Can you do FOUR branch lines in ONE day? The Thames Branches Ranger
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2023
- I've arrived on the Night Riviera sleeper and I thought it might be fun to discover what is at the end of the four branch lines that radiate from the Great Western main line between London and Reading. I'd never been to Henley, Marlow, Windsor or Greenford, so I thought I needed to improve my knowledge of these places and have a day mucking about on trains. As it turned out I had a really nice day and found some lovely places, so join me!
Departure: London Paddington, England, UK
Destination: London Paddington, England, UK
Cost: £25.00 / €28,90 (£16.50 inc railcard discount)
Date of Travel: May 2023
Operator: Great Western Railway
Motive power: Class 387 EMUs, Class 165 DMUs, Class 345 EMUs
Thank you to everyone that supports the channel by subscribing, liking, commenting or just watching these videos. I really appreciate it!
The main road at Greenford was the A40, not A4. Also surprised you did not mention the inclined lift at Greenford, at the time it was installed it was unique, although are now three on the Elizabeth line too. Taking of Elizabeth Line, changing trains at Hayes would have saved the run to and from Ealing Broadway, as well as having to walk across two station footbridges.
Sorry about the A40 mistake and you are right that the lift at Greenford was indeed worth a mention. Oh and that Hayes change? Put that down to a boy from Devon not knowing the best moves! Good advice mind you.
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching. Hope those errors didn't spoil the enjoyment too much. 👍
Greenford used to be famous for having the last old-style wooden escalator. Sadly, it was ripped out when the inclined plane lift was installed.
@@fmcb269 yes the old wooden escalators had charm, but after the King's Cross fire, there's no way they would be kept on the system.
Nice that you bought your ticket at a ticket office before they get closed.
Tru dat! 👍
I went on the Elizabeth Line from Paddington to Slough & bought my ticket to Windsor from the ticket office there. I saw President Biden’s helicopter flying away from the castle
Bahamas probably would have come from the Southall Depot
@@stephenbagwell8275 cool 😎
@@stephenbagwell8275 ah. Thanks for that wrt Bahamas. And thanks for watching 👍
Ah, poor old Furze Platt, the only branch line station that didn't even get a mention, and it's one of only 2 stations on the GWR network with a 'z' in it's name! 😊
Nice video though, it was a joy to see those branches.
Haha! And I DID actually video the in/out as we went through but it got cut in the final edit to keep the pace right. My apologies to the "z", especially as I'd just come from Penzance so could have crowed about nailing two in two days. I'll have a word with the bloke that does the editing and voiceover for you. He needs to do better.
And thanks for watching and for the kind words 👍
That was very jolly, you packed in a lot for us there thank you. Pleased to see you got a nice meal on the way home - the husband was concerned that you`d ambled past a couple of pubs without nipping in for a swift half! :D
I was on such a strict timetable I didn't get a chance to touch a drop all day! Need to plan these things better...
I wish the Bourne End to High Wycombe line was still open. Now got to go into London from High Wycombe to go west.
Yes. When I was doing research for the voiceover I did see talk of a possible reopening. But these things take years...
Thanks for watching 👍
Interesting day on branch lines, Marlow is a great place :) did wonder if it was the same day as you arrived on the Night Riviera :)
@@andywillis2650 Yes, Marlow was definitely the best of them. And yes, I was on the sleeper the night before!
Thanks for watching the videos 👍
Good video. At 13:16 Statue of Sir Nick Winton reading his paper on Platform 3 at Maidenhead 👍
Thank you. Yes, I should look up his statue next time I'm in the Czech Republic.
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it
👍
Brilliant! You've given me an idea for a day out! Rover tickets are the train companies best kept secret. Another reason we need to keep ticket offices open otherwise these tickets will become more difficult to buy and eventually be phased out. You certainly seem to like your brutalist architecture!
Haha yes! Get down the ticket office and get yourself the ranger... and you can be his third customer for the ticket!
And yes, I'm a sucker for a bit of board-marked concrete 😁
I like architecture that reflects the period. So if I was building my own house, like in Grand Designs, I'd probably go with a wooden structure now as that is far more sustainable building method than concrete.
For great concrete stations, check out my Spain playlist. Sevilla Santa Justa is an absolute peach!
Thank you for watching and commenting 👍
@@JohnnyHooverTravels My favourite architecture is 1930s - anything art deco. I love the Charles Holden designed stations, old cinemas, the Hoover Building, Broadcasting House, Battersea Power Station etc etc. They designed things with such style in those days.
@@robelvery yes. I love a bit of art deco too
I see you had a lovely and intense day. Beautiful weather and.. I got lost in the number of trains you used to travel that day 🙃
Thank you for this video.
Greetings from Hull 🤗
Thank you!
Greetings back to you from Devon 👍
Don't you mean ull? I'm from there.
@@melvynbuckton6881 exactly 😊
Lovely video and a reminder I still need to do the Greenford Branch.
Not a bad little branch and Greenford itself is a very interesting station.
Thanks for watching 👍
I've been learning a lot about these four branch lines over the past 12 months as we now own a narrowboat which by fortune tends to run close to the GWR and Elizabeth Line routes (and some Underground) meaning it is relatively easy to hop on public transport when we moor up before heading home to the west country. But stopping at Slough for Windsor and Eton Central, Maidenhead for Marlow and Twyford for Henley, Greenford in particular has been highly valuable when accessing the Grand Union Canal.
Yes, I'm sure it has. The big river kinda overshadows the canals in the area.
Thank you for watching and adding a bit more detail with your comment 👍
It's tipping down with rain today so I'm trawling through your back catalogue, and you keep prodding my "must do that/go there" button!
HS1 gets me into St Pancras in about 80 minutes, and from there it's only a short walk to the 205 bus stop outside Kings Cross. Bow Church in one direction and Paddington in the other, (slower than the Tube, but more interesting scenery) so Thames Line Ranger here I come. - With a short break at Ealing Broadway to visit the Electric Café!
I really need to have you as my café consultant I feel. btw there is a playlist of every video in chronological order of travel day, if that helps
ruclips.net/p/PLXk1cIVnitGYvh9laP5gL9x3kPfHZnS4x
Another great video. I have used that Ranger and managed 3 of the 4 (couldn't do Greenford) but started from Bristol. Obviously I needed another ticket, which I think was to/from Reading. I thought the lines were all delightful, but the Marlow branch is for me probably the best in having lovely views on the way and a most attractive town at the end. Although I'm not commenting on all your content, it all gets a 'like' and is always informative, even when I've been to the same places.
Oh thank you so much. Very kind indeed.
Yes, Marlow is lovely. I've made an offer on the flat 😂
Very interesting video. Really enjoyed that. 👍
Thank you for watching and commenting. Much appreciated 👍
Just a minor point. Dual carriageway is the A40 not the A4.
Ah yes. Good point! 👍
Interesting seeing the speed limits on the overview map including hs2.
Yes. You can have a look yourself at www.openrailwaymap.org
Thanks for watching 👍
Thanks Johnny for another great journey. I really enjoyed all of the branch lines. And the great memories of my favorite UK station. (Paddington).🥰
Paddington is indeed wonderful... as is Greenford in another way! All I ask is that the railways build stations evocative of the period. So, I'd add Slough to that list of the day...
Thank you so much for watching another and commenting. It means a lot 👍
Very enjoyable. All branches cover so much of my life. 👏👏👍😎
Thank you. Very nice of you to comment and I'm pleased you enjoyed the video. 👍
Did a Thames Valley Day Ranger with a friend years back! We reached London on the Wrexham, Shropshire & Marylebone open access service, heading to Paddington on the District Lone, then an HST to Reading, then back to Twyford on a 166, then Henley on a 165. We caught a bus straight to Marlow to save time, then did the Marlow branch, then onto Slough and then Windsor, leaving there from Riverside, paying to Feltham from where our One Day Travelcards (soon to be RIP) were valid.
I'd already done Greenford!
What an excellent itinerary. Yes, thinking about it, I could have gone to Reading and back to Twyford to get a ride on a mainline express as part of the video. And there's def merit in those "off ranger" hops to make it smoother.
Thank you so much for sharing your route and for watching mine! 👍
Memories! In my younger days I have visited all those stations when hiking in the Chiltern hills. Except greenford where I had a girlfriend. Thoroughly enjoyable and interesting video thanks very much.
No problem. Pleased that I was able to rekindle some good memories. Thanks for watching 👍
Very interesting in particular as I spent a few days, using the train service, in Marlow a few years ago. On these small branch lines one wonders if they would exist anywhere other than the wealthy South West near London. Beeching closed many larger lines. But presumably a wealthy and noisy commuter population has made sure their MP has looked after their rail service!
I couldn't possibly comment, although it does seem like the railways round London get a lot more investment doesn't it 🤔
I travelled the Henley and Marlow branches last summer when doing the brand new Elizabeth Line from Abbey Wood to Reading. On the return trip I alighted at Twyford and Maidenhead to do the branches. A great day as you have had .
Yep, I'm pleased you did similar and enjoyed it too.
Thank you for watching and commenting 👍
What fun! And reminds I'm well overdue to visit Windsor. Thanks for sharing.
Haha! I'm not sure I could manage Windsor again. After the quiet at Marlow it was a bit of a shock!
Thanks for watching again 👍
An excellent video. Henley-on-Thames is a. Lovely town
Thank you for uploading this video 😊😊
It was my pleasure to make this video. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment 👍
@@JohnnyHooverTravels your most welcome
As a Northerner everytime I go down South I always wonder how anybody doing any moderate job can afford to live there , very good vid as always
Yes. I feel the same. but people do seem to manage.
Thank you for watching another. It is much appreciated.
Not all of us Southerners are rich though and not everywhere down here is like Henley-on-Thames!
@@robelvery indeed not. There is awful poverty living right next to amazing wealth... and lots of people just about managing in the middle.
Obviously this isn't a political channel, but I cannot help but notice that in the last 13 years the rich have got richer...
I've bought All Line Rover tickets on several occasions and they never seem to work gate lines, although in 2022 I was told to try my ticket (can't remember where) and it actually worked and I was gobsmacked. It may actually have been at Paddington Crossrail.
Haha yes! I've heard the story about all line rovers before. It is just annoying when you get to a gate line and have to bop around trying to get the person's eye to check the ticket and beep you through.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting 👍
Another great video, I travelled those branches in the 80s when living in London - the Greenford shuttle used to run to/from Paddington. I had the same ticket barrier problem at Paddington Elizabeth line earlier this week with a one day travelcard. Looking forward to your next trip.
Well I hear that there's a proposal to withdraw the one day travelcard, so maybe theres just no effort being put into fixing that issue. 🤷♂️
Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate them 👍
Delightful. Thanks!
Thank you for watching 👍
Thanks that was a very enjoyable video 👍
My pleasure. Thanks for watching it 👍
marlow was my hell on earth. having to commute to the business park every day was aweful, the train was always late and overcrowded!
I can imagine that the journey is a lot less idyllic during rush hour. My apologies for stirring up such harrowing memories. There's other videos on the channel that should be less triggering 😀
Thank you so much for watching this one 👍
Enjoyed this - a part of the world I wouldn’t normally think of visiting tbh but it’s really showcased some of these places and I agree, Marlow would be my first choice too from what I saw 👍
Yes, it was lovely by the lock in Marlow and also the other side of the bridge looked cool too, though I didn't get time to investigate. Come on down and stay over when I move into the flat 😂
Really enjoyed this video - thanks so much. If you do this again there’s a delightfully ancient Ealing Broadway sign on the District Line platform and Greenford is one of the very few Tube stations with an escalator going UP to the platforms…
Looking forward to your next one. 👍😃
Thank you. Great points. And thank you also for watching 👍
Hey Johnny, I'm wondering what microphone do you use for your voiceover? Decided to re-watch my favourite video of yours.
@@Northerner_Transport_Hub I actually use the media mod microphone on the gopro and record the voiceover in the bedroom where the sound is warmer. The room where i edit is far too hard to create a warm voiceover.
GWR are to introduce the Class 230 Hybrid/Battery units to operate on the West Ealing-Greenford line. That TfL could of operate on and to use the Class 172/0 that were used on the Gospel Oak-Barking line before it was electrified and were replaced by the Class 710.
Oh thanks for that extra information. Much appreciated 👍
Brilliant video, great scenery and very interesting
Thank you for saying so. And thank you so much for watching. It is always appreciated.
love the video ,glad you liked marlow 😁
I did . I would have liked to have seen more.
Thank you for watching and for your kind comment 👍
Super Johnny brightened up my day instead of boring horse racing alright if i own horse especially d Thames etc Thanks
Thank you 👍
Brilliant video, I have cleared these branch lines for 'track bashing' but never really explored most of the area apart from Windsor as I was walking from the South Western Railway Station to the Great Western Railway Station. This was also the video that made me notice your channel as well a few months back as it intrigued me but happy that I finally got round to watching this video and hope you had a great Christmas.
Thanks Simon - hopefully we'll bump into each other on a platform somewhere in 2024. Thanks for all you videos too.
As for Christmas? My wife's had Covid, so it's not been the best ever! Hope yours was a bit better 👍
Brilliant must tune to more i never got to those places except Paddy
Ah but Paddington is very lovely
The only 2 videos ive watched on this channel and both have queen related stuff (night ‘riveria’ has nore queen stuff thiugh)
Haha yes. I suspect none of the other 70-odd videos mention queens. But I think you should watch em all anyway 😉
Thanks for finding the channel and watching a couple of the vids. I really appreciate it 👍
Great video, Johnny! So when are you moving to Marlow, then…?! Out of interest, the prices you put on screen for the Ranger ticket,did they allow for a railcard discount? Oh, and are you likely to come to Bristol’s newest station Portway Park and Ride, when it opens on Tuesday?
Thanks Roddy. Yes, I've put an offer in on that flat at Marlow. At £999,000 it's obviously a very reasonably priced weekend home!
The Ranger does have 1/3 railcard discount - I do mention that on the screen text at the end, but you could easily miss it!
Portway? Yes, I plan to get up very early and drive up and, well, park and then ride. My daughter lives in Bristol, so at least I can pop round to see her and blag some breakfast afterwards!
@@JohnnyHooverTravels That’s good, I’m debating whether to get an early train from Temple Meads to Portway, or to try and get out there by bus and ride back to Temple Meads; I live in Bedminster, just south west of Temple Meads, on the former Bristol and Exeter Railway route. I know, having looked on the GWR website and app, that a single with railcard discount is £1.30
@@RoddyJenkins might see you there then. I'll aiming to be on the 1st train out of Portway to Severn Beach
Right at the end you answered my question… you did get into the Pullman dining.. but what was the food like?
@@simonpilk The food is OK. I think for non vegetarians the choice is a bit wider... however, when you consider the price of the meal includes blagging a 1st Class seat, then I think it is excellent value. Although having a std ticket is obviously a risky option. I doubt there's any spare tables on the Friday train.
Nice to get a passenger view of these routes. Henley and Marlow branches are nice. Greenford is dire and drivers hate it! Windsor is meh!
I can see what you mean having ridden them. I can imagine Windsor is just so short that every trip on a shift will feel like groundhog day.
Thank you for watching and commenting 👍
@JohnnyHooverTravels You're welcome -I found it very interesting.
With regards to the boredom drivers get on some of these routes, you will only ever do 8 Windsor and/or 5 Greenford round trips in any shift - which is enough for anyone !
Excellent!
Thank you! And thanks for watching 👍
Class 387s Are Not Suitable For London Paddington To Didcot Parkway and Newbury Services In The Thames Valley Because of The Ironing Board Seats They Have
You got a point there, but they are still better than the 80x seats!
Thanks for watching 👍
@@JohnnyHooverTravels Your Welcome Also What Do You Mean When You Say 80x Seat's?
@@DonaldTrumpIsGreat the seats on the Hitachi 800 series trains. We suffer those std class seats out her in the South West. They are only good for short trips. Being folded into one down to Penzance is no fun at all 😞
@@JohnnyHooverTravels Yeah Tell Me About It
I would think that i dont need to buy one of those tickets, i have a London councils freedom pass valid to Reading
I only need to pay local fares by contactless card, cheaper than paper tickets...
*ANYBODY* who finds the class 387 seats comfortable is probably "cheating" with padded underwear on.....
I suspect you are right. But I can't confirm that.
Thank you for watching 👍
@@KeithbarberI Agree With You 👍
Really enjoyed the video. How do you do your graphics of the routes with the map and the red lines ?
Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated 👍
Here's a bloke showing roughly how I do the route line drawings. The map itself is "Open Railway Map" which is free to use.
ruclips.net/video/pY6MPvVYvzg/видео.html
Another great video. Interesting how infrequently those particular tickets are purchased. It's been a long time (too long) since I've been at Paddington Station or in Windsor. Will have to rectify that in the somewhat near future. Thanks for including the price of the flat for sale. Incredible. Our jaws quite literally dropped. Real estate isn't cheap here but wow, that's another league. Congrats on the upgrade to the dining car! Have a great weekend.
And thanks for watching another. Yes, it was a lovely day but Windsor was a bit busy for me... I shall be buying property in Marlow anyway 😂
Greenford? I wouldn't bother getting out of the train to explore. A local station for local people.There's nothing for you there!
Windsor, Henley and Marlow are really nice, though
Greenford is definitely the least nice of the bunch but you still have the lovely Grand Union Canal and Horsenden Hill between Greenford and Sudbury Town. 5 to 10 Minutes walk past all the industry and concrete, it's a surpisingly green and rural looking place, you actually forget you are in London at all. The same with the area around Hanwell station which is a few miles south of Greenford.
@@aaronsmith9209 haha. Wish I'd checked with you before I went. That sounds great. 👍
Is Greenford like Swansea? 😉
@@JohnnyHooverTravels I've only been to Swansea once so couldn't say as I only really saw the massive beach. Maybe like Plymouth? But the Borough of Ealing as a whole is full of green spaces, you should go back when you get a chance, a lot more relaxed than the Central London. There's this place near Ealing Hospital where a road crosses over a canal that crosses over a railway, it's very strange. I worked at the Royal Mail depot in Greenford a couple years at Christmas time so got to know the area a bit. Also was at Marlow the other day myself, very nice town and branchline.
What happened to Drayton Green? The least used station railway station in London
Awww... sorry Drayton Green! I didn't include all the intermediate stations cos either I didn't get a good shot of them or even if I did, I needed to up the pace of the vid so they ended on the cutting room floor. If I'd been aware of that gem of information it might well have made it in! 🤷♂️
Wrs Paddington Bear? like those films
It was early. He was still in bed... 😉
Anyone noticed Castle Bar Park has FGW signage?
There's still a bit knocking around isn't there. When i was at Portway the other day, one of the gwrbos working the line was still sporting its FGW colours too.
@@JohnnyHooverTravels i saw that in another video, first time i saw FGW branding
Hi Johnny, hope all is well with you. Are you going to release a separate video showing the journey on the Pullman? Best wishes.
No. I'd had a very long two days so I just enjoyed the meal and the view out of the window. I'm not ruling out doing a video on the service though, especially if I have a good value 1st Class ticket on the service and can be sure it is going to happen.
All is well with me btw, except I'm recovering from a concussion after a bump playing Flag American football a couple of weeks ago!
Thanks for watching 👍
I enjoyed this. Something quite new. Mind; I have to say i feel their were a few missed opportunities!
Ah yes. but it was a long video already, so something has to give...
Thank you for the continued support. Much appreciated as ever.
It was a joke. The missed opportunities were the pubs in the shots! I think more videos based on obscure ticketing would be good.
@@colinriley123 haha! Sorry for not getting it too! Yes, there were quite a few pubs unvisited. In fact, I don't think I went to any! I just didn't have time. I couldn't sit in a pub for an hour whilst there was a town to see... poor planning on my part I suppose.
Hopefully I'll raise a glass in an upcoming video - I know I don't in the next two or three. What am I doing? I can't open that Patreon account to fund my beer drinking if I don't end up getting the chance to drink any!
The seats in the 387s have some of the most brutal seats in the network.
I do some work in Marlow and a 165 is a pleasure and I always enjoy the Bourne End to Marlow leg. So nice, I once made a little video of it:
ruclips.net/video/uWQnJMRHUXU/видео.html
Interesting about the dead end at Bourne end. My Client once got a return from his home town of High Wycombe to London where I was meeting him at their office there. He unwittingly got on the train back to their Marlow office with me. The guard checking tickets said before we got to Bourne End “you’ve got a return from High Wycombe. Then again, the line used to go there” and let him in his way.
Great story! Thanks for sharing, and watching 👍
@@JohnnyHooverTravels you are welcome and enjoying the channel
Why donall the branch lines have gwrbo’s?
Well they are a lot nicer than the 150s, so I'm not complaining. We've got em down in Devon too.
Non flippant answer is i guess they have been cascaded to these lines since electrification
gwrbo
Haha yes indeed! 👍
gwrbo