Brilliant , always important notch by notch and pause in notch 1 to leave the engine revs and amps go down before shut off. I drove the Metropolitan Vickers A class on the Irish Rail system and I still practice that on the GM locos . Very hard to get new drivers to do that now.
The 'Light Engine Driver Experiences' is now priced at £280, according to their website, that is some increase over the £50 mentioned in the video details.
That's the full day experience. This was one of the "tasters" which took place during a diesel gala. The normal full day driver experience courses most likely happen while the railway is closed (no public service trains running) and will cover more of the line to increase the mileage. If it's just a taster you want, then keep an eye out for a gala in the Autumn. Covid might change things of course.
ValentaLamenter I looked - it’s now £280 but as you say, it’s a dream experience for any train enthusiast. How much actual driving time did you get then?
Ah I see, you have been looking at a driver experience course which lasts a full day. I'm sure that would be a great day out. Featured in this video are two driver experience sessions which ran during the 2018 diesel gala. Priced at £50 for thirty minutes of driving, each session offered amazing value. The two of us paid £100 between us (in addition to the gala rover tickets) and got to share the two sessions. So in other words, we each paid £25 for fifteen minutes on a class 37 and £25 for fifteen minutes on a class 50. Quite a few railways offer short 'Driver for a Fiver/Tenner' sessions (during events) which involve a shunt up and down a platform/yard or out to a home signal. These can be low speed runs which last about five to ten minutes, give or take. During this diesel gala, several driver experience sessions were running on both branches at the BWR, depending on where the main service train was. Our trips were fifteen minutes each way and at the full 25mph speed limit. There are some tasty gradients to get stuck into too, so plenty of noise to enjoy. £280 for the whole day strikes me as good value when you take into account how much it would cost to fill the tank on one of these beasts.
Paying £50 for the privilege of driving a locomotive at 5mph in the sidings???? The railway PAID ME to do this for 40 years.... on Class 33, 37, 47 & 50 Locomotives, as well as various DMU's & EMU's.... no 5mph speed limit for me, unless of course when in the yard... it was full speed with the regulator wide open when out on the main line.... Now happily retired....
LUCKY!!! sods being given the privilege to drive a class 37 although not at full speed just on a little single track. I love the we sound of the class 37 it sounds like, it looks. SHEAR POWER!!! 👍😁 I'll have to see check online or at one of my local stations & enquire about details. if I can get the privilege to drive one near one on my local railway lines. ( UNLIKELY!!! ) TOO MUCH RISK!!! to others 😀😀😀😀😃😃 Mind you you never know though. 🤨
I guess Covid may have temporarily suspended driver experience courses this year or there will be a backlog of courses from earlier in the year. Anyway, a few lines where you can drive a 37 are the Great Central Railway, East Lancs Railway, Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, North Norfolk Railway, Epping & Ongar Railway, Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and, of course, the Bodmin & Wenford Railway.
@@ValentaLamenter Many thanks for your information on the, many places to go & drive a locomotive 😁👍 Willl look into one that seens the, nearest to me, & check details of their location, prices etc etc etc. Sometime in the future. 👍
Dear Friend: I am a fervent admirer of the railways and next year I will visit England for 12 days, the cities of London, York, Liverpool and Manchester. I am interested in knowing some station around London to observe the trains at speed. Which would you recommend for filming train passes at good speed? Many thanks and warm regards from Argentina, Fausto.-
Alexandra Palace is a good place for seeing fast trains on the East Coast Main Line. I used to watch High Speed Trains there as they headed north from London towards Peterborough.
Please excuse my silly question but I am not really familiar with trains - apart from as a passenger. Can someone please explain why the windscreen (3 windows toward the front) are so high up? Perhaops because of the "bonnet" in front? If so, whats under the "bonnet"?
When the locomotives were built, the noses housed headcode blinds and nose end doors (a kind of gangway) for crews to walk between locomotives. Examples without these features still have access doors in the cabs (and bonnets on top) to help with maintenance of parts like brake equipment and air filters.
I think my friend (seen first) wouldn't mind me saying his choice would easily be the 37. These locos are his favourite type of rail traction and he had been itching to drive one for years. For me, well the short answer is the 37 too. I had driven a 37 on load five vacuum before and it was brilliant, but on this occasion I was actually looking forward to the 50 the most as it was something new. In fact it was supposed to be me on the 50 and my friend on the 37, until we were offered to share each loco. The BWR is the ideal place to drive a 50 as the gradients mean you still get some thrash without exceeding the 25mph limit too quickly. Being a type four with 2700hp on offer, a 50 would reach that speed really quickly when running light engine anywhere else. Obviously as the 37 is a type three you get even more thrash and for longer. You just get to see and hear more, like the ammeter gauge, engine note etc etc. If I was lucky enough to drive both classes with heavier loads out on the main line, then that question would be more difficult to answer. However, in preservation you have that unpleasant 25mph limit hanging over you, so the less power you have the better the experience. A 20 or a Sulzer type two would make ideal driver experience locos on railways with little or no gradients.
A friend of mine who was a part owner of a class 37 said it was 1-3 mpg at best. That's at a heritage line (25mph) with a usual load of five mk1 carriages, moderate gradients plus occasional engine dead on rear.
If memory serves, the toilet is in the engine room. Behind that door in the cab (which goes inside the loco's nose) can be found brake equipment like the compressor/exhauster and tanks. I think the traction motor blowers are in there too. Early examples also had gangway doors and headcode blinds, in fact there's a few preserved with that equipment still in situ.
@@ValentaLamenter cool thanks for letting me know, I always wondered. Yeah i have seen ones with doors on the front outside. So you can enter the cab via that door too? Its sad the manufacturers of these are not in business anymore, it be cool to see what future versions may have looked like.
The exterior gangway doors were typically used when locos ran in pairs, but we're talking way back when. Health and safety regs would never allow it these days. I don't think these variants would have been popular with crews either, particularly in Winter when the drafts would have been most unwelcome.
Their diesel galas in September usually offer a short 'taster' but these sessions only become available to book a few weeks before the event and sell out very quickly.
No problem. The price might be slightly higher now, I didn't make it to the gala this year to confirm but I know they were still offering driver experiences.
That price is a full day. This was a half hour drive during a diesel gala (usually held in September before the pandemic). I will try to get an answer about mpg from a friend who used to be a part owner of a 37. Many variables of course. Speed, load, gradients, weather etc.
The unmistakable chortle of the 37 is like a symphony of power.
Things in the 1960's were built well and built to last.
Love that bit at 14:54
"Little bit of thrash up to the summit"
*Full power*
My dream job, thank you for this video! Always needed a cab view
love the 37 by the looks off it the 2nd guy does to hangs out the window lol
Thank you very much for your quick response to my question, I will keep it in mind for my next trip. Sincerely, Fausto from Argentina
Argentina- el mejor pais en el Mundo!
Brilliant , always important notch by notch and pause in notch 1 to leave the engine revs and amps go down before shut off. I drove the Metropolitan Vickers A class on the Irish Rail system and I still practice that on the GM locos . Very hard to get new drivers to do that now.
O inconfundível motor diesel English Eletric igual às nossas 1800 da CP. Grandes máquinas. Excelente 👏.
Wow very cool and with the class 50 very happy memories :) seems like only yesterday!
Thanks Mike. I really enjoyed driving the 50. It would be great to see one on the West Coastway again. ;-)
The 37's a beast :)
The 'Light Engine Driver Experiences' is now priced at £280, according to their website, that is some increase over the £50 mentioned in the video details.
That's the full day experience. This was one of the "tasters" which took place during a diesel gala. The normal full day driver experience courses most likely happen while the railway is closed (no public service trains running) and will cover more of the line to increase the mileage.
If it's just a taster you want, then keep an eye out for a gala in the Autumn. Covid might change things of course.
@@ValentaLamenter Good to know, thanks for the info.
Looks like an amazing experience - i am tempted to do one too,
You won't be disappointed. Price might have gone up a bit now, but still amazing value considering the distance driven / time in the hot seat.
ValentaLamenter I looked - it’s now £280 but as you say, it’s a dream experience for any train enthusiast. How much actual driving time did you get then?
Ah I see, you have been looking at a driver experience course which lasts a full day. I'm sure that would be a great day out. Featured in this video are two driver experience sessions which ran during the 2018 diesel gala. Priced at £50 for thirty minutes of driving, each session offered amazing value. The two of us paid £100 between us (in addition to the gala rover tickets) and got to share the two sessions. So in other words, we each paid £25 for fifteen minutes on a class 37 and £25 for fifteen minutes on a class 50.
Quite a few railways offer short 'Driver for a Fiver/Tenner' sessions (during events) which involve a shunt up and down a platform/yard or out to a home signal. These can be low speed runs which last about five to ten minutes, give or take.
During this diesel gala, several driver experience sessions were running on both branches at the BWR, depending on where the main service train was. Our trips were fifteen minutes each way and at the full 25mph speed limit. There are some tasty gradients to get stuck into too, so plenty of noise to enjoy.
£280 for the whole day strikes me as good value when you take into account how much it would cost to fill the tank on one of these beasts.
Drivin a bit of 37 in the afternoon and then havin a bit of pint, not bad!
Just awesome 👍
Paying £50 for the privilege of driving a locomotive at 5mph in the sidings???? The railway PAID ME to do this for 40 years.... on Class 33, 37, 47 & 50 Locomotives, as well as various DMU's & EMU's.... no 5mph speed limit for me, unless of course when in the yard... it was full speed with the regulator wide open when out on the main line.... Now happily retired....
Done this myself, mind you it helps when you're a volunteer restoring class 50s, we get to do it for free 😁
LUCKY!!! sods being given the privilege to drive a class 37 although not at full speed just on a little single track. I love the we sound of the class 37 it sounds like, it looks. SHEAR POWER!!! 👍😁 I'll have to see check online or at one of my local stations & enquire about details. if I can get the privilege to drive one near one on my local railway lines. ( UNLIKELY!!! ) TOO MUCH RISK!!! to others 😀😀😀😀😃😃 Mind you you never know though. 🤨
I guess Covid may have temporarily suspended driver experience courses this year or there will be a backlog of courses from earlier in the year. Anyway, a few lines where you can drive a 37 are the Great Central Railway, East Lancs Railway, Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, North Norfolk Railway, Epping & Ongar Railway, Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and, of course, the Bodmin & Wenford Railway.
@@ValentaLamenter Many thanks for your information on the, many places to go & drive a locomotive 😁👍 Willl look into one that seens the, nearest to me, & check details of their location, prices etc etc etc. Sometime in the future. 👍
Dear Friend:
I am a fervent admirer of the railways and next year I will visit England for 12 days, the cities of London, York, Liverpool and Manchester. I am interested in knowing some station around London to observe the trains at speed. Which would you recommend for filming train passes at good speed? Many thanks and warm regards from Argentina, Fausto.-
Alexandra Palace is a good place for seeing fast trains on the East Coast Main Line. I used to watch High Speed Trains there as they headed north from London towards Peterborough.
I hope you had a good time.
Please excuse my silly question but I am not really familiar with trains - apart from as a passenger. Can someone please explain why the windscreen (3 windows toward the front) are so high up? Perhaops because of the "bonnet" in front? If so, whats under the "bonnet"?
When the locomotives were built, the noses housed headcode blinds and nose end doors (a kind of gangway) for crews to walk between locomotives. Examples without these features still have access doors in the cabs (and bonnets on top) to help with maintenance of parts like brake equipment and air filters.
@@ValentaLamenter Thank you!
@@ValentaLamenter traction motor blowers and vacuum brake exhausters
£1.70 per minute seems like a bargain to drive one of these iconic locos. ....
Which did you guys prefer? The 50 or the 37?
I think my friend (seen first) wouldn't mind me saying his choice would easily be the 37. These locos are his favourite type of rail traction and he had been itching to drive one for years.
For me, well the short answer is the 37 too. I had driven a 37 on load five vacuum before and it was brilliant, but on this occasion I was actually looking forward to the 50 the most as it was something new. In fact it was supposed to be me on the 50 and my friend on the 37, until we were offered to share each loco. The BWR is the ideal place to drive a 50 as the gradients mean you still get some thrash without exceeding the 25mph limit too quickly. Being a type four with 2700hp on offer, a 50 would reach that speed really quickly when running light engine anywhere else. Obviously as the 37 is a type three you get even more thrash and for longer. You just get to see and hear more, like the ammeter gauge, engine note etc etc.
If I was lucky enough to drive both classes with heavier loads out on the main line, then that question would be more difficult to answer. However, in preservation you have that unpleasant 25mph limit hanging over you, so the less power you have the better the experience. A 20 or a Sulzer type two would make ideal driver experience locos on railways with little or no gradients.
What's the average fuel consumption of these 37's .... What sort of MPG would they get ?
A friend of mine who was a part owner of a class 37 said it was 1-3 mpg at best. That's at a heritage line (25mph) with a usual load of five mk1 carriages, moderate gradients plus occasional engine dead on rear.
Whats behind that little door in the front of the train? Is it a toilet?
If memory serves, the toilet is in the engine room. Behind that door in the cab (which goes inside the loco's nose) can be found brake equipment like the compressor/exhauster and tanks. I think the traction motor blowers are in there too. Early examples also had gangway doors and headcode blinds, in fact there's a few preserved with that equipment still in situ.
@@ValentaLamenter cool thanks for letting me know, I always wondered. Yeah i have seen ones with doors on the front outside. So you can enter the cab via that door too?
Its sad the manufacturers of these are not in business anymore, it be cool to see what future versions may have looked like.
The exterior gangway doors were typically used when locos ran in pairs, but we're talking way back when.
Health and safety regs would never allow it these days. I don't think these variants would have been popular with crews either, particularly in Winter when the drafts would have been most unwelcome.
@@ValentaLamenter ahh ok I understand
Something ghostly about the 37
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Great video , just checked the website and it costs £280 . You mentioned you got the sessions for £50 . Did you do something differently ?
Their diesel galas in September usually offer a short 'taster' but these sessions only become available to book a few weeks before the event and sell out very quickly.
ValentaLamenter Thanks for the speedy reply .... okay , I’ll have to keep an eye out . Looks like a great experience!
No problem. The price might be slightly higher now, I didn't make it to the gala this year to confirm but I know they were still offering driver experiences.
£280 seems more like it ? .... I thought the £50 was an absolute bargain !!
That price is a full day. This was a half hour drive during a diesel gala (usually held in September before the pandemic). I will try to get an answer about mpg from a friend who used to be a part owner of a 37. Many variables of course. Speed, load, gradients, weather etc.