As a 78 yrold living near Philadelphia, I spend part of Sunday afternoons re-running your videos, primarily in South England, as an ex-pat who grew up in Reading and traveled many of these railroads and associated highways in my youth. Pls don't dismiss me as an old fart! Much has changed, but not all. As a train spotter at Reading General, I went on later to help build a 180 mile iron ore railroad in NW Australia in my twenties. It fascinates me to view the YT videos of steam specials on the GWR and your Hastings Specials with the trusty DEMU. Please someday do a run from Reading Southern via Wokingham toward London. Keep up the good work!
Like you, I'm a British ex-pat of 18 years now living in South Carolina. I love watching these videos. I grew up and fished Windsor, Reading and Wokingham areas on a regular basis so know the area well. Watching these videos is like taking a trip back home, they're great!
Services ran regularly to Alton using 2-Bil/2-Hal formations. One track is very inconvenient for commuters. I have never travelled on that line as I lived near Epsom.
@@RichardFelstead1949 It was originally single, then doubled at the end of the nineteenth century. BR decided erroneously to single it in the 1970's when faced with an infrastructure renewal bill which they said was not justified by the traffic using it. In the early 1980's they had to re install the crossing loop at Bentley which required a grant from HCC. There have been calls now for the best part of a decade to put back the second track, but since the landslip outside Farnham several years ago the cost of re laying that second line has gone up due to the partial slewing of the line to compensate for the remedial works.
Lovely ride. Cannot wait to travel beyond Alton. It must rain so much in the area due to which a part of the embankment we passed collapsed. The damage must have been quite bad as a result of which they cordoned off the section for three weeks.
I like these train journey videos. I wish I could watch the longer ones more often. I've found out some interesting things because of reading the names of stations in these videos. Right now I'm grinning at the name "Farnham" since it was used in the Diablo video game as the name of the town drunk (who is actually someone to be pitied once you know why he became a drunkard). While watching these videos I've often been struck by the thought that trains could save on fuel and electricity by having some kind of on-board energy storage system such as capacitors and by using the braking energy to charge the capacitors, then that energy could be used to help get the train moving again, later. With energy costs rising, that might already be or soon become an economical proposition.
Thanks. The train you're watching, being of 1950s build and much earlier technology for the most part, dissipates all its kinetic energy as waste heat through brake-blocks. But some modern trains do indeed recover energy: the newer electric trains I've driven on London Underground, for example, employ Regenerative Braking which turns kinetic energy back into electrical power and feeds it back into the traction-current rails in the track; I believe something similar happens with some trains on Network Rail; and there are certain 'niche' trains (Parry People Movers... Stourbridge Town car I think?) that store kinetic energy temporarily in an on-board flywheel.
Great video! I have travelled over the line few times for the Mid Hants Railway. One of these was a main line steam tour back in June 2002 from Ascot to Alton & back hauled by the Ivatt tank based at the MHR. It was a hot day and I filmed the trip from the window. There was less tree grown back then!! I have the video stored away.
Hastings Diesels Ltd excellent thank you, I look forward to seeing it, I traveled on it when it did the round tip in MHR service and enjoyed it. Very nice unit everyone's done a good job.
Brilliant series of videos thanks. I have a (schoolboy) question. If one wanted (and could afford) a special to run from say Portsmouth to I dunno, Herne Bay, without changing or stopping, would this have to be planned in advance, scheduled on the day to fit in with normal running, or what? Who would be involved and would it be "managed " by a single person or continually "handed over" like planes are to ATC towers. Thanks again for the vids
Thank you. Such a trip would normally need to be planned well in advance (up to 12 weeks) though sometimes "Short Term Planning" paths can be found. The running of our train on the main line is really a matter for our Operating Company GB Railfreight and the infrastructure operator Network Rail; but trains are passed from one signalling centre or signal-box to the next as they move across the network.
This unit certainly gets about a bit, is this the most traveled preserved rolling stock? Looking forward to going through the gate and onto the mid hants railway.
Yes. It used to be Southern Region all the way to Winchester Junction but the line was closed in February 1973. The Mid Hants Railway reopened in stages from Alresford to Alton from 1977.
@@anmolmehta7116 If you are replying to the original question "Is this the end of Network Rail" You are incorrect. Network Rail terminates at Alton. Beyond Alton to Alresford the track is owned by the Mid Hants Railway.
There are various fixtures and fittings in the cab, including a fire-extinguisher bracket near the camera, that rattle a lot when the unit is under full power.
Worked as a lad in Alton, Illinois in station service. Can't wait to see this Alton. Much thanks for posting.
Surprised to see third rail power so far out in Country. Nice vid, Thank you.
Good ride , nice to see where I did some work whilst on the tracks for Woking district . Good video 👍🇬🇧
As a 78 yrold living near Philadelphia, I spend part of Sunday afternoons re-running your videos, primarily in South England, as an ex-pat who grew up in Reading and traveled many of these railroads and associated highways in my youth. Pls don't dismiss me as an old fart! Much has changed, but not all. As a train spotter at Reading General, I went on later to help build a 180 mile iron ore railroad in NW Australia in my twenties. It fascinates me to view the YT videos of steam specials on the GWR and your Hastings Specials with the trusty DEMU. Please someday do a run from Reading Southern via Wokingham toward London. Keep up the good work!
Like you, I'm a British ex-pat of 18 years now living in South Carolina. I love watching these videos. I grew up and fished Windsor, Reading and Wokingham areas on a regular basis so know the area well. Watching these videos is like taking a trip back home, they're great!
Excellent video, can't wait to go "over the Alps" to Medstead, Ropley and Alresford.
Fascinating, had never realised that Farnham to Alton was single track only.
Was it ever double as it appears space for another line?
Services ran regularly to Alton using 2-Bil/2-Hal formations. One track is very inconvenient for commuters. I have never travelled on that line as I lived near Epsom.
@@TheGateway37 Thanks for your reply but what's "2-Bil/2Hal" mean? I'm from Australia.
@@RichardFelstead1949 It was originally single, then doubled at the end of the nineteenth century. BR decided erroneously to single it in the 1970's when faced with an infrastructure renewal bill which they said was not justified by the traffic using it.
In the early 1980's they had to re install the crossing loop at Bentley which required a grant from HCC. There have been calls now for the best part of a decade to put back the second track, but since the landslip outside Farnham several years ago the cost of re laying that second line has gone up due to the partial slewing of the line to compensate for the remedial works.
@@darreng745 Thanks for the info.Typical government short sightedness.Hsppens on Oz as well.
Lovely ride. Cannot wait to travel beyond Alton. It must rain so much in the area due to which a part of the embankment we passed collapsed. The damage must have been quite bad as a result of which they cordoned off the section for three weeks.
I like these train journey videos. I wish I could watch the longer ones more often. I've found out some interesting things because of reading the names of stations in these videos. Right now I'm grinning at the name "Farnham" since it was used in the Diablo video game as the name of the town drunk (who is actually someone to be pitied once you know why he became a drunkard).
While watching these videos I've often been struck by the thought that trains could save on fuel and electricity by having some kind of on-board energy storage system such as capacitors and by using the braking energy to charge the capacitors, then that energy could be used to help get the train moving again, later. With energy costs rising, that might already be or soon become an economical proposition.
Thanks. The train you're watching, being of 1950s build and much earlier technology for the most part, dissipates all its kinetic energy as waste heat through brake-blocks. But some modern trains do indeed recover energy: the newer electric trains I've driven on London Underground, for example, employ Regenerative Braking which turns kinetic energy back into electrical power and feeds it back into the traction-current rails in the track; I believe something similar happens with some trains on Network Rail; and there are certain 'niche' trains (Parry People Movers... Stourbridge Town car I think?) that store kinetic energy temporarily in an on-board flywheel.
Love the cab view with interesting explanations.
Excellent video thank you, Happy New Year, look forward to the next one.....
Great video! I have travelled over the line few times for the Mid Hants Railway. One of these was a main line steam tour back in June 2002 from Ascot to Alton & back hauled by the Ivatt tank based at the MHR. It was a hot day and I filmed the trip from the window. There was less tree grown back then!! I have the video stored away.
Excellent footage! I've done the route behind 37,218.
Another quality video,great stuff
A detail abut Farnham depot is there is a train from reading that parks there for the night the head code is 5C85
Super vid thanks richard kind regards bob.
Very good video thoroughly enjoyable, will be up loading a cab ride video on wards on the Mid Hants Railway to Alresford?
Yes... tomorrow.
Hastings Diesels Ltd excellent thank you, I look forward to seeing it, I traveled on it when it did the round tip in MHR service and enjoyed it. Very nice unit everyone's done a good job.
A very interesting journey.
Brilliant series of videos thanks. I have a (schoolboy) question. If one wanted (and could afford) a special to run from say Portsmouth to I dunno, Herne Bay, without changing or stopping, would this have to be planned in advance, scheduled on the day to fit in with normal running, or what? Who would be involved and would it be "managed " by a single person or continually "handed over" like planes are to ATC towers. Thanks again for the vids
Thank you. Such a trip would normally need to be planned well in advance (up to 12 weeks) though sometimes "Short Term Planning" paths can be found. The running of our train on the main line is really a matter for our Operating Company GB Railfreight and the infrastructure operator Network Rail; but trains are passed from one signalling centre or signal-box to the next as they move across the network.
Very good.
This unit certainly gets about a bit, is this the most traveled preserved rolling stock? Looking forward to going through the gate and onto the mid hants railway.
The gate was removed about two years ago. Trains used to need hand signalling between Network Rail and the MHR but now can be signalled.
Yes indeed, I realised that not long after I'd uploaded (when I started setting out the next tranche of footage). I'll make an erratum note.
Is Alton the end of Network Rail?
Yes. It used to be Southern Region all the way to Winchester Junction but the line was closed in February 1973. The Mid Hants Railway reopened in stages from Alresford to Alton from 1977.
Yes. Beyond Alton to Alresford is the (private) Mid Hants Railway, part of Britain's preserved heritage railways.
as we know it? Sadly not
No. It will go beyond through the Alps and till Alresford.
@@anmolmehta7116 If you are replying to the original question "Is this the end of Network Rail" You are incorrect. Network Rail terminates at Alton. Beyond Alton to Alresford the track is owned by the Mid Hants Railway.
We Have Sun Rised
No idea.
Sounds like the rear motor has blown a gasket.
What makes you say that? (It hasn't.)
@@hastingsdiesels Half joking,but when the power is applied there is something that sounds like it, although it could be something vibrating?
There are various fixtures and fittings in the cab, including a fire-extinguisher bracket near the camera, that rattle a lot when the unit is under full power.
I thought drivers were supposed to toot when they approached track workers!!
Did you read the title of the video, or the description?
@@hastingsdiesels not properly, obviously!! But I still thought I’d hear the whistle even from the back cab. My mistake😉
@@brendanjackson-cr7cf :) No, you'd never be able to hear the horn from 120 metres away with all that engine noise as well.
@@hastingsdiesels 👍👍 I’m a big Don Coffey fan but I love your videos too.
Suicide budgie @ 38:30 ;)