Hi Don. Please do not apologise for discussing and pointing out the real railway. What makes your videos so enjoyable is the wealth of information you impart to us. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Bob
Thanks Bob. I get a bit worried that my waxing lyrical about the railway and its creators might become boring but thankfully, many watchers appreciate it.
The Driver's eye perspective is something that the average person never got to see until recent years when these types of videos started to appear. The English country scenery is wonderful and the information given is always interesting, especially when it's about engineering or something that is very old. Great video, much appreciated.
My local line Don, I've travelled this route for many years and it's great to see it from the cab, it looks so different from the drivers perspective but knowing the local landmarks and stations makes it all the more enjoyable, many thanks for putting this up.
You don't have to apologise for 'waxing lyrical' about railway architecture as we often need reminding that the majority of railway infrastructure was built by hand in the Victorian era. Thanks for uploading another informative video.
Have to carry on watching the rest of this video as I didn't realise the time, to in grossed in your work, which I really enjoy as not only is the quality superb but the information that come with means I watch them twice! Yep, first time for your info second time sit back and relax enjoy the ride, thank you for all the hard work and effort you put into your productions as I for one really appreciate it
Just popped on this video because it had been showing up regularly in my feed for a while, and I had a bit of time to spare this morning, and I’m glad I did, very informative commentary and a great experience, keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing more like this! I’m not even from the region where this video was made and I wasn’t able to take my eyes off for a second
Very enjoyable Don, thanks. Back in the 1990s I was a regular Euston to Piccadilly traveller, usually via Stoke on Trent, so it was great to see this route from the driver's perspective
Brilliant video as usual Don it brings back memories of when I had the TRT renewal train in 2003 we were there for a month renewing miles between Wedgewood crossing and Macclesfield one of the best times of my railway career.thanks
We are regular visitors to Stoke, Kidsgrove & Congleton on the T&M and Macclesfield Canals on our narrow boat. It's really interesting to see familiar landmarks from the train driver's point of view. Thank you very much indeed for your efforts, much appreciated.
Thank you Peter. I find the canals as interesting as the railways as far as the construction goes. I also once brought a narrow boat from Kidsgrove to Furness Vale for a friend.
Another great rail trip Don. The snippets of information along the way make it so much more pleasurable. Wish other sites would do the same. The fact that you do it makes you the best. Look forward to your next one. All the very best Mick.
Must have been quite a bang as the car was a mangled heap. Glad there were no fatalities. Great video. For someone like myself who doesn't travel by rail very often its great to see different parts of the country.
Another fascinating film. I can’t tell you how much they have helped whilst recovering from pneumonia. Keep up the great work. The ‘commentary’ is really interesting too.
This was a very educational trip wit a Massive amount of modern engineering advancements and it is reassuring to know that so much effort and finance is being invested in Rail travel. It must be getting very close to Driverless Trains. So the magic of Trains to us growing upo will have shifted a long way from the Old Polluting Steam Engine with its own sound imitation (Puff Puff) . I have been wathing train journeys almost world wide and been dumfounded at the magnifiant workmanship of well over 120 years with little or no machienary to do the heavy work..Thank you for the massive amount of information and I felt I could actually hear you speak Don it was so personalized. Keep safe, John from Ireland.
That’s the kind of relationship I like to think I get from the viewers Sean, it’s a kind of personal narrative where I invite you into the cab. I’m glad you enjoy them.
Don, when I first discovered UK videos, I watched them on my smart tv which had full screen only and no keyboard for comments. The keyboard was extremely awkward. Now I have rediscovered them and I am going back through them. I think this was my third time with this one. Thanks so much. A fan in Maine!
Hi Thomas. Thanks for following and you’ll find that the later ones have evolved and are higher resolution and hi def sound too so probably rather better quality. Glad you are enjoying them and hopefully one day I will visit Maine. I’ve flown over it many times!
Another excellent video - my family left the Wigan area in 1955 (returning in 1958) and lived near Stoke. The Crewe -Kidsgrove-Stoke line was one of the first (with Cumbria coastal) to use DMUs and as a four year old remember being fascinated by them. As mentioned below, the Nissan incident was similar to the Great Heck crash on the ECML(28/2/2001) and I actually knew one of the passengers on the southbound train. From 1979 to 1982 I lived in Cheadle Hulme - there was vacant land to the right near the junction - I walked my young son there. All built on now! I keep saying this - but must add, the Manchester network really is a fine service and this video demonstrates that clearly. And people wonder why Cheshire is such a popular place to live!
Thanks GL. Blimey, I was born in 1958! It would be something to go back and take a look around. Hopefully, people are saving these videos for future reference and they will be my little contribution to history! I remember the day that Great Heck crash happened and where I was - driving to the Optare Bus Company in Leeds which was one of my customers in my motor industry days. These videos are steadily filling all the gaps in and the whole network around Manchester will be recorded.
Great to watch, I traveled this line as a kid and in my teens from Prestbury to Macclesfield for school and sometimes into Manchester for shopping. I remember seeing them erecting the overhead catenary in the 60s with DMUs and class 37s running the line then later Class 86s hauling the London trains. Points of interest, the south approach to Macclesfield had a retaining wall landslip block the line and pull the catenary down in the late 60s, the track layout has remained the same for 50 years including that little siding as you come in and the signal gantry is the same one I used to love looking at waiting for my train (signals now mono LED fixtures). Local trains used to terminate at Macc then leave southbound crossover the points then come back in on the northbound. As you leave Macclesfield just past the signal box you can still see the Marple line branch bed which used to go along arches past the gas works (all closed 1970) and just before the tunnel on the right were carriage sidings (now Tesco). BTW Cheadle Hulme station did have a bad train accident in the 60s at that junction. Prestbury used to have its own signal box and crossover points, that signal again has been in situ for 50+ years I remember when it was a semaphore and a Classs 37 or an 86 hurtling out of that tunnel through the station was pretty exciting! Thanks for the memories.
Aboultely love this video you bring Drivers eye view to life you don't just make them interesting also very educational fabulous upload a massive thumbs up
Oh yes. Day off tomorrow, so I can stay up and watch this as it premiers. For some reason I'm looking forward to this one. Although I only traveled as far as Macclesfield in those heady days of using a £20 North West day Rover.
Brilliant Don, , this is the first time I've seen this video, and excellent is is too,and as a bonus also my garden in Poynton from the Drivers cab .😀👍👍. Thank You very much indeed.
Another top notch video, thanks Don. The line from Colwich to Cheadle via Stoke is a very important main line that does not get much mention, so this run redresses the balance. Many thanks
Interesting fact: the stretch of line commencing from the sweeping left hand curve at 04:45 is a deviation route constructed in the early 1960s. The original route was straight and rejoins at 06:31. The line was rerouted to avoid the original (and much longer) Harecastle Tunnel which was not of sufficient dimension to permit electrification. It’s still extant and has been explored and documented, somewhat illegally, in other YT videos.
Watching this video was a great joy; most especially the fact that you explained with notes along the way what the guest could view! Your notes, whether technical, historical, etc., were really appreciated, for example, the fact about the town with pottery factories that had their pots and pans damaged on account of the horse-drawn carriages and therefore were please about the new (railway) transportation is precious. Interesting too was the explanation of the Tudor mansion along the way. It all amounts to great value. I sincerely thank you and wish you the best of lucks!
Thank you Jacob, much appreciated. The information are just snippets that you pick up when travelling over the route or things that interest me (and I hope everyone else) about historical things. I love the architecture and trying to work out what a task it must have been without automation computers to construct it. I have to spend a lot of time on each one trying to verify any comments I make! It doesn’t always work but I try and keep errors to a minimum.
Another great video. Interesting what you said about the embankment. It even more amazing when you consider they were being built to precise gradient specified by a designer and the engineers on site only had the most rudimentary measuring equipment to work with.
Absolutely, we take it for granted but most journeys take us through shallow cuttings and modest embankments. I once dug a little pond out in my back garden and I’ve dug for footings and a driveway. It’s a mauling task that seems endless for little result. But these guys dug in the rain when you can’t walk with mud on your feet and through the winter when the ground was rock hard or baking hot days in summer. They had little safety gear and if one got injured they were out in the middle of nowhere with a hospital a cart ride away. A septic finger might starve a family - if you didn’t work you didn’t get paid and there were no holidays in Spain. You worked when it was available.
Wow Good story about the Accident Bloody lucky no one was killed Great video too they are so interesting especially for me and I'm sure for others who know some of the area very well a new perspective we rarely see thanks again and keep them coming
Fantastic Don. Thanks very much for a great video. Passing through many of the areas where I grew up, and worked, many years ago. Your films just get better and better. All the best.
I do so enjoy these cab-view videos and I do thank you for uploading them. I was rather pleasantly surprised to learn (from reading the chat replay) that there is video for a service that goes by my neck of the woods planned; Man' Piccadilly to Holyhead, I live and work in the North Wales area, and not only that but the railway line goes by and is visible from my work place. I will also admit that I didn't initially realise that there even is a Holyhead-Manchester service, I just thought that all services to Manchester went from Llandudno, you learn something new every day. Looking forward to what's planned and once again, thanks for the videos (and the little history lessons too).
Excellent footage, enjoyable to watch, and also educational. I wasn't aware of the "wheelchex" and "panchex" systems, a smart idea and I will be looking out for them now!
What can you say other than Fantastic video and a Train with its horn singing perfect . Thanks once again for posting it and supplying so much information.
Thanks Paul. There isn’t anybody with more than the slightest interest in the railway that doesn’t appreciate a look out front. It is interesting and I’m lucky I get the permission to let you have a look.
Thanks Don for yet another entertaining cabride. That was one horrific accident with the trains and that too due to a car rolling onto the tracks as its handbrake was left unattended too. Who on earth would leave their hand brakes on. Thank God that there were no casualties reported. I suppose you will upload a return journey.
I guess what happened with the handbrake was investigated and acted upon. There is a little story with the return journey. The GoPro camera hung just 4 minutes from Stoke and we lost the footage. It did it with the outward bound Buxton video too. We may revisit them one day but there is still plenty of captured footage to work on and new routes too.
Really enjoying the videos and the commentary. When I lived in Stafford in the 1980's, we would often take the train from Stafford to the north Wales coast resorts, and on the odd occasion, it would be a DMU, with a glass cab so you could get a glimpse of a driver's view of the journey ... long before GoPros unfortunately but thanks to your work Don, I have the opportunity to see the "driver's eye" view once more!
I live near the Birmingham Cross City Line run by the class 323’s in WMR livery. These trains are reliable stop and starters between the stations as you say, which compared to this route are far closer together (3 mins apart)! They also do the Lickey incline (those that run to Bromsgrove) and they zip up that faster than the 170’s, 172’s and dare I say even the 220/221’s especially in terms of acceleration, no problem. Great to see one working a different line. Thanks for this video.
Excellent as usual. Used to work out of an office just next to Bramhall station untill 1979, northern office of Ductile Steels Ltd. Another steel company long gone.
Really enjoy your videos with all the extra information. Not noticed the tilt of the OHLE before, interesting. I remember reading about the car on the track. A combination of good luck and design saved many lives. I would say the car was a right off. I didn't know about the ballastless track in tunnels. I learn so much from your videos. That was a fine mess regarding the signalling. Those flat spots act like a hammer blow to the track, depending on severity.
Thanks “Walt”. You always say nice things! There’s lots of interesting “stuff” on the railway. I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface. I’ll try to keep bringing these factoids as we go along.
Another excellent one Don. Particularly interesting for me as I usually travel from Stoke to Euston on a Pendolino out of Piccadilly, so it's nice to see the rest of the line that I always miss out on!!
Great video. Nice to see you mention Woodford Airfield (the site of my employment for nearly 20 years) and I've lived and travelled this route for over 35 years and never knew about Mayfield station !! You learn something new every day. Thanks again Don!
i do like to see the old blue brick at some of the stations reminds me of old New St Bham when i was a kid sadly disappearing now.Excellent video as always thanks Don
I know. Sometimes stone but even when brick was used they really knew how to show off. There are some blue brick walls round Manchester that are just sensational and not even connected to the railway any longer. Recognising the craftsmanship is easy though.
I really like this Don. So far I have watched all your videos. It's probably the only thing I watch on CZcams and it looks very good on the tv in the living room. I find it very relaxing, and I really appreciate the extra info and effort you put in it. I'm not from the Manchester area. In fact, I live in The Netherlands. But I like to visit this part of the UK. So for me this is a really good combination of a bit of education about the railways and sightseeing :-) Love to see more video's in spring and summertime!
Thanks Biem. There are a growing number of viewers from the NL. I used to work in the Benelux countries a lot in my motor industry days. Glad you like the videos and yes, seeing the changing seasons is one of my favourite aspects of driving trains.
the Bridge after the one at Cliffe Vale is the site of the old Etruria Station where the platform was in the middle tracks either side and access was down concrete stairs from the road passing over. long gone but not forgotten
I'm very struck by the strong acceleration of this class 323. Your shots of the speedometer showed that the needle sweeps all around the dial evenly. There seems to be no struggle to make the last 10 mph. Thanks, as always.
@@doncoffey5820 btw...your signal video was very informative...now I understand them better...watching other videos I can now predict what the drivers going to do....lol as im typing this theres a squealing 66 on track behind my house...well nearly...its about 600 yards away,one other thing...what are the blue topped boxes trackside...in some videos...is it inspection covers for cables and wiring ? like these at 16:19 on left trackside czcams.com/video/0ZB80736iVY/video.html
Thanks again for another fantastic video, and all the information, beginning to get addicted! Very calming too, far better than watching, listening and reading about the political turmoil these days.
Another gem, Don. Glad to see the little 153s are still doing the Nottingham-Crewe route.. I used to get that in the 80s on my regular Grantham-Bangor run.... I think they were new stock then :-)
Hi Don, Brilliant video but just for completeness I would add comments on the Potteries loop line which started southbound off the main line just North of Kidsgrove Central and called at Kidsgrove Liverpool Road and then on via Tunstall, Burslem and Hanley rejoining the main line just before Etruria. Additionally there was also a single line which went from the loop line at Tunstall Junction to Pinnox Junction just North of Longport. During the electrification of the main line the “loop” line was used extensively to divert weekend trains to allow modernisation work to progress. Similarly sometimes the single line was also used. So trains like the Comet, London Euston to Manchester London Road, became double headed sometimes with 2 old Fowler class 4’s from somewhere before the loop line started and in the case of Southbound changed at Stoke for the more usual Patriots and Jubilees, even the occasional Royal Scot. I don’t recall ever seeing Black 5’s doing this so it may be they were also over the load limits. (There was a single track tunnel between Kidsgrove Liverpool Road and Goldenhill with load limits less than the usual locos on the mainline trains.) As you said in a previous reply about Etruria station being closed one wonders if they would have closed the loop line today. My uncle was signalman at Tunstall and I spent many happy hours trainspotting there. Fond memories of the 50’s in the Potteries. Thanks for rekindlng them.
I struggle to time the captions so there’s a limit to what I can include. When we filmed, the camera crashed on the way to Stoke otherwise I might have got more in. However, I might convince my mate that it’s time for a rerun 😉
Hi Don. Please do not apologise for discussing and pointing out the real railway. What makes your videos so enjoyable is the wealth of information you impart to us. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Bob
Thanks Bob. I get a bit worried that my waxing lyrical about the railway and its creators might become boring but thankfully, many watchers appreciate it.
The Driver's eye perspective is something that the average person never got to see until recent years when these types of videos started to appear. The English country scenery is wonderful and the information given is always interesting, especially when it's about engineering or something that is very old. Great video, much appreciated.
Thanks for the positive feedback.
I know nothing about engineering, but that doesn't stop the snippets of info being fascinating and enjoyable.
Glad you liked it Peter.
Thank you Don. As always, not just about the train but points/ places of interest, civil engineering and architecture etc etc. Always so enjoyable
Sorry for late reply, it didn’t show up in my pending list. Thanks Mike. Glad you enjoyed it.
My local line Don, I've travelled this route for many years and it's great to see it from the cab, it looks so different from the drivers perspective but knowing the local landmarks and stations makes it all the more enjoyable, many thanks for putting this up.
Glad you enjoyed it Tony.
You don't have to apologise for 'waxing lyrical' about railway architecture as we often need reminding that the majority of railway infrastructure was built by hand in the Victorian era. Thanks for uploading another informative video.
Sorry for late reply, it didn’t show up in my pending list. I love the architecture and trying to work out how they did it.
Thanks for presentation. The rails along the United Kingdom are amazing. Thanks for sharing the history along the trip.
Thank you, much appreciated.
Have to carry on watching the rest of this video as I didn't realise the time, to in grossed in your work, which I really enjoy as not only is the quality superb but the information that come with means I watch them twice! Yep, first time for your info second time sit back and relax enjoy the ride, thank you for all the hard work and effort you put into your productions as I for one really appreciate it
I think even watching both times you see different things the second so it isn’t a bad idea at all.
Just so professional Don, the little extra's make it really nice to watch and enjoy, thanks for that.
Thanks Peter.
Just popped on this video because it had been showing up regularly in my feed for a while, and I had a bit of time to spare this morning, and I’m glad I did, very informative commentary and a great experience, keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing more like this! I’m not even from the region where this video was made and I wasn’t able to take my eyes off for a second
I wouldn’t normally be pleased at somebody’s addiction but in this case I’ll make an exception! More new footage to come.
Wonderful repeat journey. Thanks for the informative commentary.
Glad you enjoyed it Barry.
A nice comfortable and relaxing ride. Thank you Don. 🏴🙂👍🇺🇸
Good to hear from you Martin.
Very enjoyable Don, thanks. Back in the 1990s I was a regular Euston to Piccadilly traveller, usually via Stoke on Trent, so it was great to see this route from the driver's perspective
Thanks for the positive feedback.
Brilliant video as usual Don it brings back memories of when I had the TRT renewal train in 2003 we were there for a month renewing miles between Wedgewood crossing and Macclesfield one of the best times of my railway career.thanks
You might know my mate Graham Head who was also on that project. He drives for Direct Rail Services now 👍
Don, you are the master!! Please do more of these, an Aussie fan...
Thanks Jim.
We are regular visitors to Stoke, Kidsgrove & Congleton on the T&M and Macclesfield Canals on our narrow boat. It's really interesting to see familiar landmarks from the train driver's point of view. Thank you very much indeed for your efforts, much appreciated.
Thank you Peter. I find the canals as interesting as the railways as far as the construction goes. I also once brought a narrow boat from Kidsgrove to Furness Vale for a friend.
Another great rail trip Don. The snippets of information along the way make it so much more pleasurable. Wish other sites would do the same.
The fact that you do it makes you the best. Look forward to your next one. All the very best Mick.
Thanks Mick. The next one will be out later this week.
excellent cab ride footage from the 323 from stoke to manchester
Must have been quite a bang as the car was a mangled heap. Glad there were no fatalities. Great video. For someone like myself who doesn't travel by rail very often its great to see different parts of the country.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I love the acceleration and quietness of this train. 👍 Thanks for the great videos
Thank you very much! Yes, they are perfect for that high acceleration stop start work.
Don, I discovered your videos last night and have been enthralled watching them. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Glad you’ve found us!
Another fascinating film. I can’t tell you how much they have helped whilst recovering from pneumonia. Keep up the great work. The ‘commentary’ is really interesting too.
I hope you make a quick and full recovery Nick. Glad they help.
This was a very educational trip wit a Massive amount of modern engineering advancements and it is reassuring to know that so much effort and finance is being invested in Rail travel. It must be getting very close to Driverless Trains. So the magic of Trains to us growing upo will have shifted a long way from the Old Polluting Steam Engine with its own sound imitation (Puff Puff) .
I have been wathing train journeys almost world wide and been dumfounded at the magnifiant workmanship of well over 120 years with little or no machienary to do the heavy work..Thank you for the massive amount of information and I felt I could actually hear you speak Don it was so personalized. Keep safe, John from Ireland.
That’s the kind of relationship I like to think I get from the viewers Sean, it’s a kind of personal narrative where I invite you into the cab. I’m glad you enjoy them.
Don, when I first discovered UK videos, I watched them on my smart tv which had full screen only and no keyboard for comments. The keyboard was extremely awkward. Now I have rediscovered them and I am going back through them. I think this was my third time with this one. Thanks so much. A fan in Maine!
Hi Thomas. Thanks for following and you’ll find that the later ones have evolved and are higher resolution and hi def sound too so probably rather better quality. Glad you are enjoying them and hopefully one day I will visit Maine. I’ve flown over it many times!
Don Coffey You went right over my house. My son would fly over my house coming from Germany or Oslo and then drive up from Boston!
Another excellent video - my family left the Wigan area in 1955 (returning in 1958) and lived near Stoke. The Crewe -Kidsgrove-Stoke line was one of the first (with Cumbria coastal) to use DMUs and as a four year old remember being fascinated by them.
As mentioned below, the Nissan incident was similar to the Great Heck crash on the ECML(28/2/2001) and I actually knew one of the passengers on the southbound train.
From 1979 to 1982 I lived in Cheadle Hulme - there was vacant land to the right near the junction - I walked my young son there. All built on now!
I keep saying this - but must add, the Manchester network really is a fine service and this video demonstrates that clearly.
And people wonder why Cheshire is such a popular place to live!
Thanks GL. Blimey, I was born in 1958! It would be something to go back and take a look around. Hopefully, people are saving these videos for future reference and they will be my little contribution to history! I remember the day that Great Heck crash happened and where I was - driving to the Optare Bus Company in Leeds which was one of my customers in my motor industry days. These videos are steadily filling all the gaps in and the whole network around Manchester will be recorded.
thank Don another great blogs and you notes made it better to watch
Cheers Jon. Glad you liked it.
Great to watch, I traveled this line as a kid and in my teens from Prestbury to Macclesfield for school and sometimes into Manchester for shopping. I remember seeing them erecting the overhead catenary in the 60s with DMUs and class 37s running the line then later Class 86s hauling the London trains. Points of interest, the south approach to Macclesfield had a retaining wall landslip block the line and pull the catenary down in the late 60s, the track layout has remained the same for 50 years including that little siding as you come in and the signal gantry is the same one I used to love looking at waiting for my train (signals now mono LED fixtures). Local trains used to terminate at Macc then leave southbound crossover the points then come back in on the northbound. As you leave Macclesfield just past the signal box you can still see the Marple line branch bed which used to go along arches past the gas works (all closed 1970) and just before the tunnel on the right were carriage sidings (now Tesco). BTW Cheadle Hulme station did have a bad train accident in the 60s at that junction. Prestbury used to have its own signal box and crossover points, that signal again has been in situ for 50+ years I remember when it was a semaphore and a Classs 37 or an 86 hurtling out of that tunnel through the station was pretty exciting! Thanks for the memories.
Thank you Guy, I’ve learned a lot from your comments.
Enjoyed this one; a good ride through the Cheshire Countryside
Thanks Michael.
Aboultely love this video you bring Drivers eye view to life you don't just make them interesting also very educational fabulous upload a massive thumbs up
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it Nicky.
Another great trip! Thank you for the wonderful commentary.
Glad you enjoyed it
Oh yes. Day off tomorrow, so I can stay up and watch this as it premiers. For some reason I'm looking forward to this one. Although I only traveled as far as Macclesfield in those heady days of using a £20 North West day Rover.
It’ll be over by 9ish anyway David! I’ll be around to watch it and answer any questions.
Brilliant Don, , this is the first time I've seen this video, and excellent is is too,and as a bonus also my garden in Poynton from the Drivers cab .😀👍👍. Thank You very much indeed.
Glad you enjoyed it. There is a whole series (but none that have your garden in!).
Another top notch video, thanks Don. The line from Colwich to Cheadle via Stoke is a very important main line that does not get much mention, so this run redresses the balance. Many thanks
Thanks as always Ian.
Another great cab ride. Enjoyed the historical snippets and reading the operating rules as you traveled along.
Thanks George.
Interesting fact: the stretch of line commencing from the sweeping left hand curve at 04:45 is a deviation route constructed in the early 1960s. The original route was straight and rejoins at 06:31. The line was rerouted to avoid the original (and much longer) Harecastle Tunnel which was not of sufficient dimension to permit electrification. It’s still extant and has been explored and documented, somewhat illegally, in other YT videos.
It happens frequently in Standedge Tunnel. I think I read about the diversion when I was researching the video but thanks for the reminder.
Watching this video was a great joy; most especially the fact that you explained with notes along the way what the guest could view! Your notes, whether technical, historical, etc., were really appreciated, for example, the fact about the town with pottery factories that had their pots and pans damaged on account of the horse-drawn carriages and therefore were please about the new (railway) transportation is precious. Interesting too was the explanation of the Tudor mansion along the way. It all amounts to great value. I sincerely thank you and wish you the best of lucks!
Thank you Jacob, much appreciated. The information are just snippets that you pick up when travelling over the route or things that interest me (and I hope everyone else) about historical things. I love the architecture and trying to work out what a task it must have been without automation computers to construct it. I have to spend a lot of time on each one trying to verify any comments I make! It doesn’t always work but I try and keep errors to a minimum.
Much appreciate you cataloging all these routes.
Glad you enjoy and appreciate it.
Again very interesting and educating.
Thanks for the positive feedback.
Another great video. Interesting what you said about the embankment. It even more amazing when you consider they were being built to precise gradient specified by a designer and the engineers on site only had the most rudimentary measuring equipment to work with.
Absolutely, we take it for granted but most journeys take us through shallow cuttings and modest embankments. I once dug a little pond out in my back garden and I’ve dug for footings and a driveway. It’s a mauling task that seems endless for little result. But these guys dug in the rain when you can’t walk with mud on your feet and through the winter when the ground was rock hard or baking hot days in summer. They had little safety gear and if one got injured they were out in the middle of nowhere with a hospital a cart ride away. A septic finger might starve a family - if you didn’t work you didn’t get paid and there were no holidays in Spain. You worked when it was available.
A very pleasant ride, and I love the info , great stuff... thankyou for sharing, Don :)
Thank you also for the technical explanations, they are very welcome.
Glad you enjoyed it Barry.
Excellent. The added info improves the video very much. Thankyou. Very much enjoyed.
Cheers Bob, thank you.
Awesome video and your explanations throughout were just terrific.
Thanks Sam.
Wow Good story about the Accident Bloody lucky no one was killed
Great video too they are so interesting especially for me and I'm sure for others who know some of the area very well a new perspective we rarely see thanks again and keep them coming
Great video on the driver eye view. I love the Northern Railway class 323 unit especially the brand new livery for Arriva.
Yes they look good and of course they now have DDA compliant toilets and new interiors.
Really enjoyed that. Thank you
Thanks Andrew.
Another wonderful video. Thanks so much for posting :)
Great video, I like the snippets of history and info as we travel along the route. Great quality video.
Glad you enjoyed it George.
Fantastic Don. Thanks very much for a great video. Passing through many of the areas where I grew up, and worked, many years ago. Your films just get better and better. All the best.
Much appreciated Mike.
Thanks for Brilliant Video, , Love watching them
Thanks Derek.
Brings back memories of fighting to get the front seat in a first gen DMU !
Was it you trying to nick my seat 😉👍
Another blockbuster, superb
Once again, another entertaining and informative video. You just get better with every one. Many thanks Don.
Thanks once again Don. Pity the poor passengers. They don’t get all the useful and interesting information that we do!
Thanks David, they should stream the video while riding!!!
excellent video. wish I could give you more than just a thumbs up. Also enjoy the additional printed info.
Thanks again.
Thanks. Much appreciated.
I do so enjoy these cab-view videos and I do thank you for uploading them.
I was rather pleasantly surprised to learn (from reading the chat replay) that there is video for a service that goes by my neck of the woods planned; Man' Piccadilly to Holyhead, I live and work in the North Wales area, and not only that but the railway line goes by and is visible from my work place. I will also admit that I didn't initially realise that there even is a Holyhead-Manchester service, I just thought that all services to Manchester went from Llandudno, you learn something new every day.
Looking forward to what's planned and once again, thanks for the videos (and the little history lessons too).
Thanks Chris. Yes, we’ve been waiting for lighter days so maybe we can get that organised now. Sit tight.
Fantastic as usual. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Ian
another great and informative video thank
Thanks Carlo.
Another top video Don, can't believe I used to walk from London Road to Longsight in steam days.
Thanks Tony, a few changes eh? ;-)
Excellent video. Such good definition. Like the captions. Thanks for posting
Thanks david. They leave me in 2.7k UHD but CZcams doesn’t always pass them on that good!
As usual another great video. I also like the comments/captions as well.
Thanks Richard. Always appreciate your feedback.
Excellent footage, enjoyable to watch, and also educational. I wasn't aware of the "wheelchex" and "panchex" systems, a smart idea and I will be looking out for them now!
They’re hard to spot but you can find them in a “Sectional Appendix” if you search the internet.
What can you say other than Fantastic video and a Train with its horn singing perfect . Thanks once again for posting it and supplying so much information.
Another cracking video, Don. Many thanks for your efforts! Get yourself a pint!
I’ll do that tonight Derrick, thanks!
One of the best trains I used to drive
Me too Peter. Good aren’t they.
Thanks for uploading. I've travelled this route literally hundreds of times but not had a drivers view till now.
Thanks Paul. There isn’t anybody with more than the slightest interest in the railway that doesn’t appreciate a look out front. It is interesting and I’m lucky I get the permission to let you have a look.
Your series of 'Driver's Eye View' videos are possibly the most interesting youtubes (of any genre) that I've seen.
I’m flattered - thank you.
Brilliant! Thank you. Informative and interesting to see from a driver's viewpoint the lines that I have travelled on regularly for over forty years!
Thanks Andy
Great to have you back Don, another super informative video most enjoyable.
Thanks Phillip. I do a job share now and had a holiday and my work weeks so couldn’t get to it. I’ll be doing the next one soon.
Another great video Don,thanks for producing and uploading,very interesting.
Welcome matey. Speak soon.
Hello Don and many thanks for an extremely watchable video complete with captions I have time to read!
Thanks Steve.
Thanks Don for yet another entertaining cabride. That was one horrific accident with the trains and that too due to a car rolling onto the tracks as its handbrake was left unattended too. Who on earth would leave their hand brakes on. Thank God that there were no casualties reported. I suppose you will upload a return journey.
I guess what happened with the handbrake was investigated and acted upon. There is a little story with the return journey. The GoPro camera hung just 4 minutes from Stoke and we lost the footage. It did it with the outward bound Buxton video too. We may revisit them one day but there is still plenty of captured footage to work on and new routes too.
Another informative vid Don. Thanks for the troublr you take.
Thanks for the positive feedback.
Really enjoying the videos and the commentary. When I lived in Stafford in the 1980's, we would often take the train from Stafford to the north Wales coast resorts, and on the odd occasion, it would be a DMU, with a glass cab so you could get a glimpse of a driver's view of the journey ... long before GoPros unfortunately but thanks to your work Don, I have the opportunity to see the "driver's eye" view once more!
Thanks Anthony. I remember the disappointment when that front seat was taken!
I live near the Birmingham Cross City Line run by the class 323’s in WMR livery. These trains are reliable stop and starters between the stations as you say, which compared to this route are far closer together (3 mins apart)!
They also do the Lickey incline (those that run to Bromsgrove) and they zip up that faster than the 170’s, 172’s and dare I say even the 220/221’s especially in terms of acceleration, no problem.
Great to see one working a different line. Thanks for this video.
I think those West Midlands units will migrate up here soon.
Yes, next year 🙂
...at least that’s when the cross city route is getting new trains.
Excellent as usual. Used to work out of an office just next to Bramhall station untill 1979, northern office of Ductile Steels Ltd. Another steel company long gone.
I know. We have no heavy industry and I sometimes think that we’d have no railway if it wasn’t bolted to the ground.
Excellent video. Your efforts are appreciated. 👍🙂
Thanks Ian.
Thank you for another interesting and informative ride.
Thank you too.
Great video. ☺️
Thanks Josh.
@@doncoffey5820 ur welcome. ☺️
Really enjoy your videos with all the extra information. Not noticed the tilt of the OHLE before, interesting. I remember reading about the car on the track. A combination of good luck and design saved many lives. I would say the car was a right off. I didn't know about the ballastless track in tunnels. I learn so much from your videos. That was a fine mess regarding the signalling. Those flat spots act like a hammer blow to the track, depending on severity.
Thanks “Walt”. You always say nice things! There’s lots of interesting “stuff” on the railway. I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface. I’ll try to keep bringing these factoids as we go along.
Thank you Don. I so much like your informative video's. Superb!
Thanks for the positive feedback.
Listen to those holec motors go. Great video
They do sing don’t they. Have a listen to the 350 on the Preston to Carlisle video.
Another excellent one Don. Particularly interesting for me as I usually travel from Stoke to Euston on a Pendolino out of Piccadilly, so it's nice to see the rest of the line that I always miss out on!!
Thanks Steve. Yes, I mentioned in another reply that anyone with the remotest interest in railways is always appreciative of a look out of the front.
Great video. Nice to see you mention Woodford Airfield (the site of my employment for nearly 20 years) and I've lived and travelled this route for over 35 years and never knew about Mayfield station !! You learn something new every day. Thanks again Don!
i do like to see the old blue brick at some of the stations reminds me of old New St Bham when i was a kid sadly disappearing now.Excellent video as always thanks Don
I know. Sometimes stone but even when brick was used they really knew how to show off. There are some blue brick walls round Manchester that are just sensational and not even connected to the railway any longer. Recognising the craftsmanship is easy though.
Another excellent video Don !!! I love all of those little "tidbits "of info you jam into the video ! Well done !
Thank you for sharing !!! :):):)
Thanks to you too Harry, another “regular” on this channel.
I really like this Don. So far I have watched all your videos. It's probably the only thing I watch on CZcams and it looks very good on the tv in the living room. I find it very relaxing, and I really appreciate the extra info and effort you put in it.
I'm not from the Manchester area. In fact, I live in The Netherlands. But I like to visit this part of the UK. So for me this is a really good combination of a bit of education about the railways and sightseeing :-)
Love to see more video's in spring and summertime!
Thanks Biem. There are a growing number of viewers from the NL. I used to work in the Benelux countries a lot in my motor industry days. Glad you like the videos and yes, seeing the changing seasons is one of my favourite aspects of driving trains.
This is the one I've been waiting for, into and out of Macclesfield and on to Manchester. Thank you.
You work for Network rail Richard?
the Bridge after the one at Cliffe Vale is the site of the old Etruria Station where the platform was in the middle tracks either side and access was down concrete stairs from the road passing over. long gone but not forgotten
Yes I remember it. I doubt they’d get away with shutting it these days.
Very good video in joyed it all the way thank you
Another great video Don. Quality and information excellent.
Thanks david.
Once again a really informative video, thanks.
Sorry for late reply, it didn’t show up in my pending list. Thanks Anthony.
I'm very struck by the strong acceleration of this class 323. Your shots of the speedometer showed that the needle sweeps all around the dial evenly. There seems to be no struggle to make the last 10 mph. Thanks, as always.
Yes, they are perfect for that rapid stop/start work martin.
Nice bit of history as well
excellent narative....that nissan will pull out...only a scratch lol...man they were lucky...
Yes, it all could have ended differently, that one Russ.
@@doncoffey5820 btw...your signal video was very informative...now I understand them better...watching other videos I can now predict what the drivers going to do....lol as im typing this theres a squealing 66 on track behind my house...well nearly...its about 600 yards away,one other thing...what are the blue topped boxes trackside...in some videos...is it inspection covers for cables and wiring ? like these at 16:19 on left trackside czcams.com/video/0ZB80736iVY/video.html
Drainage covers Russ.
Thanks again for another fantastic video, and all the information, beginning to get addicted! Very calming too, far better than watching, listening and reading about the political turmoil these days.
Aye, it does get on your nerves doesn’t it.
Don, another excellent video. Front row seat, and cup of coffee in hand (pun intended!).
Enjoy!
Another cracking video, enjoyed every minute. Keep up the great work.
Thanks. More soon.
Another gem, Don. Glad to see the little 153s are still doing the Nottingham-Crewe route.. I used to get that in the 80s on my regular Grantham-Bangor run.... I think they were new stock then :-)
Those things are still going strong. They pop up every day at York.
@@doncoffey5820 153s finished in GWR Cornwall due to disabled access issues i believe... I used to like them. That 323 accelerates like a rocket!!
Hi Don,
Brilliant video but just for completeness I would add comments on the Potteries loop line which started southbound off the main line just North of Kidsgrove Central and called at Kidsgrove Liverpool Road and then on via Tunstall, Burslem and Hanley rejoining the main line just before Etruria. Additionally there was also a single line which went from the loop line at Tunstall Junction to Pinnox Junction just North of Longport. During the electrification of the main line the “loop” line was used extensively to divert weekend trains to allow modernisation work to progress. Similarly sometimes the single line was also used. So trains like the Comet, London Euston to Manchester London Road, became double headed sometimes with 2 old Fowler class 4’s from somewhere before the loop line started and in the case of Southbound changed at Stoke for the more usual Patriots and Jubilees, even the occasional Royal Scot. I don’t recall ever seeing Black 5’s doing this so it may be they were also over the load limits. (There was a single track tunnel between Kidsgrove Liverpool Road and Goldenhill with load limits less than the usual locos on the mainline trains.) As you said in a previous reply about Etruria station being closed one wonders if they would have closed the loop line today.
My uncle was signalman at Tunstall and I spent many happy hours trainspotting there. Fond memories of the 50’s in the Potteries. Thanks for rekindlng them.
I struggle to time the captions so there’s a limit to what I can include. When we filmed, the camera crashed on the way to Stoke otherwise I might have got more in. However, I might convince my mate that it’s time for a rerun 😉