Tom

Congratulations!

I’ve not been very active on social media of late. There’s been an awful lot going on but I’m breaking my silence for a good cause.

My friend and colleague Ritch is raising money for Dementia UK and EMR have kindly donated a 158 cab ride. You can bid for it here:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35686714...

Interestingly, no. It is an ex-WM unit but this seat has only recently appeared and haven’t seen it on any of the others before. Possibly a repaired one that has arrived from elsewhere.

Thanks Phil, I did wonder if it was Chiltern so presumably a refurbished seat from one of their units.

A class 170 drivers seat with a blue chequered moquette with stars or splodges in darker blue between the lines. Some of the stars are red edged.

Can anyone identify the mystery moquette on this drivers seat? Found on one of our 170s today and it’s not one I’ve seen before!

(Cab not active when photo taken)

My purple EMR 170 535 in platform 7 at Peterborough station. The platform is empty of people and you can see the salt scattered along it. A red signal is reflected in the train windows. The sky is blue grey with the sun rising.

Last turn of the week complete. A nice easy shift with no issues.

I’m now off for a week and a half with my long weekend and an annual leave week.

An EMR class 170 in purple departs into the red and blue sunrise from habrough station. A covering of frost sits on the platform and tracks.

Spare this morning, but I was sent out to cover a Cleethorpes to Barton trip. It was a little bit fresh at Habrough!

Steam loco 45596 ‘Bahamas’ in steam at Lincoln station with the footbridge above. The locomotive is green and pulling a crimson coach.

Choo choo 🚂

It felt like it at times 😂

EMR purple livery 170507 at Leicester platform 4 with headlights lit. You can see salt along the Platform due to the cold weather. A passenger walks alway from the train. The sky is grey.

I think I’ve driven through almost every type of weather we see in this country today. Also been cautioned over a malfunctioning crossing, reported minor flooding, had to pass two signals at danger due to another crossing issue and some unplanned shunting to finish off. Bed time 🥱

Our 15x fleet kept going too. The only issue was I got stuck at work as the roads were impassable and they cancelled my train home.

Fortunately another conductor needed that train too and a spare driver said he’d work it and ECS back. He really saved the day!

I’d not be optimistic - definitely the coldest units I’ve worked 🥶 still by far one of the best units out there for practicality though!

Class 153 Appreciation Post😍Legends of the UK Railway network

153329 & 153921 sit side by side at Swansea in Feb 2024
153305 at Dalmuir heading for Oban in April 2023
153356 at Nuneaton waiting to work the next Leamington shuttle in Nov 2018
153331 sat at Sheffield in Nov 2019

I’ve worked 921 (as 321) my least favourite of the class. I also have 305 logged as worked from when we transported Northern units to and from Cleethorpes.

Yes! This turn has been around before, last timetable it was a Peterborough, pass Notts then a Leicester that was an hour earlier finishing. Preferred that!

I prefer 158s to drive, though we don’t see them very often at Lincoln.

170504 in EMR purple livery under the ramp footbridge on platform 2 at Peterborough. It is dark and the platform is empty and you can see the red signals at the far ends of p1 and p2

The first unit of the new year, 170504 was mine for my entire 9hr 20 shift. A double Peterborough and a Doncaster.

I wondered where you’d come from when I passed you outside Nottingham - happy new year! 🥳

170208 in white Anglia livery with red doors and grey skirt, along with some purple skirts. The headlights are on and the cab light is on. People are walking around on the platform and the rear door on the front coach is partially opening. It is dark and the station lights are on.

Happy new year to all my followers, wishing you a wonderful 2025!

My last unit of the year was 170208 on 2L81 Leicester to Lincoln.

Not used to this view anymore.

The first part of my job has been taken by a driver manager for an assessment so it’s a pass ride instead to pick up my first of two Leicester trips.

170533 in EMR purple livery in platform 1 At Peterborough. The platform is busy with people behind the yellow line and tactile paving. You can see a Thameslink grey class 700 with blue doors in the adjacent platform. The sky is also grey and overcast.

After a lovely Christmas it’s back to work on an amended job that has taken in Newark North Gate, Doncaster and Peterborough. My early spares this weekend have morphed into slightly later starts which is more welcome!

Our last non-PRM 156 if I remember rightly!

An empty, damp platform at Saxilby with the starting signal at green, grey skies and leafless trees. The station building with its multiple chimneys can be seen to the left. The train is EMR purple, white and grey liveried 156405 with yellow end warning panel. The train is heading away from the photographer so tail lights are lit. There are no people visible.

Back to this day in 2020, working back from Doncaster to Lincoln with 156405.

170517 in EMr purple livery with tail lights illuminated on platform 3 at Newark north gate. There is a green West Coast 57 behind in the dark. The sky above is pink and purple with the orange of the sunrise to the bottom.

Beautiful skies over Newark this morning 🌅

You’d be correct!

170270 in EMR purple livery stands in the platform at Barton in the dark - the platform is empty and stations lights are lit. The tail lights are lit on the unit.

This morning I was 0315 standby, but I’ve picked up a whole job. Worked the 0458 to Cleethorpes, then the first trip to Barton. The return working has now been retimed to leave Barton at 0753 so we have 50 minutes standing time up here now.

A photo of Quality Streets from this year laid out on my front room carpet. They are laid out in a colourful 'graph' style with the sweets that are the most plentiful in the box on the far left, across to the sweets that are least numerous on the far right. In this box, there are 8 toffee pennies; 7 strawberry delights, orange cremes, fudges, caramel swirls, coconut eclairs; 6 toffee fingers, Purple Ones; 4 Green Triangles, orange crunches and milk chocolate blocks.

A similar photo from 2021 showing the range of quality streets from a larger tin. The most plentiful sweets are caramel swirls with 13, and the fewest are green triangles with 4

A similar photo from 2022 showing the range of quality streets from a 600g box. The most plentiful sweets are toffee fingers with 8, and the fewest are green triangles & chocolate blocks with 4

A similar photo from 2023 showing the range of quality streets from a 600g box. The most plentiful sweets is fudge with 8, and the fewest are green triangles & chocolate blocks with 4

WELL folks. Time to move my yearly Quality Street analysis over to Bluesky. And boy what a year it is in this niche confectionery world...

Some pics included of past years entries for context.

Last 156 I drove before they left us!

Me wearing my purple EMR blazer, a turquoise and orange Beanz Meanz Crimbo jumper and ASLEF lanyard with SWR class 442 poppy badge. Out the window you can see fields, trees and gray skies.

Forgot to post this one yesterday but it was Christmas Jumper Day so I had to get out the one @bessbbe.bsky.social got me a few years ago!

Taken on my pass ride up to Cleethorpes before working a double Barton.

153308 in blue, red and orange East Midlands trains livery with EMR regional titles in bay platform 3 at Grimsby. A 156 in EMR interim purple, gray and white livery is at the front. It is dark and the station lights are lit and you can see drizzle in the air. Rain standing on the platform edge is reflecting the lights.

It’s 3 years since the final 153 worked for EMR. It had been due to finish its night on the Barton service but had failed at Great Coates due to lack of coolant so was attached to the rear of my Grimsby to Lincoln service then taken on empty to Nottingham.