As a youngster back in the seventies I used to lay in bed listening to the Deltic kings cross to Edinburgh express and still can remember it like it was yesterday 👍
I lived in flats not far from the Seven Sisters/Hornsey Road area. Some distance away from the Finsbury Park depot, but I distinctly remember hearing them being revved up from my home. It's a sound you never forget. Great memories!
I was an apprentice in the late 70’s at Paxman GEC diesels, we spent time building and testing Deltics during our time there, the con-rods were mirror polished, and the gears in the phasing case rang when the engine was up and running, phenomenal piece of engineering even today, no other internal combustion engine comes near it for design innovation and concept.
As an engineer myself , I can tell you, The engineering being done from 1900-1970 is just so wild, so beyond anything that's being done today. Today everything is about just making more crap for cheap and making incremental year-over-year micro-improvements.
Used listen to the Deltics drone on a night we lived 3 miles outside railway station in York and the main line was about 1/2 mile from my house on a night I could quite clearly hear them powering up as they headed out of York towards Edinburgh it was quite melodic but yet comforting, wish I could go back those 48 years 😊
I was often on those Deltics on a Sunday evening 48 years ago, POWERING out of York Station - especially if they were running late..... by the time we reached Newcastle they'd nearly always made up or were ahead of time! "Melodic but yet comforting" is a perfect description.
Must have been amazing. I can hear the Colas Rail Class 37’s doing track surveys in the middle of the night near mine (Weybridge) - you just know it’s something different coming down the line! Also get what you mean about comforting!
I understand completely. I used to live in a house backing on to the West Coast Mainline. Those wonderful engines were a backdrop to my life. I miss that sound.
Spent hours watching these and the last of the A4s on the East Coast mainline. The undulating drone could be heard a long time before you could see it. Standing on the platform as this beast went through at full speed was as good as it got. Later in life, one of my neighbours, a keen modeller, had worked at Napiers on the Deltic engine.
Brought back memories of a failed DMU in Suffolk, dragged along its route by a 'sportily driven' Deltic back in the 70s or 80s, an experience never to be forgotten by all who rode that day!
I had the pleasure of listening to the sound of Deltics running for three years every time I went to sea as the UK's Royal Navy had two fitted to the HUNT class minesweepers as there main propulsion............what a joy that was!
@@damianharris2167 Pretty much which was a joy...........the only problem now is the RN has replaced them all for Cats as they were getting unreliable and expensive to run as spares became harder to source.
Years ago I was taking some photos on what I thought was a disused piece of railway.....Turned out that it wasn't disused and I was lucky enough to be standing right next to the track when a Deltic rumbled past fairly slowly. Gave the driver a bit of a surprise as I didn't have any clothes on at the time (Being well away from where I expected to find ANY other people and it being a lovely hot sunny day). Absolutely awesome to see, hear, feel and smell one go past so close!
One word. 'Magnificent'. My favourite Class of diesel. You can tell they exude power. Even when turned off. Had some good tours with them. Still quite capable of doing what they were built to do
Absolutely beautiful, they sound like a two stroke Detroit diesel found in an ASLAV which I’ve had the pleasure of hearing in person so can imagine what these sound like in person
Always thought these trains were mean looking, as a kid growing up in the 70s I always remember the distinct yellow front coming towards you with that roar, just a beautiful train, thankyou for the video 🫶
I used to love seeing the Deltics hauling trains out of King's Cross in my youth in the 70's, the downside being I'd end up with headaches and feeling pretty grotty from breathing the fumes all day. Happy Days!
My late Father regularly took me down to London from Manchester in the 70s and we'd always stop at Kings Cross to see the BR blue deltics in action. We loved them. Such iconic locos.
Yes, I remember as a young boy standing alongside a throbbing Deltic for the first time at Doncaster Station - and thinking it was like a beast straining on it's leash to be 'off' - even at that age I was aware that no other locomotive ticked over in such a spectacular fashion - or looked so supremely powerful! I was at KX th other day and thought how sterile it looked with the rather boring Hitachi's......even worse I then had to ride a Hull Trains version and suffer it's numbingly uncomfortable seats and agitated ride. You're right the Deltics were an icon!
@paulcaswell2813 That would have been heaven. I never saw them, but every time my Dad took me to Kings cross we always stopped to see the Deltics. I loved to see them in their heydays.
This brings back memories of my childhood in Paisley Two Deltics used to pass my house regularly pulling coal wagons A great sight , the house used to shake too !
Brilliant video Liam and Phil.. it’s a great sound you get from those diesels. They are fantastic and worth seeing, . Enjoyable watching. Kind regards C&A
I remember back in late 1970s stood on Grimsby’s St James church tower and could still hear it accelerating out from Brocklesby straight towards b barnetby, amazing and never beaten.
I have memories of some unearthly hour in the '70s, hitchhiking between 36 Engineer in Maidstone and home and stood waiting on the North Doncaster By-pass roundabout and hearing an overnight sleeper service heading up the ECML.
Will never forget hearing my first at Kings X ca. 1981 - a rare treat for a teenager from the Cotswolds.. Whether it was the greatest sounding is a subjective thing but it was for sure the most sophisticated sounding diesel.. a world away from the Class 50's I was used to..
I worked on the railways when Deltics were running up and down, they looked and sounded great. Later on, by chance, I got a cab ride in one, that was quite an experiance
I never saw Deltics at speed, but clocked almost all of them at King's Cross where I used to trainspot quite a lot in the late 70's, early 80's before they were withdrawn from service. Always impressive, always beautiful to look at, and LOUD!
I was lucky we lived at Potters Bar and for a short time backed onto the railway they were often at full power heading north as they were against the grade until about half a mile north of the station.
The second engine isn’t required until 40mph. Therefore the locos often only have one engine in serviceable condition, when operating on a heritage line.
In the 1970s, I used to travel from Darlington to Kings Cross (and vice versa), hoping for a Class 55 rather than a Class 47 to provide the motive power, and also used the Middlesbrough to Whitby line. In those days it appeared an impossible dream to see and hear one of these magnificent machines at Battersby!
Well..! Superlatives fail me..! A glorious tribute to the mighty Deltic; King of Diesels! Nice to see No.16 on the GCR - doubt we will ever see her run again, given that she is currently stuffed and mounted at Margate, just like KOYLI in the NRM. So we are extremely fortunate to have the DPS locos to enjoy, more so when Tulyar comes back into service and of course, LSL with No.22. Thank you gentlemen! You made a Deltic fan very happy!
Sadly, most of these shots showed only one engine running and thus missing out on the slightly out-of-synch resonance of going full monty with both Napiers wide open.
Interesting sound, my favorite are the old Baldwins, especially the twin engine transfer units like MN&S #21. EMD 567 non turbo engines a close second.
Are they only running on one engine ? The noise from the east coast main line as they powered up outside York is still a firm childhood memory along with the thump of 37’s floating through the night air 😍
Well... I absolutely love complicated engines, and the Brits sure delivered: Napier Nomad & Sabre, RR Crecy, BRM P-75 & V-16 and the mighty Deltic... but noise wise my 1st choice is the Alco 567 (go see the Indian railways) But the Deltic has everyone covered on unusual architecture, and gets a close secon place in my book. keep 'em comming!
Why so much blue smoke? Two stroke detroits dont smoke when warmed up. Awesome design though. NYC fire department had one on a Super pumper truck in 70s.
@@jakept3238The engine has three crankshafts in a triangular arrangement, two turning in one direction and one in the other direction and three banks each of 6 cylinders. It was developed by Napier from a Junkers Motoren aircraft engine with six cylinders and two crankshafts, for which Napier bought a manufacturing licence from Junkers in the 1930s. The Junkers engine was used mainly on a naval patrol aircraft; see "Fliegende Holzschuh".
At 5:38, on the viaduct, what is the purpose of the extra rails between the main gauge? They look like they are bolted down in shoes yet they can't be a guide rail as too far away and they can't be a narrow gauge running on the same rails because they run out at the bottom of the shot. So, what are they for please? Is to help maintain alignment on the viaduct? That's all I can think of!
As an American, I can say that the Napier Deltic sounds superb. I love that drone noise it makes. With its 2 stroke design, they seem to be reliable engines. As far as american freight locomotives. General Electric (4 stroke engines) and EMD (2 stroke(The Tier 4 SD70ACe has a 4 stroke engine)). I love the sound that each one makes.
Thank you, loved that! I have had my hand on 9009 & 9019's handles (on Heritage lines) several years back. Used to be a shareholder of 9000 & 9016 about a million years ago. Have done some work on 9016 under different ownership in later years. Been onboard several of the fleet when engines started, 9016 topping up oil level when other PU started up, no ear-defenders, just pure sonic magic!! Still love the Deltics!
Deltic drone and Vulcan bomber howl. Two of the best sounds ever xx
And the class 37 and the English electric lighting all good and loud 😀
Have a Google for "V16 BRM".
Sound good on the outside but if you were sat going at full chat on the inside (as I did working) horrendous noisy and no ear protectors.
Plus the class 56 locomotive & concorde at full power !!
I like the class 20 too.
As a youngster back in the seventies I used to lay in bed listening to the Deltic kings cross to Edinburgh express and still can remember it like it was yesterday 👍
I lived in flats not far from the Seven Sisters/Hornsey Road area. Some distance away from the Finsbury Park depot, but I distinctly remember hearing them being revved up from my home. It's a sound you never forget. Great memories!
Yep spent the night in a b & b in york all night I could hear the Napier roar as the sleepers went past
Yup, me too...... we lived near the ECML between New Barnet and Oakleigh Park. Late at night you could hear that drone for miles!
They sounded like nothing else. You could hear them miles away.
I was an apprentice in the late 70’s at Paxman GEC diesels, we spent time building and testing Deltics during our time there, the con-rods were mirror polished, and the gears in the phasing case rang when the engine was up and running, phenomenal piece of engineering even today, no other internal combustion engine comes near it for design innovation and concept.
As an engineer myself , I can tell you, The engineering being done from 1900-1970 is just so wild, so beyond anything that's being done today. Today everything is about just making more crap for cheap and making incremental year-over-year micro-improvements.
Used listen to the Deltics drone on a night we lived 3 miles outside railway station in York and the main line was about 1/2 mile from my house on a night I could quite clearly hear them powering up as they headed out of York towards Edinburgh it was quite melodic but yet comforting, wish I could go back those 48 years 😊
I was often on those Deltics on a Sunday evening 48 years ago, POWERING out of York Station - especially if they were running late..... by the time we reached Newcastle they'd nearly always made up or were ahead of time! "Melodic but yet comforting" is a perfect description.
Must have been amazing. I can hear the Colas Rail Class 37’s doing track surveys in the middle of the night near mine (Weybridge) - you just know it’s something different coming down the line! Also get what you mean about comforting!
I understand completely. I used to live in a house backing on to the West Coast Mainline.
Those wonderful engines were a backdrop to my life. I miss that sound.
I wish we could all go back 48 years for many reasons.
Any closer and the bedroom would be full of fumes too!
Love the sound, love the clag (sorry Greta). My favourite diesel locomotives along with the wonderful Westerns.
Spent hours watching these and the last of the A4s on the East Coast mainline.
The undulating drone could be heard a long time before you could see it.
Standing on the platform as this beast went through at full speed was as good as it got.
Later in life, one of my neighbours, a keen modeller, had worked at Napiers on the Deltic engine.
Brought back memories of a failed DMU in Suffolk, dragged along its route by a 'sportily driven' Deltic back in the 70s or 80s, an experience never to be forgotten by all who rode that day!
Two stroke diesels like to be run hard
Sounds like a torpedo boat, crossed with a big aeroplane. Impressive and truly British engineering eccentricity in action.
Spot on.The Napier Deltic engine was ordered by the Admiralty in 1943 as a lightweight Diesel engine to power MTBs.
Thanks for posting this. The Deltics have been my favorite ever since I discovered them.
As someone mentioned, I too can remember lying in bed on summer nights, and hearing the drone of the Deltic’s 👌🏻😎
The Deltic: a very loud, but attractive locomotive with a great 2-tone horn. It did BR proud
A shame our locos didn`t use the same horns as American ones.
Just love these videos. Remember those days well.
A wonderful video. They are SO beautiful.
Outstanding .
Always love the sound of the engine from the deltic
Superb shots ! 👍
NICE TO SEE AND HEAR THEM LOVELY DELTICS AGAIN . FANTASTIC FOOTAGE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ IT👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 HAPPY 🎄🎄🎄🎄TO EVERYONE
Nice to see going through Narborough
Ahh, the ol' Class 55 Deltic! I can't get enough of these monster diesels! Shame that there aren't that many to enjoy.
Great video!
I had the pleasure of listening to the sound of Deltics running for three years every time I went to sea as the UK's Royal Navy had two fitted to the HUNT class minesweepers as there main propulsion............what a joy that was!
@kennethturner Do they actually sound the same on the ships as they do on the locomotives?
@@damianharris2167 Pretty much which was a joy...........the only problem now is the RN has replaced them all for Cats as they were getting unreliable and expensive to run as spares became harder to source.
Years ago I was taking some photos on what I thought was a disused piece of railway.....Turned out that it wasn't disused and I was lucky enough to be standing right next to the track when a Deltic rumbled past fairly slowly. Gave the driver a bit of a surprise as I didn't have any clothes on at the time (Being well away from where I expected to find ANY other people and it being a lovely hot sunny day). Absolutely awesome to see, hear, feel and smell one go past so close!
Lovely video thanks 👍
One word. 'Magnificent'. My favourite Class of diesel. You can tell they exude power. Even when turned off. Had some good tours with them. Still quite capable of doing what they were built to do
thanks for sharing, nice footage!
Taking 12 up the Licky unassisted. Make a note all you steam heads.
If only we could make engines like that again
Brilliant ❤
A beast of an engine . Standing at track level next to one you realise how big they were
The Napier drone used to hang in the night air in Durham when I was at Uni there in the late 60s. Unforgettable.
Making me homesick!
Crikey! This was before the invention of ultra fine particulate matter, when everything still was ultra coarse particulate matter ^^
Absolutely beautiful, they sound like a two stroke Detroit diesel found in an ASLAV which I’ve had the pleasure of hearing in person so can imagine what these sound like in person
Yeh, definitely has that GM 2-stroke sound.
yh i was just thinking that!
I was thinking it did very much sound like the Detroit engine in a Flxible Metro B.
Always thought these trains were mean looking, as a kid growing up in the 70s I always remember the distinct yellow front coming towards you with that roar, just a beautiful train, thankyou for the video 🫶
I used to love seeing the Deltics hauling trains out of King's Cross in my youth in the 70's, the downside being I'd end up with headaches and feeling pretty grotty from breathing the fumes all day. Happy Days!
Bet you weren't complaining about it at the time though.
My late Father regularly took me down to London from Manchester in the 70s and we'd always stop at Kings Cross to see the BR blue deltics in action. We loved them. Such iconic locos.
Yes, I remember as a young boy standing alongside a throbbing Deltic for the first time at Doncaster Station - and thinking it was like a beast straining on it's leash to be 'off' - even at that age I was aware that no other locomotive ticked over in such a spectacular fashion - or looked so supremely powerful! I was at KX th other day and thought how sterile it looked with the rather boring Hitachi's......even worse I then had to ride a Hull Trains version and suffer it's numbingly uncomfortable seats and agitated ride. You're right the Deltics were an icon!
Not quite a match for a row of A4s, A3s, A1s, and V2s at the buffer-stops at The Cross though...
@paulcaswell2813 That would have been heaven. I never saw them, but every time my Dad took me to Kings cross we always stopped to see the Deltics. I loved to see them in their heydays.
Fantastic cheers 👍🇬🇧
Remember seeing one of these blasting out of chatham station tunnel in the 90s.. the smoke and the noise was immense
I might have been driving it 😊
@timwattison4419 you have instantly become my hero. I can't begin to imagine what driving must have felt like
Standing next to these beasts at Grantham station in the pre-HST days.
My ears are still ringing
This brings back memories of my childhood in Paisley
Two Deltics used to pass my house regularly pulling coal wagons
A great sight , the house used to shake too !
Love the sound, and wow! That Clag!
What beautiful machines !!! Moving right along too. That second train has about the 0-60 time as that little Nissan diesel I used to have.
Love the sound of the Deltics, only beaten in my book by an original HST with the Valenta power units screaming away! Best sound ever.
Feast for the ears those Paxman-Valentas. We had them here in NSW in the XPT which was just built on the IC125 design
Still think a class 37 on full power can’t be beaten for sound
I've got a distinct memory of standing on the platform as the radiator went past. The hot air and noise was awesome for a little kid.
Deltic, HST Valenta and 37 for me! All very different but equally as amazing sounding.
@@paulrob86Music from the bowels of the earth
Brilliant video Liam and Phil.. it’s a great sound you get from those diesels. They are fantastic and worth seeing, . Enjoyable watching. Kind regards C&A
Love the Napier sound. Nostalgic memories. Nice video.
Very nice beautiful diesel, with a great sound!
I remember back in late 1970s stood on Grimsby’s St James church tower and could still hear it accelerating out from Brocklesby straight towards b
barnetby, amazing and never beaten.
I have memories of some unearthly hour in the '70s, hitchhiking between 36 Engineer in Maidstone and home and stood waiting on the North Doncaster By-pass roundabout and hearing an overnight sleeper service heading up the ECML.
Love all the Nerds hanging out of the windows at 12.28 LOL
A well made compilation. I thank you.
People living near the railroad must have loved them. Hearing them at midnight must be a wonderful memory.
WE have railways😅
wonderful
Will never forget hearing my first at Kings X ca. 1981 - a rare treat for a teenager from the Cotswolds.. Whether it was the greatest sounding is a subjective thing but it was for sure the most sophisticated sounding diesel.. a world away from the Class 50's I was used to..
Excellent rail movie! Awesome images with trains and nice landscapes! Good work, master! Thumbs Up
All the best from Romania
Andrew
oooh love that sound -thanks for sharing this with us x
Great video with awesome Napier Music, love it.👍👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it
I worked on the railways when Deltics were running up and down, they looked and sounded great. Later on, by chance, I got a cab ride in one, that was quite an experiance
Without a doubt the best sound diesel loco ever especially with both engines running.
The deep throbbing noise and that roar made them special
Deltic feast!
Thank you, clean Beautiful video!
I love the sound of the Deltic and I am from the States
Epic locomotive.
The Deltic roar hellfire! recall leaving the 'Cross first coach in behind 55007 windows open full blast!
And jumping up to close te window before you ebterd gas work's tunnel
1:39 is magical
My favourite diesel locos
Fabulous!
Excellent video!!
Love the sound of the Deltic's 👍❤️
The face always put me in mind of a big ole hound dog with droopy eyes. .
Great video👍
I never saw Deltics at speed, but clocked almost all of them at King's Cross where I used to trainspot quite a lot in the late 70's, early 80's before they were withdrawn from service. Always impressive, always beautiful to look at, and LOUD!
I was lucky we lived at Potters Bar and for a short time backed onto the railway they were often at full power heading north as they were against the grade until about half a mile north of the station.
PARDON?? I CANNOT HEAR YOU FOR THAT LOCO. lol
Fine -but never as good on one engine only. The Truly evocative 55 sound comes from intermodulation of the sound from TWO !
The second engine isn’t required until 40mph. Therefore the locos often only have one engine in serviceable condition, when operating on a heritage line.
@@bfapple that's logical . Thanks.
Very true but mustn't knock the fact that at least they are still with us.
Absolutely.One engine never captures the full flavour but economics dictate
@@bfappledisgraceful state of affairs!
😃Unbeatable. Martin. (Thailand)
In the 1970s, I used to travel from Darlington to Kings Cross (and vice versa), hoping for a Class 55 rather than a Class 47 to provide the motive power, and also used the Middlesbrough to Whitby line. In those days it appeared an impossible dream to see and hear one of these magnificent machines at Battersby!
Well..! Superlatives fail me..!
A glorious tribute to the mighty Deltic; King of Diesels!
Nice to see No.16 on the GCR - doubt we will ever see her run again, given that she is currently stuffed and mounted at Margate, just like KOYLI in the NRM.
So we are extremely fortunate to have the DPS locos to enjoy, more so when Tulyar comes back into service and of course, LSL with No.22.
Thank you gentlemen! You made a Deltic fan very happy!
That sound is just pure "I am coming"
They seem to be running them mostly on ONE power unit ? Presumably to save maintenance costs and wear and tear ?
Sadly, most of these shots showed only one engine running and thus missing out on the slightly out-of-synch resonance of going full monty with both Napiers wide open.
😢😢😢
When operating on a heritage line, the loco doesn’t need both engines.
True but very evident at around 8:12.
These and the Class 37s, my favourites as evocative as any steam loco, and as close to the nostalgic British heart as the Spitfire or Hurricane. 💚
Living in the South West l never experienced these powerful engines . The Napier engines sound magnificent !
Looks like the Deltics couldn't pull more thanadew carriages without the support of an additional engine at the rear
Wrong. They’re for train hearing or break down insurance. They pulled very heavy loads in their day at constant speed in excess of 100 mph.
Interesting sound, my favorite are the old Baldwins, especially the twin engine transfer units like MN&S #21. EMD 567 non turbo engines a close second.
If we ever could hear the Devil approaching, I suspect this is the sound he would make…
when Britain was proud of its industrial achievements rather than embarrassed ...
Are they only running on one engine ?
The noise from the east coast main line as they powered up outside York is still a firm childhood memory along with the thump of 37’s floating through the night air 😍
Well... I absolutely love complicated engines, and the Brits sure delivered: Napier Nomad & Sabre, RR Crecy, BRM P-75 & V-16 and the mighty Deltic... but noise wise my 1st choice is the Alco 567 (go see the Indian railways) But the Deltic has everyone covered on unusual architecture, and gets a close secon place in my book. keep 'em comming!
On the platform, Edinburgh Waverly. No sound like it when one of these pulled out of the station. Apocalyptic :)
Class 50 **putters**
Deltic **plane sounds**
they sound like spitfire nascar's
absolutely astonishing locomotives
Awesome sound 👍🏻👍🏻🇮🇪☘
Impressive stuff!
Why so much blue smoke?
Two stroke detroits dont smoke when warmed up.
Awesome design though.
NYC fire department had one on a Super pumper truck in 70s.
0:30 All that fog is from the previous Deltic Alycidon, that ran through there 30 years ago!
I've heard about these legendary British diesels. What kind of engine configuration gave them such a unique sound and what was the horsepower output ?
Napier Deltic diesel engine. 18-cylinder, opposed-piston, valveless, and supercharged. Very cool and unique!
@@jakept3238The engine has three crankshafts in a triangular arrangement, two turning in one direction and one in the other direction and three banks each of 6 cylinders. It was developed by Napier from a Junkers Motoren aircraft engine with six cylinders and two crankshafts, for which Napier bought a manufacturing licence from Junkers in the 1930s. The Junkers engine was used mainly on a naval patrol aircraft; see "Fliegende Holzschuh".
At 5:38, on the viaduct, what is the purpose of the extra rails between the main gauge? They look like they are bolted down in shoes yet they can't be a guide rail as too far away and they can't be a narrow gauge running on the same rails because they run out at the bottom of the shot. So, what are they for please? Is to help maintain alignment on the viaduct? That's all I can think of!
How many deltics survive?
6:00 That's a heck of a train!
Two or three near the middle sounded better than others.
The Deltic an amazing piece of engineering
As an American, I can say that the Napier Deltic sounds superb. I love that drone noise it makes. With its 2 stroke design, they seem to be reliable engines. As far as american freight locomotives. General Electric (4 stroke engines) and EMD (2 stroke(The Tier 4 SD70ACe has a 4 stroke engine)). I love the sound that each one makes.
Not a great diesel fan but the sound of a Deltic storming out of Kings Cross was always a thrill.
Thank you, loved that! I have had my hand on 9009 & 9019's handles (on Heritage lines) several years back. Used to be a shareholder of 9000 & 9016 about a million years ago. Have done some work on 9016 under different ownership in later years. Been onboard several of the fleet when engines started, 9016 topping up oil level when other PU started up, no ear-defenders, just pure sonic magic!! Still love the Deltics!