Steam or Diesel?

[Techniquest]

Yep! Too right!

 

[bunnahabhain]

I found the old Ground Frame quite easy to use, then again I'm the same person that said this about swinging a buckeye, "it's not that heavy is it".

Still, at least the new one has been greased now, just a shame I cant park my buttocks inbetween the levers and have a sit down anymore, not unless I wanna mess my trousers up.

Whole bodyweight to shift it! Pah! I could do it with one hand, same as the new one.....admittedly that is the locking in the frame and not the levers controlling the FPL and the Blades.


Oh and the handpoint levers are right sods, every so often I'll throw the blades up at Leicester into the bay platform so that if I ever need to put anything in there, I know they wont be too stiff, normally takes two good tugs to get them over as well.


WSXFan: Vacuum pipes are ok as long as they were put on correctly, if they were fitted incorrectly and they're brand new.....you're stuffed. Steam heat pipes are normally quite friendly. I presume you've become acquainted with a Buckeye? If not, you're in for one hell of a workout with one of those beasties.

 

[Techniquest]

Aye, I've had a go at them. Bloody irritating they are fair play. But they're nothing compared to GWR end shields...

 

[Nick]

Aye, I've had a go at them. Bloody irritating they are fair play. But they're nothing compared to GWR end shields...

Julian, why did you decide to be a shunter?

 

[Guinness]

Julian, why did you decide to be a shunter?

Since " Now a trainee shunter on the SVR! Tough work, but it's all fun nonetheless!" in his sig. :razz:

 

[bunnahabhain]

Julian, why did you decide to be a shunter?

Maybe he wants to be a Guard and perhaps that's the way you work up the ropes at the SVR rather than starting on Platform and working your way up through Ticket Inspector as is common on some other lines.

 

[16CSVT2700]

Class 50s are far from excellent - since they left the London Midland they had a reputation reliability wise for being 'le poo'!

Funny how they completed the Orcadian weekend (1750 miles) with AFAIK no faults reported!

Last years Monarch of the Glen's problems were not down to the locos themselves more human error (adjustment of the brakes too much causing 049 to stall on a bank somewhere) and not to mention the refuelling tanker farce

Of course I may be wrong so if anyone was on that tour feel free to correct me

Also don't forget the extensive refurbishment programme that ironed out most of the bugs by removing electrical equipment that was not needed.. SSC for example and sanders since they were mainly used on express passenger work (and made easy work of the Devon banks).

 

[AlexS]

They are two perfectly well maintained preserved examples which have a lot of time and care devoted to keeping them working - after they left the London Midland right up till the time NSE withdrew them they were famed for sitting down whenever and wherever they chose!

 

[16CSVT2700]

They are two perfectly well maintained preserved examples which have a lot of time and care devoted to keeping them working - after they left the London Midland right up till the time NSE withdrew them they were famed for sitting down whenever and wherever they chose!

Ah yeah I know I know BR didn't really care about 'em that much. Except for maybe 007/033/050 during their final workings.
One thing that annoys me is how the availability/reliability of the 50s is compared to that of the 47s, it's an unfair comparison cos there were far more duffs to vacs!

Losing 10 duffs is great you had another 500 odd to replace em but if you lost 10 vacs then all hell breaks lose!

 

[Techniquest]

Maybe he wants to be a Guard and perhaps that's the way you work up the ropes at the SVR rather than starting on Platform and working your way up through Ticket Inspector as is common on some other lines.

Exactly my friend.

The way we do it on the SVR, and it's the best way IMO, is to become a trainee shunter first, learn all of that, pass the exams, become a trainee guard, learn all of that, pass that then go into guarding. It's also a well recognised and respected route onto the mainline too. I expect in a long time off yet I'll be beginning at WS on 150/0s, /1s and 170/1s, /5s and /6s, then onto CF, PM or wherever I get a position at from there. Of course, this is now looking years away, but at least I'm on the bottom rung of the tall ladder to get to where I want. I might never get to drive the monsters I want to drive, but I'm going to give it every ounce of effort to do so!

 

[Demps]

Hi, i do notknow much on the subject but logically thinking; it would be esier to initially become a trainee or take an apprenteiship (if thats possible) with EWS or another company, because it seems a long way round doing passenger services first. Obviously to become a driver for DRS you have to have past experience with other frieght operating companies.

 

[Techniquest]

An apprenticeship with EWS, not heard of such an idea before. I reckon the way I'm doing things will be the best for me, I'll get experience with different carriage types and locomotives before I hit the mainline, which will be useful.

 

[Tomnick]

As much as a bit of railway experience can't be a bad thing when it comes to applying for a job on the mainline - you'll still have to go through the same application procedure and training as anyone else 'off the street'! Also worth remembering that things are often very much different on the big railway.

 

[Techniquest]

Of course! I don't doubt that whatsoever! My advantage will be that I have experience of a working railway, doing 'proper' jobs involving the trains themselves. Albeit supervised, I've even got a bit of locomotive driving under my belt in the form of D1013 Brignorth - Highley.