In the 50's and early 60's we used to watch these fly through Doncaster station. Their arrival was always announced by the the shouts of "streak" from the gangs of spotters at the far end of the platform. Happy days.

Very good...........lets not forget about the miners...........none of this would have been able to have happened without them.......

I actually cried, it's so sad that not many of these locos are left, there should be more Gresley locos preserved (A1,A3,P2,A4 etc), there are so many Bullieds and Panniers etc.. What about the greatest one, Sir Nigel Gresley. These butiful beasts are just incredible machines, I love the A4's so so much, there should be more...

@derekheeps1244

2 жыл бұрын

So did I ; just now . These wonderful machines combined with Sir Edward Elgar's stirring music ( they should have named an A4 after him ) . It was a heinous crime that most of them were scrapped ; the ones named after various parts of the British Empire should , at the very least , have been sent to those countries . Classic Bentleys were never scrapped , so why scrap these wonderful machines ; it would be like scrapping Concordes today

about '73 my young son, about 7 years old,and i were waiting on the platform at hurstville station in sydney. the station has a shopping mall on top .This means the platform and tracks are in semi darkness in spite of the lighting. I saw a steamer approaching from the south, it was ,from memory a 36 class on excursion. It thundered through, sound and steam was magnified by the enclosure and as it passed we all jumped back, flames were seen belching from the firebox as it roared past ,smoke and noise all over,younger children caught by surprise were crying .It was all wonderful and unforgettable. preserve all you can.

I'm pleased I lived in steam days and seen every A4 and more .

@Uftonwood2

Жыл бұрын

Sorry, I’m too jealous to give your comment a like, you were so lucky.

@itzmespencer

5 ай бұрын

Even 4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood (the one that got blown up in 1942) ?

A tear shed for all the a 4 trains that did not make it😢😢

@yoville73

3 жыл бұрын

Those are words that resonate with all rail fans like you and me

@aarongoh9205

3 жыл бұрын

@@yoville73 thats true

Really hard not fall in love with these. Beauty and the beast, all in one.

@Masire0009

6 жыл бұрын

You've got that. Certainly. My dad saw these engines from not only a bit of the LMS but also the LNER passing right out back past his house! I've gotten a lot of stories from that.

@yoville73

3 жыл бұрын

The A4’s were the pinnacle of the Steam Age in fact... I wished all 34 of them were preserved and I’m lucky enough to see the Mallard at the NRM when I was young

These videos bring back wonderful memories, I remember 1960 to 1963 going down to a pedestrian railway overbridge at Beeston in Yorkshire UK sometimes with school friends sometimes by myself with my train spotting book, and marking the train numbers off as they came past (I wish that I had kept that book), but I do remember marking off some A4's and I recall feeling very excited each time I saw one, they just looked so impressive and futuristic to me at that time, some names I remember marking off were: Union Of South Africa; Osprey; Silver Fox; Silver Link; Golden Eagle; Bittern, Kingfisher; Sir Nigel Gresley; Mallard; Dwight D. Eisenhower, probably more but amazing that a young mind can retain that information and still recall that after all this time. I also remember delivering newspapers to Beeston Railway Station early in the morning before school also around 1960 to 1963, (the walk down from the road gate to the railway station in winter used to give me the creeps because it was so dark and isolated) I believe that it was demolished sometime after that, but I emigrated to Australia in 1966 so I don't know when that happened. Why 10 people would give a thumbs down for these great historic videos is beyond me!

@Embracing01

3 жыл бұрын

Freedoms like trainspotting are long gone. Prison style fences are everywhere along the railway tracks so can't get anywhere near, and now you can't even watch a passing train from a bridge in many places now because the stasi control freak council and government have re-bricked the bridges to an height that stops you from looking over, supposedly for safety but I don't think it is because of that they don't want people to chill and watch a train; I've seen this at bridges at stations crossing the line where it's impossible to stand there and watch an approaching train because they've altered the bridge walkway so that you can't look over. We are all being penned in like cattle and we don't realise it. And try standing there on a station train spotting and see how long it takes for some jumped security little Hitler jobsworth in a hi vis jacket to ask what you are doing or why you are filming as if you're breaking the law. It's becoming a crime to do anything these days.

@ncs8730

19 күн бұрын

A4s look stylish now, in 2024 as well!

4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood was the only A4 that was destroyed by bomb at York Station on April 28/29, 1942 during the Baedeker blitz and never made it to BR days.

35 A4s were built to celebrate King George V Silver Jubilee. Everyone makes mistakes, you may have been thinking of the rebuilt P2s. They were still classified P2s even when streamlined in the 1930s.

@jonathancruz562

4 жыл бұрын

LEVELCROSSING225 no it was 6 not the whole class

06/12 22 Just scrolling around watching steam locos at home in Knebworth. lmagine my surprise when almost at the start A4s are shown passing through Knebworth too. 5 days ago 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley passed through in black wartime livery hauling a special & returning after dark too showing it's distinctive brass nameplate on a bright red background. I'm a boy again ! Strictly speaking SNG would have had a 4 digit number during pre-nationalised times. Further down the track at Langley Troughs the LNER & Great North Road run parallel & what was once closeby open land is now covered in Retail Parks. Curious to know about the unidentified A4s shown later in the vid' - Prototypes ? Talking of boyhood times l'm sure l came across streamlined B1s, 616..'s photo's steaming through East Anglia in a library book (?). Do remember there was an unnamed loco, 60700, streamlined too - think it was the first to be scrapped.

great video your right there's never been another golden era since. like it was with steam at the heart of its country. with great engines like the classic A4s MALLARD on the LNER and the DUCHESS class on the LMS, and the CASTLES on the GWR, and the MERCHANT NAVY class on the southern. GONE JUST LIKE THE CONCORD......and we still call our nation Great Britain. thanks for sharing this video as a permanent reminder of what we once had .................*****

@michaelnaisbitt1639

6 жыл бұрын

TONY NORTH EASTERN Great Britain has not been GREAT for 60 years Everything we have is now made overseas and the stuff that is made here is generally crap. Who is to blame for this savage decline the government. The unions the "That will do attitude". of the manufacturing sector. I don,t know but it is not getting better

Outstanding footage and appreciate the accompanying music, when Britain was truly Great. Thanks for sharing. All the best from Scotland. GD

Good video, I managed to see all the A4s in BR days except Bittern. Land of Hope and Glory sheer bliss, should be our national anthem. Thanks for posting!

@geoffreyking4515

Жыл бұрын

You can see bittern now it's preserved

Love the a4 wonderful music my favourite being 60007 sir Nigel gresley and my bro 60009

I have always loved Are and at age 6 saw many of them at Hornsey I saw Mallard pulling a Down fitted frieght. The engine was gleaming unlike many engines. It is well documented that KingsCross shed master paid special attention to the A4s

Oh eh, didn't expect that. What with all the Streaks and my favourite classical music, well I have to admit, I became very misty eyed. Oh you have made my day. Thank you.

Fabulous all round 🤩

Although I'm Australian, I do love the UK and what they built. Also I looked at each engines number and looked up the A4 wiki and there are a lot of A4's.

@StormBlazePegasus

4 жыл бұрын

Were a lot. Theres only 6 left

Only 6 A4s remain in preservation both 60008 and 60010 both reside in America and Canada respectively and the other 4 Remain in Britain and 60022 is currently on display in York after its last run in 1988 leaving 60007 60009 and 60019 as the only A4s still remain active on the mainline

@xjxnebxg

Жыл бұрын

and now only 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley still running and Union of South Africa retired sadly and Bittern is on awaiting overhaul and i’m not gonna lie i do like to see Dwight D Eisenhower and Dominion of Canada steaming but who knows. i’d like to hear their whistles. i couldn’t find the audio recording of their whistles

@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329

7 ай бұрын

@@xjxnebxgwell all I know is both 60008 and 60010 are not gonna be returning to steam but 4464 is coming back because they are going to start overhauling her after 60009 retired from service

@xjxnebxg

7 ай бұрын

@@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329 i know but who knows in the future

For me the most majestic steam engines ever built.

these a4s are magnificent locos

Great video. Great music track. Very nostalgic. Thanks for sharing this. Magnificently wonderful locomotives

Iam sad that silver link and silver fox r no more

Would love so much for our railways to still be like this.

Loved the filming,so I promptly subscribed. That says it all!

In music class we played the song in the beginning and the third song, I love those songs.

Brilliant video. The A4s are my favourite class loco off all time. Andrew

I love A4s

When i went trainspotting to Kings Cross the A4's I always saw were 06 Sir Ralph Wedgwood , 022 Mallard , 032 Gannet and 33 Seagull.

I wish that Silver Link, Quicksilver, Silver King, Silver Fox, Dominion of New Zealand, Commonwealth of Australia, and Empire of India were preserved.

That music at the beginning sounds like that one song from that really good episode of bluey

Excellent footage awesome video

Thanks very much for sharing (this and the Peppercorn video)

Great footage.

2:36 when 2 a4's fight

@andrewtaylor5984

8 ай бұрын

The photo was taken at Darlington in the spring of 1964. They were not fighting; they had been withdrawn.

@voidjavelin23

25 күн бұрын

theyre arguing whos going to be scrapped frist

Other six A4s are still alive, they are now preserved. But two of them, were in North America

Beautiful

For a long time I did not know that most a4 were scraped

It’s a shame that 60014 Silver Link didn’t make it into preservation. Billy Butlin wanted to buy Silver Link for preservation at his camp. Butlin was unsuccessful because the Eastern Region of British Railways messed him up and instead he bought Duchess of Hamilton and Sutherland instead.

makes me proud to be british very enjoyable

Fantastic Video & great use music very patriotic which is good :-D

Wonderful footage - especially the pre-war streamliners. PS Interloper at 5.30 - Pep A1?

Steam Engines are definitely better than Electric and Diesel engines!

@locomotiveresearchdepartme2358

5 жыл бұрын

J I got to agree there

@timothysmith8300

4 жыл бұрын

I couldn't agree more long live steam steam is king SCRAP ALL ELECTRICS AND ALL BIG DEISELS 56'S47-S 37S PANDELENOS 66S 70S 80S SCRAP THE LOT REPLACE WITH REBUILDS OF STEAM LOCOS THAT WHERE DESTROYED ON PURPOSE .STEAM RULES

I've shot UOSA on video a number of times , and been privileged , thanks to John Cameron's kindness to have had two footplate runs . I really need to dust off my Bolex and shoot these wonderful machines using the technology of their era , even if it is 'only' 16mm .

My favroute Hyme this first song played

They should have all been saved. Life on the farm somewhere for most of them, at £4600 apiece.

being brought up near the west coast mainline even though I like the a 4 pacifics I still think the duchesses were a far stronger and better locomotive as the east coast line was mostly flat there was no shap are beattock which they had to climb which was on the west coast mainline.

@peterallam6494

Жыл бұрын

06/12 22, Apparantly Gresley & Stanier were Genltemanly rivals with similar backgrounds in their earlier careers. The interchangeability period must have been interesting although not many, if any, permanent changes resulted. Subsequent BR Britannia's were a distillation of all that went before.

A4s the finest steam locomotives in the world ,and then came the Deltics the finest diesel locomotives in the world

we have nothing like that in oz. preserve all you can music n all.

All a4s were fitted with p2 whistles strangely.

Wish we had commonwealth of Australia in our railway museum in Oz

Song please

这是伦敦和东北铁路的A4级蒸汽机车

Whats with the weird observation car on the first train?

@voidjavelin23

25 күн бұрын

its the beaver tail

What’s that in 0:13 I’ve never seen such a thing before

@voidjavelin23

25 күн бұрын

this is the beaver tail coach, pretty much the british enquevilant of the observation car. this one of the coronation variant of the coach

if only all a4 were preserved and a replica of 4469 (gadwall/sir ralph wedgood)

@jakedarling7549

6 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't want all A4's to be preserved as it would kind of ruin the allure of seeing one, what with there being only 6 in existence with only half of them actually capable of steam (60007 is in for overhaul however). Although a replica of 4469 would be nice, considering 60009 will be put on static display from 2019 onward so another A$ to keep the running quantity up...

@robkleinherenbrink5690

6 жыл бұрын

Your right. Because 4464 Bittern for example was renumberd twice and repainted twice. First into 2509 Silver link, with the Silver streamlining. And then into Dominion of New Zealand in LNER blue

@davidantoniocamposbarros7528

3 жыл бұрын

Not all A4s but at least some that we all know like Silver Link,Silver Fox,Gadwall\Sir Ralph Wedgwood and Dominion Of New Zealand but i guess 6 will do even if most of them are out of action

@jakedarling7549

2 жыл бұрын

@Soviet Silver Link ☭ explain

@jakedarling7549

2 жыл бұрын

@Soviet Silver Link ☭ You seem a little heated mate, not sure why my opinion warrants that kind of response. "Those magnificent machines deserve to be here today more than you", bit unnecessary. As for "rescuing some of existing A4's from shitty museums", do you suggest that they run the existing A4's into the ground, wearing out components and having to replace parts until nothing of the original machine is left? Many have suggested building new steam engines is the way forward when it comes to railway heritage, it worked out fine for Tornado and are you suggesting that the new build P2's shouldn't be built, especially the planned replica of 2001, seeing as the original was technially lost twice due to the Thompson rebuilds. Is 5551 not a real patriot, despite it looking, sounding and likely operating as the patriots used to? What about 2999 or 61673? Do those not warrant being built? Why do you think Flying Scotsman is as famous as it is? Not just because of it's achievements in preservation, but also because it's the only one of the A3's left. It's exciting to see a sole survivor and the same can be said for the remaining A4's. Seeing one in action is exciting and part of that excitement, in my opinion, comes from their rarity. The same can be said about 6233, seeing the sole surviving, working Duchess, is something to behold. Do people get excited to see a Hall class at a heritage railway? Or a Bulleid pacific? Not really, because there are so many of them. Take a deep breath

And to think, we now by locomotives from Germany. How depressing.

@routeman680

6 жыл бұрын

Not sure which recent classes come from Germany. The Class 66 and 70 locos were built in Canada and the US. I feel sad that we can't build our own any more since BREL was closed down. But the American locos are apparently very reliable and it's good to trade with our best ally.

You can’t recreate these moments :(

You can rant all you like about A4's, the real movers were the Castles! 5043!

@davidbuxton7921

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry just accept ALL steam engines were fantastic!. Love it thank you.

Good movie and great locos, pity about the imperialist music. Every piece of this great technology was built by workers not the upper classes.

@andrea22213

7 жыл бұрын

Please try not to sound like a tit.

@dansneyd4646

6 жыл бұрын

andrea22213 lol that was funny

@ToddKeck98

6 жыл бұрын

what should they play though? the soviet anthem?

@7kslair153

6 жыл бұрын

The A4s are the upper class.

@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329

6 жыл бұрын

I like these a4s because one of them broke the speed record 80 years ago this year

The best ones were never preserved, 17 silver fox, the ECML crack express was not the Scotsmen but the Elizabethan and the fox was nearly always on it, woodcock 29 was another good un ,and 34 Lord Farringdon was a favourite of the drivers.