My grandfather worked in our royal railways here in Bulgaria pre-1945. Ive always had fascination for trains but Ive never been to the UK and man do I wish that I could go or live there! Love your commentary sir, thanks for offering people like me the virtual trips they couldnt take otherwise IRL. Great stuff!
Don, you are an absolute legend for making these in cab videos! I love how in depth you explain each landmark and sideing, I have travelled some routes you have covered
What an achievement - from Stevenson to the present day technology and routine high speed travel. I'd love to see the reaction of Stephenson, Gooch, Brunel at al if they could be placed in a modern train cab. I think they would approve. Great video, Don. Loved every minute of it.
Thank you Don for another interesting and educational video. Your videos are always full of facts of local interest. It was a pleasant surprise when I saw information of another video from your stable to watch on these cant do this or that days, what a great way to spend two hours watching English country side going past at a rate of knots and learning so much to. A big thank you Don and the driver for a great trip.
Loved it, Loved it, Loved it! Loved Darlington station and after the Freight trains to go fast was great! I'll watch again over the weekend! Also to see snow was nice as it's warm here down south! Thanks Don and thanks to Aaron.
Just wow. I just watched this a second time. The first was at work on an ancient pc. Today, I'm watching it on a brand new laptop with a 4 gig video card in HD. This is like being there without the wind in my face. Thank you so very much for this excellent production.
Thank you for this intelligent, informative and enjoyable video! You certainly put the hard work in to make the video as enjoyable for the viewer as possible.
I've subscribed. Thanks for a very informative clip. I love watching this type of stuff and your little side tid bits of information makes for a well rounded presentation. Thanks heaps. From New Zealand.
Excellent video. At roughly 46:25 was the location of the former Newton Hall Junction. Here the long closed Sunderland line veered off the ECML to the east crossing over Belmont Viaduct high above the River Wear and the spectacular wooded Kepier Gorge. It then joined the former ECML ( latterly known as the Leamside Line) at Belmont Junction. Here the line continued in a North Easterly direction through Penshaw into Sunderland. This entire route has been lifted except the last 5 miles into Sunderland which was reinstated in the late 90s to form the southernmost part of the Metro network between Sunderland and South Hylton.
Thanks for another great one Don. See, there are so many things that I love about your videos - nostalgia for childhood (riding a single car diesel unit, no idea what class, on Middlesbrough to Whitby where you could see out of the front window in the early 70s); love of Victorian architecture and civil engineering (the man hours involved!); fascination with the mechanics and physics of rail travel and stock; and just a love of the British countryside. Looking forward to more!
Wonderfully done! I appreciated not only the commentary but also the references to the map. I watched from Boulder, Colorado. I travelled London-Newcastle once in 1969 or 1970; my main memory was of the very nice dining car! Thank you.
I just don't want to stop watching, the point of singularity is genuinely hypnotic ... Especially after acceleration thx for bring to us this experience... I m loving it...
Absolutely wonderful Don....as I expected. Many thanks to yourself and the driver. While enjoying this video I’ve been comparing the overhead catenary style to the new overhead line system between Paddington and Bristol (thanks to a cab ride video) and the new overhead on the GWR seems to be far more intrusive and heavily engineered compared to the ECML system. Things have changed so much over the last few years haven’t they? Keep up the good work...your style has become the ‘standard to achieve’ in my opinion. Best wishes , Rob
Several people have commented on the Great Western mainline OLE structure. I’ve not see it yet but at some stage I’ll be going out with GWR and will have a better idea.
Love the approach to Newcastle Station. Another great cab ride, with great in-cab shots as well. What a contrast to the Class 66 ride! Many thanks Don, as always.
Think I've caught all your videos Don. They are very educational as well as teaching a lot about railways and just how complex they are. Can't make up my mind if the returning Binliner to Wakefield or the North Wales coast to Holyhead is favourite. The 113 thumbs down must be competitors without hope!
Although we didn’t see much of the area, I found this a wonderful trip! I love trains and scenery. Could have used more of what surrounded the tracks, but a great getaway today! Thank you😊
Thanks for this Don, excellent quality with great facts along the way. Very proud to have been selected to become a driver on the ECML, starting my training next month, so doing a bit of early studying!
Great Video I noticed the three bridges out of DARLINGTON the Thompson Street bridges and Green Lane I remember them as a boy during the days of steam I am now 73 and live in Western Australia..cheers
Thanks Aron for allowing us in the cab, and seeing what you see, and Don for providing the additional information and pictures that make the journey so interesting. I feel sorry for the passengers! It must have been an interesting calculation for the surveyors to decide when it was cheaper to bore a tunnel rather than dig a cutting. We travelled along the line faster than any of the LNER steam locos could achieve. Thanks again. Look forward to the next ride.
I'm saving the return trip for later, so please accept my apologies if you've already covered this. The line diverging to the right at Tursdale Junction formed part of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway, built in the 1830s. For several years it acted as the main line between London and Edinburgh, crossing the River Wear by means of a spectacular viaduct just south of Washington. Later known as the Leamside branch, it carried freight and was used as a diversionary route until as recently as the 1990s. It hasn't been abandoned altogether; the tracks are gone, partly because people kept stealing them, but mainly because they'd have to be relaid anyway if the line was ever to re-open. The ballast remains, in an attempt to stop vegetation encroaching. There are still hopes that some of this route might one day be made into an extension of the Tyne & Wear Metro system.
Watching this excellent video from Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Thanks so much for the high quality video. The clear sunny weather makes a difference at these speeds.
Thanks for joining us David. I visit Florida most years (Covid excluding). I think the nearest I’ve been to you is Chattanooga. I worked in Nashville for a year or so in my motor industry days.
Between 1971 - 74 I used to take the train from Ramsgate, Kent, to Durham, for the University. Those were three of the finest years of my life: and Durham's glorious cathedral has been a favourite ever since. All English people should visit Durham at least once! Mind you, a recent long weekend in Newcastle was also an amazing experience: what a dramatic cityscape! Thank you for this post.
I've been waiting for this moment all day and having had a very nice chicken biryani and bombay potatoes for tea, I'm now going to settle down for some thrilling entertainment.
Superb as usual Don, thank you very much. Please do not take this in any way other than an idea, but watching yesterday the TGV trip from Toulouse via Bordeaux to Paris the speed limits and actual speed were on screen. I marvelled at the accuracy of the driver de-accelerating down to hit the new limit at just below the required speed! Keep up the excellent work.
I can get away with the odd clip of speed but I can’t show a full transcript under the conditions I was given to be allowed to share the footage. Its all about security as some nutter will try to drive one. I don’t want to upset my bosses as they were very good to allow me to do it.
Another great & informative video, Don. Many thanks to you, and Aron, of course. You can easily see why the Darlington - York section was regarded as a racetrack in steam days.
Thanks for, once again, a wonderful trip around the eastside of the UK (as well to you Don, as to Aron ofcourse). I never understood the difference between the 800's and the 802, and now I finally do! Great to once again see the architectural wonders of the UK with your personal in-depth look, as well as seeing a little bit more of the 802's driver cabin. Last summer I went on a vacation to Newcastle with my father (who happens to work for our national railway; NS), and neither he nor I realized the number of tracks on top of us, when taking a few beautiful pictures on the below deck of the King Edward Bridge. This was quite the surprise for both of us, and we loved to see it from this perspective! By the way, are you being assigned to drive the Nova 1's in the future? I remember seeing in one of the last livestream feeds, you're usually only assigned to the TPE 185's. Just wondering, that's all! I'd love to know what it is like, driving such a giant at speeds up to 125 M/ph. Thanks again, and I wish you all the best in these times of the coronacrisis. Cheers!
Travelled this section of line many times on DMU’s, Class 45/47 loco hauled, Class 158’s, HST’s, Class 91’s and Class 185’s. Still to make the trip on a Nova 1 or Azuma though! Acceleration looks impressive compared to the stock of old. This section of line was electrified 1988-89 with electric services officially commencing in July 1991.
Playing catch up and in the middle of a UK heatwave in August sat in shorts the snows of winter seem a long time ago, especially with what has happened since then. Thanks Don and Aron for yet another great watch and insightful information. The piece on the track machine was excellent and as you mentioned you see them all over the National network, the nearest to me being those stabled at Guide Bridge, Manchester. Also the info on the overhead wires was something that as a rail buff was news to me, although once you had mentioned it I found it hypnotic following them! Sad to say because of the current situation due to Covid I have not been on a train since March and your videos help fill the void. One final 'thank you' - I can't stop humming Durham Town 😉
I’ve got another song that will get stuck in your brain tonight! I think the nearest MMT is stabled at Wakefield but there could be one at Guide Bridge?
Hy , this is absolutely superb , great video quality , great detail about the route and the trains , great side view , nice detail about cabin data , absolutely super hard work put on the video editing and it deserve all the credit in the world , thank you for sharing and keep up this great video's they are on different level .
Great video.Informative and nostalgic. We used to do this run on our way from Newcastle to Cheltenham in the fifties.In some ways the train journey was the most memorable part of the holiday.Many thanks.
Thank you for this Don, such memories. I used to live near York and had quite a few train trips to Durham and Newcastle. My grandad was a goods clerk at Darlington station before and after his war service, later moving to Barnard Castle until that closed.
Lovely Don. Line off to the left at Darlington was also the North Easterns route over Stainmore Summit to Tebay on the WCML, and also the Middleton in Teesdale branch too. Any chance of getting Newcastle to Edinburgh please?
I was wondering why watch the return trip but I was glad I did. This line is well worth watching both ways and I was also glad to watch the EVR snippet at the end. Great job...
I live about 300ft away from the ECML and I remember watching the electrification works going up and having a closer look as I went over the bridge to see school friends.
Another enjoyable ride on the rails with beautiful weather and scenery to complete the ride. Liked your comment on Whittaker’s classic song, reactivated my (Ian) dormant musical grey cells, still humming the tune!! Thanks for your video, never tire of any of them.
Beautiful video Don, and an amazing experience from the cab drivers view, I really love it...these train driver's must be getting a good pay packet for their services I bet....
I won’t try to kid you, yes we get paid very well. It is quite a responsibility though, it isn’t impossible to have considerably more people onboard then you can get on a jumbo jet.
Nice to see another one of my trainee's assisting in this video Don, nice to see some of my old locations also from when I was at Thornaby in the early 90s. The line to Redmire, Ferryhill, Thrislington and Tyne Yard😢
Thanks again Don fo a great video to keep me amused during lock down .Also to Aron too of course. A sction of road I know extremely well as a passenger but a cab ride is something else. I can see the new 802s (and 68s) pass my house but, partly due to lock down, not yet expeienced them but this has made me want to even more. I shall tackle your longer frieght vids shortly too !!
6:23 is the reason I'd never want to be a train driver. Having a foot crossing over a high speed main line like that is just - I can't find words to describe it. On a more positive note, many thanks for this Don! I've heard of these new trainers and seen outside views, but it's amazing to see these from the cab. I think they're a huge improvement over what has come before. Just as soon as I finish work, I'll sit down in front of my home theatre and I know I'll have a ball watching this 👍👍👍
I've walked over the foot crossing just north of Northallerton where the Wensleydale Railway merges at 18:50 (I went for a walk to kill some time while I wanting for my car to be serviced) and it is a scary feeling, even though I know I've checked and triple-checked that there is no train in sight on any of the lines before leaving the fenced-off refuge and crossing the two tracks (and then the two of the Wensleydale Line). When I got to the other side I stood (behind the fence) and timed how long it was from first being able to see a train's headlights in the distance under Zetland bridge until it arrived. I forget how long it was, but not very long...
Glad you enjoyed it Ray, thanks. One of my main aims when asking permission to film was to share the experience. Most of us at some stage dreamed of being a train driver so having you ride along is a pleasure.
Absolutely terrific video, Don. I would have preferred the speed showing permanently, but that's just me. Excellent commentary and detail. Probably the best train video I have seen. Two things I don't understand. Is the poor signalling and the poor track that keeps speeds down? And with this wonderful new train, why are the interiors so damned uncomfortable and unwelcoming. The seats, as everyone says, are like ironing boards. Surely we can do better?
I can’t put a permanent speed up Chris because my software won’t support it. Regarding the speed, you mean at 125 or below 125? Th signal sighting, structures and curves usually account for lower speeds but they will eventually get modified. The ride is intentionally stiff as these units were intended for speeds up to 140mph for which they need very good track and probably wouldn’t show the bumps. Modern seating is invariably firm as it is proven that they are better for comfort over longer periods. I guess we slump into soft seats. It sounds contrived but it is true.
Excellent footage once again and it is indeed crystal clear. It's like having a day out I think I will bring a flask and sandwiches next time as someone mentioned earlier. Really entertaining. Keep up the great work.
Very nice and the country side at this time of year is lovely. I do wish you'd shown more of the driver's panel and some commentary from the driver too. Enjoyed the ride. Thanks Don
Sorry about the very long delay. I’m not allowed to show the controls being used nor disturb the driver. We do talk but only at stations. I know what you mean though, it would add interest.
I can’t comment on that Robert but maybe the speeds have changed and certainly the way drivers stick to the rules is possible. All trains have data recorders on them now so they never go above the speed limit. I’d have to look at the similar footage to know for sure but rest assured an 802 can out perform a HST.
Yes, I get what you are saying but there are a multitude of signalling regulations that prevent it. It can be done but it needs to be upgraded. The track is nowhere near as smooth as the cameras would imply.
@@doncoffey5820 I know they tested the flashing green aspect as an extra block on top of the normal steady green to account for the longer braking distance (given the somewhat crap braking performance on the IC225 vs modern EMUs, if Train Sim is anything to go by), so I don't know whether that would work as a typically British kludge for it. Either that or fitting in-cab signalling as they do on the continent, which is an entirely different undertaking.
Nice video Don. As a teenager I lived in Thirsk, at 13:38 on the video, and spent a lot of time at Thirsk station. Back in 1967 it still had four platforms and actually had trains stopping on the centre platforms. On my last trip to England (1984 ish) the middle platforms had gone, but the space was still well manicured. Nature has taken over this unused space. When I lived in Thirsk there was still on old steam loco used to switch goods wagons in the freight yard just to the north of the station. It is good to see that trains still stop at Thirsk. I came across a video that was shot at the north end of the south bound platform and was impressed by the number of trains that still stop at Thirsk, in one afternoon. A lot more trains stopped here that at my Canadian major city station where we see six trains a week.
It has always struck me to think that for about 20 years after the Battle of Waterloo that all these surrounding flat fields were exactly that , a backwater of a rural society with peasants and yokels slaving away on the land to make a living, probably having no knowledge of worldly events beyond their horizons.. Then , sometime in the 1830s men wearing tall top hats arrived to measure up followed soon by navvies who started to dig up the land to make ready for the great rail road , then life and scenery were never the same again
I really enjoyed this especially the end video, keep up the good work and stay safe, the UK depends on people like you and all your colleagues to to keep the country moving, fantastic work, keep it up my friend 😀
Thanks for showing this. I traveled on that line quite a few times in the 1960s, but this is the first time I've seen it from the front. York to Darlington was quite quick in those days, but not as fast as this 😁 Darlington was my local station in 1965/66. The area near the end of platforms 2 and 3 (South) looks naked without The Rocket. I did Darlington to Cheltenham at the beginning of every school term and back again at the end of term. I did the stretch north of Darlington in 1968/69/70 when traveling from Cambridge to Edinburgh to visit my innamorata. Memories.
Notice how the overhead electric cable zig zags from pylon to pylon to prevent it cutting a groove in the pantograph
Thats it Maria, exactly.
I have my sandwiches and flask of coffee and I’m sitting in my living room in Canada looking forward to this video 😄 Thanks in advance Don .🏴⚒🇨🇦
Enjoy Ron!
13:44 Thirsk
18:27 Northallerton
24:04 River Tees
26:44 Darlington
43:56 Durham
49:00 Chester-Le-Street
54:56 King Edward Bridge
56:17 Newcastle
Don, this is a superb production. I really hope the Ministry of Transport is aware of the sterling work you are doing. Thank you so much.
My grandfather worked in our royal railways here in Bulgaria pre-1945. Ive always had fascination for trains but Ive never been to the UK and man do I wish that I could go or live there! Love your commentary sir, thanks for offering people like me the virtual trips they couldnt take otherwise IRL. Great stuff!
It sounds very patronising but I would love to see your railways too. Thanks for following the channel, its much appreciated.
Love this video, very high quality. The ticker is great. This line is a real race track. Thanks for posting.
What an amazing video. I loved it, very clear and great detailed comments all the way through. A a pleasure to watch. Thanks to all.
Don, you are an absolute legend for making these in cab videos! I love how in depth you explain each landmark and sideing, I have travelled some routes you have covered
Glad you liked it.
What an achievement - from Stevenson to the present day technology and routine high speed travel. I'd love to see the reaction of Stephenson, Gooch, Brunel at al if they could be placed in a modern train cab. I think they would approve. Great video, Don. Loved every minute of it.
Aye, apparently, the public thought you might die at 30 mph!
Brilliant! Absolutely stunning photography and extremely well-presented and informative running captions. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for these videos. Love seeing the UK and the information you provide along the way. The view from the drivers cab is awesome. Thanks again.
I’m really pleased you enjoyed it Pam.
Thank you Don for another interesting and educational video. Your videos are always full of facts of local interest. It was a pleasant surprise when I saw information of another video from your stable to watch on these cant do this or that days, what a great way to spend two hours watching English country side going past at a rate of knots and learning so much to. A big thank you Don and the driver for a great trip.
And Phil, thanks to you for your continued support. You look after yourself.
Loved it, Loved it, Loved it! Loved Darlington station and after the Freight trains to go fast was great! I'll watch again over the weekend! Also to see snow was nice as it's warm here down south! Thanks Don and thanks to Aaron.
Thanks as always Val and hopefully in a couple of days it won’t pixelate as much. Thanks for your continued support.
Just wow. I just watched this a second time. The first was at work on an ancient pc. Today, I'm watching it on a brand new laptop with a 4 gig video card in HD. This is like being there without the wind in my face. Thank you so very much for this excellent production.
Glad you enjoyed it! It has a full stereo soundtrack if you have some matching audio ;-)
Thank you for this intelligent, informative and enjoyable video! You certainly put the hard work in to make the video as enjoyable for the viewer as possible.
Thank you very much!
I've subscribed. Thanks for a very informative clip. I love watching this type of stuff and your little side tid bits of information makes for a well rounded presentation. Thanks heaps. From New Zealand.
Hope you are all good over there Andrew, you seem to have a good system for coping with the virus. Glad you’ve found us.
Excellent video. At roughly 46:25 was the location of the former Newton Hall Junction. Here the long closed Sunderland line veered off the ECML to the east crossing over Belmont Viaduct high above the River Wear and the spectacular wooded Kepier Gorge. It then joined the former ECML ( latterly known as the Leamside Line) at Belmont Junction. Here the line continued in a North Easterly direction through Penshaw into Sunderland. This entire route has been lifted except the last 5 miles into Sunderland which was reinstated in the late 90s to form the southernmost part of the Metro network between Sunderland and South Hylton.
It’s such a shame so much was lost. Very interesting thank you.
Don you truly are the King of the cab view. Well done
Thats very nice Martin thank you.
Thanks for another great one Don. See, there are so many things that I love about your videos - nostalgia for childhood (riding a single car diesel unit, no idea what class, on Middlesbrough to Whitby where you could see out of the front window in the early 70s); love of Victorian architecture and civil engineering (the man hours involved!); fascination with the mechanics and physics of rail travel and stock; and just a love of the British countryside. Looking forward to more!
Glad you enjoyed it and glad you see all the elements that I try to include.
Wonderfully done! I appreciated not only the commentary but also the references to the map. I watched from Boulder, Colorado. I travelled London-Newcastle once in 1969 or 1970; my main memory was of the very nice dining car! Thank you.
I would love to visit Boulder one day. Glad you enjoyed the virtual trip.
Fantastic. Love it as the Nova 1 powers its way through Northallerton station.
Stand well back Paul!!!
Another enjoyable video .Vey well shot and captioned . Well done and many thanks !
Thanks. I wish it would stream as clear as it is uploaded but I think the server struggles.
I have traveled the globe. Love traveling your train and thoroughly enjoy the scenery. Wonderful experience and most appreciated.
Thanks Charles, I appreciate your feedback.
I just don't want to stop watching, the point of singularity is genuinely hypnotic ... Especially after acceleration thx for bring to us this experience... I m loving it...
Glad you liked it Teresa.
Absolutely wonderful Don....as I expected. Many thanks to yourself and the driver. While enjoying this video I’ve been comparing the overhead catenary style to the new overhead line system between Paddington and Bristol (thanks to a cab ride video) and the new overhead on the GWR seems to be far more intrusive and heavily engineered compared to the ECML system. Things have changed so much over the last few years haven’t they? Keep up the good work...your style has become the ‘standard to achieve’ in my opinion. Best wishes , Rob
Several people have commented on the Great Western mainline OLE structure. I’ve not see it yet but at some stage I’ll be going out with GWR and will have a better idea.
A great production, informative, enjoyable & no insect splatter to spoil the view!
We go to great lengths to keep the screen clear.
Superlative. This quality and amount of information sets the standard for train videos. Thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate your comments.
Love the approach to Newcastle Station. Another great cab ride, with great in-cab shots as well. What a contrast to the Class 66 ride! Many thanks Don, as always.
A bit quicker progress Mike!
Hey , I love your video , I watch every single one , I love them , keep doing what your doing cause your video are lovely to watch 😊😊!
Thank you! Will do!
Think I've caught all your videos Don. They are very educational as well as teaching a lot about railways and just how complex they are. Can't make up my mind if the returning Binliner to Wakefield or the North Wales coast to Holyhead is favourite. The 113 thumbs down must be competitors without hope!
Haha, you never know Roger, maybe they searched for Wakefield and got a cab ride and maybe they just didn’t like it!! I’m glad you liked them though 👍
Although we didn’t see much of the area, I found this a wonderful trip! I love trains and scenery. Could have used more of what surrounded the tracks, but a great getaway today! Thank you😊
I’m limited to what I can get in but I do add the occasional side shots.
Thanks for this Don, excellent quality with great facts along the way. Very proud to have been selected to become a driver on the ECML, starting my training next month, so doing a bit of early studying!
Congratulations Rob. I’m sure you’ll find it’s the best decision you’ve ever made.
Great Video I noticed the three bridges out of DARLINGTON the Thompson Street bridges and Green Lane I remember them as a boy during the days of steam I am now 73 and live in Western Australia..cheers
That’s interesting. Look after yourself over there.
Beautiful! Watching from the USA. Done this trip mny times.
Hope you come back again Patrick.
Very nice trip. I really love all the explanations, it really ads value to the discovery. Thanks a lot !
Glad you enjoyed it Richard, thank you.
Don, have enjoyed riding the rails with you from here in the states. Enjoy your time off. You are definitely going out on top mate! Thanks very much.
Thank you Art, that’s much appreciated my friend.
What a splendid way this is to "get out".
The quality is spot on! Thank you Don :)
Great production video. Came across this and will now view the others you have made. Great....many thanks
Glad you like them John.
Thanks Aron for allowing us in the cab, and seeing what you see, and Don for providing the additional information and pictures that make the journey so interesting. I feel sorry for the passengers! It must have been an interesting calculation for the surveyors to decide when it was cheaper to bore a tunnel rather than dig a cutting. We travelled along the line faster than any of the LNER steam locos could achieve. Thanks again. Look forward to the next ride.
Our pleasure!
I'm saving the return trip for later, so please accept my apologies if you've already covered this.
The line diverging to the right at Tursdale Junction formed part of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway, built in the 1830s. For several years it acted as the main line between London and Edinburgh, crossing the River Wear by means of a spectacular viaduct just south of Washington. Later known as the Leamside branch, it carried freight and was used as a diversionary route until as recently as the 1990s.
It hasn't been abandoned altogether; the tracks are gone, partly because people kept stealing them, but mainly because they'd have to be relaid anyway if the line was ever to re-open. The ballast remains, in an attempt to stop vegetation encroaching. There are still hopes that some of this route might one day be made into an extension of the Tyne & Wear Metro system.
Thanks, yes, Aron told me about that.
Another excellent entertaining film! And folks, don’t forget to support the appeal at the end!
Much appreciated Steve. Keep safe and well mate.
125mph!! Corking speeds!
And I remember the mass floods last year too, and happened this year as well!
Love the videos! Keep up the great work! 💯
Will do. Glad you liked it.
Hi Don
I have only recently come across your cab ride videos. They are superb being both educational and thoroughly enjoyable.
Welcome aboard! Thanks Ian.
i like the info tidbits as well as the camera work, well done.
Glad you like them!
26:30 I'm glad the points were set correctly
I wouldn’t be here to discuss it with you if they weren’t ;-)
Watching this excellent video from Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Thanks so much for the high quality video. The clear sunny weather makes a difference at these speeds.
Thanks for joining us David. I visit Florida most years (Covid excluding). I think the nearest I’ve been to you is Chattanooga. I worked in Nashville for a year or so in my motor industry days.
Between 1971 - 74 I used to take the train from Ramsgate, Kent, to Durham, for the University. Those were three of the finest years of my life: and Durham's glorious cathedral has been a favourite ever since. All English people should visit Durham at least once! Mind you, a recent long weekend in Newcastle was also an amazing experience: what a dramatic cityscape! Thank you for this post.
I can do it free Mark and I never have but I’ll make a point when the lockdown is over.
Thameslink driver here. Love your content!
Glad to hear it my friend. Keep safe buddy.
I've been waiting for this moment all day and having had a very nice chicken biryani and bombay potatoes for tea, I'm now going to settle down for some thrilling entertainment.
Well I wasn’t hungry but now.......
Superb as usual Don, thank you very much. Please do not take this in any way other than an idea, but watching yesterday the TGV trip from Toulouse via Bordeaux to Paris the speed limits and actual speed were on screen. I marvelled at the accuracy of the driver de-accelerating down to hit the new limit at just below the required speed! Keep up the excellent work.
I can get away with the odd clip of speed but I can’t show a full transcript under the conditions I was given to be allowed to share the footage. Its all about security as some nutter will try to drive one. I don’t want to upset my bosses as they were very good to allow me to do it.
Another great & informative video, Don. Many thanks to you, and Aron, of course. You can easily see why the Darlington - York section was regarded as a racetrack in steam days.
Well said!
Thanks for, once again, a wonderful trip around the eastside of the UK (as well to you Don, as to Aron ofcourse). I never understood the difference between the 800's and the 802, and now I finally do! Great to once again see the architectural wonders of the UK with your personal in-depth look, as well as seeing a little bit more of the 802's driver cabin.
Last summer I went on a vacation to Newcastle with my father (who happens to work for our national railway; NS), and neither he nor I realized the number of tracks on top of us, when taking a few beautiful pictures on the below deck of the King Edward Bridge. This was quite the surprise for both of us, and we loved to see it from this perspective!
By the way, are you being assigned to drive the Nova 1's in the future? I remember seeing in one of the last livestream feeds, you're usually only assigned to the TPE 185's. Just wondering, that's all! I'd love to know what it is like, driving such a giant at speeds up to 125 M/ph.
Thanks again, and I wish you all the best in these times of the coronacrisis.
Cheers!
My pleasure Michel, glad you enjoyed it.
Travelled this section of line many times on DMU’s, Class 45/47 loco hauled, Class 158’s, HST’s, Class 91’s and Class 185’s. Still to make the trip on a Nova 1 or Azuma though! Acceleration looks impressive compared to the stock of old. This section of line was electrified 1988-89 with electric services officially commencing in July 1991.
Thanks for the info. They are very nice to ride on.
Playing catch up and in the middle of a UK heatwave in August sat in shorts the snows of winter seem a long time ago, especially with what has happened since then.
Thanks Don and Aron for yet another great watch and insightful information. The piece on the track machine was excellent and as you mentioned you see them all over the National network, the nearest to me being those stabled at Guide Bridge, Manchester.
Also the info on the overhead wires was something that as a rail buff was news to me, although once you had mentioned it I found it hypnotic following them!
Sad to say because of the current situation due to Covid I have not been on a train since March and your videos help fill the void.
One final 'thank you' - I can't stop humming Durham Town 😉
I’ve got another song that will get stuck in your brain tonight! I think the nearest MMT is stabled at Wakefield but there could be one at Guide Bridge?
Hy , this is absolutely superb , great video quality , great detail about the route and the trains , great side view , nice detail about cabin data , absolutely super hard work put on the video editing and it deserve all the credit in the world , thank you for sharing and keep up this great video's they are on different level .
Thank you, thats much appreciated.
As Einstein asked "Does York stop here" Strangely satisfying in an ambient way, many thanks.
great video, love the comments explaining thing rather than endless line views
Glad you liked it!
Great video.Informative and nostalgic. We used to do this run on our way from Newcastle to Cheltenham in the fifties.In some ways the train journey was the most memorable part of the holiday.Many thanks.
I think the journey can make part of the holiday.
Thank you for this Don, such memories. I used to live near York and had quite a few train trips to Durham and Newcastle. My grandad was a goods clerk at Darlington station before and after his war service, later moving to Barnard Castle until that closed.
Thanks Jackie. Glad it brought back memories for you.
44:59 Funny you should mention that song, I was thinking of it as you came into the station at Durham. The song dates back to 1969.
I’m afraid I remember it well Neil!
@@doncoffey5820 I've got an MP3 audio file of it tucked away on an external hard-drive.
Lovely Don. Line off to the left at Darlington was also the North Easterns route over Stainmore Summit to Tebay on the WCML, and also the Middleton in Teesdale branch too. Any chance of getting Newcastle to Edinburgh please?
Yes, its on the cards be we aren’t allowed to double man a cab just at the moment. Bear with me!
Very nice "up & down" ride and thanks Don for all the information.
Glad you enjoyed it GBE, all the best mate.
I was wondering why watch the return trip but I was glad I did. This line is well worth watching both ways and I was also glad to watch the EVR snippet at the end. Great job...
Yes, that’s nice footage. I save some of the captions for the return so glad you stayed 👍
Whenever the train stops at York, it always sounds to me like the announcement says Björk 😂
Its our Northern accent!
Excellent quality as ever Don, now I've just got to make my way home from York....When's the next train to leeds? ;-) Stay safe and well mate.
We’ll find you a ride 😉
I live about 300ft away from the ECML and I remember watching the electrification works going up and having a closer look as I went over the bridge to see school friends.
I bet you’ve seen some sights over the years. Excellent!
Brilliant video with excellent description on the way. Top marks to all involved. Well done 👍
Many thanks Rich.
22:54 the richmond & catterick garrison joins mainline also this was the site of dalton station
As always, informative AND relaxing! British Rail is so far in advance of North America. . .
Thanks Bram.
Another enjoyable ride on the rails with beautiful weather and scenery to complete the ride. Liked your comment on Whittaker’s classic song, reactivated my (Ian) dormant musical grey cells, still humming the tune!! Thanks for your video, never tire of any of them.
Thanks Ian. Quite a few of my videos leave you with an “earworm”. Oh no he’s got me at it now!
Beautiful video Don, and an amazing experience from the cab drivers view, I really love it...these train driver's must be getting a good pay packet for their services I bet....
I won’t try to kid you, yes we get paid very well. It is quite a responsibility though, it isn’t impossible to have considerably more people onboard then you can get on a jumbo jet.
When switching to diesel power how much time is needed for pre-load warm up?
Its very quick Terry - maybe 20 seconds but they will eventually do it automatically. It needs some track belize’s.
How nice to go on a train journey and get away from all this s**t
Yes it does help to bury the head in the sand doesn’t it ;-)
I find the point work fascinating, as well as the scenery. I love this
Glad you enjoyed it
Really enjoyed this video especially your on screen information. Looking forward to watching more
Thanks Richard.
Wow this is nice!!
Glad you like it!
9:30 Convoy of Class 66s
Nice to see another one of my trainee's assisting in this video Don, nice to see some of my old locations also from when I was at Thornaby in the early 90s. The line to Redmire, Ferryhill, Thrislington and Tyne Yard😢
You taught him well, he seemed to handle his new traction competently and he had an array of various reminders all professionally made.
Thanks again Don fo a great video to keep me amused during lock down .Also to Aron too of course. A sction of road I know extremely well as a passenger but a cab ride is something else. I can see the new 802s (and 68s) pass my house but, partly due to lock down, not yet expeienced them but this has made me want to even more. I shall tackle your longer frieght vids shortly too !!
You’ll need to do those in instalments with plenty of tea and biscuits Jim ;-)
AND WE'RE OFF‼️
Excellent video again Don! Are you acctually together with the driver on the trip? Best wishes in this corona-times!
Mostly Per but not always.
6:23 is the reason I'd never want to be a train driver. Having a foot crossing over a high speed main line like that is just - I can't find words to describe it.
On a more positive note, many thanks for this Don! I've heard of these new trainers and seen outside views, but it's amazing to see these from the cab. I think they're a huge improvement over what has come before.
Just as soon as I finish work, I'll sit down in front of my home theatre and I know I'll have a ball watching this 👍👍👍
Pleased to know. Thanks for being a regular Joseph.
I've walked over the foot crossing just north of Northallerton where the Wensleydale Railway merges at 18:50 (I went for a walk to kill some time while I wanting for my car to be serviced) and it is a scary feeling, even though I know I've checked and triple-checked that there is no train in sight on any of the lines before leaving the fenced-off refuge and crossing the two tracks (and then the two of the Wensleydale Line). When I got to the other side I stood (behind the fence) and timed how long it was from first being able to see a train's headlights in the distance under Zetland bridge until it arrived. I forget how long it was, but not very long...
A very very well produced video...Felt in the cab real time...Thanks keep up the good work..
Glad you enjoyed it Ray, thanks. One of my main aims when asking permission to film was to share the experience. Most of us at some stage dreamed of being a train driver so having you ride along is a pleasure.
You may have left "old Durham town" but there was no "fog on the Tyne" for you
Thats done it, ruddy Gazza in my brain now ;-)
Absolutely terrific video, Don. I would have preferred the speed showing permanently, but that's just me. Excellent commentary and detail. Probably the best train video I have seen.
Two things I don't understand. Is the poor signalling and the poor track that keeps speeds down? And with this wonderful new train, why are the interiors so damned uncomfortable and unwelcoming. The seats, as everyone says, are like ironing boards. Surely we can do better?
I can’t put a permanent speed up Chris because my software won’t support it. Regarding the speed, you mean at 125 or below 125? Th signal sighting, structures and curves usually account for lower speeds but they will eventually get modified. The ride is intentionally stiff as these units were intended for speeds up to 140mph for which they need very good track and probably wouldn’t show the bumps. Modern seating is invariably firm as it is proven that they are better for comfort over longer periods. I guess we slump into soft seats. It sounds contrived but it is true.
Excellent footage once again and it is indeed crystal clear. It's like having a day out I think I will bring a flask and sandwiches next time as someone mentioned earlier. Really entertaining. Keep up the great work.
It was dreadful for the first few days but I think its buffered since then. I only know it leaves me at very high resolution. Glad you enjoyed it.
Very nice and the country side at this time of year is lovely. I do wish you'd shown more of the driver's panel and some commentary from the driver too. Enjoyed the ride. Thanks Don
Sorry about the very long delay. I’m not allowed to show the controls being used nor disturb the driver. We do talk but only at stations. I know what you mean though, it would add interest.
As impressive as this train is, it reached Thirsk in 13 mins. I remember hst in the early 90s passing in just over 11 mins.
I can’t comment on that Robert but maybe the speeds have changed and certainly the way drivers stick to the rules is possible. All trains have data recorders on them now so they never go above the speed limit. I’d have to look at the similar footage to know for sure but rest assured an 802 can out perform a HST.
We really could implement 140 mph running on these straight bits of the ECML without too much difficulty...
Yes, I get what you are saying but there are a multitude of signalling regulations that prevent it. It can be done but it needs to be upgraded. The track is nowhere near as smooth as the cameras would imply.
@@doncoffey5820 I know they tested the flashing green aspect as an extra block on top of the normal steady green to account for the longer braking distance (given the somewhat crap braking performance on the IC225 vs modern EMUs, if Train Sim is anything to go by), so I don't know whether that would work as a typically British kludge for it. Either that or fitting in-cab signalling as they do on the continent, which is an entirely different undertaking.
Nice video Don. As a teenager I lived in Thirsk, at 13:38 on the video, and spent a lot of time at Thirsk station. Back in 1967 it still had four platforms and actually had trains stopping on the centre platforms. On my last trip to England (1984 ish) the middle platforms had gone, but the space was still well manicured. Nature has taken over this unused space.
When I lived in Thirsk there was still on old steam loco used to switch goods wagons in the freight yard just to the north of the station. It is good to see that trains still stop at Thirsk. I came across a video that was shot at the north end of the south bound platform and was impressed by the number of trains that still stop at Thirsk, in one afternoon. A lot more trains stopped here that at my Canadian major city station where we see six trains a week.
Thanks Richard, very interesting. Did you see the Middlesbrough video in which Aron and I stopped? th-cam.com/video/KyICdtVk4wI/w-d-xo.html
An excellent video. Worth watching during lock-down. Thanks, Don Coffey.
Thank you too!
It has always struck me to think that for about 20 years after the Battle of Waterloo that all these surrounding flat fields were exactly that , a backwater of a rural society with peasants and yokels slaving away on the land to make a living, probably having no knowledge of worldly events beyond their horizons.. Then , sometime in the 1830s men wearing tall top hats arrived to measure up followed soon by navvies who started to dig up the land to make ready for the great rail road , then life and scenery were never the same again
Very eloquently put and absolutely correct.
Once again, a superb video production. Thanks Don...Stay safe.
Thanks, you too!
Very good video. The Tech information along with the tourist information was great, Keep up the good work,
Glad you enjoyed it!
Terrific video again Don. I dread to think how long these take to put together but the results are superb. Thanks Don.
Cheers, Bob
The answer is, a very long time Bob. I’m nearly ready to upload the next one now - just a few bits to tidy up.
Thanks Don for your time and hard work, been catching up on your other brilliant videos, cant wait for this one, thanks again.
Very welcome
I really enjoyed this especially the end video, keep up the good work and stay safe, the UK depends on people like you and all your colleagues to to keep the country moving, fantastic work, keep it up my friend 😀
Thank you Jamie. I’ll post a trip through lockdown soon.
Thanks for another wonderful video! Watched enough now I think I know what all the signals are..lol.
Thanks for showing this. I traveled on that line quite a few times in the 1960s, but this is the first time I've seen it from the front. York to Darlington was quite quick in those days, but not as fast as this 😁
Darlington was my local station in 1965/66. The area near the end of platforms 2 and 3 (South) looks naked without The Rocket. I did Darlington to Cheltenham at the beginning of every school term and back again at the end of term. I did the stretch north of Darlington in 1968/69/70 when traveling from Cambridge to Edinburgh to visit my innamorata. Memories.
I bet you saw some fantastic sights in the days of both steam and diesel.