This was the route i commuted on for nine years, to Waterloo, not knowing that 18 years later i would join BR and five years later drive this route. Retired now, but enjoyed my time on the railway and met my wife through the railways as well.
I remember my father working the old signal boxes that were displaced by Dartford power box, sadly his signing out signature was the last on many a lever box up and down the Kentish lines, Cuxton Down, Sole Street, Longfield, Charlton, Northfleet, Gravesend to name a few and he kept all the original workings books and panel parchments from quite a lot of them too. BR did promise him a main starter signal from Cuxton but he never got it. As a signalman he was an enigma, even with promotion he maintained his passing out's on boxes as until E grade he was a relief-man and because he was picture perfect on so many boxes he was often called to boxes where no one was available due to sickness such as working Strood/Rochester/Gillingham when he was at Wimbledon A.
Ian Watson Cuxton still exists, but is little more than a crossing box (recently converted from gates to barriers) with a handful of signals (now colour light) in each direction. All the sidings are long out of use, sadly
Enjoyed this! Have used this route for nearly 40 years, so it's nice to see it from the front window! Great that you captured the rebuild of London Bridge station part way through reconstruction; scenes like this are soon forgotten. Amazing job to rebuild the station whilst keeping trains running. Thanks for uploading this video. 👍
Many thanks! I see that this was before the Bermondsey Diveunder was complete, but after the Tanners Hill Flydown had been double-tracked. London Bridge rebuild not yet complete, either. I used to use this route (albeit on the Bexleyheath line) to get to/from work.
Just as the train pulls out of Waterloo East, on the left you can make out the old branch line that used to go into Waterloo station. Those who read ‘War of the Worlds’ will recall this being reopened to allow troop movements to fight the Martians.
Yes, the LSWR wanted a route into the city, and trains ran to Cannon Street. Operationally, it was a headache, and was removed very early in the 20th century, replaced effectively by the Waterloo & City line, which was built by the LSWR and BR owned until 1994
I too commuted this line, Sidcup to London Bridge, from 1964 to 1966. Not long, but my formative years of 16 to 18. Interesting to see that some (city) stations have changed but the majority has not. The carriages were very different in my day, I remember a double-decker set that ran Into Cannon Street in the am peak. I have now lived in Sydney for nearly sixty years som this was fascinating to watch.
The camera was not able to be mounted where the wiper swings across on this particular journey. These are due to be refilmed imminently due to the changes that have happened around Bermondsey
@Solomon Clarke yeah that was weird, maybe the cameras positioning didn't record the motor sound very well. Because the driver cab is directly above the traction motors. And there was a ton of wind blocking out the sound.
@@emmo999 apparently the reasoning for metro cammells dissapeaance is that gec alsthom closed the factory due to asbestos issues and the workers where falling ill due to it, and gec alstjom didn't receive enough government funding to fix the asbestos problem, so they had no choice but to close metro cammell down
It is a fairy sad story as metro cammell had 150 odd years of history. Is it true that there is a large networker model at slade green depot, because I remember seeing a blue liveried large model is it used in training purposes
Really? I recall the Bexleyheath line being rather chavvy, other inner sections of the. Woolwich/Greenwich line are much nicer, Woolwich is up and coming, Charlton isn’t too bad either, Blackheath and Greenwich are fancy and Deptford is rather trendy, the Sidcup line has a more 1930s surburbia vibe
This was the route i commuted on for nine years, to Waterloo, not knowing that 18 years later i would join BR and five years later drive this route. Retired now, but enjoyed my time on the railway and met my wife through the railways as well.
Good man. I was a driver, but in North Wales.
I remember my father working the old signal boxes that were displaced by Dartford power box, sadly his signing out signature was the last on many a lever box up and down the Kentish lines, Cuxton Down, Sole Street, Longfield, Charlton, Northfleet, Gravesend to name a few and he kept all the original workings books and panel parchments from quite a lot of them too. BR did promise him a main starter signal from Cuxton but he never got it. As a signalman he was an enigma, even with promotion he maintained his passing out's on boxes as until E grade he was a relief-man and because he was picture perfect on so many boxes he was often called to boxes where no one was available due to sickness such as working Strood/Rochester/Gillingham when he was at Wimbledon A.
Ian Watson Cuxton still exists, but is little more than a crossing box (recently converted from gates to barriers) with a handful of signals (now colour light) in each direction. All the sidings are long out of use, sadly
Enjoyed this! Have used this route for nearly 40 years, so it's nice to see it from the front window! Great that you captured the rebuild of London Bridge station part way through reconstruction; scenes like this are soon forgotten. Amazing job to rebuild the station whilst keeping trains running. Thanks for uploading this video. 👍
It’s on my to-do list to go re-record this, now it’s all changed
Many thanks! I see that this was before the Bermondsey Diveunder was complete, but after the Tanners Hill Flydown had been double-tracked. London Bridge rebuild not yet complete, either. I used to use this route (albeit on the Bexleyheath line) to get to/from work.
This was filmed around 2016. I am aiming to re-record it before long, as so much has changed
Just as the train pulls out of Waterloo East, on the left you can make out the old branch line that used to go into Waterloo station. Those who read ‘War of the Worlds’ will recall this being reopened to allow troop movements to fight the Martians.
Yes, the LSWR wanted a route into the city, and trains ran to Cannon Street. Operationally, it was a headache, and was removed very early in the 20th century, replaced effectively by the Waterloo & City line, which was built by the LSWR and BR owned until 1994
I too commuted this line, Sidcup to London Bridge, from 1964 to 1966. Not long, but my formative years of 16 to 18. Interesting to see that some (city) stations have changed but the majority has not. The carriages were very different in my day, I remember a double-decker set that ran Into Cannon Street in the am peak. I have now lived in Sydney for nearly sixty years som this was fascinating to watch.
The skyline is forever changing. It’s been nearly 10 years since I filmed these. They’re worthy of re-recording, as so much has changed
I think we traveled from London to Sidcup via train a couple of times, mostly we went by car hire. Lovely ride.
You might have wiped the blood off the windshield first!😁😁😁
I hadn’t noticed that, until you said!
Is it blood?!?!
@@FES-gw4of no lol
Another relaxing video today. I really enjoyed it! See you on the next! 🇬🇧👍🙂🇺🇸
These were my earlier videos, so no captioning I’m afraid. Just simple plain old videos
Station names are essential with a fixed camera.
he has said he will caption his back catalog when time allows. all recent videos have captions that i have watched.
Enjoy this cab ride from Dartford into London's most centrally located rail station just after crossing the river Thames.
Sounds like gale force winds, blowing through the cab.🌬
motors whining or is window open ? seen someone else do cab ride this line,cant recall who now. all that work at 31:19 mostly all being used now
Liked this route via plumstead onwards.
Do all London trains have filthy windows like this?
The camera was not able to be mounted where the wiper swings across on this particular journey. These are due to be refilmed imminently due to the changes that have happened around Bermondsey
Yes - absolutely.
TSW3 could use this and extend their southeastern line.
I find that whole diamond section between London Bridge and Lewisham soooo confusing.
There’s quite a lot to it, but once you get your head around it, it does make sense. It’s just all the spurs that add to the confusion
What is the monstrous building approaching London bridge?
The Shard
Lol
What is Next After Lewisham?
Can you put name of stations on route
Nice loop.
Put the names of the stations on the screen.
This is an older video. They have all been captioned for a number of years now
What train is this ?
BB- BRANZ Class 465/2 Networker
@@emmo999 oh wow I could barely hear the traction motors loool, probably because of the wind
@@bb-3653 they generally are quite quiet trains while in the cab
@Solomon Clarke ye but the motors aren’t that loud. That’s the noise from the wheels and when he crosses points and turns. It’s not the motor.
@Solomon Clarke yeah that was weird, maybe the cameras positioning didn't record the motor sound very well. Because the driver cab is directly above the traction motors. And there was a ton of wind blocking out the sound.
What train was this
MetCam Networker
@@emmo999 apparently the reasoning for metro cammells dissapeaance is that gec alsthom closed the factory due to asbestos issues and the workers where falling ill due to it, and gec alstjom didn't receive enough government funding to fix the asbestos problem, so they had no choice but to close metro cammell down
It is a fairy sad story as metro cammell had 150 odd years of history. Is it true that there is a large networker model at slade green depot, because I remember seeing a blue liveried large model is it used in training purposes
@@jameskingsford7794 interesting. So that's why no more met cams were made huh?
Faulty door seal?
Just typical MetCam Networker noises!
@@emmo999 I think he means the excessive wind noise
Captions please
It’s an old video, due to be re-recorded. You’ll note all newer videos are fully captioned
🚂👍
Very good but a much better class of person lives on the Bexleyheath Line. Beware our massed forces are poised outside New Eltham for the invasion
Really? I recall the Bexleyheath line being rather chavvy, other inner sections of the. Woolwich/Greenwich line are much nicer, Woolwich is up and coming, Charlton isn’t too bad either, Blackheath and Greenwich are fancy and Deptford is rather trendy, the Sidcup line has a more 1930s surburbia vibe
@@JayJay-nc7pr Always used to be announced as the loop line to Dartford at Charing Cross.