Tidal Update

428 is a network loco and may be at AD for a bit longer as there is a shortage of washing machines to do the shunting.

billy basher wrote:428 is a network loco and may be at AD for a bit longer as there is a shortage of washing machines to do the shunting.

If 428 is Network, then let their fitters fuel and service it?

What about Sue to do the washing instead of the washing machine?

One of the other forums is frothing about 428's arrival or not arrival at Toton Depot today.

The other option is to hive out the brake block change to RMS Locotec and they'll do it at Tidal Sidings without a pit.

A D are trying to hang onto the 08, as without it, it may cause train delays, waiting to use a 66.There is a big push this year to get 80% ontime departures.
Network got no fitters

08802 - Celsa Pilot, moving seven BD's from the Melt Shop to Castle Works

08921 Pongo - Tidal Pilot, moving a monster train of loaded MBA's and BYA's from Tidal into the Scrap Bay.

One of the drivers was right when he said Pongo sounded like a Class 60 under full load. I have never seen so much vibration from the wheelsets, clag and thrash after it made several attempts to move the load after a stop into the Scrap Bay.

It was real lucky Billy Basher wasn't there, he'd be cart wheeling in front of my camera.

In the absence of Billy Basher reporting this, 08802 made its way to Canton Depot yesterday for a brake block change. I have no idea how it made its way there and help would be most appreciated as it isn't TPWS fitted. The work was completed yesterday but for some reason the loco didn't make its way back to Tidal leaving Pongo to do both the Celsa and Tidal shunts.

Cue Billy Basher......

08802 returned to Tidal last night with new blocks and is now running ok.It was teleported from Canton
More than can be said for the shed on the B13 that got hot and bothered with its "drag" from Robestone,oopps say no more!!!!

billy basher wrote:08802 returned to Tidal last night with new blocks and is now running ok.It was teleported from Canton
More than can be said for the shed on the B13 that got hot and bothered with its "drag" from Robestone,oopps say no more!!!!

How have you got time to punch the computer when 60051 is in East Usk Yard?

It needs to be stopped for the Headsup Welsh Veg to photograph.

802 in a spot of bother again,speed probe this time.Fixed again.
951 used to get a similar fault in ASW days.

Another remote is on its way eta Thursday.
08802 had some minor faults again over the weekend.It was givern a good workout today with a cat on board,guess what happened ? nothing,it worked perfectly all day,so did Pongo.

billy basher wrote:Another remote is on its way eta Thursday.
08802 had some minor faults again over the weekend.It was givern a good workout today with a cat on board,guess what happened ? nothing,it worked perfectly all day,so did Pongo.

Ta Billy. I forgot Catman was on today. I don't see much of him these days. Is he working part time now?

From what I can see of Toton Depot, 466/752 and 951 are all inside under repair leaving 782 and 09017 outside.

I don't suppose you can give me a latest update on 782 as the last date I was given was 12th March 2010. Thanks.

I wonder which one will return?

Think its 752 on the way back.Will confirm Tuesday

billy basher wrote:Think its 752 on the way back.Will confirm Tuesday

Billy Basher rang to say that the completion date has slipped on 08752 till 5th April and that 802 is playing up once again. No problems with Pongo though.

802 worked very well on Friday.It had to.If it played up again it will be lifted up by a very large magnet and dropped into the melt pot for recycling
Both are running well for now.Will be joined by another remote next week.

Bumped into Catwoman today and she said 08752 Lenny is due back at Tidal on Wednesday and 08782 Castleton Works is going to Fowey this week after receiving a partial rewire at Toytown. Looks like Catman was right about the fault when he diagnosed it!!!

http://www.margam-depot.co.uk/images/08951fred/sue-cantond-210703-w.jpg

More bad news....

Pongo's dropped a valve on No 3 cylinder, water and oil problems to say the least and was backloaded to Toton Depot this morning in lieu of 08802 which was planned to leave. 08802 has suffered from intermittent power problems of late, so stays a little longer. Evidentally Billy Basher was supposed to have investigated Pongo's failure but he has taken leave this week.

On a plus, 08752 Lenny is back.

I understand that the Tidal Gronks are ailing once again, Pongo has had its remote control equipment removed and sent away for repair and Lenny is playing up. Watch out for the third Gronk to arrive?!.

From what I can see, there appears to be problems with most of the recent conversions to remote control and EWS may well be investigating as to what is going wrong.

Brillo and Fred are still at Toton Depot, almost a year since their departure from south wales.

It doesn't get any better , both Pongo and Lenny are now working in manual only, which effectively means that only one locomotive can be used at a time, with the two rostered drivers.

Look out for 08605 towards the end of the week, currently in store at Toton Depot.

Ta Catman.

Lenny back in a sort of remote status yesterday,waiting bits to get it running properly in remote.Maybe ok by now.
Pongo worked very hard on Wednesday to cover Lenny being worked on.
Lenny went back to work in the afternoon to give Pongo a well eaned rest.
Come on down 605,you will be givern a good workout to see how good you are.

billy basher wrote:Lenny back in a sort of remote status yesterday,waiting bits to get it running properly in remote.Maybe ok by now.
Pongo worked very hard on Wednesday to cover Lenny being worked on.
Lenny went back to work in the afternoon to give Pongo a well eaned rest.
Come on down 605,you will be givern a good workout to see how good you are.

It's good to see the gronks earning their living at Tidal, and the fitters similarly.

There were reliability problems in the ASW days with 5/6 gronks, but I reckon they're a lot worse now with only two gronks. Biggest problem is that the Shunter Gang has been disbanded and no facilities are available in south wales to carry out repairs. EWS's road haulage fees must be astronomical for Tidal shunters together with say three persons a day looking after two gronks.

The main problem is that,1 the locos supplied by Toton are poor,as they have just come off exams in a sorry state
2 Maintenance staff can be run ragged somedays if there are problems with the 66's as they also maintain them plus callouts.
Things will change in the near future that should improve things all round.

billy basher wrote:The main problem is that,1 the locos supplied by Toton are poor,as they have just come off exams in a sorry state
2 Maintenance staff can be run ragged somedays if there are problems with the 66's as they also maintain them plus callouts.
Things will change in the near future that should improve things all round.

I hear what you say and as an ex Ruston engineer our motto used to be that, "Quality is created, not by that of subsequent inspection". I'm not blaming the lions for the poor qulaity of workmanship but the donkeys leading them who provide the work specification. Regretably there's no horizon, while you got non engineers making engineering management decisions at the grass roots levels. What a load of crap for the power unit changes on Lenny. Bring in the boys with the portable journal grinders and if they ain't approved, approve them.

P.S. I'm going to enjoy 08605 when it arrives, but I'd prefer either Brillo or Fred to be returned to south wales.

08630 Bob Brown appears to have travelled overnight to Tidal Sidings from Margam Knuckle Yard. What's happened to 08605 which was supposed to have been roaded from Toytown last Friday?

A non remote is no good as a standby at Tidal as there are only two drivers booked on per shift, so if a remote does breakdown, they'll share the other remote between the two turns. However, if both remotes breakdown, they'll be two drivers to man 08630.

Both Pongo and Lenny failed last Friday and in the absence of 08605 arriving from Toytown the same day, 08630 Bob Brown was summoned from Knuckle Yard on an emergency basis but did not arrive till yesterday morning. I understand that sheds have been berthing the MBA's in Celsa yesterday. Evidentally 08630 Bob Brown is suffering from a rattling auxillary generator bearing which was diagnosed several weeks ago.

What a mess. If it wasn't so serious it would be funny.

Pongo is having its lifeguards removed and will be backloaded to Toytown when 08605 arrives.

Cue Billy Basher...

Hope 605 is better than the other 08's,630 only lasted three days.Pongo is ready to go back to the black hole (toton) Hopefully 630 should be fixed today.
08630 was dragged from Margam wildlife park by a class 66.
Tidal is a good proving ground for gronks as they are given a good workout there.