I am glad you recorded this as like you say sadly the new trains deprive us of that view. The first time I rode one right at the front at night made me realise just how little a driver can see and still has to know just where he is for station stops
@@smogontheline It sure is and on old BR DMU'S was even promoted. I learnt a lot about signalling from riding at the front or back of those units. My Dad lived in Felling in one of the houses at 15:00 You could look right along the track from there in those days. The trees have grown a lot since then.
I used to live in Yarm, right by the train tracks there, so you'd see the trains coming from Thornaby or Northallerton along the line and over the bridge. As for the Class 994, I will miss them, and that view, when the Class 555 take over.
Great video! I was in Newcastle on 15th December to go on the reopened Ashington line with a friend who edits a well-known railway magazine and who had to go home that evening but I had another ride to Ashington and back the following morning and then went on some of the Metro in the afternoon. I managed to get the front seat on a train from Haymarket to Pelaw across the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and then, also somewhat miraculously, the front seat back from Pelaw all the way round to Whitley Bay, by which time it was dark, stopping off there and at Cullercoats (where a new class 555 passed by towards Tynemouth on test) as well stopping off at Tynemouth. The photos I took at those stations after dark came out really well, says me immodestly, and then it was back on a St. James train (which, without explanation, terminated at Monument) and then a one stop change to Central Station and walk back along the quayside at night to where I was staying before going home to London on Tuesday, 17th December. So this video was great for the driver views towards St. James in daylight and also from Pelaw to Sunderland which I never got to do this time, nor to South Shields nor Airport, but have done on visits in past years, including South Hylton. So the views through the front in this video were great for what I missed on my latest visit and its just a shame that they will be lost forever once the full compliment of the new 555s come into service. So this latest visit of mine also meant the last time I would, probably, be able to travel in the front and its great that you made this video as a permanent memorial of what it was like to sit there. Many thanks. David, London N8.
@@davidbosher8377 Thank you so much for your comment, David. I really enjoy riding at the front and getting that view, something I'll miss with the 555s. I'm hoping to ride again soon before they disappear. Andy.
Thanks for your reply, Andy, and my apologies for taking so long to get back to you. I hope you are able to get more front views of the Tyne & Wear Metro before all the old trains go. I hope to be up there again later this year when the other Ashington line stations open and hopefully some of the old Metro trains will still be running. Cheers! David
@davidbosher8377 I do hope that I can ride upfront again. The next time I'm up that way, I will try and get on the Metro and get some different footage. I will miss it when the new ones take over. Thanks for your reply.
@TailormanUK Sadly, I couldn't ask the train driver to clean the train for me. I did address the dirty screen, and it was just to capture the journey. The Haverthwaite and Tanfield journeys may be better for you.
@@smogontheline Thank you for the update, maybe I'm spoilt by looking at the Driver's view journeys from Switzerland. No insult intended regarding your video mate!
@TailormanUK You're entitled to your opinion, and I agree that a Swiss scenic mountain train journey would be better. Once I get monetised on here, I would love to do such journeys. Thanks for watching anyway. Andy.
Have you enjoyed this view? Sadly, you won't be able to do it on the new Class 555.
I lived in Newcastle 1994-1995, was at Uni there. Lived first in Fenham, then South Gosforth. What a wonderful city. Thanks for the uploads.
@@mattvjmeasures Thanks.
I am glad you recorded this as like you say sadly the new trains deprive us of that view. The first time I rode one right at the front at night made me realise just how little a driver can see and still has to know just where he is for station stops
Thank you. I think it's a great thing to have, to give people that driver's view, rather than just seeing from the sides.
@@smogontheline It sure is and on old BR DMU'S was even promoted. I learnt a lot about signalling from riding at the front or back of those units. My Dad lived in Felling in one of the houses at 15:00 You could look right along the track from there in those days. The trees have grown a lot since then.
I used to live in Yarm, right by the train tracks there, so you'd see the trains coming from Thornaby or Northallerton along the line and over the bridge. As for the Class 994, I will miss them, and that view, when the Class 555 take over.
@@smogontheline I bet it was great living there. Thornaby is in an awful state now like the other big yards all derelict and over grown.
Me's a liking this. 👍
@@Bigbro28 Me's a glad 😊
Great video! I was in Newcastle on 15th December to go on the reopened Ashington line with a friend who edits a well-known railway magazine and who had to go home that evening but I had another ride to Ashington and back the following morning and then went on some of the Metro in the afternoon. I managed to get the front seat on a train from Haymarket to Pelaw across the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and then, also somewhat miraculously, the front seat back from Pelaw all the way round to Whitley Bay, by which time it was dark, stopping off there and at Cullercoats (where a new class 555 passed by towards Tynemouth on test) as well stopping off at Tynemouth. The photos I took at those stations after dark came out really well, says me immodestly, and then it was back on a St. James train (which, without explanation, terminated at Monument) and then a one stop change to Central Station and walk back along the quayside at night to where I was staying before going home to London on Tuesday, 17th December. So this video was great for the driver views towards St. James in daylight and also from Pelaw to Sunderland which I never got to do this time, nor to South Shields nor Airport, but have done on visits in past years, including South Hylton. So the views through the front in this video were great for what I missed on my latest visit and its just a shame that they will be lost forever once the full compliment of the new 555s come into service. So this latest visit of mine also meant the last time I would, probably, be able to travel in the front and its great that you made this video as a permanent memorial of what it was like to sit there. Many thanks. David, London N8.
@@davidbosher8377 Thank you so much for your comment, David. I really enjoy riding at the front and getting that view, something I'll miss with the 555s. I'm hoping to ride again soon before they disappear. Andy.
Thanks for your reply, Andy, and my apologies for taking so long to get back to you. I hope you are able to get more front views of the Tyne & Wear Metro before all the old trains go. I hope to be up there again later this year when the other Ashington line stations open and hopefully some of the old Metro trains will still be running. Cheers! David
@davidbosher8377 I do hope that I can ride upfront again. The next time I'm up that way, I will try and get on the Metro and get some different footage. I will miss it when the new ones take over. Thanks for your reply.
This is one of the poorest train videos I've seen. The train windscreen was filthy, and the journey wasn't picturesque at all. Overall 5/10.
@TailormanUK Sadly, I couldn't ask the train driver to clean the train for me. I did address the dirty screen, and it was just to capture the journey. The Haverthwaite and Tanfield journeys may be better for you.
@@smogontheline Thank you for the update, maybe I'm spoilt by looking at the Driver's view journeys from Switzerland. No insult intended regarding your video mate!
@TailormanUK You're entitled to your opinion, and I agree that a Swiss scenic mountain train journey would be better. Once I get monetised on here, I would love to do such journeys. Thanks for watching anyway. Andy.