This is the best documentary I've ever seen. Screw Louis Theroux, this documentary has everything. Insular Yorkshireman? Check Fare dodging? Check 90's fashion? Check. Trust me, if you want an in depth look into how BR ran in the early 90's then look no further.
Class 47/4 ... Thirty year old diesel locomotive in this documentary during 1991. These are still around though more like 55 years old and of course not in great numbers. 555 Class 47s of all derivatives were originally built at Brush and in Crewe.
843dbt Thank you. I once had a trainspotter-type book that said it was 555 but I think what it should have been informing me was 47001 to 47555 were the original TOPS numbers.
Good lord. Didn't know all this slimy crap about "issues" was prevalent then, I call it wankspeak, don't remember it on the Southern Region at the time. Of course now they're all at it, especially polichickens...Those push pull 91 sets always seemed a bad idea to me. Much better to have a loco at each end, like an HST, or an MU set with multiple motors. I recall well having to repair traction motors due to snow ingress. The snow'd blow up and get sucked in to the self-ventilated motors, and flashovers was the result. Older electric trains used sealed motors, and they just kept plodding on. Glad I'm retired.
DVTs stuck on the end of everything didn't appeal to me either back in the 80s when the craze began in Scotland with those Mk 2E Brake conversions. I used to be on the Western where the w**kspeak you refer to (nice one BTW) was moderate until you hit Reading out of Paddington and crossed onto the patch controlled by the great Tony Barry. Possibly the most repellent thing to be found on the railway anywhere!
Most of them probably took retirement ( especially those on old-school Contracts)& those who were youngsters in their 20s & 30s carried their service over to the new contractor.
Doesn't even take that now to stop the oh so superior modern plastic trains. Found that one out for myself at the controls of a 375 Electrofarce. A little bit of ice on the juice rail, and the computer said no. Glad I'm retired from the lunatic asylum that is today's railway.
I work on London Underground and some of my mates are train operators. As good as the job can be, it does come with a lot of stress, so I think the drivers can be within their right to whine and complain from time to time.
All the drivers were old men from a different era. Old dogs!! Love them!! Bless them. They are probably all gone by now...
absolutely bloody brilliant
Haven't seen snow like that in London in all my life. Crazy
Lady says it all at around 23mins. True today, and never changes, just now cash is stolen in huge quantities
This is the best documentary I've ever seen. Screw Louis Theroux, this documentary has everything. Insular Yorkshireman? Check Fare dodging? Check 90's fashion? Check. Trust me, if you want an in depth look into how BR ran in the early 90's then look no further.
rshepherd45 look up old dirty and late. covers nse in 93
Pity the picture and audio quality has deteriorated so much
why didn't they have a commentary on these old documentaries?
WOW! Food serving looks 5 star.
That must have been the last time a train arrived on time at Kings Cross...
You're not wrong.
Nonsense
Class 47/4 ... Thirty year old diesel locomotive in this documentary during 1991. These are still around though more like 55 years old and of course not in great numbers. 555 Class 47s of all derivatives were originally built at Brush and in Crewe.
512 not 555.
843dbt Thank you. I once had a trainspotter-type book that said it was 555 but I think what it should have been informing me was 47001 to 47555 were the original TOPS numbers.
23:09 and 45:20... two warnings of things to come...
Driver at the end climbing into a blue bin bag I assume is to keep warm the drafty old loco?
yep, ever driven a '47 ?
Good lord. Didn't know all this slimy crap about "issues" was prevalent then, I call it wankspeak, don't remember it on the Southern Region at the time. Of course now they're all at it, especially polichickens...Those push pull 91 sets always seemed a bad idea to me. Much better to have a loco at each end, like an HST, or an MU set with multiple motors. I recall well having to repair traction motors due to snow ingress. The snow'd blow up and get sucked in to the self-ventilated motors, and flashovers was the result. Older electric trains used sealed motors, and they just kept plodding on. Glad I'm retired.
DVTs stuck on the end of everything didn't appeal to me either back in the 80s when the craze began in Scotland with those Mk 2E Brake conversions. I used to be on the Western where the w**kspeak you refer to (nice one BTW) was moderate until you hit Reading out of Paddington and crossed onto the patch controlled by the great Tony Barry. Possibly the most repellent thing to be found on the railway anywhere!
Wonder what happened to these staff when it was privatized. .. think Virgin run this line now
Most of them probably took retirement ( especially those on old-school Contracts)& those who were youngsters in their 20s & 30s carried their service over to the new contractor.
Wrong type of snow!!!!!!!
Doesn't even take that now to stop the oh so superior modern plastic trains. Found that one out for myself at the controls of a 375 Electrofarce. A little bit of ice on the juice rail, and the computer said no. Glad I'm retired from the lunatic asylum that is today's railway.
What a whingey, whiney lot those drivers are.
'Cunt lugs' Classy!
Anyway why would I want to drive a train?
I work on London Underground and some of my mates are train operators. As good as the job can be, it does come with a lot of stress, so I think the drivers can be within their right to whine and complain from time to time.
Driving trains & dealing with the hazards that go with it is always stressful, a bit like a professional Lorry, bus or coach driver.