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The Great Britain IX

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Big Al, Mar 30, 2016.

  1. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    And cut off at least 40%!
     
  2. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Judging by the way 6100 has been driven recently there's no need to worry on that score...
     
  3. maureen

    maureen Member

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    Ray Churchill will be in charge on the Thursday as far as Crewe he's told and this could be his last trip as he is retiring next month, Ray and Andy take the train over from Exeter on the Tuesday and are in charge till Plymouth they then take the locos down to Penzance later and are both doing the Penzance to Bristol on Wednesday. Over the years I've been on just about every train Ray has driven and have never had a bad trip with him, in fact they have all been wonderful and some stunning performances in some adverse conditions weather and loco wise, he will be very sadly missed.
     
  4. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

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    Here, here - couldn't agree more. Another true master of the footplate lost.
     
  5. charterboy

    charterboy New Member

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  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Absolutely right. Engineman (as distinct from people who work locomotives hard - there is a difference) are few and far between. Hopefully his retirement, when it comes, might allow for some mentoring role somewhere in the system. Were he a DBC employee he would be able to look forward to a spell of footplate work as Traction Inspector although I suspect the temptation to get his hands on the regulator may be too great!
     
    Julian Jones, acorb, maureen and 2 others like this.
  7. maureen

    maureen Member

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    Ray was Traction Inspector for EWS in the days before WCR, I have a video of him taken in 2000 as Inspector on 80098 on the shuttles between Newton Abbot and Exeter
     
  8. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Indeed, and were he to want to do it, I do wonder whether WCRC might benefit from that 'third man' role again.
     
  9. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    I've always found Ray to be such a nice chap to speak to. Invariably the conversation takes place at the end of a station platform. It's always good to hear Ray enthuse about the locos and the various climbs but he is never one to exaggerate or boast. A true gentleman. <BJ>
     
  10. 83B

    83B Member

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    Well, that's the kiss of death then!!
     
  11. 83B

    83B Member

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    After my previous tongue in cheek comment, here is some footage I shot of Ray at Reading preparing to depart for the West.

     
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  12. maureen

    maureen Member

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    Ray didn't have to retire he chose to, WCR and several others tried to persuade him to stay on, he said the main reason was the long extra miles and hours he had to travel to get to the jobs, and sometimes under difficult circumstances, last year there were at least 4 times that the train either broke down or signal trouble, once he had to change trains twice to get to Taunton from Birmingham and once he had to get a taxi arriving just 10 minutes before he was due to take over. Having said that I think if it hadn't been for the latest WCR suspension he would have stayed on because last summer he said he was going to do another year, then in March he told me he had decided to retire after all it seems the extra long break he had between Christmas and the April restart sealed it, he seem to enjoy not having to travel all those long and sometimes frustrating trips to get to the steam job.
     
  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I'm sure that Vintage Trains will offer him some guest appearances at their Open Days....or whatever else they may be planning for the future.
     
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  14. peckett

    peckett Member

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    Yes, goers as they were known as in steam days weren't particular liked ,after all what fireman wanted to go to work at say 2or 3 in the morning, or any other time at that, to shovel more coal just because the driver liked to blaze away, and probably get held at signals later.
     
  15. leander

    leander Member

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    Is Ray still involved at Severn Valley ?
     
  16. 83B

    83B Member

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    I remember speaking with the EWS boys at Eastleigh when they were told they lost the Steam Dreams work and expected negative comments. But oddly enough, most said that they welcomed the reduced work stating steam work was beginning to overtake their diesel work and with it the long hours. A couple of times, I took Bryan Dudley Ward to the local Alton Hotel around midnight after a "Green Train" returned home. Bryan was well and truly knackered as was his fireman. They had been out on the road for a very long time. Not that they didn't love their steam work, I guess there comes a time when it is all simply too much and spending days in the garden on warm sunny days, mowing the lawn and watering the plants, is a more attractive and less stressful option.
     
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  17. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    There's a post on the LE thread that 44871 has failed.
     
  18. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Well according to the gossip mill the Black 5 has failed on its way down and is being sent back home, ECS is coming down by Diesel. If so it means that day 1 and day 2 will not be double headed. I had planned to chase this thing down to Penzance and then up to Bristol, if its not double headed I am not doing a 650 trip with overnight stay. Luckily I have till 12:30 to cancel my hotel booking.
     
  19. charterboy

    charterboy New Member

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    Gutted :-(

    Was really looking forward to the double heading without shoveage on first 2 days

    And that's from someone who is travelling on it ;-)

    Wonder what'll now do day 3 ?

    Hopefully nothing too serious with 44871 and it'll be fixed to take us to wick
     
  20. maureen

    maureen Member

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    Yes sadly the black 5 has failed and the GB is now Royal Scot with diesel inside for day 1 and 2 and day 3 is diesel all day.
     

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