CovRC - 4th Feb

[Coxster]

Today, some of us went upto Coventry Railway Centre again. Myself, TheSlash and feltham2104 arrived early, although the lorry delivering 29 tonnes of ballast had already arrived. TheSlash went off to complete the station run whilst the ballast was unloaded. Myself, feltham2104, Rob and somebody else were there. It had been unloaded by the time TheSlash returned and the lorry had gone.

The day was then spent moving ballast to the worksite via shovels and a digger and getting the point into the correct place. The digger did a grand job when it was attached to the frog but before any of this could happen we had to find the rail chairs that were carefully hidden so no-one could nick any again. This was done with shovels etc digging up the ground to reveal them. I wonder if we missed any

On the way home, TheSlash decided to change his wheel at a service station (meaning I had to get the train that left an hour after the one I could've easily have gotten ) along with myself and feltham2104.

Unfortunately I couldn't make Sunday as trains didn't start running from Farnborough until quite late to get to Basingstoke due to the ongoing works around Brookwood.

In attendance were:
SERA01UK
TheSlash
Coxster
feltham2104
blackfour
heart-of-wessex
FGWFan

Seth and Joy54 couldn't be bothered to come and therefore missed out on a lot of fun!

Photos to follow:
TheSlash 'playing a shovel'
6 men in a digger bucket
3 men in a digger bucket relaxing
The tipper lorry tipping high up

 

[Met Driver]

Seth and Joy54 couldn't be bothered to come and therefore missed out on a lot of fun!

Watch it you... As you know full well, I was in school today - bloody triple science. :mad:

 

[Jim]

Watch it you... As you know full well, I was in school today - bloody triple science. :mad:

OUCH


Jim

 

[Coxster]

Watch it you... As you know full well, I was in school today - bloody triple science. :mad:

You forgot to mention the 'apparent' ill thing too... Anyway, don't change the subject

 

[metrocammel]

It was an excellent day - and Im looking forward to tommorow, where hopefully more work (and more dumper driving, will be completed!)
Everyone who attended, well done! Everyone who didn't - You missed out on a cracking day!

James.

 

[Tom]

Watch it you... As you know full well, I was in school today - bloody triple science. :mad:

Lucky sod.


... whoops.

 

[Techniquest]

Quality time was had by all yesterday! Never shovelled ballast before, so once we found the best way to do it (thanks to blackfour for telling me it!) it became much easier!

The treasure hunt was also fun! 'We're searching for fishplates!' (an attempt to parody Terrance and Phillip)

I have to say to joy54 and Seth, you missed out big time. I guess Seth didn't really have a choice, although lessons on a Saturday?! Still, if joy54 wanted to bash the Caledonian Insomniac for the umpteenth time...

By the way, blackfour, did you get your bus back OK? How much did it cost? I'm curious as that'll be the way I proceed to the site next time I go up.

 

[joy54.gen]

Quality time was had by all yesterday! Never shovelled ballast before, so once we found the best way to do it (thanks to blackfour for telling me it!) it became much easier!

The treasure hunt was also fun! 'We're searching for fishplates!' (an attempt to parody Terrance and Phillip)

I have to say to joy54 and Seth, you missed out big time. I guess Seth didn't really have a choice, although lessons on a Saturday?! Still, if joy54 wanted to bash the Caledonian Insomniac for the umpteenth time...

By the way, blackfour, did you get your bus back OK? How much did it cost? I'm curious as that'll be the way I proceed to the site next time I go up.

Please can you get your facts correct before you go slating people. Didn't do the Caledonian Sleeper I did the Night Riveria due to 47s being used instead of 57s, which to me was special enough to justify going. I didn't really feel up to going up to Coventry and doing all that work after 2/3 hours of sleep so decided to just stay down south.

 

[Jim]

Please can you get your facts correct before you go slating people. Didn't do the Caledonian Sleeper I did the Night Riveria due to 47s being used instead of 57s, which to me was special enough to justify going. I didn't really feel up to going up to Coventry and doing all that work after 2/3 hours of sleep so decided to just stay down south.

Affaid I'll second that. Joy54 was getting some real train miles....

 

[Techniquest]

Please can you get your facts correct before you go slating people. Didn't do the Caledonian Sleeper I did the Night Riveria due to 47s being used instead of 57s, which to me was special enough to justify going. I didn't really feel up to going up to Coventry and doing all that work after 2/3 hours of sleep so decided to just stay down south.

Apologies, I was informed you went to bash the sleeper, I must have missed the bit about the 47 at the point I needed to hear it. Every time I hear talk about the sleeper I immediately think of 90s and the FSR one.

Can see that it was a good idea to do the 47, especially as it was 813.

Again, apologies.

 

[metrocammel]

Yes, but I bashed a "real" (If you call a 47 real, I'd sooner have a 50 personally - though still it's bleedin' rare) train from Liskeard, then tried to get the FSR beds from Watford Jcn, to no avail. Then got a "Pendomonium" and slept on it till' Cov, where I slogged away, and then went and had a curry in Manchester, then woke up early in the morning, and went back down to Cov, where I worked hard again. Determination? - Well, it's for a good cause, and it's extremley satisfying and enjoyable.

People who missed it, should do their darndest to get up next time!

James.

"Oh my god, my post count is equal to that of a Voyager"

 

[TheSlash]

Last i heard from joy54 he was heading to Euston...
Today was much better, we got the JCB and second dumper working.
The track has really taken shape now, both with the ballast and the point.
Everything is in place so you can look at the siding with the CEP DMSO stood on it, and trace the line of the track to the point, through the point and on towards the end of the field.

 

[SERA01UK]

It was really good to have so many of you there over the weekend and big respect to those of you who paid up to become full members ! (Can Tom e-mail me his full name and address so I can put him in the database).

Shame you didn't get to see the full mechanised operation in swing until this afternoon, Having both dumpers and of course the JCB made a huge difference! Well next workday we'll have them and hopefully a road roller out too for you to play with.

I am led to believe that metrocammel is to film a short piece for BBCs Top Gear soon comparing the handling, traction and clagging capabilities of yellow dumper truck compared to the red one!!! (I preffer the yellow one myself but the gearbox on the red one is easier)

 

[metrocammel]

I am led to believe that metrocammel is to film a short piece for BBCs Top Gear soon comparing the handling, traction and clagging capabilities of yellow dumper truck compared to the red one!!! (I preffer the yellow one myself but the gearbox on the red one is easier)

LOL!, Yes, I sampled both, and I also prefer the yellow (ish!) beast, When I tried to get the red one into 3rd, it stalled, whereas the the yellow one's gears (IMO) are easier, though on the clag-o-meter, Im not sure which one ranks higher?!!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to going again, and now Im a fully-fledged member of the SERA!!

So, perhaps next time, over two days, we might get the point installed, then we can get laying (the somewhat simpler) straight track.

 

[metrocammel]

Oh, and has Rob got a method of keeping the JCB in a state that it will start with not much "jump-leading" next time, or will we have to do the same again do you think? - I imagine todays work gave the battery on it a boost though.

 

[SERA01UK]

You'll need to send me your proper address too as I can't read your handwriting on the form !!

As for the JCB, the plan is to have a freshly charged battery for each weekend we are there as Rob charges them in his car on the way down - that and a **** load of 'cold start spray' !!!

 

[TheSlash]

Let's see if this works. It's poor quality, obviously my camera phone was having an off day

 

[960012]

its good! I will get my photos up on the Coventry Yahoo gruop for members to see.

 

[blackfour]

Hello all...right, busses...i'm afraid i made rather an ass of myself. I reached the roundabout with ease, and surveyed the scene...down the hill looked fairly deserted and empty, but up the hill looked good, and included a sign pointing to a Park and Ride. Good, i thought, off i go...i walked for another hour and one-quarter until i finally found a bus stop, thanks to two young gentlemen outside a pub (The Traveller) who pointed a very worn out me on my way. I made the railway station for the 19:16 to New Street (Pendowobble, full up, apart from the four, yes FOUR first class coaches, which were empty), then it was a looong wait for the next Voyager, the 20:03 to York. Two units coupled together (Seen as they're so pathetically short) with no gangway between them (Seen as they're so badly designed a child of 2 could do better), and no buffet (Due, no doubt, to the staff agreeing with me and going on sick)...thence to Sheffield, and an ancient 150 an hour later, that more or less spluttered me into Mexborough at about 11:00...nearly 6 hours travelling...but worth every second! I had more fun that day than i have had in years! Soon as i can get again, i'll be there...and to those who weren't there, take it from me, you should go, they're a greay bunch of people, it's a good place to be, and it's very satisfying work.
Tom

 

[yorkie]

... I made the railway station for the 19:16 to New Street (Pendowobble, full up, apart from the four, yes FOUR first class coaches, which were empty), then it was a looong wait for the next Voyager, the 20:03 to York. Two units coupled together (Seen as they're so pathetically short) with no gangway between them (Seen as they're so badly designed a child of 2 could do better), and no buffet (Due, no doubt, to the staff agreeing with me and going on sick)...thence to Sheffield, and an ancient 150 an hour later, that more or less spluttered me into Mexborough at about 11:00...nearly 6 hours travelling...

Here's an idea (depending on timings) for your next trip; you could take CT's Coventry-Nuneaton shuttle, followed by a 170 to Leicester. From there you'll be able to get a comfortable HST with plenty of seats (go at the front of the train, plenty of room) the whole way to Sheffield/Donny It does require a bit of planning though as they're less frequent, but far more satisfying and civilised than going with Virgin.

 

[Coxster]

its good! I will get my photos up on the Coventry Yahoo gruop for members to see.

You can attach them to your post on this forum.

For those interested, the site's plan can be found at http://www.emus.co.uk/covplan.htm

 

[ChrisM]

Sounds like a laugh aswel as doing somethink worthwhile.
The bunch in the dumper looked well dodgy though.

 

[960012]

Hi guys
here or some pic of coventry, the password is donny pictures include The Slash showing off his true telant and 3 men in a digger.

http://stephen9466.fotopic.net/c811691.html

 

[TheSlash]

I am wasted on the pway, i should be a rock star or a racing driver

 

[960012]

I am wasted on the pway, i should be a rock star or a racing driver

ROFL!!!!!!

 

[Jim]

O. The 1 with the spade was Slash was it

 

[Techniquest]

Nice phots feltham2104 (forgot your first name already!)!

That last shot of us in the dumper, quality! It sounded so much like a 37 and a 60 combined!

Sorry to the chap in charge (can't think what your username is, didn't hear your first name) about no membership from myself, I honestly didn't have money to hand over. If/when I get a job, that'll definately change. Thanks for the chance to do some proper work for a change!

Thanks TheSlash for the lifts to/from Coventry mainline station too, most appreciated.

yorkie, the Coventry to Nuneaton line is shut and replaced by buses on weekends again, so that would have made the journey even worse.

blackfour, you didn't do so bad coming off Coventry, you got the 390 after heart-of-wessex, metcam and I did. We got the 1816 as it was.

 

[blackfour]

Lol, you say i didn't do bad, but i felt i had! Three mile hike in steel toecaps with no real idea of where i was...but that's not important. It was a great day. I won't be at the next couple of working parties, as i'm in Europe on holiday (Well deserved, i assure you!) but once i get back there's nothing really to stop me being a consistant attender...Steve, you could never be a rockstar, you're hairs too short for a start! Stick to the day job (That thing you do between breaks? You know what i mean?).
Tom

 

[Techniquest]

ROFL!

I see your point, walking an unknown route, and in steel toecapped boots? Good work that! I was referring to the service you got from Coventry for how well you did, only an hour after us lot anyway!

Found Mexborough as well later in my atlas. I was thinking it was where Thorne South was, but I wasn't that far off. I remembered passing through it on a Voyager a couple of times at well then.

 

[blackfour]

I'm quite a distance from Thorne South...in fact, i've never been there, which is odd, having lived in the vicinity for all this time...well, tbh, i just staggered onto Coventry station, god knows what i looked like, and mumbled something about needing to get to Sheffield, wherupon i was shown to Platform 3 for the Birmingham Train...and yes, the steel toecaps i thought were necessary for the work i was doing, probably not, now i think about it, and they certainly made the walk worse...
Tom