Tom
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tom40a.bsky.social
Tom
@tom40a.bsky.social
820 followers 270 following 120 posts
Train driver, former conductor with EMR. Opinions are my own and not my employers. No posts made while undertaking safety critical duties.
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tom40a.bsky.social
‘Sprinter Squadron - 158 - Express Traincrew’

These patches have been produced in support of Epilepsy Action by Northern guard Craig. Sadly they’re sold out but you can support Craig’s fundraising here:

www.justgiving.com/page/craig-s...
My orange, black and grey EMR bag with a military style badge depicting a class 158 and the text Sprinter Squadron 158 Express Traincrew and Do Your Best. In the background is EMT coloured 158865 at Leicester.
August 26, 2025 at 8:02 AM
tom40a.bsky.social
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...
Pardon our interruption...eBay Home
www.ebay.co.uk
May 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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)
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.
January 20, 2025 at 8:05 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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.
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.
January 9, 2025 at 5:31 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Spare this morning, but I was sent out to cover a Cleethorpes to Barton trip. It was a little bit fresh at Habrough!
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.
January 8, 2025 at 2:04 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Choo choo 🚂
Steam loco 45596 ‘Bahamas’ in steam at Lincoln station with the footbridge above. The locomotive is green and pulling a crimson coach.
January 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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 🥱
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.
January 6, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by Tom
trainfanmatt.bsky.social
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
January 4, 2025 at 10:12 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
The first unit of the new year, 170504 was mine for my entire 9hr 20 shift. A double Peterborough and a Doncaster.
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
January 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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.
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.
December 31, 2024 at 11:01 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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.
December 31, 2024 at 1:38 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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!
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.
December 27, 2024 at 12:22 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Back to this day in 2020, working back from Doncaster to Lincoln with 156405.
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.
December 18, 2024 at 6:06 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Beautiful skies over Newark this morning 🌅
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.
December 17, 2024 at 2:17 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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.
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.
December 16, 2024 at 7:17 AM
Reposted by Tom
35mmags.bsky.social
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.
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
December 15, 2024 at 9:58 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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.
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.
December 13, 2024 at 3:18 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
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.
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.
December 11, 2024 at 10:22 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Station I dislike: Leeds
Station I think is overrated: Bristol Temple Meads
Station I think is underrated: Hull
Station I like: Cardiff Central
Station I love: Bishopstone
Station I think deserves better: London Euston
Station I still need to visit: Glasgow Central
runsonrails.bsky.social Rich @runsonrails.bsky.social · Dec 7

Station I dislike: Bristol Temple Meads
Station I think is overrated: St Pancras
Station I think is underrated: Birmingham Moor Street
Station I like: York
Station I love: Birmingham New Street
Station I think deserves better: Stratford upon Avon
Station I still need to visit: Scarborough
anthonyf2024.bsky.social Anthony @anthonyf2024.bsky.social · Dec 7
Station I dislike: Euston
Station I think is overrated: Eastleigh
Station I think is underrated: Tilehurst
Station I like: Crewe
Station I love: Kemble
Station I think deserves better: Didcot
Station I still need to visit: Doncaster
December 7, 2024 at 11:20 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
On this day in 2020, a HST set overtaking us just after departure from Barrow upon Soar.
EMT liveried HST 43049 with EMR logos passing under the road bridge at Barrow upon Soar with the station in the background. The sky is grey and overcast.
December 7, 2024 at 9:23 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Something new for me tonight. Covering a Nottingham depot job off standby and ended up working the 2259 Leicester - Nottingham which runs via the fast lines to East Midlands Parkway. It was a novelty getting to take a 170 up to its maximum permissible speed of 100mph.
A blurry photo of 170201 in EMR purple livery on platform 1 at Leicester. The headlights are on, and the platform clear of people
December 6, 2024 at 12:57 AM
tom40a.bsky.social
Back to 9 years ago when Lincoln Christmas Market was still held. We ran various extra services and I worked a special diagram made up of these. I actually remember the first half being pretty quiet but the 1602 to Cleethorpes was absolutely packed.
153308 nearest the camera in the down platform at Market Rasen with 158852 on the front. Both units wear full East Midlands Trains livery - the 153 the blue based and 158 the white. My driver is seen walking down the up platform to look at a memorial that is painted onto the end wall. LN3800 diagram dated for 05/12/15 shows workings to Newark North Gate, Market Rasen (out empty via Holton le Moor) and Cleethorpes with an empty stock back working. The diagram is 8hr 7min long.
December 4, 2024 at 9:49 AM
Reposted by Tom
starkeycomics.bsky.social
Merry December!
With Christmas fast approaching, here's a map showing who brings the presents in different British regions.
Full post with explanations of each character here:
starkeycomics.com/2019/12/24/w...

#Christmas #British #Father_Christmas #Gef_the_talking_mongoose
December 3, 2024 at 11:57 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Almost 5 years since I got to pretend I was a ScotRail guard for a morning. Sadly nothing like the beauty of the West Highland line but a Grimsby to Newark trip - all a bit novel!
ScotRail liveried 156503 at Grimsby town platform 3. It is dark and the headlights are illuminated. People can be seen further down the platform and a 153 unit is attached to the rear.
December 1, 2024 at 9:55 PM
tom40a.bsky.social
Always happy when I come across a picture of me driving trains - look you can see my hand 👋🏻

📷 by Keiran James
170516 arriving at Great Coates station. The unit wears purple EMR regional livery. The sky is blue and the trees in the background are losing their leaves. In the windscreen you can see me resting my hand on top of the dash read to set the DRA as I come to a stand at the station.
November 28, 2024 at 2:11 PM