Cabride - Tunbridge Wells to Eridge 1985
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- čas přidán 26. 02. 2018
- A cab ride from inside Class 207 1310, recorded on 24th June 1985, a few weeks prior to the closure of the line. Following the cab ride is footage from within Birchden Junction signal box, various external shots of Thumpers on the line, and ending with a view from within Grove Junction box. Credit to Railscene for the filming.A DVD copy is available from Kingfisher Productions
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It was a crime closing this connection which I remember well from childhood. If the line from Uckfield to Lewes had remained open then we could have had Tunbridge Wells to Brighton services now! Such short sightedness!
I was 16 that year and left school and saw the closure, Iv always observed the decay over the decades and the rebuild. Glad it was kept
Can't stop watching this as it my grandfather driving the last train on here going through Grove junction
travalled many times to london from tunbridge wells central too nice to see and hear the old trains this wont be the last time i watch this vidio x
I should be grumbling about my copyright being ignored but I haven't looked at this for so long that in fact I'm actually grateful that you've brought it back to my attention. However, please ask before doing this again. Those were the days before 'elf 'n safety when I could get permission to go inside signal boxes, stand in the sidings and even go in the cab. I'm also mildly surprised that I was doing quite well with my incredibly heavy cameras and separate recorders whilst lugging them everywhere. Thank goodness for modern lightweight stuff of today! Happy days. Jeremy English
Oddly enough, I disagree with you re 4K! There is a hidden benefit which only comes when editing and which is the ability to zoom in on something whilst editing whilst retaining a decent picture. It gives the editor far more flexibility than simple HD and completely outclasses the old SD standards. Since it takes up only a modest amount more of storage space on the computer, I would say 4K is now essential and look forward to 8K. Also, I think the argument about drivers being forbidden to use cameras whilst driving is more about distraction and thus is safety-related rather than just spite! JE.
@@Railscenevideo Nice to see you on here Jeremy, can I ask what happened with Railscene now it's sold through Kingfisher video? do you still own copyright or was it a business sale etc? I still love the Euston - Liverpool and I have the double DVD of Waterloo - Exeter from Kingfisher. good old days.
Hi Gus, or@@Thunderer0872 ! Sadly, due to various manoeuvrings around me in the early 1990s I lost control of Railscene and all its programming and the company itself went bust. I still own the copyrights of the original footage itself but have never since had the means to try and reassert ownership. Thanks for your kind remarks. Jeremy
@@Railscenevideowoah sounds bad sorry to hear that, Hi it's Laurence by the way, GG was the Hoover bashers Nickname for me (Your favourite class of basher!) lol , we've meet a couple of times in the past, I am so sorry to hear that happened hope you can get it back some day, as you filmed 99% of the content I hope that goes towards helping you get it back.
Cheers and thanks Laurence. To be fair, I probably did about 60% of the filming during the Railscene years. Andy Kennedy did a massive amount, mostly modern image so I expect you saw him (and Roger Smith) more than you saw me.
Jeremy
The engineering work you see at the start of the video leading up to the junction, was the beginning of the end for this line, as the day after the line was closed the crossover at Grove Junction was removed.
Why
@@mister_M. Cos they shut that line! the west station and onwards to ERIDGE IS NOW SPA VALLEY heritage railway, but the first section through the tunnel is history. (hit caps lock, can't be bothered to go correct).
I love this, I used to live in the Station House at Groombridge, I must have ridden this line 100,s of times. Thank you for sharing.
The site of (most of) Tunbridge Wells West was taken up by a Sainsbury Supermarket and associated car park. The Spa Valley Railway does occupy a tiny part of the site though
By the conversation between the driver and whoever was filming is seems this was shot only a few days before the line closed. Very short sighted closing this line - it’s retention would have given more weight to the case for reopening the Uckfield to Lewes line - with population growth, very slow buses and ever increasing parking restrictions in Brighton there would have been a case for a fast service from Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells to Brighton/Eastbourne
It was indeed a very short time before it closed. I obtained permission from the BR Southern Region (just as it became Network SouthEast) to film that day and enjoyed the ride with the driver, to whom I am indebted for all his help and information. I'm so delighted that the Spa Valley railway is going from strength to strength these days. What a shame BR sold off the station at Groombedge. I had a lovely time back in those days doing cab rides!
Lovely nostalgia, cheers !
Heartbreaking that this useful link closed, ostensibly to save the cost of resignalling Grove Junction. Rode this line a year or so before closure by BR.
For years after the closure, a ticket from Eridge was valid from Tunbridge Wells to London which was cheaper! It looked like the Eridge Hurst Green was in danger in the late 80s ironically when Portillo was transport Minister.
I travelled on the SVR last weekend so find this Video very interesting. Thank you to Jeremy English.
Excellent tone from the driver before the tunnel section
I grew up riding this line from 76 until it closed, thanks for sharing, it brings back many happy memories.
Closing the Eridge to Tunbridge wells central line was such a short sighted mistake, especially if the line from Uckfield to Lewes had been reinstated, then the Brighton trains would have had two additional relief routes, not to mention taking god knows how many cars of the road.
I agree 100% - the Eridge to Heathfield line was a bum move too:- it'd be very useful today, driving around the Rotherfield/Mayfield/Heathfield area in the summer months is an absolute living nightmare, there is just so much bally traffic clogging up the, primarily rural 'B' roads, with just a single lane in each direction.
However, I read an interesting report from (I think) Transport 2000 who have done some really great research and a report recommending reopening Eridge to Heathfield, and possibly Heathfield to Hailsham.
I know that there is a very, very small group of Spa Valley members who would like to see the SpVR extend on to the 'Cuckoo Line' in the future - with part commercial part heritage operations; in a similar way to Swanage with its Wareham services.
So, let's hope that the very small group of interested people grows in number over the coming years, and one day Route 31 will be from Tun Wells to Heathfield once again.
And, while I'm dreaming, maybe the Hartfield/Forest Row Line could provide a direct link between the Spa Valley and the Bluebell. I know, I'm dreaming, but I'm getting older - I need something to look forward too!!!
Best Wishes
Zac
@@TheZacDJ It would be nice if it ever happened, trouble is all the bloody houses they built along and on the old rail line
@@sidney001 In fairness, both the line to North of Heathfield and to Forest Row are completely clear of development. Beyond Forest Row a new alignment would be required across the edge of farmland, joining the Bluebell line about ¼mile north of Kingscote. A 'Y' shaped jcn, facing both up and down could be easily fitted in. But, please remember, these arejust the rose Tinted musings of someone that is the wrong side of 50 to be ever likely to see something so audacious and brave.
What a fantastic video. And don't you just love those old train horns awesome. Thank you for posting it
You can still hear those horns on the mainline today with 1001 & the GBRf 73's
Nice bit of Relaying work going on at the beginning.
The year I started on BR. Great days they were too.
Great footage...thank you..
When I lived in TW I used to use the TW West station as it was much more relaxing & civilised. I never went onto Eridge, wish I had, beautiful lush countryside.
Thanks for sharing. I lived in groombridge in the 80s and this brought back some fun memories!
What a fantastic step back in time!!!!
I love seeing the token being given at the beginning. Is the first station after the tunnel tunbridge wells?! So many beautiful stations on this trip that must’ve been bulldozered? Erridge in particular. Spot the carriages without the no smoking signs..... a really extraordinary video. I grew up in Dorking with the reading-tonbridge line behind my house, and the tadpoles working this during my early childhood in the 70s before the 117 dmus took over and the Gatwick connection probably saved the line. I used to get taken up to the signal box at Dorking north too. Wouldn’t be allowed now, (1) H&S and (2) I was only aged 8-11 or so and of course ‘questions’ would be asked. Don that ran that signalbox was so kind to me. And wouldn’t ever let me cross the third rail unhelped.
I live in Tunbridge Wells and I never knew that went down there
Amazing seeing all that area where Sainsbury’s /Homebase currently stands as a rail yard & station , shame they didn’t keep it like that
used to live on the ramslye estate form 1964 had a saturday job opposite the west station in 1971 in a little garage run buy keith mellor a friend of my dads i had a friend that i met just after i left school called ray ecclseley he worked at the west station i used to visit him and drank tea many times in the station his family of 5 boys lived on the station at eridge there dad worked for BR too thanks for taking this vidio maybe ray will see this comment and get in touch x
Excellent footage. I always enjoy seeing old clips of this line, I only know it as it is now as the Spa Valley Railway
Very interesting video did the line myself in 1980
What a fantastic piece of footage, thank you for sharing it
I heard plans have recently been submitted to reinstate this line. It's a shame this line was torn up and I think it will be a shame if its gets reinstated because of the spa Valley railway. I know this line was running at a loss but can anyone name a railway company today that doesn't run at a loss at the end of the tax year!
excellent video 👍it truly a shame that they lifted the track from the beginning of your video and demolished the station and now there's a supermarket instead I couldn't see what the problem was we need it to take some cars off the road it should have been left alone 😠
So sad short sighted of BR to close the line.
More staff than passengers on most of those trains. Of course they had to close it! It was doing little more than transporting fresh air to Eridge and back. The crime was in not keeping the trackbed to allow possible resinstatement in the modern era.
It carried over 275,000 passengers a year, a lot more than numerous lines still running. Tunbridge Wells West station site raised a fortune for some - plus ça change..
It all seems so primitive for the mid 80s. I used to catch this train very often and cross the platform to jump on the Jarvis Brook train. Such a long time ago, but I can still hear the automated platform announcements as I stood on the platform at Tunbridge Wells Central.
Great to relive it again in 2024. With all the line closures decades ago, I guess no governments or politicians since then, had any idea there'd be a huge housing crisis brewing! What with new road building programmes taking off in each decade snce, sadly, a lot of these closed lines and there nearby land have been lost forever, to build the houses and new roads and by-passes that just weren't planned for in Beechings time. 👍💯🇬🇧
Absolute Magic...
Brilliant video, love it !! Thanks for posting 👍👍👍
The spa valley railway now uses groombridge station years later
The Merther to Swansea railway which ran through Cummer Station in Neath closed in 1980 by BR.
THANK YOU. What a great trip down memory lane, and great quality given the age
Today tonbridge wells west station is now a sainsburys car park
Thanks for this one - never got to see before it went - a really really duff idea IMHO.
Most of it's been preserved as the Spa Valley Railway: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spa_Valley_Railway
Thanks. I was not aware that the tunnel was single untill seening this, and it was more this parts loss that I was refering to.
The work SPV have done is very commendable; especially ove the farm crossing.
love the thumper aka bog cars sound .. another short sighted plan to close the line
How many people do you see using it in this video?
FANTASTIC!
Such a shame these lines closed but more they removed the track beds, at least with those intact a line could be reopened
What a truly fantastic video and just love the old train horns sends a shiver down your spine
Fabulous footage and a real shame the line was closed, although you can you tell BR were running it down. Would be interesting to know how well the line was used as I've seen a number of films of this line and many of the stations are often devoid of passengers.
Recently visited the Spa Valley Railway in August 2019, Even though have experienced it, I didn't know that the railway used to connect onto Tunbridge Wells Station via the tunnel now close to Tunbridge Wells West Sainsbury's. But I now I do. Such a shame it all closed and hope to one day see some sort of development where the Spa Valley Railway has via a possible future extension, a new route constructed via that tunnel on a single branch to another place apart from Tunbridge Wells Central Station. Maybe connecting onto a village or more villages and giving this heritage railway more of a purpose to towns & villages that don't currently have any railways connected to them. By the way, the other discovery I just witnessed when watching this video was that High Rocks Halt station didn't used to exist, where it now does and is a halt station on the Spa Valley Railway. Interesting. By the way was a good video, answer a lot of my questions I had and gave me a proper insight to what the Spa Valley Railway or the railway what was then called the Tunbridge Wells to Eridge Line has taught me & showed me. Thank you very much for uploading this and look forward to what footage & videos you upload next & in the close future. :)
Although this video does not show it, there was in fact a halt at high rocks, this was a request stop, and not regularly used. Subsequently by the time this video was recorded, the halt has been de-commitioned, and removed. Next time you travel on the Spa Valley Railway, be sure to keep an eye out for the original concrete posts either side of the bridge, and the metal framework for the steps leading down, which are only remaining on the new high rocks station side
@@tomrobinson3064 High Rocks Halt was a timetabled stop for Cuckoo Line Tunbridge Wells West to Eastbourne trains in the 1950s.
Semaphores, bells , 60ft sections jointed track . Talking in the cab. Before OMOs, 1 man operated trains.
No RETB, ATPS .
Great stuff.
OPO conversion had happened on the line between Bedford and St Pancras in the early 80's. It was the first.....
Yeah, back in the days when trains would regularly hit each other and kill lots of people...
14:14 - Note the split distant semaphore signals on the up line. I recall reading at the time of the closure that these were the last of their type on the Southern Region.
Great video have been on Spa valley railway quite a lot past few years but never before this time Tunbridge Wells West what a Station pity it's a restaurant would love to go back in time thanks for vid.
@@chrisfrost8456 I was there on the last day. Still have my Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge return ticket purchased just around lunchtime on that final day.
I'm guessing the work in the tunnel is related to the impending electrification of the line to Hastings.....
That was already going ahead what they are doing is ripping up the connection between Tun Wells and Tun Wells West apparently the whole lot was gone after this video was filmed.
Used to be a Class 50 stabled at Eridge.
Lovely to see this countryside line as it was. That tunnel's a bit worse for wear these days, and full of footballs for some reason!
oh! so it doubles back to be passing through that hill again
Great video the thing is in todays world the ripping up of those lines had no fore thought what so ever with an ever increasing population in the UK these train services are vital, I live in New Zealand where there is no provincial passenger services what so ever, I love riding on your rail net works when I get back to Blighty at least you have passenger services I don,y and who wants to travel by car, I did drive once last visit in 2015 eastbourne to Orpington I enjoyed the drive but could not get over how fast traffic travels at on the motorway evrything passed me even little smart cars and I was being a good boy sitting at the speed limit then I thought stuff it I am going to speed up and go with the flow a great day was had but still I was trying to go by train from eastbourne to Orpington yeah right
Superb
I note that they have recently lengthened the platform at Eridge however the modern trains now running are not that long??
Did the same at Cowden.
I needed to know why don’t they dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so that they can extend the unused abandoned underground stations.
Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock and that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into Five cars per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those Five cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers.
A Stock Train and 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it bigger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Train tunnel into a High-Speed train?
The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Train line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 37 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project that is OK for London Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden.
oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden Easily.
Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly line and also build brand-new underground train Stations so it could go even further up to Clapton, Wood Street also make another brand new tunnel train Station in Chingford and could they extend the DLR?
All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Five carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains.
Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and they can order Every 17 Octagon and Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique small no.13 and unique minor no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 117MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 117MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!!!!!, oh can you make all of those Coal Boxes’s 16 Tonnes for all of the 117MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!!!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are Told!! And please do something about these very important Professional ideas Please Prime Minister of England, the Prime Minister of Sweden, the Prime Minister of Germany, the Prime Minister of Italy, the Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.
Just read description,,, doah!!! Guess they are ripping it out then . Another shame.
Why did this route close?
What are the names of the intermediate stations?
I think it was Tunbridge Wells West, high rocks, Groombridge then on to eridge. The same is it is today on the spa valley railway, apart from Tunbridge Wells West Station now being a restaurant.
what is the station called at 10 mins in to film
Groombridge
What was the signalman doing please... when he reached out the window
During single track working, a physical token was given to the driver that ensured safe passage on the line. The token would be collected by the signalman once the train has passed through the single track section. Each token would be engraved with the section of single line track being worked. This system of signalling was called Token Block Signalling.
Thankyou very much for clarifying that...
They should never have closed that stretch of track.
Well, parts of it are still open via the Spa Valley Railway if you ever heard of it? Hoping that this heritage railway company extend one day from Tunbridge Wells West to some sort of village or town that currently has no train station. Would give the railway a proper purpose in my opinion.
@@DJSOfficialUK Hi Daniel, yes I've heard of it. I live in the area 😃
Whilst this is a fascinating video, I'm not sure I can conjure up the anger and indignation of some posters here. This line closed because hardly anyone used it, and the operating costs were astronomical - that's six manual signal boxes! Upgrading the line would have cost a fortune, but would have been very unlikely to attract much new business to a line running through a sparsely-populated and wealthy area.
BR had to spend what limited funding it had on the most pressing needs, and at the time the Hastings line needed the cash. The Hastings diesel units were falling apart and the limited clearance through the tunnels was a big problem, so spending money on that was more important than a branch that was paralleled by alternative bus services.
The line might be useful now, but we are where we are. At the time, I don't see what else anyone could have done.
The TW-Eridge line makes no sense and it's no surprise it didn't make money; the line that would have made sense was the line through to East Grinstead and Crawley, which could have been run with DMUs (Sprinters were coming in at the time this was shot) to link the towns across north Sussex and perhaps even through to Guildford. I've driven along the A264 between Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead and it can't be any faster than this line. It's a dreadful, windy road.
I think the line was doomed when both the Uckfield - Lewis & Groombridge - East Grinstead - Three Bridges sections were shut in the 1960's. Tunbridge Wells - Brighton or Tunbridge Wells - Three Bridges services using this section of line could have been an economic reality, even in the 1980;s. But with the piecemeal closure of these related routes the Tunbridge Wells - Eridge section really don't make much sense on its own.
A salutary lesson on the need to have regard to the bigger picture I think.
Carry on Clagging 🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃
Great video 👍🏻 I just remember the line open 😁 Sad it’s closed now especially with global warming 🙈
Line looked unwanted and unloved.
Jack Sugden..That's exactly how BR got to close lines. No upgrade, no investment, slap a speed restriction on it ,then time the trains to run when no one wants to travel . I.e change the arrival time in the major terminus from 8.45 am to 9.03 am after most people have started work . Or retime to just miss a citybound connection . Then lo and behold it's become uneconomical . No one's using it. Can we close it minister? Yes ? Oh thanks very much ... You're seeing it in action on this (brilliant by the way ) video.
It's the 80s. The whole country looked like that!
@@woodchippings1234567 Thanks to the 70s
Yep no public consultation just run it down,now that we need less cars this line could have surged a purpose I am sure the locals in these areas would love to see it reinstated,Tun Wells is gridlocked with polluting traffic now and more houses no joined up thinking.
@@chrisfrost8456 Seemed like god-bless the motorcar