Last weekend was great fun at Newton Aycliffe! The open day that Hitachi organised was absolutely brilliant! It was great fun looking round the factory and the real highlight included a ride behind the replica Locomotion 1 Plenty of purple around, can't wait to work them soon 👀

18 months of working the Iron Road today! Feels simultaneously like I'm part of the furniture but equally like I've only just begun In any case, I'm now done for an entire week, 222003 was my office for 5 hours today, the next train I get out of London will be very exciting though 👀⭐

This will probably shock many of you, especially after our success at the Greatest Gathering, but after 3 years on the Management Team as a Marketing and Comms assistant, I've made the decision to leave the 225Group To see my reasons for this, please read the thread 🧵

New DLR train! New DLR train! New DLR train! New DLR train!

Had a day off yesterday so popped round to Birmingham to see a friend I hadn't seen in 2 years! Once that was wrapped up, I decided to go the adventurous way via Liverpool on a 730/2 then back to Sheffield on a Turbostar pair A very fun day all in all 😁

Good afternoon internet, happy Railway 200 🎉 To celebrate 200 years of the modern railway, I shall be... at work on a 10hr shift 😂 222011 was my first train from Sheffield to London, spot on time! Now for a Notts and back before heading back to Sheffield

Just got email confirmations for... *checks notes* ...Deutsche Bahn 👀

Just done another week in Purple 🟣 Didn't manage to work 005 this week which has now been stopped for transfer to Lumo. I did see 810009 on driver training though, my training should come around November time 👀 Exciting hey, have some trains, including a 37 and a nice pair 😁

Had a lovely Long Weekend in... drum roll please... Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Oh right, that's nothing unusual at this point 😂 Had a lovely time with @pacerclara.insanity.tube as we went to Inverurie on I7Cs Should they be in frontline service in 2025? Well, no. But am I taking advantage of this? Heck yes!

6 days of working the Iron Road come to an end What also comes to an end is the "Tent Menu" era as the offer gets subtly adapted on Monday with detailed place mats replacing the menus It was slightly weird taking the old menus off the tables for one last time 😅

Ayup, been quietly working away on the Iron Road recently. Nothing too interesting to write home about though the nights are definitely drawing in sooner for sure Have a 700, 360 and my 2200 St Pancras to Sheffield from yesterday. Thameslink were using St Pancras high level due to engineering work

Had 3 days of grafting on the Iron Road again, one day off now before a long set of shifts (favours you see) Have 222006 at Derby yesterday having been my unit from St Pancras as the 1402 to Sheffield. @hipa125.bsky.social is up front ready to take Line C out of the station

It appears we have two friends for training now 👀

Spent much of the week in London with @pacerclara.insanity.tube Can confirm: 730/2s are brilliant EMUs! I've finally done the Greenford branch and I also sampled my last BBC Prom of the season with Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony

Last night, myself and @pacerclara.insanity.tube had the pleasure of The Cally Sleeper to London! It's the best I've slept on a sleeper in a long time, dropped off around Dalmuir and woke up around Rugby after some quality sleep! Utterly brilliant, sleepers really are just amazing trains 😁

Hello internet I've been up West Highland Way recently! @pacerclara.insanity.tube and I went to Corpach and Banavie where the Caledonian Canal decsends Neptune's Staircase and out out into the Loch Eil Such a lovely part of the world indeed 🥰

Worked over the weekend, Sunday was especially fun! I picked up Sheffield's only turn where a host passed on an ECS! This meant I got to score the staff only Platform 7 at Derby which forms the Etches Park "Pilot Line" Now I have 6 days off to enjoy! Have some HT 802s in St Pancras on diversion 😁

Nick and Natt have a very cool second channel now that you should absolutely subscribe to Go do it, go subscribe

Hello internet! It's been a busy but fun week! Wednesday saw me go to the Royal Albert Hall for my first BBC Prom of the year. Bolero sounds absolutely incredible in there! I needed to time waste beforehand so I did a quick St Pancras to Stratford and back to sample the Javelin refurbishment 😁

A worthwhile thread from the Captain!

Today, I got to play about with a new bit of kit 👀 These new carts started appearing on units today and my train received it at St Pancras this afternoon! You'll notice them on 5 car Meridians to replace the older trolleys The best feature? The pot divider! No more rattling pots! 😍

The end of 7 days on the trot, many fairly difficult ones, but I've made it through! Yesterday's 222008 is seen at East Mids Parkway waiting for a faulty train at Long Eaton to be rectified. The towers are an incredible site at least 😅

Advice for anyone wanting to travel north of London today on the 3 main routes Don't 😬

7 days of grafting the Iron Road commenced yesterday The unusual sight I was greeted to was 158844 "The Northumbrian" having a holiday far from its base depot of Heaton. The Northern Conductor who took it was ecstatic to have worked it too 😂 Got a snap of it next to my Meridian for good measure!

I've had a lovely few days off at the end of my long weekend First up, a large group of us went to Crich Tramway Museum. It's an incredible place to be with heritage trams and fun walks around the area! We had an incredible time as a group! We loved every minute!

Wow oh wow! What an incredible few days it's been at the gathering, both as a visitor and a Volunteer It's been incredible looking around at the immense amount of exhibits and meeting so many excellent people over the weekend. Alstom, you've done a superb job! An expectation exceeder, 10/10 😁

A busy day today assisting in the set up for the Greatest Gathering for the 225 Group. Also lent a quick hand in getting @class507.org.uk's simulator scenarios to be spot on! I then had time to see some exhibits before the arrival of 390119 and 57307 A great start to what should be a fun weekend!

Half way through my run on 6 shifts now Yesterday was the last day of Manton diverts whilst engineering work took place for 6 weekends around Market Harborough. Such a lovely little route, especially going over Harringworth Viaduct! I'll definitely miss views like this 👇

Well this looks beautiful and shiny! Great to see 158847 and its new interior out and about! Unfortunately I've got my own trains to work so a look around it will have to wait 😅 Looks stunning on the outside too!

*goes to edinburgh for 3 hours* *refuses to elaborate* *leaves* Hopefully that translates into good news later down the line but we'll see.

Myself and @pacerclara.insanity.tube revisited Leven today! What started out as a slightly rainy, misty morning developed into an absolutely beautiful afternoon to visit the seaside town 😁 Later in the evening I returned South to Sheffield. Ahh well, hopefully I'll be back soon 🥲

Glasgow Pride, what an absolute pleasure! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Pride is not just reserved for June, queer people are an everyday occurrence. It's important to keep standing up for everyone's rights, especially when successive Governments are hellbent on rolling back rights Always remember: Stand up for your rights

Hello! Yes, I'm back in Scotland again, why do you ask? 😆 Ticked off the last stations I needed in the City of Edinburgh with @pacerclara.insanity.tube Wester Hailes ✅ Kingsnowe ✅ Slateford ✅ Curriehill ✅ A fun start to what should be a marvellous weekend 😁

That's better, two late shifts completed, now I have the weekend off! Lovely to have @rm86.bsky.social on one of my two right time trips! A bit of company always makes the day go faster 😁 Righto, time to swap out from Purple and into some more colourful clothes for this weekend 👀

After doing two days of breakfast trains, I am now in a video on a breakfast train Last time you'll see me in a Nick video for a bit, this is our last Irish Video of the series, hopefully you've enjoyed them all Of course we did this with @nattj.bsky.social and @pacerclara.insanity.tube too! 😁

"Heya Will, yes I can do that swap for you... but you do permanent lates right? How does 0438 book on sound?" "Yeah alright, just this once!" Well I suppose I better remember how breakfast works for the next couple of days 😂

The video of myself, @nattj.bsky.social, @nickbadley.com and @pacerclara.insanity.tube all having fun on my absolute favourite railway of all time is up! Would highly recommend having a chippy on Wexford Quay as a train comes through... oh, and to watch Nick's video of course 😆

*haunts another @nickbadley.com video but only for about 5 minutes*

"So what have you been doing with your Monday evening?" ✨ shack ✨

Some very satisfying symmetry at Leicester yesterday, even the coloured coupler blocks were symmetrical! 222020 and 006 are seen on my 1B76 to London whilst 222104 and 023 can been seen in the background on 1F47 to Sheffield Trains reversed here in order to take the diversionary route via Manton

Well this brings back some Ferry good memories ☺️ Click on the link to watch myself, @nickbadley.com, @nattj.bsky.social and @pacerclara.insanity.tube eat expensive fish and chips, play a reaction game and go duty free shopping 😁 youtu.be/ZDlcwZLfTzo?...

Nice to have made a little bit of input here 🙂 Pride month may be over but there's still plenty of Pride Events to come over summer... ...oh, and LGBTQIA+ people don't just magically disappear after June, we're still around and always will be 🌈 www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/rolling-with...

Many happy (off peak day) returns to @pacerclara.insanity.tube! 🎉 Have an amazing day and enjoy your European adventure! 😁

A very lovely day at work today! I also got to see 222002 on its first day back out in service after a long hiatus in Etches Park 👀 3 shifts down, 2 to go this week

Remember this @nickbadley.com on Corby to Melton Mowbray? For the next 6 weekends, trains will be diverting over the route via Manton which gives you the best chance of scoring the rare but wonderful track between Corby and Oakham It's a really pretty route, definitely worth a trip 😁

Welcome back to work! What better way to start than a Sheff - London - Notts - London - Sheff The rest of the week is much shorter at least, this is the only long shift this week, so I can't complain really 😅

Hello internet, had a lovely couple of days Yesterday involved doing a Transport Challenge around Glasgow with @pacerclara.insanity.tube. 3rd place is amazing if you ask me! Also lovely to enjoy the Scottish light at 10pm in Edinburgh as yesterday was the longest day! I love this time of year 😁

After a 380 from Ayr to Glasgow, myself and @pacerclara.insanity.tube have made it back to Auld Reekie What an incredible holiday! Thank goodness it's not over, there's a couple more days up in Scotland before going south. I've loved every moment in Ireland, I'm sure I'll be back again soon 💚

As @pacerclara.insanity.tube put it to me, "Send your favourite crime against aerodynamics" Another excellent breakfast journey on the Enterprise to Belfast! The De Dietrich stock is superb and comfortable 😁

Time to head back to Scotland for a few days. We've enjoyed staying in Athy for the past week, though all good things must come to an end eventually Last ICR of the trip then 🫡