Skip bashing: is it wrong?

[4SRKT]

Most people drink alcohol, but most people are not drunken louts. It's a bit of a leap to say that they are.

 

[37401]

Awww drunk people are fun. Having toilet roll lobed at you for occupying the front window just adds to the fun!

Welcome t' forum, just had a skip over the last page (no pun intended) for the record not every basher hangs out the window shouting at everything while as drunk as a drowned fish.....

Also there's nothing wrong with only doing a skip on a GW or WSMR service, the wsmr ones are local to me and the £20 I have on not going to GW goes towards a railtour, so I can do 2 or 3 things for the price of one, just an example like

TDK, I'll explain bashing to you next time I see you, not really easy to put in words but basically bashers can be put into groups, those that go for milage, those that go for locos they havnt been behind yet, those that do both (like myself), so when I went for 67018 it was one I hadn't been behind and I was going for alot of miles on it

 

[4SRKT]

Welcome t' forum, just had a skip over the last page (no pun intended) for the record not every basher hangs out the window shouting at everything while as drunk as a drowned fish.....

The main reason there's much less window hanging now of course is that there's far less loco haulage, and it's all aircons when there is. Even when you can get good traction with PV stock, as on railtours, you get all sorts of H&S obsessed nutcases moaning at anyone putting too much of his body out. Spitfire even explicitly ban 'flailing and bellowing' on their notices inside the stock.

In short, there's been a massive cultural change towards risk in the last 20 years or so, and not just in the railways. To some extent I can see why some younger people think the excesses of the good old days look a bit shocking, as it's totally alien now. Having grown up in a society where risk was largely seen as the responsibility of the individual, rather than something corporate, it's a bit alien to me to be told that things I and many others did all the time for many years without the slightest harm are dangerous or stupid.

I'm sure if you had been around in my youth you would have been leaning out up to your waist and shouting 'my lordz!' with the rest of us. It'd have been rude not to!

I'm now feeling rather old

 

[PaulW]

Okaii, this was on a pres line. There was a few beer cans in the first coach along with their owners who were socialising with fellow cranks... a moment when one chucked toilet roll towards me....

No big deal, just thought I'd add to the thread...

 

[4SRKT]

There turned out to be a lot of involuntary skip bashing yesterday on the CFPS tour to Cambridge. Tragically 40145 had a traction motor failure near Grantham, and the tail loco (67023) had to take over for the rest of the day. This resulted in the mini-tour to Stansted being caped, and an awaful lot of skip mileage.

Only crumb of comfort happened because that on the return journey the train wasn't in top and tail mode. The intention had been that the skip would lead from Castleton North Junction back to Rawtenstall, but of course it was at the wrong end. 55022 was sent to Castleton to pick us up and hauled us on to Rawtenstall. Not much consolation, but a lot better than nothing.

 

[Foxhound]

I'd rather have a 67 than a 66.
I quite rate Skips, but have come to them late, after 18 years of being married to a train-hater. (Escaped now!).
Not much time left for me on the GWs with the Paigntons likely to end next month allegedly (WNXX neds say so), but fully intend to get some WSMR and Caley sleeper miles in. My new woman thinks it's a bit quirky but comes along for the glass of wine and the day out. We were in EDB for her work a few weeks back, and she was more than happy to have a drink and a chat with her colleagues in a bar whilst I caned in 025 on the circular two days running.

I'm totally uninterested in being main, but will happily stand up and say 'It's Not Wrong'.

The only other regular deal will be 57s on the Owls, which are okay from PNZ back to PLY after a few HSDs in the Dolphin. Would like a 67 up Largin bank actually.....
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I'm sure if you had been around in my youth you would have been leaning out up to your waist and shouting 'my lordz!' with the rest of us. It'd have been rude not to!

I'm now feeling rather old

Tried that behind the Whizzo a while back with one of my chums coming out of Penzance. For some reason we couldn't get 3 out the droplight like we used to.... (more pies?). There was some flailing going on behind 67027 on Monday last, we observed, mind.

 

[The_Stig]

I don't get much time to get any loco time in, I am stuck admiring them from afar!

I get on a fair few EMU's though!

 

[37401]

Okaii, this was on a pres line. There was a few beer cans in the first coach along with their owners who were socialising with fellow cranks... a moment when one chucked toilet roll towards me....

No big deal, just thought I'd add to the thread...

What awful behaviour honestly! What's wrong with just sitting down with you fingers on your lips!!

 

[Foxhound]

not really easy to put in words but basically bashers can be put into groups, those that go for milage, those that go for locos they havnt been behind yet, those that do both (like myself), so when I went for 67018 it was one I hadn't been behind and I was going for alot of miles on it

Indeed, I probably fall into the 'both' category - which is why I caned in 67025 two days running. First day was a scoop. Second day was mileage top-up. Not mega mileage, (Fife Circular), but mileage nonetheless.

 

[Techniquest]

Indeed, every mile and chain counts! I don't get out for the loco hauled stuff much, although I'd love to. I still try and get out and about for 'top-up' mileage if nothing else though. I go out for winners more than just topping up mileage, but I do mileage on just about everything (light rail, Tube and the like not included).

I'd say skip bashing is as wrong as 175 bashing (ie, not at all). Which I used to do a lot, with it being the mainstay on my former home territory. Going through some 2009 moves earlier meant I found a lot of 175 mileage, and I'm quite happy to admit I kinda miss those days. Whenever I go up to Hereford now, I'm usually quite happy to see a 175 again, but then I suppose that's due to getting bored of the 150s and 158s we have down here.

I'm undecided on whether I prefer the 57s or the 67s. Both have pros and cons, however it's fair to say I've had some enjoyable 57 haulage in the past. 305 and 309 seemed to be two of the loudest out of that batch to my ears too.

Obviously it all depends on what you like and don't like. If you don't like 67s, you're most likely to feel that it's 'wrong'.

 

[57315]

Nothing wrong with bashing skips, some people are 'mileage' men for class 67's. At the start of the 21st century that would have been considered suicide unless you were the red pen brigade, due to the amount of 'heritage' traction running on the mainline at the time.

Personally i favour riding behind a class 57, but as i said before in my eyes their is nothing wrong with bashing class 67's, as long as you dont get high and mighty 'ive done 1,000 miles behind every class member so im the top man' as attitude like that ruins the hobby!

 

[Foxhound]

At the start of the 21st century that would have been considered suicide unless you were the red pen brigade, due to the amount of 'heritage' traction running on the mainline at the time.

You can only imagine my misery at not being on D1015's first outings, especially as 46035 was often the other traction involved. A Peak and a Thousand....who needs beer?

....er, okay, maybe a pint then!

Sadly, I doubt Ixion will be out on the mainline again for a very long time, if ever.

nothing wrong with bashing class 67's, as long as you dont get high and mighty 'ive done 1,000 miles behind every class member so im the top man' as attitude like that ruins the hobby!

Absolutely right. Sick of it in the 80s, sick of it now. Especially as you don't need to be in Coach A or be a 'Face' to actually be a basher.

 

[57315]

I was thinking more along the lines of booked passenger trains such as the VXC class 47's, Valley lines 37's and class 37's and 47's on the North Wales coast, but yes on railtours 46035 did seem to be the 'support' loco as it were.

 

[Templecombe]

nothing wrong with it even thinking of going to cardiff from taunton just to bash one

 

[37401]

nothing wrong with it even thinking of going to cardiff from taunton just to bash one

Get it while you can pal why not eh, I was going to go for it myself then they took the 57s off and i wasnt as fussed

 

[Templecombe]

Get it while you can pal why not eh, I was going to go for it myself then they took the 57s off and i wasnt as fussed

yeah while those units are still up north
theres always the 57s on the sleepers that what i'm gonna do to get some 57 traction in (between sleeping that is)

 

[sprinterguy]

By heck, another one who refers to Birmingham as up north "Up middle" at the very best if you ask me. All in jest of course, I forget just how much of the world there is south of Birmingham sometimes...

There's nothing wrong with going for 67s, they're ugly looking brutes, but at least they are "proper trains", with hauled carriages like a real train should. I'm quite happy to bash them where I can, often on the Wrexham and Shropshire trains, as at the end of the day they're one of the few forms of proper traction going on the main line these days! And I'd say they're less "dishonourable" to bash than duffs, because at least there aren't hundreds of them getting on every description of train nationwide like the 47s did! By that argument, surely the 57s, as GM-engined souped-up duffs, should be avoided at all costs...But I quite like them, and being hauled by a VT 57/3 on a Pendo drag is an interesting experience.

 

[57315]

By heck, another one who refers to Birmingham as up north "Up middle" at the very best if you ask me. All in jest of course, I forget just how much of the world there is south of Birmingham sometimes...

There's nothing wrong with going for 67s, they're ugly looking brutes, but at least they are "proper trains", with hauled carriages like a real train should. I'm quite happy to bash them where I can, often on the Wrexham and Shropshire trains, as at the end of the day they're one of the few forms of proper traction going on the main line these days! And I'd say they're less "dishonourable" to bash than duffs, because at least there aren't hundreds of them getting on every description of train nationwide like the 47s did! By that argument, surely the 57s, as GM-engined souped-up duffs, should be avoided at all costs...But I quite like them, and being hauled by a VT 57/3 on a Pendo drag is an interesting experience.

I have not been able to do any of the Pendo drags to Holyhead due to work roster.
need a final few locomotives to have scratched the fleet. Amazing first started with 57302 way back in 2002 for me, hauling a class 90 on a 2nd January 2002 with a Liverpool -Birmingham -London working.... 57 scratching anyway.

 

[sprinterguy]

57306 was my first 57...on the North York Moors Railway of all things!

 

[37401]

57306 was my first 57...on the North York Moors Railway of all things!

314 on the wag this year for me, next thing I know I'm aiming to get 1million miles behind em over time

 

[theblackwatch]

Personally i favour riding behind a class 57, but as i said before in my eyes their is nothing wrong with bashing class 67's, as long as you dont get high and mighty 'ive done 1,000 miles behind every class member so im the top man' as attitude like that ruins the hobby!

What about minimal mileage behind a Skip? Can anyone get lower than my 0.98 on 67024 (and it was between two stations!)?

 

[4SRKT]

My minimal mileage ever behind a loco was behind NIR 1,350 hp EE engined Hunslet loco no 101. I was on an RPSI test train in 1991 which broke down 1/2 mile short of Lisburn. Eventually 101 was sent to drag it into the station, and this turned out to be its last ever 'passenger' working.

 

[scotsman]

We're not all wasted, there is such a thing as The Transport and Works (1992) Act. ....

 

[Techniquest]

Well I went skip bashing again yesterday, I've now had 18 out of 30 of the class. Couldn't get 020 for many miles, as I was already spending money I was supposed to be using on food, but it's in the book. Managed to top up the mileage with 028 and 026 as well, so it's all good.

I really want to get on a WSMR service again and scoop their other 4 67s in, although I have a nagging feeling the next time I go for a WSMR service blind, as I normally do, it'll be 013. The damn thing goes everywhere I go on WSMR!

 

[12CSVT]

What about minimal mileage behind a Skip? Can anyone get lower than my 0.98 on 67024 (and it was between two stations!)?

Done 1 1/4 miles behind skips on quite a few occasions. (Edinburgh - Haymarket and Bristol Parkway - Filton Abbey Wood)

 

[Aictos]

I like the 67s as they're the preferred traction for loco hauled it seems with the exception of the 57s and very rare 37s.

 

[Drsatan]

What about minimal mileage behind a Skip? Can anyone get lower than my 0.98 on 67024 (and it was between two stations!)?

My minimum is 11 miles 60 chains from Cardiff Central to Newport. My maximum on the other hand is 769 miles

I like the 67s as they're the preferred traction for loco hauled it seems with the exception of the 57s and very rare 37s.

That's because most 57s are in use, and there aren't many ETH fitted 37s around. 37/4s are limited to 90mph which limits available paths, whereas 67s are cleared for 125mph, depending on rolling stock.

 

[57315]

My minimum is 11 miles 60 chains from Cardiff Central to Newport. My maximum on the other hand is 769 miles



That's because most 57s are in use, and there aren't many ETH fitted 37s around. 37/4s are limited to 90mph which limits available paths, whereas 67s are cleared for 125mph, depending on rolling stock.

I believe the class 67's need to have modifications done before being able to reach the top speed of 125mph.

 

[sprinterguy]

The 67s are currently only authorised to do 110mph in order to reduce maintenance costs, instead of having to maintain them for the full 125mph.

 

[37401]

57/0: 75mph (No ETH so rare for passenger use)
57/3: 95mph
57601:95mph
57/6: 95mph (Limited to 75mph on the Sleeper)
67: 110mph limit