Another fantastic film. This is the standard which others should achieve.

What an excellent train trip. Also the maps are interesting Thank you

Sat here with nothing on the tv, then I get the notification, brilliant, another outstanding video, made even better because it played through the smart tv. Excellent stuff, a real pleasure to watch

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

I love all the extra information. It really adds to the experience.

Yay, another Saturday, another Hastings Diesels video!

Excellent video, with good captions. Nice, also, to have the disused stations indicated. Thanks.

Thank you so much for the informed comments and the addition of the maps. It makes following your route THAT much more interesting! Please continue in this vein - thank you.

I loved the little toot to the waving kid at the end of Severn Tunnel Junction platform.

Thank you for adding this, it has brought back a lot of memories of travelling to and from Southampton to Cardiff Central vis BTM going to and from University on a selection of 150/2's and 158's. Ah the joys of open carriage windows in the Severn Tunnel and ear popping in the depths of Patchway Up tunnel ,let alone the bone jarring and vomit inducing ride on a 143 from Bristol to Cardiff one time.

Another very enjoyable 45 minutes, thank you!

Superb, you guys really have set a high benchmark for others to aspire to. The whole presentation was so profesional and interesting, always learn something from your videos.

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! 😊

I notice there were a lot of station closures in 1964. Thank you Dr. Beeching.

These maps, which shows the route, are really very good, an excellent addition. The first, I believe. Marvellous. Patrick Northamptonshire

Another good video, do like the maps of the route, adds to the interest. Thanks.

Another great video. Looking forwarding the next video. Keep'em coming. The flat spot on the wheel is a great speedometer. Gives an indication of the speed that you're going.

wow outstanding---one of the best railway clips on youtube--more please

Another great video - I echo all the compliments that others have paid to you in the remarks they have made - a fascinating insight with views you would normally never be able to see from the front end ! Well done !

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Bernie.

But for the map, I would not have known from where we started,really good. Orientation ore important to strangers. As usual you give of your best. Thank you. Patrick Northamptonshire

These videos are so well done, I take my hat off to the group!.

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Antony, glad you appreciate my efforts!

Yes a brilliant video, love the statistics and information....thank you so much ;0)

Thanks very much for another wonderful cab ride. Very enjoyable indeed.

enjoy watching your videos.

Great Video! Keep up the excellent work!!

Great video as always! Ooooh, that turbo whistle at 9:50.......!!!!!!!

Thank you for these superb videos. I enjoy them so much.

Excellent, as always.

Thank you, really enjoyed your video, and extra information.

Very nice...from the tunnels on was great especially running at speed in open countryside. Looking forward to the next video.

How lovely My dad used to work in the Severn tunnel on a Sunday less trains running that day he work for British rail from 1951- 1986 in the mid fifty's he some times took me into a signal box on a Saturday, I can also remember the wood cabins on the side of the lines where the gangers had their tea breaks a pile of coal in the corner of the cabin for the coal stove with a kettle on the top aren't memories wonderful my dads Name was Maurice he worked in Bristol, Also my Granddad was a train driver for LMS

I witnessed the transformation to electrification during late 2018 - 2019 in the Newport / Cardiff area. Who would have ever thought you'd see 'knitting' at Cardiff??

Maps are really helpful thanks.

Brilliant video!

Enjoyable to watch this one when it popped up today. It reminded me of the fact that I was involved (in a minor way, assisting with commissioning work on site) with the de-quadrupling of Filton Bank in 1984. The weather was crap on those two nights. I seem to recall being inside Dr Days relay room with it snowing outside, most of the night, and in Bristol Panel box for another night. Nice to see it re-quadrupling! In the Severn Tunnel part, you mentioned the incident in 1991 when a collision occurred in the tunnel. The enquiry re that was quite controversial, but it appeared that the axle counter system had accidentally been reset such that the signal at the entrance to the tunnel (at 25:09) displayed green when it should not have. In those days, the use of axle counters was quite rare on BR. Indeed, the Severn Tunnel ones where the only two in use on the Western Region. They were installed in lieu of track circuits to overcome maintenance difficulties to do with the moisture down there, at the expense of limiting the overall traffic flow - it became a long section, there being no interim signals in the tunnel. Looking at the footage, it appears to be the same today with the Cardiff control.

Fantastic...!!! Thanks Richard for the maps and the descriptions. (My apologies for my english).

Another wonderful video ..

Thank you for sharing this regards👏❤️😁x

Really well done!

Excellent video.

Superb like all your videos roll on the next part

Excellent. Really enjoyed this vid. Been through 7 tunnel many times, but not in the driving seat as it were. I would want a huge searchlight showing the track in front. How the drivers hurtle along in the dark on two lengths of steel amazes me. My brother was a driver (freight). Went through that tunnels a few times a week. He has my respect even more now. Lot easier sat in a lit coach. Well done and thanks for sharing.

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Speaking as a train driver myself, you just get used to putting your total faith in the integrity of the track and the signalling. A searchlight wouldn’t help you, unless it could let you see something you wanted to avoid driving over when it’s half a mile away!

i was born and raised in this area and Ashley Down station ( 7:05 ) was one i was very familiar with - took a school trip to Hampton Court from here - it was Castles and Halls then ! Muller Rd ove rbridge @ 10:00. There was a signal box on the left here (10:13) and a left hand point going down to the former brick and coal sidings where i spent hours as kid watching a pannier shunt the yard - unfortunately, no one seems to remember it ever existed let alone any photos of it. At 11:18 is the footbridge ( or at least it's new replacement ) where as an older kid - teen, i used to 'mooch' off school ( i hated Lockleaze school ! ). i must have spent MONTHS on this bridge collectively in hours , just watching slow goods (far left line) and all the 'up' and 'down' traffic - i reckon a lot of crews must have got to know me as almost a 'fixture' !!! The original footbridge i knew had a staircase on the forward side of it. i lived about 1/2 mile from here. So excuse my ramblings, but this brings back so many memories. i ended up working on the railways in this general area eventually ! 21:02 i was working for Amey rail and worked in this tunnel - never been so scared by a train before or since - our gang had some urgent work to do, and we were well into this tunnel....we could see the headlights of an HST, so into the refuges we went - but the noise and wind were terrific !

@ianscott6036

4 жыл бұрын

colliecandl

Another enjoyable section of the journey. Thank you for the helpful maps and excellent captioning . . . especially all the background information through the Severn Tunnel! Top marks! :-)

Another great video. It was my first trip through the Severn Tunnel. Quite a feat.You know all the water they have to pump out, does it get pumped back into the Severn downstream? I wouldn't like to get stuck down there, it must very cold.

Gosh a rare HST now in blue!! Amazing video as always I LOVE these ... Escaping from the Coronavirus lockdown in my own living room .... ANY MORE COMING UP 2020?

A great day out.

17:08 it's not until after Patchway that signals are controlled from Cardiff. The signal just before the platform at Patchway on the Up Line is controlled from the TVSC at Didcot and is prefixed BL.

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Hmm. I see what you're saying, but I had my reasons for stating the change of control area at 17:08. The next signal that *we* encounter *is* a Cardiff-controlled NT signal; but by the time we are approaching it, I'm knee-deep in a multi-captioned commentary about the history of the Almondsbury second tunnel and the re-siting of Patchway station. There are always compromises to be made - but thank you for bringing your knowledge to bear on this. If I publish this area on the return leg, I should be able to set the record straight there.

Thank you for a great series of videos ! A question: could it be that this type of DEMU was used on the Wherry Lines at some time ? I remember a train journey from Norwich to Great Yarmouth on a dark green DEMU with the slow-running engine above floor and just behind the front of the train. Must have been somewhere in the nineties. Or did BR's Eastern Region have it's own class of 'thumpers' ?

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Leo. Yes, it was our train! The self-same train that features on this video was hired to Anglia between July 1998 and September 1999 and based at Norwich Crown Point, for use on the Lowestoft and Yarmouth branches. We're planning a railtour to Norwich and Lowestoft in May 2019, if it comes to that...!

This was an immensely long journey from Hastings, and we're still not at the destination! How many drivers do you have to cover that much route knowledge? As other people have said, your videos are now (with the addition of the maps) reaching a standard for others to aspire to. No sooner has a question formed in my mind than it's been answered on screen.

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

The whole day's journey in charter-passenger service was 510 miles and 66 chains, yes! When I boarded at Reading there was one driver (hence the leading-cab audio in use throughout) and there's been no driver-change except possibly at Reading. It might therefore have needed 4 drivers in total, but more because of driving-hours restrictions than route knowledge in this particular case.

@webrarian

5 жыл бұрын

@@hastingsdiesels I can remember a trip in about 1978 which picked me up at Slough, then to Swansea, Heart of Wales Line, Shrewsbury and back. Then seemed long, but nothing like this. British Rail clearly built those DEMUs to last!

Enjoyed the ride. Wow! Didn't know that so much gallons of water was leaking into the Severn Tunnel . How they are maintaining the tunnel and keeping the trains running in them at the same time is amazing. It's not easy to run trains and prevent water from leaking into the tunnel at the same time. So, your final part concludes at Hereford? What afterwards?

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Yes, I'm working on the Newport to Hereford video. After that, maybe we'll come back part of the way, or not, I haven't decided. There are 3 public railtours from 2018 with footage captured yet...!

@ianhosier4042

2 жыл бұрын

Look up the videos on sudbrook pumping station

was this a sunday...not much activity track side with the workmen doing the 2 tracks works

One thing I'm not sure about with these LED signals, like the one at 7:45, is that from some angles it does look very much like it's showing yellow when it is in fact still red. I suppose that's a result of the camera and it's clearer to the driver.

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, I saw that too. I think it has a lot to do with (a) the camera not depicting it quite as a human would see it, and (b) the fact we'd stopped relatively close to it and viewing from the offside of the cab.

@andrewjames3908

4 жыл бұрын

@@hastingsdiesels interesting ive always thought the colour of led ones is clearer on video than the old filament style

Great video again. I went to Newport from Paddington a few years back and we stopped at Bristol Parkway. Is that on a different route?

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Yes - check the map which appears near the start, you'll see Bristol Parkway is on the South Wales Main Line between Swindon and the Severn Tunnel ('Badminton Line'), only a short distance before where we join it at Patchway Junction.

Hey!! where is the next vid Bristol (Dr. Day’s Jn) to Newport (Maindee North Jn) part 5!

Another great video thanks. But where did the name Dr Day's Junction originate from. ?

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Look on the previous video (Westbury to Bristol) for some theories in the comments about that.

Thanks for the video! Do you intend to re-run this route anytime soon? Would be curious to see what it would look like after the electrification/ modernization has been complete.

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

No immediate plans, though we might be going to Lydney in the summer... but the route to or from there is unknown.

Very nice video, really enjoying the series. Am from the USA and not at all familiar with UK railroading, what sort of rail cars are those at 38:30 if anybody might know?

@andrewclayton5859

5 жыл бұрын

These perhaps? paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/freightlinerhha

@BernieHollandMusic

4 жыл бұрын

@@andrewclayton5859 I counted 23 - not that that is important here!

Does the train have two distinct horn/whistles? Sounds like there's one blown at whistle boards and another when going through stations etc.

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Yes. There's the two-tone horn, and the triple-chime whistle. Which one is used is entirely at the discretion of the driver. Historically, the Hastings DEMUs were originally fitted with whistles but these were soon replaced by the horns; we re-fitted whistles (using old London Underground ones) during preservation.

@nickboggon

4 жыл бұрын

​@@hastingsdiesels Ah, that's why the whistle sounded familiar - LU. Thanks. And another question if I may... I'm intrigued how driver logistics work on rail tours. Presumably the driver has to have the relevant authority for both the route and the train...? How does that work when you go on such a wide range of routes?

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Our train's Drivers and Guards, and the Safety Case, Operating Licence and the Planning, are all done through our industry partner GB Railfreight. If GBRf doesn't have route knowledge over a particular section of line, they have to procure a Route Conductor for that section. These things all increase both the complexity and the cost. :)

You caught up with the Voyager that had held you up!

@hastingsdiesels

5 жыл бұрын

Good spot! Yes, I'm sure he was in the same systems-failure delay that held us near Ashley Hill for about 10 minutes.

Do you ever use the term "highballing" in the UK?

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Off the top off my head - no. In what context?

@denelson83

4 жыл бұрын

@@hastingsdiesels It's a North American railway expression, and it means "proceeding at maximum speed".

I have been to the place in the thumbnail

The catenary system will spoil the look of the line.

@peterdean8009

3 жыл бұрын

I fully agree. Ugly, ugly, ugly!

Interesting facts, but I must take exception to the statement at 28:23. "Gwent" was abolished in 1996.

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Ah, trust me I tried various different ways of looking at county names both in England and in Wales. You get hopelessly tied up in Unitary Authorities and all manner of footling boundaries between different boroughs every few miles if you're not careful. All I wanted was to give relatable County names, so Berkshire would be Berkshire even if its governance is no longer thus. To this end, I have tended to go for Ceremonial County names in cases where the county has been divided into administrative areas, like Bedfordshire also has been. In the case of Gwent, yes it has been split into several unitary authorities, but it remains in existence as a Preserved County. You'll notice however that in the subsequent part of this video I felt compelled for some reason to refer to the boundary near Abergavenny in terms of Monmouthshire and Herefordshire, perhaps reflecting the fact that Gwent isn't actually a Ceremonial County name. I hope you enjoyed the journey and videogram, the tribulations of changing political geography notwithstanding!

@OwainVaughan

4 жыл бұрын

@@hastingsdiesels Indeed, local government areas are wholly unsuitable, but in Wales and large parts of England the "counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies" are equally unsuitable. I would respectfully suggest that telling someone in Pembrokeshire (historic county and local government area) that they live in "Dyfed" would not go down too well! Perpetuating the names of hated local government areas is odd when there is a system of historic counties to which people have a much greater affinity. Even the ONS Index of British Place Names recommends the historic counties "as a stable, unchanging geography which covers the whole of Great Britain." The video however was very enjoyable!

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Owain. I plead ignorance in regard to which set or sets of names for Welsh areas may be hated by Welsh people - but I take your point. Historic counties don't entirely work either, as our train is definitely based in East Sussex and not Sussex, and I live in Surrey rather than Middlesex but work in Greater London rather than Middlesex. There truly isn't one system that fits every bill. If I used Historic counties in Wales their boundaries have changed so much since that even detailed research wouldn't let me pinpoint where we crossed them in the train; and if I used local government areas I could still end up with "Blaenau Gwent" which evidently might offend some people (though as I'm from East Anglia, your message was the first I knew of it).

@nealslatter6125

3 жыл бұрын

@@hastingsdiesels m

Our dicrepide railways, I would be really peed off having such a SLOW journy to work!!!!

@formidable38

5 жыл бұрын

You obviously don't know anything about our railways then because if you did, you would know that this isn't really the point of this video or the train in it! Its an enthusiasts charter run by a heritage group using a lovingly restored diesel-electric multiple unit of yesteryear for the enjoyment of its participants. There are plenty of other trains available that travel at 125 MPH to get you to work much quicker than this one.

De Severn Tunnel. Knap werk in de 19e eeuw !

fascinating thanks never heard of the 1991 crash, had to look it up en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_Tunnel_rail_accident never liked axle counters

Nice toot to the spotters most drivers do flag of St George in wales at end shocking

Good old FGW

Flats

Your captioning puts other cab ride sites to shame.

@hastingsdiesels

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, glad you appreciate my efforts!