Prototype All in a days work

[PjKing1]

Not the original L&M route. Hough Green is on what was the Manchester Central to Liverpool Central line (Cheshire Lines Committee?), which was pretty well dead straight for most of the way. I imagine the trains now run from M Piccadilly to L Lime St.?
Dave.

They do, EMR run through to Lime Street and we’ve (TPE) just started running a Liverpool to Cleethorpes service via Pic, it’s quite a busy route to be honest.

Paul

 

[Owen English]

Adrian, it definitely ain't flat! Check out the number of locks on the Manship canal.That indicates the lift from the Mersey to Trafford park (ish!).

All the best , Owen

 

[PjKing1]

In September 2019 whist based at Chester a pair of 37’s were running test runs between Crewe and Chester, 37402 and (soz lost can’t remember its’s fellow class member, are seen here in the old parcels bay.


Now my dad always used to say to me if you don’t ask you don’t get, so I asked and I got!

Paul

 

[Arun Sharma]

Some 57’s were fitted with Dellner couplings to rescue Pendilino’s and drag Pendilino’s down the coast to Holyhead were there was no ohle. Looks like 57314 has had it removed though, I’m sure someone will have far more info than me though.

Paul

The original class 57s were operated by Virgin and were all named after characters in Gerry Anderson's 'International Rescue' cartoon series. Hence they were referred to as 'Thunderbirds' as in Thunderbirds are Go! This also follows from their role in rescuing Virgin's Pendolino fleet on Sundays at a period when the OLE current was being switched off fairly regularly.
I can't find my pic of the nameplate of 'The Hood' but here is one of a Thunderbird coupled to 390-036 [or possibly 390-006]

 

[PjKing1]

A cold and misty morning at Chester on 22nd September 2020

 

[Arun Sharma]

You can feel the cold - nice pics
Incidently, this is what a Delner coupling looks like:

 

[simond]

Always said Kadees were a bit obtrusive…

 

[PjKing1]

A couple photos from Holyhead tonight starting with one of my favourites, these two gentlemen became great friends at my time at Chester taken on 7th December 2018 whilst route learning

July 2019 and a long trip to Holyhead and back onboard 150235, must admit I do miss the classic traction
Paul

 

[oldravendale]

must admit I do miss the classic traction
Paul

Hi Paul.

Classic traction.... so you mean Fairburn tanks and compartment stock?

Brian

 

[PjKing1]

Hi Paul.

Classic traction.... so you mean Fairburn tanks and compartment stock?

Brian

Anything other than all this modern plastic stuff would be great haha

Paul

 

[LarryG]

My interest in railways started to wain in 1959 and ended completely in1964. A stint as 'North Wales Correspondent' for 30 years kept my camera and car busy but the days of the blue 25's and 40's were only of interest at the time and I never think to look over the railway fence today.

 

[PjKing1]

My interest in railways started to wain in 1959 and ended completely in1964. A stint as 'North Wales Correspondent' for 30 years kept my camera and car busy but the days of the blue 25's and 40's were only of interest at the time and I never think to look over the railway fence today.

Oh for 25’s and 40’s today, the railway is quite a sad place these days with mostly just units.

Paul

 

[PjKing1]

A cold wet November 2018 and class 150 training at Arriva train care Crewe

We didn’t sign the mk3 a DVT stock at Chester but there was no harm in a photo!
And finally a couple of 37’s lurking in the distance

Paul

 

[PjKing1]

A couple of photos from September 2022, taken from the rear of an 802 as we enter Leeds


Then on the 24th September I managed to catch D9000 passing through Leeds on a rail tour



Paul

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Nice photos on the approach to Leeds.

Except the Deltic really belongs to the long since closed GN Leeds Wellington St Station which is now an office complex.

 

[PjKing1]

Nice photos on the approach to Leeds.

Except the Deltic really belongs to the long since closed GN Leeds Wellington St Station which is now an office complex.

Cheers buddy

 

[PjKing1]

Don’t normally get chance to take photos of what I’m working but I had a quite a bit of waiting time at Dewsbury today.

185118 on the Huddersfield Leeds stopper


Paul

 

[Osgood]

You get to play with some expensive trains Paul.
I just discovered (well if you can believe wiki) that a contract to build 51 x Class 185s and (I think) two maintenance depots, all up and running by 2007, cost £260m.
Allowing £24m per depot (wouldn't have thought that was too far out), that puts the 3-coach units at some £4.2m each.

I only went on there to find out about the transmission before asking you what they are like to drive compared with the first generation DMUs.
I remember drivers revving the poor old engines flat out on the governor for what seemed like 1/2 an eternity before selecting the next gear - I would be sitting there in the first row of seats chuntering away to myself 'For crying out loud change gear - we ain't gonna do any more accelerating until you do!'.

What are this new(er) generation like to drive - do you have much feel of what the engine and transmission are doing?

 

[PjKing1]

You get to play with some expensive trains Paul.
I just discovered (well if you can believe wiki) that a contract to build 51 x Class 185s and (I think) two maintenance depots, all up and running by 2007, cost £260m.
Allowing £24m per depot (wouldn't have thought that was too far out), that puts the 3-coach units at some £4.2m each.

I only went on there to find out about the transmission before asking you what they are like to drive compared with the first generation DMUs.
I remember drivers revving the poor old engines flat out on the governor for what seemed like 1/2 an eternity before selecting the next gear - I would be sitting there in the first row of seats chuntering away to myself 'For crying out loud change gear - we ain't gonna do any more accelerating until you do!'.

What are this new(er) generation like to drive - do you have much feel of what the engine and transmission are doing?

Unfortunately they haven’t discovered my true potential and I’m still relegated to the back of the train don’t get me wrong I want to go driving but I love my job and I love chatting to the passengers, when they're not kicking off because we haven’t ran a train in the last five hours!!

185’s are nice to work though from a guards point of view we have are own cab door which is great in busy services just like 175’s I enjoyed working them to but I miss working 158’s they are really nice.

Paul

 

[Roger Pound]

Just caught up with your thread, Paul. Nice for an old timer like me to get up to date on all this new stuff (!?!). Great pictures and information which is very much enjoyed, thank you.

Roger.