Just want to say thank you about the little bit you put in about suicide. As someone who has had suicidal thoughts several times over the last couple of years I often thought about going to my local line the West Anglia Main Line. Thankfully now I'm getting the help needed and thank you for taking a sympathetic view towards suicide.
James. What can I say? I always like comments left on this channel but this is the first time I’ve loved a comment. Make sure you talk to somebody my friend, there’s always somebody there for you.
Good to hear you are ok...not worth it buddy,you arent alone I did try once a few years ago over my ex cheating on me during our 15 yrs together,I loved her though she used me,...I realised she aint worth it...nothing is...people do care...not everyone is unfeeling...take care m8 and soldier on...its precvious enough our one go...theres more to live for than not...
Don, excellent as always. I’ve said it before, but I love the narration. The examples of the driver safety training, the upcoming construction projects and especially cardiac stop signal from the joining route that freaks out the rookies demonstrates your thorough knowledge of the industry. Thank you for your time in putting these together.
Aren’t those viaducts through central Manchester magnificent. The millions of bricks, the careful planning, the building. Whenever we run through the centre it takes my breath away with admiration for our Victorian forebears.
The fly tipping makes you realise that under the veneer of modern civilisation, there are feral populations that wouldn't be out of place in the grimmer passages of a Charles Dickens novel.
I'm surrounded by them: petty thieves;drug-takers and -dealers; killers, even, and the killed; alcoholics everywhere (and this is way out of the city).
Thanks Don for another great video, with informative commentary which is even more essential in the (near) dark. At the end, the darkness seemed to accentuate the steepness of the descent from Miles Platting, making the approach to Victoria look almost like the view you get from a cockpit video! With that in mind, maybe that's the next passenger enhancement from TPE - onboard commentary from Captain Coffey? Also enjoyed the bonus trip from Ardwick at the start.
A lovely video once again. It’s been twenty years since I moved from the UK, in Canada I only took the train once as there really is not much of a rail service in BC though there is a light overhead rail in Vancouver. Three years ago I moved to Austria and use the train a lot and it’s so nice to be back on the rails. The biggest differences for me since last using trains in the UK twenty years ago are that the trains between my home on the Danube and Vienna are electric, never had been on an electric train before as I lived in Devon and it was all DMU’s HST or class 47 or the odd Deltic and secondly it was the lack of clickety clack except when going over the points. All the rails are welded, what a difference in comfort that makes as a passenger!
The main reason for using welded rail is that it is virtually maintenance free because it doesn’t get knocked about. Of course that means the same for the train and it gives a very smooth ride. I visited Budapest recently, it was superb.
Good video Don, thanks for sharing these videos, thank You for taking the time too make these films, taking us the viewers into Your office with a very nice view!
Thank you for another wonderful video, Don, we learn so much from them. I was attracted to them a month or two ago when I saw 'Dewsbury' in the title. When I was a young boy in the 1950's my parents and I would travel once a year from the Midlands to Dewsbury to visit my grandparents: Wolverhampton to Stockport, Stockport to Staleybridge, Staleybridge to Dewsbury. You videos take me back such a long way - I remember how excited when I saw what I later learned were the Woodhead Electrics, and I swear that either Mirfield or Ravensthorpe and Thornhill (as it then was) had walls and a roof. Thank you again ... Brian
Thank you Brian. I’m glad it brought back memories for you. I’ve got some old books on that route down through the Mirfield corridor and I think it was all open. However, it was intense. Have a look for some B&R videos that have old cini footage from steam days.
@@doncoffey5820 I've just done some research and this site mirfield-2ndlook.info/Gallery_2/Mirfield_station_1/mirfield_station_1.html shows Mirfield with a roof, just as I remembered it from my childhood (a long time ago!).
Fascinated to learn of the procedures at Ashburys. Was dismayed to see all that household rubbish at the side of the lines. Another compelling video, thanks Don.
Excellent as usual. Lovely to see the scrolling text return, much better for glasses wearers. Thanks. You certainly have to be very good at your job to drive in the dark with limited visability.
Thanks Peter. I had a few comments that the comments were hard to see especially in bright sunlight so the “ticker” scrolling text will also be used in the next video because it was filmed on a really bright day.
Terrific videos, really enjoyed the twilight run from Leeds. Such a pitty though that in this 'enlightened age', some people still find it acceptable to dump their rubbish on the railway! very sad. Thanks again Don.
Another informative video! If you had made the old Thames Trains route learning vids (on VHS of course!) back in the 90s, they would have been much better!! 😁
Hi Don I agree another great video full of information. Just goes to show the difference there is between you taking a train out of a depot, and me taking DD bus out of a depot, I am glad it was easier for me after my checks then driving out to start the route.
Hi Phillip. In my motor industry days I was a brake engineer and my claim to bus fame is that I did all the approvals on Routemaster buses when they changed over from asbestos to asbestos free linings! The name of the game with trains is making sure they stay apart from each other.
Don. thanks so much for these truly wonderful videos, educational both pictorial and by text, I can't explain how much I enjoy these, never had the pleasure of visiting the UK, but I love canals, trains and walking paths, so these fill a lot of dreams for an old Aussie, my only regrets is that I am unable to source similar videos of other areas of Great Britain, keep safe and regards Peter
Thank you so much for your excellent videos which I have just discovered - they must take an awful lot of work to caption but they are absolutely superb and hugely enjoyable to watch.
Hiya Don, yet again another fantastic recording! Just shows us the daily start which we never see today (been a second man) May have to explain that to overseas! Empty platforms eventually taking all those haven’t a clue what goes on to get there eight something into town! Really hope you can carry on this series’s, perhaps extend to other areas, like already said, no need to stand on platforms for the ‘odd’ other thing to come along, the quality even more so information is just!. The route leaning must be fornominal. 🤓 Eddie
It still hurts when the clock goes off at 3am Eddie. I sometimes roll up at York with a train full of weary commuters in time to have my lunch! I wouldn’t swap it though.
I’m back once again for this amazing video !! Caught it earlier before college and now I’m bad to watch the rest! I also travelled along this route except just Leeds to notts after my birthday trip to York !!
Hello Per. Thanks for the feedback, I take it you watch Hinducowgirl’s excellent videos. I will try to catch her premier tomorrow but I’m touring Scotland at the moment so might not get chance.
Excellent as ever - interesting to see Ardwick although unrecognisable from "my day" when it was Ardwick West Goods receiving steel for onward delivery by National Carriers and old style containers amongst which was a regular delivery to Strangeways as a BD container was the only one that would fit through their arch!
Thanks Martin. I wish somebody had recorded a run down to Great Ancoats, that would be fantastic. Maybe my videos will be a nostalgic reminder of how it was one day!!!
Your Railway Videos or DVDs are absolutely amazing. I am a avid Railway Enthusiasts and have been since I was a young lad. Some of the routes you show on the railway I have travelled on with Loco and Stock but it's a great feeling watching the routes from the cab of a Loco. The Chester - Holyhead route brought back a lot of memories on the days we did the test trains out of Crewe.
Thanks David. Most freight tends to Calder Valley but some does get diverted our way and getting stuck behind one requires some patience! I think they do about 20mph and then the smell of hot brakes in the tunnels is horrible.
I enjoyed watching this one -- I travelled that route a lot over a four-year period about a decade ago. Surprised you didn't mention Mirfield's most famous son, Sir Patrick Stewart.
Brilliant as always, and such a treat,. I love the TP route and watching this run at twilight was wonderful. Best driver view videos on CZcams, and I've learned so much from them. Only downside is they make me homesick for England.
Great one Don, I love these Track Rides along old " traditional " UN-WIRED tracks....they are always so interesting to watch & follow...!!!.~ as with the wIred electrified ones...all the wiring, rigging etc....tends to obscure the trackside & countryside views...along the journey.....
Fascinating to see the route from Ashbury’s to St Philips Park Junction. I never signed it but went over it once in the mid 80’s going up to Scotland on the Loco Hauled “European” ( an extended Harwich Boat Train) which came from Sheffield via The Hope Valley line and then via New Mills Central Marple etc. But ran to Manchester Victoria then out via Bolton. 30 years ago the lines round Manchester were already notorious for people dumping rubbish over the railway boundaries and onto the line side and line. For many years as you approached Ashbury’s from Belle Vue there was a shop till in the Cess. I assume a dumped stolen one
Excellent video. Most notable is your level of understanding regarding suicide, something that a great many people, myself included, do not have. Until now that is.
It’s a complicated subject Drew. I’m no expert on human psychology but I’m glad you at least can empathise to some extent. Somebody that sits on a bridge all day being talked down is generally after attention but somebody that actually does it is at the lowest a mind can go.
Great video, and I can certainly appreciate the comment about suicides. As a driver myself (engineer on this side of the Atlantic) I know from experience the toll such things take on us. Your comment made me stop and think of the sad fraternity we share in that some see us as a means to their final end. Stay safe and clear signals to you
i know its not funny but a lady tried to lay her head on the tracks just outside Arbroath station ...she did not manage her suicide and was found by BTP who managed to get her help .....the reason she did not manage it was due to a replacement bus service that day ...but what a guy you are Don highlighting such issues and the impact it has on everyone top lad
The actual name is gasholders, not gasometers. Their useful life didn't end with the end of town gas. There were still used up to about 10 years ago for short-term storage of natural gas. they were filled up overnight and then the gas was drawn off them during the day.
I used to pass through the Miles Platting/Phillips Park area by bus in the '50s and there was a hell of a stink from the gasworks: a lot of people we knew had bad health/abbreviated lives, working and living in the polluted environment. By pure chance, I met the wife of one such (cancer) victim (dead in his 50s) the other day after 62 years, just passing her in the street. At least the area and its air have been cleaned-up, even if the jobs have been exported along with the dirt.
Another great video mate thanks. By the way that book on Navvies that you recommended to me just arrived from England, can’t wait to read it, thanks a lot Don.
In a 2 week period of the last week of Feb/1st week of March 1994, I tried to end it from a station on this very route. 3 times. Twice thwarted by engineering works I was not aware of. The final time by my desire to fight over flight. I'm still here. Still fighting.
Tremendous video, Don. Twilight, route knowledge. I had just come down the other way in daylight. Good challenge at night. Some day I want to be as good as you and Lee!!
Thank you for another great video Don from Naples, FL. Victoria Station has come a long way since I last remember it in the 80s. Also the Woodhead Tunnel you mention, is it not used anymore?
you are 100% right about suicides on the track i was route learning to dunbar and a man jumped in front of us doing 90mph ...he looked at the driver and put hia hand up as if to say sorry ....the sad thing is the impact it had on the driver ...the councelling received ....i got councelling ....but it aint no selfish act it is a dark and lonely place they must have been to to do that ...but the families of those people will never get over it ....i can still see it when i close my eyes at night ..its not something you forget ....and any driver who gets behind the controls of a train after that is a brave and strong individual ...most dont make it back and i still hope no driver ever has to go through it
Its tough for everybody concerned Chris. I’ve never had one but I dealt with several when I was a driver manager. It effects some worse than others but it is a horrible thing to go through.
Hi Don, another good and informative video. Not only do you detail the surroundings but also the snippets about the sounds we hear in the cab, such as the “strange sound”. Due to the platforms being lengthened I am guessing that in the future there will be longer trains, will this be the class 68 “nova” services? That route could really do with longer trains & more seats. I do however like the ride on a 185. I find it strange that the 25Kv cables are not buried if only for safety, although I guess that anyone not authorised to be touching them gets what they deserve.
Thanks Anthony. Yes, both new stock (Mk 5s and 802s) and strengthened 185s (6 cars) will use the extended platforms. Currently the doors have to be partially locked out on some stations.
Wow, i got what i asked for. Thank you Don. God bless day light i say , it was cosy and i thought the train lights showed just about enough track to feel safe but i am not the driver!! Thanks regarding the Little bits of info on the signaling as i often wonder about the numbering in places as well as the orange lit signals. Brillian yet again.
As you said you have to wait till the back of train clears points. There must a landmark to let you know when you can speed up ? Great video again Don.
I still enjoy seeing the "old" stone work Don, Dewsbury seems to have many older buildings of stone. One I am curious about, you mentioned upgrades along the line from 2 to 4 lines and electrified also, wondering how that will work where some of the stone bridges are present and only room for 2 lines??? hope new bridges with old stone work !!! great ride along AGAIN.
That stretch of line used to be four tracks so should in theory fit back OK although they might realign it for higher speeds. Where a bridge is listed or important, they will rebuild it with stone but a new bridge would most likely be concrete. They sometimes make the steelwork fancy or sometimes leave it unpainted which seems to be the latest craze.
Thanks Bruce. As a fellow driver you will relate to a lot of my comments and of course with your railway being largely open you will have bigger problems than us with trespassing and fatalities. Except for foot crossings, our railway is completely closed off.
Thank you Sivio. The human mind is a complex instrument and it the way it works isn’t straight forward for everybody. I’m not an expert but it is something I sympathise with.
Great vid thank you, appreciate the info about the line and the operations. Any chance you might at some point be able to do a vid about the various signals and lights and what they all mean. Your squeaky wiper blade was like nails on a blackboard !
The wipers drive me nuts at times but the camera is virtually touching the glass so it sounds worse than it is. There is a “turning out at junctions 101” which explains some of the signals.
You know how to combat fly-tipping on the railway? Sound the horn continuously along that section, it’s better than any fine. If it wasn’t for the horn you would hear the house prices plummeting!
Good comment about the suicides . In the past I've been assisting the medics and the police in clearing the result of the sad affair . It's a pause for thought as you admirably say about the dark place . Marvellous film , driving in the twilight must take some practice because of sorting out which lights yours . 👍🇬🇧
As you say, a sad state of affairs - it’s why I support the Samaritans. This channel has donated over £22,000 in the last three years and you’ve contributed by watching Stephen. As you say, driving at night presents some challenges. You cannot put a distance on a light at night so we have to be very sure of the location.
The peaks at night, what a beautiful video. Quick question I thought of as you were passing Standedge tunnel with the speed reduction at the end. During daylight hours you can use the light from the tunnel exit to judge where to brake. How do you know just where to put the brake in at night. Outside of tunnels you have other stimuli to highlight where you are. Is there a bounce that just happens to be in the right place or something? If often amazed me as a senior conductor how often structures such as bridges seemed to be at the perfect braking point
It’s a good question Mark. It really is instinctive. We learn it so thoroughly that we just know where to brake. Some nights it is just thick fog and we run at 100mph where speeds permit.
@Don Coffey hopefully I'll find out myself soon enough. Even when i was a senior conductor i was always impressed with the drivers in thick fog. But total blackness is even harder when you don't have bridges etc you can count
Great video don them fly tipers are discussing wished I followed my dad foot steps he use work on railways when it was under BR is job was a lookout man is base was guard bridge . keep up the good work don
You think 1 in 47 may be steep try 1 in 33 the line from Penrith to Lithgow in NSW, Australia is this grade for 3/4 of it's length Also the lines to Waterfall and Newcastle have these grades as well and all the stations are flat but have compensated grades of 1in 66 on entrey and exit The bethugra loop and Tumulla bank and also have grades of 1 in 40
Another interesting and in formative run with Don - with some amusing typo's in the sub-text! Don't try watching this one in bight sunlight, you won't see an awful lot! :-)
Don you have outdone yourself again; the sheer enjoyment of the lighting environment, and yet even more information to satiate the hungriest of minds. I would have never imagined that even the Air-Con was GPS controlled to prevent potential CO poisoning in the Standedge tunnel, it's always these little "Gems" that add delight to watching your videos, thank you once again. Once more I have a question, this time regarding the 185 in particular; I've noticed that (in other videos), drivers have to obey the lower speed limit (disregarding the higher "Multiple unit" differential speed signs / limits). I'm guessing that this is due to the 185's weight, as observed by it's powerful inertia? Or is it more to do with a higher centre of gravity compared to the likes of Voyagers etc.?
Hi insurgent, I trust you are OK and your good lady is doing well. The speed restrictions apply in some locations like the Hull Line and the Calder Valley. The Sectional Appendix states that Class 185 DMUs must not travel at SP or MU (sprinter or multiple unit) speeds. This is because of heavy axle weights, they run us at locomotive speeds to reduce track wear. The 185s actually have soft lateral suspension so the swing a bit like a hammock although the bogies stay planted on the track.
Thanks Don, the missus is doing okay but not really taking her medical advice too well sad-to-say. Thanks for the info regarding the axle weights. I'm not a driver myself, but as you may remember, have been involved in the voluntary capacity on preservation steam, which means I could really appreciate the overall mass that was represented by the demonstrated inertia, but not much else, excepting that having experienced running "tender first" (only 25 MpH), in all kinds of weather, I can really appreciate what a GPS climate control system means to the modern-day driver! No wonder one needs DVD! :-)
Don, If the time on the big clock at Stalybridge was a clue, then I suspect that was the 6:53 pm ex-NCL for LIV. That plus the overcast conditions account for the dark conditions. However, at the time of writing there are still 5 weeks to go before 'the longest day'. If you carry a camera on every turn, just think how pleasant a journey that will be for the viewers when you manage to capture a repeat on a glorious Summer evening when you will be shooting in the gloaming - and not the gloom! Out of curiosity, how many training trips will the average 'new driver' take to become competent on a route such as this?
It was 1P88 which I brought from York to Victoria. It is booked to arrive at Vic at 09 minutes past which makes 53 at Staly about right. From memory I ran on time.
Thanks Don for another excellent travelogue. Where the lines are being quadrupled, such as around Huddersfield, is that putting it back to the way it used to be? Your comments on 'people who jump in front of trains' were very interesting. Obviously, those who do it are not thinking rationally and therefore have no understanding of how their actions will impact and affect other people. There was an interesting series on the London Underground which had an episode that covered the impact of a 'jumper' (the LU jargon) and how badly it affected the driver who had to be taken off driving duties completely.
Thanks as always RWM. There is a whole section of the Rule Book given up to dealing with fatalities. You usually find that drivers have had two or none for some strange reason. I haven’t had one but as a driver manager, I’ve dealt with several. I think to some extent it depends on the individual and their personal circumstances at the time as to how they handle it. It doesn’t effect some drivers but others don’t fair well.
Don thanks for the twilight film brilliant, the line from Ashbury's to Philips park has a restriction for freights as well in that only one can be traveling so if one for the other way is ready it has to wait for the other on to clear before moving, all down to the weight restrictions, the part about the jumpers reminded me of the time I watched CCF the day after a fatality as sitting there thinking 30 seconds ago someone was alive then not, they must be at there wits end, some in the control can be so cold hearted with the comments they make and do not think that was a living person, as for drivers been affected I know of one who was on his first day back and had the inspector with him when someone jumped in front of them, ended up working at a desk for the TOC
Thanks John. To be fair, I think Control have to distance themselves from the human side as it effects them too but they need to keep a clear head. Thanks for the info about Phillips Park and I’ll be showing the return journey too.
Another outstanding video from Mr Coffey! one thing that puzzles why do UK trains not have high intensity headlights for tunnel work like on the continent?
We take for granted that these structures are safe but I’m aware that some poor so and so has to check them out - thanks for that. Do you know my mate Pete Bate at Guide Bridge?
Hi Don, no don't know him, to be honest that's not on my regular patch and it was before I joined NWR. I was working for a difficult access firm in Sheffield back then - we were trained for confined space entry hence doing a few box girders around that time. I'm now working full time as a structures examiner for NWR in Cumbria.
I’m OK at crawling into confined spaces but I’ve lost my head for heights. Its very nice countryside on your patch Dan. Maybe I’ll get up there filming one day.
You mean with position lights Theo? You can’t have a green there anyway but a main aspect yellow is for an unoccupied platform but as the signaller can’t guarantee where the back of another train is, you always get position lights into an occupied platform.
The flytipping on Manchester's railways is awful. On one of the embankments beyond Ashton, heading towards Stalybridge, is a manky disused bathtub. Past Guide Bridge, heading towards Gorton is an old kids swing set. Some people have no idea how dangerous it is, let alone any respect or decency.
Its often misunderstood. We occasionally get stopped by such a tragic accident and somebody in the train will complain they’ve got a meeting to go to. Most are fine though.
I'd love to see a run from Victoria to Wigan via Atherton - would bring back many memories of my commutes in the late 70's and early 80's. Thanks for another great and informative video. Does the time taken from depot to Victoria and back to depot count as part of the working day?
Have a look at the Calder Valley video which comes out tomorrow (12th July). It leaves in daybreak light. I might try some more now the 185s are getting new LED headlights.
Hi Don, I’ve been watching your videos and enjoying them like mad. Makes me want to work on the railways, What sort of qualifications would you reckon to work on the railways whether that be driver or conductor?? As I do not have the faintest of clue. (If you don’t mind me asking). But before you perused train driving, what jobs did you do?? As that is a common way in the selection process. Thankyou Don And Hopefully I’ll see you at Any station as I’ve tried to give you a wave a couple of times.
Hi Anthony. I transferred to the railway from the motor industry. I was a truck mechanic when I left school then I did quite a bit of studying at college that gave me some good motor industry qualifications. I became European Technical Sales Manager for a friction material manufacturer. You may have heard of Ferodo brake pads. I didn’t have a particularly good upbringing and missed a lot of school so only had modest qualifications. If done alright over the years but that is down to my work ethic. If you have a good attitude you’ll always do well at work. Be sure to say hello if you see me out and about.
Thankyou Don for getting back to me, yeah currently I’m 22 years old and currently work as a prison officer but do sort of come from the Same area as in college I studied motor vehicles and got a level 3 diploma out of that. I do have 2 BTEC from School in Engineering and ICT but how helpful will they be on the railways,not much, I have seen you a couple of times and just seen your face and gave a wave and you did in fact wave back once but with the look to say, “Who in the hell are you?” Which is understandable.
After negotiating a switch, You maintain a slow speed until the rear car has passed over the switch. I noticed no indicators. How do you know when the rear car has passed the switch?
We run the 185s as either 3 or 6 car sets and you can judge it or you have a marker like a sign or a signal. When you see the Class 66 video, Lee’s train is approaching 1/4 mile long so he uses an instrument that sounds a bleeper at a preset length.
Where can I find out more information about the Transpennine Route Upgrade the National rail page does not mention the planned electrification or the quadrupling of tracks or station upgrades like the extra platforms at Huddersfield.
No, they are not very forthcoming at the moment. Apparently the budgets and therefore the plan isn’t fully confirmed yet so they won’t publish it. Moving Morley Station is the first major project.
@@doncoffey5820 Thanks for the reply! I love the routes you travel on very picturesque. I thought as much better not plan too much then have to scale back due to budget constraints.
Just want to say thank you about the little bit you put in about suicide. As someone who has had suicidal thoughts several times over the last couple of years I often thought about going to my local line the West Anglia Main Line. Thankfully now I'm getting the help needed and thank you for taking a sympathetic view towards suicide.
James. What can I say? I always like comments left on this channel but this is the first time I’ve loved a comment. Make sure you talk to somebody my friend, there’s always somebody there for you.
Good to hear you are ok...not worth it buddy,you arent alone I did try once a few years ago over my ex cheating on me during our 15 yrs together,I loved her though she used me,...I realised she aint worth it...nothing is...people do care...not everyone is unfeeling...take care m8 and soldier on...its precvious enough our one go...theres more to live for than not...
Don, excellent as always. I’ve said it before, but I love the narration. The examples of the driver safety training, the upcoming construction projects and especially cardiac stop signal from the joining route that freaks out the rookies demonstrates your thorough knowledge of the industry. Thank you for your time in putting these together.
Thanks George. I try and add different snippets of info in each different video. You should be able to sign Manchester as a driver soon!
Aren’t those viaducts through central Manchester magnificent. The millions of bricks, the careful planning, the building. Whenever we run through the centre it takes my breath away with admiration for our Victorian forebears.
Mind boggling when you think Ian. Furthermore, they had to fetch all the materials too.
A great video, picturesque scenery and a comfortable ride. Thanks Don.
Always a pleasure Martin.
The fly tipping makes you realise that under the veneer of modern civilisation, there are feral populations that wouldn't be out of place in the grimmer passages of a Charles Dickens novel.
I can do nothing but agree. It’s appalling.
Borderlands. Very well put my friend.
I'm surrounded by them: petty thieves;drug-takers and -dealers; killers, even, and the killed; alcoholics everywhere (and this is way out of the city).
Is the Baguley Fold box still used, or has control of the points and signalling been switched to the nearby Ashburys signalling-centre?
Another excellent video. Thank you for posting such enjoyable, high quality videos.
Thanks David. I’ll get the Crewe video done ASAP.
Hi Don, really enjoyed this, and thanks for all the captions, you have taken cab rides to a new level once more.
Thanks Ho Bo.
Not only do I enjoy your videos, Don, but I always learn something new from them. You're a fine teacher. Thanks.
Thanks for your regular feedback. I try to add something different every time so regular watchers will build their knowledge.
@@doncoffey5820 I'd always wondered what those beeps were!
I watch this video at least once each summer. The view coming into Dewsbury and Mirfield stations just remind me of a warm summer night.
Only once ;-) Thanks Michael, glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent and informative. Glad we are back with the stationary camera and black background for the captions. Probably the best one yet Don. Superb
I prefer the side scrolling captions too.
I agree with you :)
I put the side cameo shots in just to add a bit more interest but its just the forward camera in this one because I was driving!
Thanks Don for another great video, with informative commentary which is even more essential in the (near) dark. At the end, the darkness seemed to accentuate the steepness of the descent from Miles Platting, making the approach to Victoria look almost like the view you get from a cockpit video! With that in mind, maybe that's the next passenger enhancement from TPE - onboard commentary from Captain Coffey? Also enjoyed the bonus trip from Ardwick at the start.
Haha! It’s about time they adopted my vids as onboard entertainment!
A lovely video once again. It’s been twenty years since I moved from the UK, in Canada I only took the train once as there really is not much of a rail service in BC though there is a light overhead rail in Vancouver. Three years ago I moved to Austria and use the train a lot and it’s so nice to be back on the rails. The biggest differences for me since last using trains in the UK twenty years ago are that the trains between my home on the Danube and Vienna are electric, never had been on an electric train before as I lived in Devon and it was all DMU’s HST or class 47 or the odd Deltic and secondly it was the lack of clickety clack except when going over the points. All the rails are welded, what a difference in comfort that makes as a passenger!
The main reason for using welded rail is that it is virtually maintenance free because it doesn’t get knocked about. Of course that means the same for the train and it gives a very smooth ride. I visited Budapest recently, it was superb.
Good video Don, thanks for sharing these videos, thank You for taking the time too make these films, taking us the viewers into Your office with a very nice view!
Hi Theo, I trust you are well. You always give me good feedback and I really appreciate it. Thanks Theo.
@@doncoffey5820 no problem, you make exellent videos, i like the historical facts you give about the route you filming!
Thank you for another wonderful video, Don, we learn so much from them. I was attracted to them a month or two ago when I saw 'Dewsbury' in the title. When I was a young boy in the 1950's my parents and I would travel once a year from the Midlands to Dewsbury to visit my grandparents: Wolverhampton to Stockport, Stockport to Staleybridge, Staleybridge to Dewsbury. You videos take me back such a long way - I remember how excited when I saw what I later learned were the Woodhead Electrics, and I swear that either Mirfield or Ravensthorpe and Thornhill (as it then was) had walls and a roof. Thank you again ... Brian
Thank you Brian. I’m glad it brought back memories for you. I’ve got some old books on that route down through the Mirfield corridor and I think it was all open. However, it was intense. Have a look for some B&R videos that have old cini footage from steam days.
@@doncoffey5820 I've just done some research and this site mirfield-2ndlook.info/Gallery_2/Mirfield_station_1/mirfield_station_1.html shows Mirfield with a roof, just as I remembered it from my childhood (a long time ago!).
Excellent video and excellent commentary. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it Mark.
Fascinated to learn of the procedures at Ashburys. Was dismayed to see all that household rubbish at the side of the lines. Another compelling video, thanks Don.
I’ve just been to Japan for a fortnight and didn’t see any litter or graffiti anywhere.
I appreciate the technical difficulties but i thin that this is marvellously atmospheric!
Thanks Christopher. I might try filming in the dark and intensifying the image one day.
Excellent as usual. Lovely to see the scrolling text return, much better for glasses wearers. Thanks. You certainly have to be very good at your job to drive in the dark with limited visability.
Thanks Peter. I had a few comments that the comments were hard to see especially in bright sunlight so the “ticker” scrolling text will also be used in the next video because it was filmed on a really bright day.
Terrific videos, really enjoyed the twilight run from Leeds. Such a pitty though that in this 'enlightened age', some people still find it acceptable to dump their rubbish on the railway! very sad. Thanks again Don.
I know, it’s terrible to anybody with even the remotest conscience. Thanks for the positive feedback Mike.
excellent video, like the twilight touch! thanks for this, it must take a while to add all these captions etc.
It does Ashley. Thanks.
Another excellent film! It was wonderful to see the Manchester skyline approached at night!
Thanks Steven. If I can get similar light, I’ll leave the camera running all the way through Manchester. It looks spectacular a t night.
Another informative video! If you had made the old Thames Trains route learning vids (on VHS of course!) back in the 90s, they would have been much better!! 😁
I’m available for hire! They are actually used by traincrew a lot.
Hi Don I agree another great video full of information. Just goes to show the difference there is between you taking a train out of a depot, and me taking DD bus out of a depot, I am glad it was easier for me after my checks then driving out to start the route.
Hi Phillip. In my motor industry days I was a brake engineer and my claim to bus fame is that I did all the approvals on Routemaster buses when they changed over from asbestos to asbestos free linings! The name of the game with trains is making sure they stay apart from each other.
Don. thanks so much for these truly wonderful videos, educational both pictorial and by text, I can't explain how much I enjoy these, never had the pleasure of visiting the UK, but I love canals, trains and walking paths, so these fill a lot of dreams for an old Aussie, my only regrets is that I am unable to source similar videos of other areas of Great Britain, keep safe and regards Peter
Thats very kind and much appreciated Peter. I’m lucky that these rail company’s allow me to share them.
Thank you so much for your excellent videos which I have just discovered - they must take an awful lot of work to caption but they are absolutely superb and hugely enjoyable to watch.
That’s much appreciated Phil thank you. Yes, they take many hours to research and caption. Glad you’ve found us.
Hiya Don, yet again another fantastic recording! Just shows us the daily start which we never see today (been a second man) May have to explain that to overseas! Empty platforms eventually taking all those haven’t a clue what goes on to get there eight something into town! Really hope you can carry on this series’s, perhaps extend to other areas, like already said, no need to stand on platforms for the ‘odd’ other thing to come along, the quality even more so information is just!. The route leaning must be fornominal. 🤓 Eddie
It still hurts when the clock goes off at 3am Eddie. I sometimes roll up at York with a train full of weary commuters in time to have my lunch! I wouldn’t swap it though.
I’m back once again for this amazing video !! Caught it earlier before college and now I’m bad to watch the rest! I also travelled along this route except just Leeds to notts after my birthday trip to York !!
Cheers Zeke. Much appreciated.
That Pennines route looks incredibly difficult for a driver to navigate through in the dark, route knowledge or not!
You get used to it Rob. We come down from York at 100 mph in thick fog which most would find unnerving.
Greetings from Norway Don! Another excellent video! The information along adds a new dimension!!
Hello Per. Thanks for the feedback, I take it you watch Hinducowgirl’s excellent videos. I will try to catch her premier tomorrow but I’m touring Scotland at the moment so might not get chance.
@@doncoffey5820 Big fan also of HCG yes, and you are on the same level!
Haha! Don’t let her hear you say that - she’ll kick you out! ;-)
Excellent video and very informative👍👍👍
Thanks.
Excellent as ever - interesting to see Ardwick although unrecognisable from "my day" when it was Ardwick West Goods receiving steel for onward delivery by National Carriers and old style containers amongst which was a regular delivery to Strangeways as a BD container was the only one that would fit through their arch!
Thanks Martin. I wish somebody had recorded a run down to Great Ancoats, that would be fantastic. Maybe my videos will be a nostalgic reminder of how it was one day!!!
Your Railway Videos or DVDs are absolutely amazing. I am a avid Railway Enthusiasts and have been since I was a young lad. Some of the routes you show on the railway I have travelled on with Loco and Stock but it's a great feeling watching the routes from the cab of a Loco. The Chester - Holyhead route brought back a lot of memories on the days we did the test trains out of Crewe.
Thanks KH. The most common comment by far is how it brings back memories 👍
Another great video. Don your information is excellent. With some of those gradients i bet todays freight trains struggle a bit.
Thanks David. Most freight tends to Calder Valley but some does get diverted our way and getting stuck behind one requires some patience! I think they do about 20mph and then the smell of hot brakes in the tunnels is horrible.
Hi DON thankyou for a great video of the goods line form Ardwick to Milles Platting
Cheers Jon. I’ll get the return trip soon.
I enjoyed watching this one -- I travelled that route a lot over a four-year period about a decade ago.
Surprised you didn't mention Mirfield's most famous son, Sir Patrick Stewart.
I pass through most days when I’m working and never knew Captain Picard came from there. 👍
Brilliant as always, and such a treat,. I love the TP route and watching this run at twilight was wonderful. Best driver view videos on CZcams, and I've learned so much from them. Only downside is they make me homesick for England.
Sorry about the latter but thanks for the positive feedback Richard.
Great one Don, I love these Track Rides along old " traditional " UN-WIRED tracks....they are always so interesting to watch & follow...!!!.~ as with the wIred electrified ones...all the wiring, rigging etc....tends to obscure the trackside & countryside views...along the journey.....
Thanks Steve. The next video will be Crewe which is under the wires but through some sensational countryside.
Fascinating to see the route from Ashbury’s to St Philips Park Junction. I never signed it but went over it once in the mid 80’s going up to Scotland on the Loco Hauled “European” ( an extended Harwich Boat Train) which came from Sheffield via The Hope Valley line and then via New Mills Central Marple etc. But ran to Manchester Victoria then out via Bolton. 30 years ago the lines round Manchester were already notorious for people dumping rubbish over the railway boundaries and onto the line side and line. For many years as you approached Ashbury’s from Belle Vue there was a shop till in the Cess. I assume a dumped stolen one
I’ll get it coming back soon.
Excellent video. Most notable is your level of understanding regarding suicide, something that a great many people, myself included, do not have. Until now that is.
It’s a complicated subject Drew. I’m no expert on human psychology but I’m glad you at least can empathise to some extent. Somebody that sits on a bridge all day being talked down is generally after attention but somebody that actually does it is at the lowest a mind can go.
Great video, and I can certainly appreciate the comment about suicides. As a driver myself (engineer on this side of the Atlantic) I know from experience the toll such things take on us. Your comment made me stop and think of the sad fraternity we share in that some see us as a means to their final end. Stay safe and clear signals to you
Same to you Thomas, much appreciated my friend.
Excellent video, very informative and interesting. Well done and thank you for sharing it.
Thanks Jon and thanks to TPE for letting me share it.
i know its not funny but a lady tried to lay her head on the tracks just outside Arbroath station ...she did not manage her suicide and was found by BTP who managed to get her help .....the reason she did not manage it was due to a replacement bus service that day ...but what a guy you are Don highlighting such issues and the impact it has on everyone top lad
Yes, I guess that some are saved from such a fate.
The actual name is gasholders, not gasometers. Their useful life didn't end with the end of town gas. There were still used up to about 10 years ago for short-term storage of natural gas. they were filled up overnight and then the gas was drawn off them during the day.
Wikipedia describes them as both but I didn’t know they were used so recently. I think some are listed now. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder
I used to pass through the Miles Platting/Phillips Park area by bus in the '50s and there was a hell of a stink from the gasworks: a lot of people we knew had bad health/abbreviated lives, working and living in the polluted environment. By pure chance, I met the wife of one such (cancer) victim (dead in his 50s) the other day after 62 years, just passing her in the street. At least the area and its air have been cleaned-up, even if the jobs have been exported along with the dirt.
Another great video mate thanks. By the way that book on Navvies that you recommended to me just arrived from England, can’t wait to read it, thanks a lot Don.
It is good Ron and if you are like us, you are going to get plenty of time to read it just now. Keep safe and well my friend.
In a 2 week period of the last week of Feb/1st week of March 1994, I tried to end it from a station on this very route. 3 times.
Twice thwarted by engineering works I was not aware of. The final time by my desire to fight over flight. I'm still here. Still fighting.
Keep fighting buddy. The Samaritans are very good if you need to talk.
Wow amazing Don thanks !!. Great info as well.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Tremendous video, Don. Twilight, route knowledge. I had just come down the other way in daylight. Good challenge at night. Some day I want to be as good as you and Lee!!
Glad you enjoyed it Thomas. We’ll be passing you out as driver any time now ;-)
You've gone to a lot of trouble with this one - well worth the effort. Compared with 60s depots, Ardwick is a palace!
Oh you should see inside. It’s like an operating theatre.
Thank you for another great video Don from Naples, FL. Victoria Station has come a long way since I last remember it in the 80s. Also the Woodhead Tunnel you mention, is it not used anymore?
No, Anthony, Woodhead has been closed for years. There is a video that goes up that line to Hadfield which is the terminus now I’m afraid.
I do Miles Platting bank every working day, but that was a real treat seeing the back run from Ashburys, thanks
Thanks Paul. I’ll get the other direction done soon.
Another good video Don different seeing it at twilight well done
Thanks Mel.
you are 100% right about suicides on the track i was route learning to dunbar and a man jumped in front of us doing 90mph ...he looked at the driver and put hia hand up as if to say sorry ....the sad thing is the impact it had on the driver ...the councelling received ....i got councelling ....but it aint no selfish act it is a dark and lonely place they must have been to to do that ...but the families of those people will never get over it ....i can still see it when i close my eyes at night ..its not something you forget ....and any driver who gets behind the controls of a train after that is a brave and strong individual ...most dont make it back and i still hope no driver ever has to go through it
Its tough for everybody concerned Chris. I’ve never had one but I dealt with several when I was a driver manager. It effects some worse than others but it is a horrible thing to go through.
Nice retro style "CAFETERIA AND BAR" sign at Huddersfield.
Yes, trying not to have a full breakfast is quite a task.
Hi Don, another good and informative video. Not only do you detail the surroundings but also the snippets about the sounds we hear in the cab, such as the “strange sound”. Due to the platforms being lengthened I am guessing that in the future there will be longer trains, will this be the class 68 “nova” services? That route could really do with longer trains & more seats. I do however like the ride on a 185. I find it strange that the 25Kv cables are not buried if only for safety, although I guess that anyone not authorised to be touching them gets what they deserve.
Thanks Anthony. Yes, both new stock (Mk 5s and 802s) and strengthened 185s (6 cars) will use the extended platforms. Currently the doors have to be partially locked out on some stations.
Thanks Don that’s good to know.
Wow, i got what i asked for. Thank you Don. God bless day light i say , it was cosy and i thought the train lights showed
just about enough track to feel safe but i am not the driver!! Thanks regarding the Little bits of info on the signaling as
i often wonder about the numbering in places as well as the orange lit signals. Brillian yet again.
Thanks. The lights don’t show up very well with the GoPro - its actually better in real life.
As you said you have to wait till the back of train clears points. There must a landmark to let you know when you can speed up ? Great video again Don.
Sometimes Paul and sometimes getting up and looking out which isn’t easy on a 185 because it’s a stretch to the window.
Great video! Just a minor thing - gasometers are actually called gas holders, or holders for short...
Somebody else said that but when I checked the internet it seems they are also known as gasometers; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder
I still enjoy seeing the "old" stone work Don, Dewsbury seems to have many older buildings of stone. One I am curious about, you mentioned upgrades along the line from 2 to 4 lines and electrified also, wondering how that will work where some of the stone bridges are present and only room for 2 lines??? hope new bridges with old stone work !!! great ride along AGAIN.
That stretch of line used to be four tracks so should in theory fit back OK although they might realign it for higher speeds. Where a bridge is listed or important, they will rebuild it with stone but a new bridge would most likely be concrete. They sometimes make the steelwork fancy or sometimes leave it unpainted which seems to be the latest craze.
Another great video Don.
Thanks Tony.
Have to wait 'til later to watch this - some cool beers on at my local to consume first! Sure it will be as great as your others, Don! Cheers!
I’m currently on my days off and enjoying some cold beer myself.
@@doncoffey5820 worth the wait! Cheers,
If you stood a Class 185 on its end next to Blackpool tower, the driver would look... very surprised!
Probably;-)
Dewsbury and Stalybridge platforms are really long. :oved this trip thanks Don
They are - well spotted.
I do enjoy your videos and comments! Amen to your comments on suicide, I am a retired driver from the USA and I have had my fill of them.
Thanks Bruce. As a fellow driver you will relate to a lot of my comments and of course with your railway being largely open you will have bigger problems than us with trespassing and fatalities. Except for foot crossings, our railway is completely closed off.
Great and so very informative.
Thanks Paul.
Thank you for your kind words on that most disputed and jarring subject of suicide.
God bless you!
Thank you Sivio. The human mind is a complex instrument and it the way it works isn’t straight forward for everybody. I’m not an expert but it is something I sympathise with.
@@doncoffey5820 That's the fist step to understanding and, hopefully, someday, demystify this thing I call the Cancer of the Mind.
Again, thank you!
Another good video. 10/10
Thanks.
Great vid thank you, appreciate the info about the line and the operations. Any chance you might at some point be able to do a vid about the various signals and lights and what they all mean. Your squeaky wiper blade was like nails on a blackboard !
The wipers drive me nuts at times but the camera is virtually touching the glass so it sounds worse than it is. There is a “turning out at junctions 101” which explains some of the signals.
@@doncoffey5820 thank you
You know how to combat fly-tipping on the railway? Sound the horn continuously along that section, it’s better than any fine. If it wasn’t for the horn you would hear the house prices plummeting!
I’m not sure I fully understand that logic but who knows!
The driver of a train on the climb to Standedge just stuck his head out the window.....The fireman would probably have a few choice words though.....
Once again, another great video from Don. I'm guessing you a railway man through and through
I’m very fond of working on the railway Colin. I’m lucky to get paid for something I enjoy so much.
Brilliant video, it’s making me want to be a train driver.
Check with your local train operator for trainee jobs.
Oh I have and keep checking :-). Fingers crossed for the ones which I have applications in for
Good comment about the suicides . In the past I've been assisting the medics and the police in clearing the result of the sad affair . It's a pause for thought as you admirably say about the dark place .
Marvellous film , driving in the twilight must take some practice because of sorting out which lights yours . 👍🇬🇧
As you say, a sad state of affairs - it’s why I support the Samaritans. This channel has donated over £22,000 in the last three years and you’ve contributed by watching Stephen. As you say, driving at night presents some challenges. You cannot put a distance on a light at night so we have to be very sure of the location.
The peaks at night, what a beautiful video.
Quick question I thought of as you were passing Standedge tunnel with the speed reduction at the end. During daylight hours you can use the light from the tunnel exit to judge where to brake. How do you know just where to put the brake in at night. Outside of tunnels you have other stimuli to highlight where you are. Is there a bounce that just happens to be in the right place or something?
If often amazed me as a senior conductor how often structures such as bridges seemed to be at the perfect braking point
It’s a good question Mark. It really is instinctive. We learn it so thoroughly that we just know where to brake. Some nights it is just thick fog and we run at 100mph where speeds permit.
@Don Coffey hopefully I'll find out myself soon enough. Even when i was a senior conductor i was always impressed with the drivers in thick fog. But total blackness is even harder when you don't have bridges etc you can count
Great video don them fly tipers are discussing wished I followed my dad foot steps he use work on railways when it was under BR is job was a lookout man is base was guard bridge . keep up the good work don
Cheers Mike. My mate is P’Way at Guide Bridge.
@@doncoffey5820 your welcome don was about 30 yrs ago when me dad use to work for br
You think 1 in 47 may be steep try 1 in 33 the line from Penrith to Lithgow in NSW, Australia is this grade for 3/4 of it's length
Also the lines to Waterfall and Newcastle have these grades as well and all the stations are flat but have compensated grades of 1in 66 on entrey and exit
The bethugra loop and Tumulla bank and also have grades of 1 in 40
There are steeper than 1:47 in the UK but they are not common and in some cases freight trains are assisted by “banking” engines to give them a push.
Another interesting and in formative run with Don - with some amusing typo's in the sub-text! Don't try watching this one in bight sunlight, you won't see an awful lot! :-)
The spell checker is fickle and I tend to be slightly dyslexic.
Don you have outdone yourself again; the sheer enjoyment of the lighting environment, and yet even more information to satiate the hungriest of minds. I would have never imagined that even the Air-Con was GPS controlled to prevent potential CO poisoning in the Standedge tunnel, it's always these little "Gems" that add delight to watching your videos, thank you once again.
Once more I have a question, this time regarding the 185 in particular; I've noticed that (in other videos), drivers have to obey the lower speed limit (disregarding the higher "Multiple unit" differential speed signs / limits). I'm guessing that this is due to the 185's weight, as observed by it's powerful inertia? Or is it more to do with a higher centre of gravity compared to the likes of Voyagers etc.?
Hi insurgent, I trust you are OK and your good lady is doing well. The speed restrictions apply in some locations like the Hull Line and the Calder Valley. The Sectional Appendix states that Class 185 DMUs must not travel at SP or MU (sprinter or multiple unit) speeds. This is because of heavy axle weights, they run us at locomotive speeds to reduce track wear. The 185s actually have soft lateral suspension so the swing a bit like a hammock although the bogies stay planted on the track.
Thanks Don, the missus is doing okay but not really taking her medical advice too well sad-to-say. Thanks for the info regarding the axle weights. I'm not a driver myself, but as you may remember, have been involved in the voluntary capacity on preservation steam, which means I could really appreciate the overall mass that was represented by the demonstrated inertia, but not much else, excepting that having experienced running "tender first" (only 25 MpH), in all kinds of weather, I can really appreciate what a GPS climate control system means to the modern-day driver! No wonder one needs DVD! :-)
Don, If the time on the big clock at Stalybridge was a clue, then I suspect that was the 6:53 pm ex-NCL for LIV. That plus the overcast conditions account for the dark conditions. However, at the time of writing there are still 5 weeks to go before 'the longest day'. If you carry a camera on every turn, just think how pleasant a journey that will be for the viewers when you manage to capture a repeat on a glorious Summer evening when you will be shooting in the gloaming - and not the gloom!
Out of curiosity, how many training trips will the average 'new driver' take to become competent on a route such as this?
It was 1P88 which I brought from York to Victoria. It is booked to arrive at Vic at 09 minutes past which makes 53 at Staly about right. From memory I ran on time.
Thanks Don for another excellent travelogue.
Where the lines are being quadrupled, such as around Huddersfield, is that putting it back to the way it used to be?
Your comments on 'people who jump in front of trains' were very interesting. Obviously, those who do it are not thinking rationally and therefore have no understanding of how their actions will impact and affect other people. There was an interesting series on the London Underground which had an episode that covered the impact of a 'jumper' (the LU jargon) and how badly it affected the driver who had to be taken off driving duties completely.
Thanks as always RWM. There is a whole section of the Rule Book given up to dealing with fatalities. You usually find that drivers have had two or none for some strange reason. I haven’t had one but as a driver manager, I’ve dealt with several. I think to some extent it depends on the individual and their personal circumstances at the time as to how they handle it. It doesn’t effect some drivers but others don’t fair well.
Yo on the left there must have been an old railway or a railway siding
You'll need to tell the sun not to set until you arrive at your destination.lol
Hello Richard. I’ve not managed to sort that one yet. I’m still working on it!
Don thanks for the twilight film brilliant, the line from Ashbury's to Philips park has a restriction for freights as well in that only one can be traveling so if one for the other way is ready it has to wait for the other on to clear before moving, all down to the weight restrictions, the part about the jumpers reminded me of the time I watched CCF the day after a fatality as sitting there thinking 30 seconds ago someone was alive then not, they must be at there wits end, some in the control can be so cold hearted with the comments they make and do not think that was a living person, as for drivers been affected I know of one who was on his first day back and had the inspector with him when someone jumped in front of them, ended up working at a desk for the TOC
Thanks John. To be fair, I think Control have to distance themselves from the human side as it effects them too but they need to keep a clear head. Thanks for the info about Phillips Park and I’ll be showing the return journey too.
Another outstanding video from Mr Coffey! one thing that puzzles why do UK trains not have high intensity headlights for tunnel work like on the continent?
They do sometimes Andrew. Our new ones all do and the older ones are in the process of being converted.
13:30 I've been inside, and crawled through those Box Girders as part of a detailed examination!
We take for granted that these structures are safe but I’m aware that some poor so and so has to check them out - thanks for that. Do you know my mate Pete Bate at Guide Bridge?
Hi Don, no don't know him, to be honest that's not on my regular patch and it was before I joined NWR. I was working for a difficult access firm in Sheffield back then - we were trained for confined space entry hence doing a few box girders around that time. I'm now working full time as a structures examiner for NWR in Cumbria.
I’m OK at crawling into confined spaces but I’ve lost my head for heights. Its very nice countryside on your patch Dan. Maybe I’ll get up there filming one day.
Another great video
You Don it again.😁
Thanks!
I may be asking a silly question but if the driver has "permission" to pass a red signal why not just put the signal to green?
You mean with position lights Theo? You can’t have a green there anyway but a main aspect yellow is for an unoccupied platform but as the signaller can’t guarantee where the back of another train is, you always get position lights into an occupied platform.
Good video as always mate minus those squeaky wipers at the start hahaha
Yeah they can be annoying but because the camera is virtually touching the glass it sounds worse.
That was greenfield station
Thank you Dan really enjoyed it
Glad you enjoyed it
Another great video Don and I also learn something new from my fave units and were you driving this
Yes I was driving these trains.
You also drive for Northern?
Next time you are propped up in your train Don on Blackpool Tower, give us a wave cos you can see IOM from there!!!
I’ll be too busy hanging on!
Hello Don, really enjoy your videos, one thing I wonder about, why are they all non-stop trains. All the best from sunny Scunny.
We are technically an express company but we do work stopping trains too. I will film one soon.
The flytipping on Manchester's railways is awful. On one of the embankments beyond Ashton, heading towards Stalybridge, is a manky disused bathtub. Past Guide Bridge, heading towards Gorton is an old kids swing set. Some people have no idea how dangerous it is, let alone any respect or decency.
Seen them both Sam. I do not know what makes some people tick.
Thank you very much for your heartwarming message about suicide. If only everyone understood us that way...
Its often misunderstood. We occasionally get stopped by such a tragic accident and somebody in the train will complain they’ve got a meeting to go to. Most are fine though.
I'd love to see a run from Victoria to Wigan via Atherton - would bring back many memories of my commutes in the late 70's and early 80's. Thanks for another great and informative video. Does the time taken from depot to Victoria and back to depot count as part of the working day?
Northern rail run that line. And commuters that use it nowadays have far from fond memories.
I have to rely on my contact at Victoria for that one. Sit tight.
Understand about the dark but can you do some more twilights?
Have a look at the Calder Valley video which comes out tomorrow (12th July). It leaves in daybreak light. I might try some more now the 185s are getting new LED headlights.
Hi Don, I’ve been watching your videos and enjoying them like mad. Makes me want to work on the railways,
What sort of qualifications would you reckon to work on the railways whether that be driver or conductor?? As I do not have the faintest of clue.
(If you don’t mind me asking). But before you perused train driving, what jobs did you do?? As that is a common way in the selection process.
Thankyou Don And Hopefully I’ll see you at Any station as I’ve tried to give you a wave a couple of times.
Hi Anthony. I transferred to the railway from the motor industry. I was a truck mechanic when I left school then I did quite a bit of studying at college that gave me some good motor industry qualifications. I became European Technical Sales Manager for a friction material manufacturer. You may have heard of Ferodo brake pads. I didn’t have a particularly good upbringing and missed a lot of school so only had modest qualifications. If done alright over the years but that is down to my work ethic. If you have a good attitude you’ll always do well at work. Be sure to say hello if you see me out and about.
Thankyou Don for getting back to me, yeah currently I’m 22 years old and currently work as a prison officer but do sort of come from the Same area as in college I studied motor vehicles and got a level 3 diploma out of that. I do have 2 BTEC from School in Engineering and ICT but how helpful will they be on the railways,not much, I have seen you a couple of times and just seen your face and gave a wave and you did in fact wave back once but with the look to say, “Who in the hell are you?” Which is understandable.
I usually try to be sociable! Where do you normally see me?
After negotiating a switch, You maintain a slow speed until the rear car has passed over the switch. I noticed no indicators. How do you know when the rear car has passed the switch?
We run the 185s as either 3 or 6 car sets and you can judge it or you have a marker like a sign or a signal. When you see the Class 66 video, Lee’s train is approaching 1/4 mile long so he uses an instrument that sounds a bleeper at a preset length.
Where can I find out more information about the Transpennine Route Upgrade the National rail page does not mention the planned electrification or the quadrupling of tracks or station upgrades like the extra platforms at Huddersfield.
No, they are not very forthcoming at the moment. Apparently the budgets and therefore the plan isn’t fully confirmed yet so they won’t publish it. Moving Morley Station is the first major project.
@@doncoffey5820 Thanks for the reply! I love the routes you travel on very picturesque. I thought as much better not plan too much then have to scale back due to budget constraints.