Trains...why?

[Cyril Haearn]

I suspected as much
Rawtenstall, Bury, somewhere

[kwackers]

I suspected as much
Rawtenstall, Bury, somewhere

I think it starts in Bury.

[bigjim]

On which line, may I ask? Please to report back after!
I was at a recruitment event, train drivers for diesel and electric are needed
The working hours are very 'flexible'

East Lancs Railway - not sure which line they run on. I'll investigate later.

Bury to Rawtenstall.

[100%JR]

This came up on my Facebook feed,posted by a local Coach/Bus company.



Made me

[Cyril Haearn]

The West Riding in particular
York and Doncaster have lots of fast trains to the Metropolis

[100%JR]

The West Riding in particular
York and Doncaster have lots of fast trains to the Metropolis

As does Sheffield but it still made me chuckle

[RickH]

Although Northern's Chester to Leeds service had a shiny new train (195 series) when I used it at the back end of last month, replacing the pacer/sprinter stock they had been using prior to that.

Here was one on a training run a few weeks before

(click to enlarge)

Disappointed though that there was no bike space, I was expected to use the wheelchair space!

[kwackers]

On which line, may I ask? Please to report back after!
I was at a recruitment event, train drivers for diesel and electric are needed
The working hours are very 'flexible'

East Lancs Railway - not sure which line they run on. I'll investigate later.

Bury to Rawtenstall.

Well I did it yesterday (Friday) and it was ace.

Both different and the same to driving live steam models.
I wasn't prepared for how much the engine 'spoke', so many nuances to what was happening.
The sheer power was impressive too, the loco and several coaches came in at 260 tons, crack the regulator and you can hear the steam rush through the pipes and every stroke gives a surge of acceleration whilst you watch and listen to the engine breathe through the fire hole.

Drove it and was fireman for half a day (although the real driver took over when approaching level crossings )
As well as the driving you get some idea of the procedures for driving a train along the line, signals etc.

Then spent half a day looking around the various sheds at the various locos either stored or being restored, there was a class A4 there (my favourite loco) "Union of South Africa" which is still running but apparently not for much longer (boiler will need work) as well as the "Flying Scotsman".
Interestingly it seems coaches are the real problem, they were easy to scrap so went first, locos being more difficult hung around long enough for historical loco societies to start springing up.

All in all an excellent day out and a great birthday pressie - Ms Kwackers even got to have a short ride on the footplate (and sound the whistle) whilst we swapped the loco around.

Oh, and a very cute station too with a good track side pub.

[bigjim]

The trackside pub is host to Bury CTC quarterly club meetings. Good guest beers as well.

[Cyril Haearn]

Which engine did you drive please kwackers, was it a service train?
You are lucky, a few decades ago one had to start as a cleaner and wait years to progress to fireperson

There are far too many locos thanks to Dai Woodham, plusplus
You are right about coaches I think, they are not so glamorous as locos, some preserved lines use BR Mk2s
Locos and coaches are ok, but whatabout private owner coal wagons?

I like old-fashioned semaphore signals, but there is nothing to beat the perfection and geometry of properly laid railway yards, or the simple functionality of overhead wires

[kwackers]

Which engine did you drive please kwackers, was it a service train?

80097
http://www.burystandard4group.org.uk/80097-br-4mt

Not sure what you mean by service train - one that provides passenger services?
If so I believe it does, we were pulling several passenger coaches (and a guards van - didn't see any stands for bicycles though).

[Cyril Haearn]

A service train, I mean a timetabled public service
I think driver experience is usually on non-public services
..
80097 from Barry, a beautiful modern machine, looks right because it is right, goes backwards as good as it goes forward Probably a bit easier to maintain than Prince on the Festiniog too

[kwackers]

A service train, I mean a timetabled public service
I think driver experience is usually on non-public services
..
80097 from Barry, a beautiful modern machine, looks right because it is right, goes backwards as good as it goes forward Probably a bit easier to maintain than Prince on the Festiniog too

Ah right, in that case no.
I suspect their insurance wouldn't allow them to put novice drivers in the cab of a service train.

It's compulsory you join their organisation though - I suspect that's how you get insured and are allowed to drive on the line.

[RickH]

Although Northern's Chester to Leeds service had a shiny new train (195 series) when I used it at the back end of last month, replacing the pacer/sprinter stock they had been using prior to that.

Here was one on a training run a few weeks before
DSC_1905.JPG
Disappointed though that there was no bike space, I was expected to use the wheelchair space!

Second journey on a 195 earlier. Turns out there is a bike space, just the guard on the first train had ushered me into the wrong spot (maybe wanted me loaded quickly). This time around I asked the guard if there was a bke space & was told that there was one. So, once we were under way I went & found it for next time. I would rather not have to clog up one of the wheelchair spaces.

[mjr]

It would be great to have more pictures of bike spaces and permission to upload them to wiki media Commons.