the first one I had a ride on as 'stock rider' in an IM job back in June Nice little bonus for me as that's the one I got today

Last night was a banbury to Marylebone and back to bescot job, top and tail 70s, first One's ever into Marylebone Banbury, 70809 leading Into the wall sidings in Marylebone, that was the longest signal bay but he train was still too long to fit so I had to start in advance of the signal when I changed ends Worked it back to Neasden where the possession was put around my train and we then dropped the rail, once done the shunter checked the train over while I grabbed a couple of pics Then it was back to bescot to stable Locos off the train then home for a good sleep!

just picked mine up from haslington models, a stunning model indeed, i thought i had a "monday morning" model as opposed to a "friday afternoon" one, no glue marks, no dodgy yellow, no rub marks, very pleased with it visually no worries about glue marks around the nameplates either, both were straight and clean, well until one fell off! a little glue mark behind where the plate was mounted, so they must have used some! i'll PVA it back on anyway, that will hold it on and dry clear, that or double sided tape going to give it a run on the rolling road later before chipping it up with a Bachmann chip (then ultimately a sound chip)

Oh dear! Notice a certain new members posts have been taken from the thread

ive only ever had one person leap the barrier in navigation road ner altringham, i was stood stationary on a 150 unit and this guy jumped it in one leap then swaggered across like something out of the happy mondays or oasis being all cocky, i dont think he was expecting the metrolink tram alongside to be going in the same direction as me and for it to suddenly appear from alongside my train accellerating at a rate of knots (the driver wont have seen him initially as he was stopped futher back than me) old manc boy soon got a spurt on across the other line when that appeared whistle blaring, the last i saw of him was in a heap in the middle of the road the other side of the barrier having tried unsuccesfully to leap the second barrier in one go in the panic

i recon he was touching cloth, well if he wasnt before the manouvre he probably was afterwards! that crossing was one i was warned about when i learnt that route that the local scroats on foot tend to leap the barriers rather than wait

nice little job today, class 67 move, should have bene toton to derby but the loco was on the electric depot in crewe (1/2 mile from home) so that saved me a van drive 67008 this time, actually the first EWS livery 67 ive ever driven! ready for the off signal check at kidsgrove into derby and onto its train 97 on the rear this time

i remembered my proper camera last night too this morning after a sleep i caught the train from south ruislip, took the opportunity to do the chiltern service to paddington, used it as a refresh to old oak common as i rode with the driver, its amazing how much the line has changed beyond there in the last month or so, glad i dont sign it! the service goes into the depths of paddington, platform 14 from there to euston and home via the WCMl yet another unusual unit in an unusual place, this time a FGW 387 in crewe and that was that, class 67 move tomorrow (not an orange and yellow one though unfortunatly)

Some from tonight before I go to bed, derby to South Ruislip with a UTU, 37116 leading Ready to depart Derby And into Ruislip having recorded the chiltern line at 30mph from aynho jn And once my relief arrived it was off to the hotel, lovely view from the window!! The train isn't due to leave until 05:00 so I can hear it ticking over outside as I type this!

It's not a bad pic for a camera phone that one, I really should remember to take my proper camera out with me more but it's always difficult on ballast/ site jobs to get pics, tend to get more on the IM turns with change ends in platforms etc I only took one iphone pic tonight, again Basford hall but this time a class 90 on a liner train

some from last night, railvac to chester 56s in basford hall and in chester having split the train and moved 1/2 back into the station area northern 150 merseyrail unit stabled on platform 7 back there tonight to bring the train beack to crewe

and from the same site... http://www.vintag.es/2017/01/crazy-cool-cat-men-14-ridiculous-photos.html

It's Between tyseley and moor st on the chiltern line