As always... A real treat to see these fabulous locos in action. Stunning and will never hopefully leave our railways. Thank goodness for these gala/tour days. To relive the beauty and splendour of our most beloved era of British Railway history. Extremely well edited and presented my friend. A joy to watch. Never mind the other enthusiasts in the shots. Its nice for you to have company. How on Earth you managed to get everywhere to get those great few seconds..? Brilliant. Thank you. Very grateful for sharing this with us 😁👍
Despite the delays, plenty of action in the video. I was intrigued by the "toilet stop". It is a pity that EMD could not find room for a toilet on the 66. There is not always a convenient station available. Even some road trucks have one, so some thought should be given to the train crews.
@@antman09ful1 Actually I think Mervyn has a valid point. With the promise of lager trains and fewer crews for greater productivity (ie. bigger profit), perhaps better conditions for train crew should be considered. 👍
I retired in July 2021. Prior to that I was one of a team of three working here in platform 3/2 in the SCP at Basingstoke. (The desk with many computer screens). It's the sort of job where at one moment nothing much appears to be happening and the daily routing goes on then, suddenly, for no obvious reason, the balloon goes up and its all hands to the pumps! During my time there, we handled many situations just like this. Points at Worting JK, Southcote JK etc etc all contrive to break at the most inappropriate moments. In general, the travelling public have little idea of the complexities of running our railway but, as SCP operators, it's our job to keep everyone informed with the best information we have at the time. Often this means absorbing their verbal protestations with grace and equanimity. The ability to smile on the outside whilst thinking something entirely different on the inside becomes an essential skill of the job. On the whole, they are a good team at Basingstoke and I miss them. I hope your stay during this disruption went well. Its' never easy to find out exactly whats going on so spare a moment to thank those working under huge pressure and expectation to bring the information they have to you in the best possible way.
Thank you sir for you very interesting account of what your job was, and I hope like me you are enjoying your retirement. If you can get the right information from the controls and pass it on I think that's the best you can do in these situations. Thanks for your interest in my video, Mike.
Glad you enjoyed it Andrew, I got there just at the right time, as I said in the video the charter wasn't booked to stop, then found out the line was blocked with waiting trains towards Winchester.
Cheers Clive, I got there just at the right time to capture what was going on, I don't get the chance that much myself to travel there by train, but this was my second time this year, can't remember the last time it happened, ATB Mike.
It's always chose on the Network, problems here there and everywhere! Brilliant shots and captures there Mike! Wow! Amazing sounds and working! Glad you caught this! Excellent detailing and camera work! A winner! The perfect vid! Highly enjoyable stuff! You did well there! A perfect example of why I recommend your excellent channel! Great stuff! Top class! No faults at all! Well done! Great work! Lots of cancellations and delays by the looks of it! I loved the steamer and Colas 70/66s and Gbrf 66 engineer, most unusual! Very nice indeed! Loooooooooooooooooooved it! Really enjoyed, thanks for sharing! Take care, have an awesome day and all the best! Jamie
@@antman09ful1 Anytime Mike! You're right there, all those engineering works and everything, and then still destruction like a broken rail right here at Davenport last year October due to rain from the bridge, 2024 before everything is being replaced apparently! And then the timetable change today, taken off the 331s to Blackpool which means you have to swap trains there, most TPEs haven't been going to Liverpool because they don't know the route yet and all of that, and 4 car 150 Northern trains to Buxton now only two, as that will definitely help! 🙄👍
Thanks for all this info Jamie from your area which is discussing. My local station has gone from 3 trains per hour to 2, and they say this new timetable will improve the services. Are these planners on another planet.
Superb video Mike. I imagine it was chaos due to the disruption as I remember it being very busy when I went recently. Entertaining from you as always. ATB. Ben
I can only video what was going on in front of me Ben, it did make the two hour visit more interesting, so yes I will agree with you the word you picked describing it as entertaining. Thanks very much Ben.. Regards Mike.
Gosh Mike, even with these issues with points there is plenty of variety to go round. At least you had time to admire the LMS Black Five at a stand. Season Greetings to you Mike :-)
Doesn't take much to bring the system to a grinding halt! Some fortuitous captures in here too! I used to sign 158's. Fast little blighters, but not a lot of character. I always had a soft spot for the 156, even though it was slower. The 156 has a top speed of 75, whereas the 158 was good for 90.
I got to Basingstoke just at the right time with all this going on, yes I have a soft spot for the class 156s as they were built in Brum and got tested along the line through Acocks Green. Thanks for checking out this video. Mike.
So there IS a basis of truth in the old music-hall joke, "We apologise for the late arrival of this service, which is due to a points failure/frozen points at Basingstoke."
How do they synchronise the steam engine at the front with the diesel at the back please?….or is the diesel just being pulled whilst in neutral? Always wondered about that. No air con in those coaches, just lots of napkins for wiping the condensation windows.
The diesel is sometimes used for the electric if there is no generator coach, plus its used to pull the train back into siding, and finally in case the steam fails.
Superb work Sir, thank you very much! If you could possibly answer me please, do the steam trains haul the diesels, with their engines ticking over, for the whole day?
Well yes I suppose it does Phil, thanks for taking a look. I will look forward to your filming from yesterday as yours will be uploaded before mine I would think. Thanks again for yesterday. ATB Mike.
As always...
A real treat to see these fabulous locos in action.
Stunning and will never hopefully leave our railways.
Thank goodness for these gala/tour days.
To relive the beauty and splendour of our most beloved era of British Railway history.
Extremely well edited and presented my friend.
A joy to watch.
Never mind the other enthusiasts in the shots.
Its nice for you to have company.
How on Earth you managed to get everywhere to get those great few seconds..? Brilliant.
Thank you.
Very grateful for sharing this with us 😁👍
Thank you very much for watching my video, your comment is much appreciated. Mike.
Despite the delays, plenty of action in the video. I was intrigued by the "toilet stop". It is a pity that EMD could not find room for a toilet on the 66. There is not always a convenient station available. Even some road trucks have one, so some thought should be given to the train crews.
Well drivers know where they can stop for a leak Mervyn.
@@antman09ful1 Actually I think Mervyn has a valid point. With the promise of lager trains and fewer crews for greater productivity (ie. bigger profit), perhaps better conditions for train crew should be considered. 👍
They're long enough to fit a full bathroom suite!
There is no space left inside them though…
I retired in July 2021. Prior to that I was one of a team of three working here in platform 3/2 in the SCP at Basingstoke. (The desk with many computer screens). It's the sort of job where at one moment nothing much appears to be happening and the daily routing goes on then, suddenly, for no obvious reason, the balloon goes up and its all hands to the pumps! During my time there, we handled many situations just like this. Points at Worting JK, Southcote JK etc etc all contrive to break at the most inappropriate moments. In general, the travelling public have little idea of the complexities of running our railway but, as SCP operators, it's our job to keep everyone informed with the best information we have at the time. Often this means absorbing their verbal protestations with grace and equanimity. The ability to smile on the outside whilst thinking something entirely different on the inside becomes an essential skill of the job. On the whole, they are a good team at Basingstoke and I miss them. I hope your stay during this disruption went well. Its' never easy to find out exactly whats going on so spare a moment to thank those working under huge pressure and expectation to bring the information they have to you in the best possible way.
Thank you sir for you very interesting account of what your job was, and I hope like me you are enjoying your retirement. If you can get the right information from the controls and pass it on I think that's the best you can do in these situations.
Thanks for your interest in my video, Mike.
Busy & action packed following the points failure. Nice to see & film the Black 5
Yes indeed Paul.
A great video here Mike, a lot of variety too! Good to see the railtour and the quadruple-headed freight too.
Glad you enjoyed it Andrew, I got there just at the right time, as I said in the video the charter wasn't booked to stop, then found out the line was blocked with waiting trains towards Winchester.
Great video Mike, love the video of the Steam Loco 45231 looking the part, thanks for including it in the video, cheers Mike, Steve . 🎥
Yes its a bit rare to film steam trains but I have been doing that lately so you will be seeing more steam from me. ATB Mike.
Excellent video once again Mike, very enjoyable and loved the steam charter clagging away eventually.. Thanks for sharing and you take care. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it Colin, I didn't expect all what happened. You keep warm, Mike.
Brilliant video again Mike,, its a long time since I have been through Basingstoke station,
Cheers Clive, I got there just at the right time to capture what was going on, I don't get the chance that much myself to travel there by train, but this was my second time this year, can't remember the last time it happened, ATB Mike.
Great to see nothing changes Mike. When something goes wrong it doesn't take long before chaos ensues. Super video, well done 🤓
That is true Tony, but it made a interesting video to share, regards Mike.
Super video, glad that the Black 5 was not the problem!
It all made a interesting visit for me, cheers for viewing the video.
It's always chose on the Network, problems here there and everywhere! Brilliant shots and captures there Mike! Wow! Amazing sounds and working! Glad you caught this! Excellent detailing and camera work! A winner! The perfect vid! Highly enjoyable stuff! You did well there! A perfect example of why I recommend your excellent channel! Great stuff! Top class! No faults at all! Well done! Great work! Lots of cancellations and delays by the looks of it! I loved the steamer and Colas 70/66s and Gbrf 66 engineer, most unusual! Very nice indeed! Loooooooooooooooooooved it! Really enjoyed, thanks for sharing! Take care, have an awesome day and all the best! Jamie
Cheers Jamie, they spend millions of pounds on our railways saying it will improve our railways but it doesn't does It. Mike.
@@antman09ful1 Anytime Mike! You're right there, all those engineering works and everything, and then still destruction like a broken rail right here at Davenport last year October due to rain from the bridge, 2024 before everything is being replaced apparently! And then the timetable change today, taken off the 331s to Blackpool which means you have to swap trains there, most TPEs haven't been going to Liverpool because they don't know the route yet and all of that, and 4 car 150 Northern trains to Buxton now only two, as that will definitely help! 🙄👍
Thanks for all this info Jamie from your area which is discussing. My local station has gone from 3 trains per hour to 2, and they say this new timetable will improve the services.
Are these planners on another planet.
Superb video Mike. I imagine it was chaos due to the disruption as I remember it being very busy when I went recently. Entertaining from you as always. ATB. Ben
I can only video what was going on in front of me Ben, it did make the two hour visit more interesting, so yes I will agree with you the word you picked describing it as entertaining. Thanks very much Ben.. Regards Mike.
The track geometry on the up-fast diamond crossing at 3:40 looks decidedly "iffy". No wonder there's a 30mph TSR there.
Well spotted Peter, and thanks for watching my footage
Steam was good mate but the Colas 4 up front was my fav .Good video Mike
Me too Owain, but what went on made my short visit interesting. Cheers Mike.
A bit of bother in Basingstoke Mike, still you managed to capture all that smoke and steam and a quadruple header, can’t be bad!
You could say I got there at the right time to make a video of interest, but you have to feel for the passenger Bryan. Regards Mike.
Nice quadruple shot Mike. Bit of a bugger with trains.
I think I got there just at the right time David, to capture this lot. Cheers Mike.
Gosh Mike, even with these issues with points there is plenty of variety to go round. At least you had time to admire the LMS Black Five at a stand. Season Greetings to you Mike :-)
Cheers for watching Ricky, It think I got to Basingstoke just at the right time. Regards Mike.
Doesn't take much to bring the system to a grinding halt! Some fortuitous captures in here too!
I used to sign 158's. Fast little blighters, but not a lot of character. I always had a soft spot for the 156, even though it was slower. The 156 has a top speed of 75, whereas the 158 was good for 90.
I got to Basingstoke just at the right time with all this going on, yes I have a soft spot for the class 156s as they were built in Brum and got tested along the line through Acocks Green. Thanks for checking out this video. Mike.
Great video 👍
There's so many bottlenecks on the railway network, it just takes one thing to happen and everything goes to pot
I agree with you, people ran the railway's down when it was BR but I think it was better in them days TE.
So there IS a basis of truth in the old music-hall joke, "We apologise for the late arrival of this service, which is due to a points failure/frozen points at Basingstoke."
Roy they do have a book full of apologise for different occasions.
Really enjoyed this one Mike, hope you got home ok.
Just another day at the office, but make great videos!! Thanks Mike 👍👍👍👍
That is one way to put it Robert, Cheers Mike.
Very nice video Mike, thumbs up :)
Thanks for watching Simon.
Chaos or not, you got some good shots out òf it :)) that's another like from me.
your comment is much appreciated Mr Deltic 55007
Its the railways...anything can happen. Great video all the same
Very true Matthew.
How do they synchronise the steam engine at the front with the diesel at the back please?….or is the diesel just being pulled whilst in neutral? Always wondered about that. No air con in those coaches, just lots of napkins for wiping the condensation windows.
The diesel is sometimes used for the electric if there is no generator coach, plus its used to pull the train back into siding, and finally in case the steam fails.
@@antman09ful1 many thanks for your info. Great video.
Are toilet stops for the drivers added into the timetable? ;-)
Shouldn't think so.
Sh*t happens occasionally causing *EVERYTHING* to go haywire at some stage
That is right Keith.
Superb work Sir, thank you very much! If you could possibly answer me please, do the steam trains haul the diesels, with their engines ticking over, for the whole day?
Yes the Diesel is on there for many reasons sir, with its engine running all day. Thank you for your interest.
On the return leg, it was hauled diesel end first to the Drayton triangle near Portsmouth where it reversed to run steamer first.
Oh right Steve, and I did read the steam was coming off somewhere in London.
Great video as always.
Thanks Steve for pointing out my mistake.
@@antman09ful1 no problem, we all make them!
Hate When that Happens pal But That was Awesome Mike 👍👍👍👍
Its not good I agree Kev. ATB Mike.
I do love a little chaos. Well done Mike.
I got there just at the right time Keith, we just don't know what's round the bend till we get there. ATB Mike.
Some good move there especially the colas one
Yeah Kev when that Colas freight came into sight I couldn't believe I was seeing four locos. ATB Mike.
great video thanks
Glad you enjoyed this one Peter. Thank you. Mike.
Lovely stuff mike,
Liam
Thanks for watching Liam, that line seams to get a lot of problems I'm told. ATB Mike.
Great to watch Mike. A little chaos, makes a better video!
Well yes I suppose it does Phil, thanks for taking a look.
I will look forward to your filming from yesterday as yours will be uploaded before mine I would think.
Thanks again for yesterday. ATB Mike.
@@antman09ful1 no problem Mike, hope you got back to Penkridge ok after I left you. Great to meet you yesterday. Best wishes Phil
Great video Mike. SWML is chaos
Yes they do seam to have a lot of problems Arnold, but it seams the freight does get delayed as much as the passenger trains. Take care Mike.
Basingstoke Station could do with a lick of paint
Never noticed, but there need to run the trains on time first.
very good
Thank you Paul.
🚂👍
Cheers Dave for watching.