We used to take the motorail from Kensington Olympia to St Austell in the 70s and early 80s. Until the year they abolished the formerly wonderful breakfast and there was a sign saying at the terminal saying "Collect your tray meals here". I can honestly say leaving to go on holiday on the motorail was the most exciting event as a young boy!
I used to drink with the charge hand shown there around 1:10 in the Hand & Flower when I was working for BR and lived behind Olympia in Sinclair Road. We did use Motorail in the 70's from Olympia to the far north of Scotland but every year it was a nightmare including one night a shunter getting crushed between the car flats and the coaches shuffling, it was said the coaches moved only a few inches but the kinetic force of so many tons just a few inches ended the poor mans life and for us it became an even worse situation as my father was the ranking BR man on site and me mum brother and I were whisked to Euston by taxi where BR had arranged for us passengers to be taken to Inverness in a sleeper whilst the drivers had to stay with the stuck train. To be fair BR paid for us to stay in the station hotel in Inverness but didn't see my father for three days and he was in a ferocious mood all that holiday despite getting his three days paid back in extra leave plus paid for being on duty as well. I think we used Motorail for a couple years more but the last year they took our car off at Stirling when it was due to be unloaded at Fort William and we had to wait a whole day and night for it to come up on the next nights Motorail, that was the train where some poor folks saw their cars loaded on a Penzance or Falmouth Motorail and there was a huge furore by angry car owners.
Great footage and a reminder of the motorail workings that regularly crossed the network during the summer timetable, and the bonus of hydraulic haulage in the West Country, wonderful 👍👍👍😎
I can't remember which car we had on this occasion - maybe a Mark 1 Escort or a Viva? My dad can still recall the car being pushed off the train at Totnes because it (the Viva) wouldn't start. He says he pushed the Viva more than he drove it!
I saw a few clips on archive British diesel and electric traction vol 2 vhs the coaches are usually at the front behind the loco followed by the motorail wagons
What a wonderful film ESPN the footage of kensington olympia. Brought back childhood memories of a motorail holiday to Perth. I can vividly recall waiting in the lounge at Olympia ...it was really exciting for a 6 year old! Thanks.
Just found out about Motorail today - Lovely footage, I used to take the train along the Dawlish coast route to get to university (right about the time it collapsed into the sea..)!
It’s not just electric cars but the whole issue of traffic jams on West Country routes not to mention the pollution. On another video, I saw a suggestion about electric cars being charged whilst on the train - great idea.
Life was fast enough then ,manageable ,but now ,hell with a pandemic to boot !pasties on the beach at Dawlish,tea from the cafe shop on the beach head ,white china cups ,teapot tray milk ,hot water etc ,where’s that all gone..?
We used to take the motorail from Kensington Olympia to St Austell in the 70s and early 80s. Until the year they abolished the formerly wonderful breakfast and there was a sign saying at the terminal saying "Collect your tray meals here". I can honestly say leaving to go on holiday on the motorail was the most exciting event as a young boy!
I used to drink with the charge hand shown there around 1:10 in the Hand & Flower when I was working for BR and lived behind Olympia in Sinclair Road. We did use Motorail in the 70's from Olympia to the far north of Scotland but every year it was a nightmare including one night a shunter getting crushed between the car flats and the coaches shuffling, it was said the coaches moved only a few inches but the kinetic force of so many tons just a few inches ended the poor mans life and for us it became an even worse situation as my father was the ranking BR man on site and me mum brother and I were whisked to Euston by taxi where BR had arranged for us passengers to be taken to Inverness in a sleeper whilst the drivers had to stay with the stuck train.
To be fair BR paid for us to stay in the station hotel in Inverness but didn't see my father for three days and he was in a ferocious mood all that holiday despite getting his three days paid back in extra leave plus paid for being on duty as well. I think we used Motorail for a couple years more but the last year they took our car off at Stirling when it was due to be unloaded at Fort William and we had to wait a whole day and night for it to come up on the next nights Motorail, that was the train where some poor folks saw their cars loaded on a Penzance or Falmouth Motorail and there was a huge furore by angry car owners.
Nice work love it
Wouldn't it be wonderful if some heritage society recreated a motorail train. They wre just amazing.
Excellent idea! There are probably a few wagons knocking around. Being a flat bed they must have found use on a preserved railway somewhere.
@@dswarner1571 the chassis used for the MotoRail flats were all coach underframes and I'm not aware if any avoiding the cutter's torch.
Great footage and a reminder of the motorail workings that regularly crossed the network during the summer timetable, and the bonus of hydraulic haulage in the West Country, wonderful 👍👍👍😎
Brought back so many memories with our old Wolseley 6/99 to Cornwall in the 1970's and Western hauled as well!
I can't remember which car we had on this occasion - maybe a Mark 1 Escort or a Viva? My dad can still recall the car being pushed off the train at Totnes because it (the Viva) wouldn't start. He says he pushed the Viva more than he drove it!
I saw a few clips on archive British diesel and electric traction vol 2 vhs the coaches are usually at the front behind the loco followed by the motorail wagons
What a wonderful film ESPN the footage of kensington olympia. Brought back childhood memories of a motorail holiday to Perth. I can vividly recall waiting in the lounge at Olympia ...it was really exciting for a 6 year old! Thanks.
I remember regularly seeing motorail trains at Dawlish in the 1970s... Fond memories...
This is brilliant. GWR trains in the 1970s! Keep it coming!
B.R. trains, not G.W.R.
But WR.
Just found out about Motorail today - Lovely footage, I used to take the train along the Dawlish coast route to get to university (right about the time it collapsed into the sea..)!
Thanks for sharing this fascinating film!
I'm glad you like it. :-)
A lost world, thanks for sharing
Yes, very much so.
A better world too.
My twelfth birthday!
An excellent film with the push to electric cars and the range issues I wonder if there is a need for this type of service again.
Cheers Kev
It’s not just electric cars but the whole issue of traffic jams on West Country routes not to mention the pollution. On another video, I saw a suggestion about electric cars being charged whilst on the train - great idea.
Fantastic!!
Exellent😊
Life was fast enough then ,manageable ,but now ,hell with a pandemic to boot !pasties on the beach at Dawlish,tea from the cafe shop on the beach head ,white china cups ,teapot tray milk ,hot water etc ,where’s that all gone..?
Totally agree with you Jeffrey. Where indeed has all that simple but lovely time gone? Values have changed and I don't think for the better.
Western😀