977859

Your comments

• Jo Coultas

  16 September 2003, 15:20:03

  I drive this heap on a regular basis, it's not me driving it in this photo as this is not "my end" (the controls are stiff at his end, I prefer the "smooooth" drive from the other end). Quick irrelevant comment, The parents of one of the lads that work the video equipment on board the train are actors, his Mum was in SPACE 1999 (with green hair) and his Dad was the leader of the Cyber men in Doctor Who. Amazing really!

• Jo Coultas

  20 September 2003, 20:08:16

  I'm also the T R I on this unit, on it's massive journey around the UK. I don't let Steve and Andy drive it very often as they bugger it up, i.e.... Blow up gear boxes, rip off prop shafts, you get the idea. Then I have to drive my ickle van 100s of miles to repair the said vehicle and get my train driving hands dirty (very un professional)

• Jo Coultas

  9 June 2004, 20:26:26

  With regards to my last comment, I must appologise to Steve, as for Andy...

  "I go changing bogies to urn an honest bob, for a driver/technician it's a filthy dirty job, a DMU fitter you would'nt be if you could get as dirty as me, if you could get as black as me, when i'm changing bogies!!!"

• Ben Williams

  10 June 2004, 00:31:07

  Yeah I'm liking the George Formby tribute there in case anyone else missed it ;)

• mxi339z

  10 August 2004, 19:04:12

  Can anybody tell me why this thing has a wiper on the route indicator box, is it so you can drive it stood up??????

• Ben Williams

  10 August 2004, 22:09:46

  I think there is a camera up there.

• Jo Coultas

  27 August 2004, 20:16:47

  Yes indeed, there is a camera in the headcode box. It films the OHLE contact wire and catenery. When the images are studied back at the office, by the miracle of science you can see if the stagger of the wire is too staggering. What you do once you are aware of this I do not know.

• dmk

  2 September 2004, 13:40:36

  JO, andy is sitting next to me saying that you a lazy so an so, and why have you not said anything about what he and steve( i can say my army number backwards) did at CASTLETON (he he he).

• steve

  4 September 2004, 23:38:37

  It was'nt me, it was Andy that dera...., sorry, it was Andy that had the 'INCIDENT' at Castleton. After all he is the 'Senior, No.1, Designated driver' on 977859. By the way, my army no. backwards is 84816242.

  Sorry Ben about this stuff on your site, it's a 'driver' thing.

• Jo Coultas

  24 March 2005, 19:26:55

  A former tour de force, forced to tour.

  Pushed it to the limit, couldn't push it any more.

  Rest in piece my friend....It's been emotional (Pandora (2000-2004) Gone but never to be forgotten.

  The last comment should go to the un-named Motherwell driver who's last remark was "This is the biggest pile of rattling S$%T i've ever conducted"

• Steve Sheehan

  2 April 2005, 23:12:35

  The most defining aspect of driving 977859 was will it make it to it's destination, preferably with the same amount of fixtures and fittings it started out with. Happy days.

• Jo Coultas

  10 June 2005, 22:41:06

  I know this should be over and done with now, but there's a final question to ask from the long suffering omni-com technicians...

  "Has the generator shut down again Jo?"

  To which I can only reply....

  "Yes Alex/Mike(not Mick!) it most definately has, it's roar will be no more"

• Jo Coultas

  31 January 2006, 17:15:33

  Soon to be "Back in the ring, to take another swing!"

  It's better than life....................

• Kevin Staddon

  16 June 2007, 20:00:00

  Can anyone remember the original number of this vehicle please?

  Seen Exeter heading for Cornwall this week.

• SD0853

  16 June 2007, 20:29:00

  This DMMU was W55025W originally. It still says it in one of the cabs!

• Kevin Staddon

  17 June 2007, 20:05:52

  Thanks for the info.

  >>SD0853

  >>16 June 2007, 20:29:00

  >>This DMMU was W55025W originally. It still says it in one of the cabs!

• Tom

  17 October 2010, 18:45:18

  Can anyone tell me what the red circles on the sides are. Do they light up? Or are they just logos for something?

• SD0853

  18 October 2010, 09:08:22

  They were just the logo's for "Onmi-Com Engineering" who provided and operated all of the internal recording and measureing equipment.

  "Omni-Com Engineering" supply a of alot of geometry recording equipment to Network Rail.