NR Test Train and 97301 at Plymouth

[50Fan91]

97301 et. al. turned up at Plymouth station today, and is staying for the rest of the evening before departing on a run down to Penzance at 04:00 tomorrow morning.

I thought I'd share some choice pictures of an unusual train in a seldom used platform! Enjoy!

 

[Hydro]

This turn normally produces an overnight stable at Plymouth. The 97 and TIC are covering for the 950 TRU.

 

[ACE1888]

Great stuff, will be out n about with camera for sure tomorrow

 

[DVT82305]

What time will it leave Penzance tomorrow?

 

[Hydro]

It will arrive at Penzance tomorrow at 1518 and stay overnight before departing 0530 on Thursday. I'm actually wondering why the train's in Plymouth, unusually it should be in Laira today.

 

[50Fan91]

What time will it leave Penzance tomorrow?

Do not quote me on this, but I believe that the train is staying at Penzance overnight Wednesday, and heading back to Taunton on Thursday. Then apparently the train is travelling to Minehead, before finishing at Bishops Lydeard the same day.

----

Bugger, Hydro got there first! :P

 

[ACE1888]

It will arrive at Penzance tomorrow at 1518 and stay overnight before departing 0530 on Thursday. I'm actually wondering why the train's in Plymouth, unusually it should be in Laira today.

Thanks for the info, will be taking dinner break at work with camera in hand for a 'jaunt' into Penzance station then
I don't know, the Royal train and NR 37 all inside ONE week down this way....

 

[Hydro]

Do not quote me on this, but I believe that the train is staying at Penzance overnight Wednesday, and heading back to Taunton on Thursday. Then apparently the train is travelling to Minehead, before finishing at Bishops Lydeard the same day.

----

Bugger, Hydro got there first! :P

Tis true. A few odd variations on the standard Cornwall run, like finishing at Bishops Lydeard, never seen that before. Oddly, it's actually testing from Norton Fitzwarren to Minehead and return!

 

[50Fan91]

Tis true. A few odd variations on the standard Cornwall run, like finishing at Bishops Lydeard, never seen that before. Oddly, it's actually testing from Norton Fitzwarren to Minehead and return!

The finish at Bishops Lydeard is so that the train can be displayed over the West Somerset Railway's forthcoming diesel gala this weekend. Obviously they thought that this would be a good time to do a "test" at the same time!

 

[Hydro]

Interesting. I shall interrogate on Monday, I should be going down there to pick the train up and operate it around Wales next week.

 

[50Fan91]

Interesting. I shall interrogate on Monday, I should be going down there to pick the train up and operate it around Wales next week.

http://www.west-somerset-railway.co...ge=1&jssCart=6cfadb2888343f890d774b8ac8be47e2

If you follow the above link, about half way down is the mention of 97301 and the track recording train..

(On an unrelated note, I am very much looking forward to the WSR "do" this weekend!)

 

[ACE1888]

will be at WSR myself , Saturday and Sunday, start of a weeks holiday too, could be a trip or two more out and about
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

97301+DB999508+9701 at Penzance 16.15pm today

 

[Hydro]

Nice day to be in Cornwall. Not looking forward to taking this around the valleys next week though. Nights and poor track do not a happy Hydro make.

 

[50Fan91]

What an excellent picture, Ace! I have just got back from a run on the Night Riviera, and whilst in Penzance for the hour before the train left I took the opportunity to grab a couple of pictures.. Obviously at 20:00 the light was not quite so good!

And so, Hydro, if I may ask are you one of the lucky people that gets to drive this yellow beastie? (Having said that, you don't sound overjoyed at the prospect...!)

 

[Hydro]

Some people are born to drive, I however, am born to be driven. I'm traincrew, operating the measurement systems.

 

[ainsworth74]

Some people are born to drive, I however, am born to be driven.

Ah but more importantly are you born to be wild?

*gets coat*

 

[50Fan91]

Some people are born to drive, I however, am born to be driven.

Love it! Well, what can I say?

Have fun next week!

 

[Temple Meads]

It was certainly at the WSR's MIxed Traffic Gala over the weekend, took these pics on Sunday.

 

[anthony263]

running around south wales this week. It was booked to work up to Rhymney last night and around some of the other valley lines tonight and down to Tondu/Margam tommorow

 

[ACE1888]

It was certainly at the WSR's MIxed Traffic Gala over the weekend, took these pics on Sunday.

Funny thing with it being at Bishops Lydeard, as I'd seen it and 'photed' it at Penzance earlier in the week, I didn't really bother much again with it, but when it was at Penzance, with the general lack of variety on the network these days, the camera was in overdrive

 

[50Fan91]

Funny thing with it being at Bishops Lydeard, as I'd seen it and 'photed' it at Penzance earlier in the week, I didn't really bother much again with it, but when it was at Penzance, with the general lack of variety on the network these days, the camera was in overdrive

Completely agree! I'd obviously seen it at Plymouth, (thread!), then I photographed it again at Penzance the following day, when I travelled down for a trip on the Night Riviera, and then "spotted" it again at the WSR!

So, 3 times in the space of a week - by the law of averages that means that I won't see anything as interesting again for the next few years!

 

[Hydro]

running around south wales this week. It was booked to work up to Rhymney last night and around some of the other valley lines tonight and down to Tondu/Margam tommorow

It went to Rhymney tonight (14th) along with Coryton, Tondu and Maesteg.

 

[Boothby97]

37 087 and 194 made a trip to Cleethorpes today working an NR Test Train.
Nice to see something different here.

 

[adamp]

Cheesebox 950001 seems to have been fixed folks

 

[Hydro]

Cheesebox 950001 seems to have been fixed folks

Touching wood it's fixed. It's had one fairly successful run, the only one for the past six months. It's going back out Thursday to run all systems and see if it's fully alive. It's projected, all things going well, to be back in service in about 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[adamp]

Any idea whats actually been up with it mate?

 

[Boothby97]

So you lot mean that 37087 and 194 were doing the 950s job.

 

[Hydro]

Any idea whats actually been up with it mate?

The laser system that gives the gauge and alignment measurements has been acting up, throwing out seriously spurious readings. This renders two of the geometry measurements null and void as they cannot be relied upon. It's been out occasionally to do some video work and proving runs, but not much more.

Any run with 2Qxx is normally a 950 turn. Anything else under that headcode is either filling in for it, or undertaking additional runs to recover lost mileage.

 

[Boothby97]

I found out today that 37409 Lord Hinton and Inspection Coach 975025 Caroline visited Cleethorpes on 25th May 2011. This proves I should not go to school