Ah the good old days! No heating strip on the 3rd rail which todays trains need, no noisy air con above your head (which is horribly useless and stops when the train breaks down) no locked windows.... Just reliability, simpleness, effectiveness and comfy seats with more than 1 inch of foam. Most reliable kit we ever had on our tracks.
LOL, these trains did not have foam... far too modern! They had fully sprung upholstery complete with horse hair! No wonder they were so comfortable!!!
The bumpy ride was part of the thrill! I remember many times sitting on the right hand side, looking forward with my head against the glass and another train coming the other way making the whole thing thump lol. You don't get that today... it's really rather static and clinical. Compressors... thats the thing under the floor that used to kick in and rumble away for ages right? - I'm assuming that like busses it's air brakes that need pressure to release the brake pads?
Yup, modern seats are just cloth covered paving slabs. As for air con. Bloody hate it. I've been on class 450s to Basingstoke. Great in the winter months. You just about get a comfortable temperature, and then the AC decides to blast you with cold air. This time last year, I was on a GWR class 802 from Paddington where we had to make an additional stop at Taunton and retrain as the AC stopped functioning at it was making people feel ill as the temperature increased. There is no means for staff to open a window or vent in the case of an AC failure.
The first time I went on those Mk1 Slam doors was back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was between 3 and 4 years old with my Mum travelling between Clapham Junction and London Waterloo and finally again between Winchester and London Waterloo when coming home from School at weekends with South West Trains in 2002 and 2003. When I made those journeys in 2002 and 2003, I finally moved back to London after living in Bristol from 1991 to 2002 for 10 1/2 years. Those trains were legendary and loud when I travelled on them back then.
In those days a packed train could fully unload in less than ten seconds. I miss the slam door simplicity and efficiency, even if there was a risk penalty.
The ability for a large number of passengers to board / alight in such a short period of time largely explains the longevity of slam door trains ... including why some were still being built in the 1960s, when a few other British Railways routes were already using sliding door trains which (mostly) dated from before WW2.
Brilliant! Both the sight and sound of the old Mk1 emu's evoke such memories. You really felt connected to the journey with their sound, the clatter over the tracks, the swaying carriages, the sparking conductor rails. The modern units are so anodyne. Efficient maybe, but if the slightest thing goes wrong - you're stuck for ages. With these older units, you just waited for another unit to buffer up and pull/ propel you to a station. Thanks for compiling and sharing - much appreciated.
This video brings back some fond memories of my teens when I used to ride these around London. They were not winners for their looks but they were comfortable and the seats (the ones that were not worn out) were about the same as a sofa. Something that the modern trains severely lack on this front and even the Mk3 based EMU's have better seating than anything post 2004 built in my opinion. I think these were units were built new in 1949/1950 if I remember correctly. I would love a model of each unit type like a Class 421 and a Class 423 to remember the good times but I am sure one will come in OO gauge at some point along with a OO Gauge Class 319.
I remember in the early 1990s I got on a semi fast Gillingham to Charing Cross via Woolwich and Lewisham service, and it was a slam door train (this service held on to them for a few more years) and I remember thundering from Gravesend to Dartford then blasting past Slade Green, Erith and Belvedere, then the long fast run between Lewisham (sometimes fast from Blackheath) and London Bridge which was bliss in the summer time, such a shame we cant build a modern 21st century version of a slam door train.
Jay Jay dfd go to suppress of the popsicle hustle per Circledddygdgehdhdgdgdhxjdhjjjhvggffdddfyhhgggffcghggghgghhuijhghhjjhhhjjjjujhhhhhjhhhjhhhhhggggggyyyyffhjgfgggvgghhhhhhhhhhhhhfgsurf what's up how's the FAFSA compass it to us with the lonesome I'm a hustler the muscle can't care I care aboutffhgfgggggfdfgfdfffdfggffgdfffalso awesomehffgggfggggvggguhh😅😄😂🐧🐧🎁🌊✈️🌊😃🕷😀✈️🎩🌊✈️🐟🐟😃😀🎊😒🐧🎩🎩🐧😥😥👰🐧😃😃😂😂😂😄🐧🎊🎁🎁✈️🎩✈️👰🕺🐧h
Yes, I want slam door trains back, they would be easier to maintain as well seeing as off the door is dead, undo 2-6 bolts, oil them and whack it back on again rather than having to mess with the door rails and then do some hardware 'coding' to get double leaf doors to close symmetrically (something Networkers have difficulty with). I travel on Gillingham- Charing X via Woolwich and Lewisham services very often and even with the newer stock, it is easily the most hellfire experience on the south east. Greenhithe to Gravesend is my favorite non stop section.
i remember this route. Headcode 62. It was one of the longer routes to be operated by inner suburban stock lacking 1st class accommodation or toilets. This route was introduced in the early/mid 70's following the withdrawal of the hourly Headcode 82 Charing Cross - Ramsgate via Gravesend service which was fast from London Bridge to Woolwich Arsenal (operated over the Greenwich line) then fast to Dartford then fast to Gravesend. Train was all stations from Strood to Ramsgate via Chatham. Back in the 1960's this service also carried a Maidstone West portion and the train was divided at Strood, usually front 6 cars for Ramsgate and rear 4 cars for Maidstone West.
Lovely. These were such lovely trains; the 63 stock had de-classified first class compartments, which still had the deep seats and orange curtains in Connex days.
I still prefer these to all the other trains now aside from the HST's. Fond memories of travelling to college on the North Kent Coast line in the mid, late 90s
YES I prefer old school vintage first generation EMUs DMUs DEMUS and also the old school mark and mark 2 series coaching stock and both the old school diesel and electric locos of the 1950-early 1970s my favourites being English Electric locos especially class 37s (type 3) locos they made very reliable strong long lasting locos most of the English Electric were much more reliable than Brush locos sadly some locos were too few in number which limited their lifetime in traffic Deltics (class 55 type 5) only 22 made baby Deltics class 23 (type 2) only ten made the more you have of a class of locomotive or emu or carriage the longer they are likely to stay in traffic which is why class 47s lasted so long so classes 08 20 31 31 37 were made in huge batches the mark 1s thousands were made mark 1 emus thousands were made for southern region not as many mark emus on the great easten out of London Liverpool Street and London Fenchurch Street the older trains were more comfortable to ride in and although they discouraged it you could lean out the window even when moving and see right down the track you cannot do that on most modern trains except HSTs and mark 3s and the handful of mark 2s left still running
There were three types of train here, l am going to use Southern Railway (Pre 1947) codes; there were 4CEP on Kent lines (Sevenoaks), 4CIG/4BIG on the Brighton Main Line, and 4REP/4TC on the SouthWest Main Line aka Bournemouth Line, these were interesting insofar that the 4REP was the powerhouse and was actually classed as a locomotive, REP meant Restaurant Electro Pneumatic brakes, and "towed" 2 X 4TC (Eight carriages) TC meant Trailer Control (They could be driven from the drivers cab even if propelled by a Crompton - Class 33 - diesel).
cjmillsnun , You are right, there are 4VEP (Vestibule Electro Pneumatic) which were interurban (as opposed to intercity done by 4CIG (Corridor brIGhton) and 4REP (Restaurant Electro Pneumatic) which was classed as a locomotive) trains doing stopping services to Brighton.
I spoke to a driver I knew in passing. Lovely chap, used to clean our windows. It was in the days when working on the railways wasn't that well paid. He said that the 4 REPs when run in their own gave a 'lively' performance. He described it as the Aston Martin of EMUs. Each power car, and there were two, had the same power as a class 73, 1,600hp. 3,200hp per unit. At the time, pre APT and Pendolino, they were the most powerful EMU on the railway. I used to love watching the hack through Surbiton. Also interesting to watch the compression take place on the corridor connections and rubbing plates when the pulled out of a station heading in the country direction with the REP at the rear. Now, a year on from your comment, Merseyrail (I live up here now, it's 3rd rail so feels like home) are getting class 777s delivered. Put into the context of a 4 REP, each 4 car class 777 unit is 2,800hp. I've seen one on test on the network. They are swift, it was down the line far quicker than a 507 or 8. I loved the old VEP, CEP, CIG types. Slam doors carriages with soft comfortable upholstered seats, not today's fabric covered paving slabs.
I see quite a few 4-CIGs in that one (the longer distance trains). Nice video, which helps me with a game we have running out our site set in the early 1980s. Thanks for posting this!
oh yes, how I wish I had a time machine and could go back in time - with a camcorder! I'd love to ride and film the Southend Corridor Express, GWR City Stock and other special trains that travelled on the Underground pre WW2!
It was quite dangerous for using manual operating door as ppl could commit suicide by opening the door during train moving. In 90's, BR still used slam door but tube used slide door for years. It was quite incredible.
The LNER and LMS were building sliding door trains but railway nationalisation set the railways back - because instead of moving forwards with modernisation the new owners decided to maintain the status quo...
ah memories...starting to feel old watching thses videos haha ...and for all/any failings of the time I'd still give up a day in the future to be able to spend another day in those times. one was not really a London commuter if one didn't at least travel on one of those trains once in their journeys. thanks for uploading
+Vincent de Guard I WAS a London commuter and I am very gld those days are over. Dreadful trains, dreadful service. BR run by and staffed by sociopaths. I dance on all their graves.
+latimeralder1 I WAS a London commuter and I have not the foggiest notion of what you're talking about. The "sociopath" jibe is presumably subject to the received acumen on "projection". BR service was truly excellent and in 5 years intensive use I never encountered an unfriendly staffer.
Then you never travelled on SR in the 1980s. BR was a truly dreadful institution with absolutely (and seemingly deliberately) no idea of customer service. Remember the 'good old days' of endless strikes over flexible rostering? The Clapham Junction crash? The way a sprinkling of snow would bring all of Waterloo to a halt? The timetable so fragile that a single incident would bring chaos for hours? 'Frozen points' everywhere? Christ it was an appalling mess....
Where you say " the end of the clip is why you shouldn't lean (too ) far out of the window" ,was that approaching Clapham Junc ? If yes then it's near where that kid bashed his head on a lineside pole (too close to the rail line ) when he was leaning out the (former Guards window )on a class 442 Gatwick express unit !!!
Passing through a station with a bridge that has support columns very close to the side of the train just afterwards... sorry but I do not know the location. But I do remember the terrible event you mentioned.
@@CitytransportInfoplus what a great video. Really enjoyed it, thanks. Re clearance when poking one's head out of the window, there's 6ft between running rails on opposing tracks, 4ft7in of which is taken up with the body over hang- so just 17 inches between carriage sides as they pass. Back in the late 1980s I had my head outside a MK2F going down Shap when we came around a curve and I saw... another head protruding from the oncoming train. I'm sure that would have knocked sense into both of us if we hadn't both reacted so fast. Then of course there's the trees just South of Rugby and I can still feel the branch smacking me in the face. Magic days...
it was more of a marker light for track workers to see the approaching train - in the 'very old' days steam trains had oil lamps at their front, these too acted as this type of marker light as the light they gave off was useless for forward vision, depending on the pattern / shape they formed they also helped signalmen verify the train type (or its destination, on the London Underground) as it passes and for - its only in the present era that forward facing lights on trains have become bright enough for forward vision - in reality this is not the most important feature as (unless the train is going very slowly) the train will be unlikely to be able to stop in time if the driver did see something wrong
@@CitytransportInfoplus Thanks for the answer. 😉👍🏻 This makes Sense with that small Lamps for the Signalmans. I know that a train needs several hundred meters to come to a stop, even with an emergency brake if something wrong ahead of the Tracks. Even I've never been a train driver, I imagine the whole thing to be pretty (un)funny when you're sitting in such a dark cabin and you can't see anything in front of the Tracks at night. You only notice the shaking of the Train but you don't see anything. That must be Creepy. 🙂
@@hackfleischhakenderzerhacker No, it's not creepy at all. Drivers have to learn thoroughly the routes that they work and are examined before signing their "Route Card". Yes, it's weird charging along in the dark mile after mile, but don't forget that there's almost always occasions when the Driver goes over the same routes in daylight.
it depends, typically some were 40, 56, 64, 72 and other similar numbers. Seating layouts depended on whether the trains were for short distance commuting, longer journeys perhaps over an hour in duration, whether the individual carriage had a guards area, a luggage area, a driver's cab; whether the carriage seated first class or standard class passengers, etc.
Jeffrey Ornstein people weren't so idiotic at that time. There were of course a few injuries, but people knew not to open the door when the train was going full speed.
The fucktard apocalypse hadn't started then, now we are in the full flow of it. People needed their wits to survive, now they wander around in a braindead stupor.
The Driving Cars are were not a pretty sight, with half of the inter carriage transfer area and doorway extending from the car. And the poor old driver shut into his little cubicle. All changed now, I hope.
Wow. There's a name that would still strike fear and dread into a Southern Region commuter, the shambles that was CONNEX. A complete shower of poo from the very start. I notice the modified Network Southeast livery used by Stagecoach. SWT are now sadly gone and under Wirst Groups SWR franchise. Although with the poor way they are performing, hopefully not for much longer.
I remember Connex very well, one of the most inept train (and bus) operators going. Short trains, trains canceled because of no operator (at least British Rail would get another operator from Windsor lines) and rude bus drivers.
It was so bad that veolia the parent company changed all.the subsidiary names to veolia . onyx waste were getting council contracts taken off them left right and centre . The sh**t show that was connex, can't remember the other two branches one was water supply and treatment. It became veolia water . I worked for them at the time of the change . Terrible company just out and out bullying from the top down . Apparently the "french way"
Ah the good old days! No heating strip on the 3rd rail which todays trains need, no noisy air con above your head (which is horribly useless and stops when the train breaks down) no locked windows....
Just reliability, simpleness, effectiveness and comfy seats with more than 1 inch of foam. Most reliable kit we ever had on our tracks.
LOL, these trains did not have foam... far too modern! They had fully sprung upholstery complete with horse hair! No wonder they were so comfortable!!!
They really were so superior for comfort. Todays plastic "things" are like cattle carts in comparison.
The bumpy ride was part of the thrill! I remember many times sitting on the right hand side, looking forward with my head against the glass and another train coming the other way making the whole thing thump lol. You don't get that today... it's really rather static and clinical.
Compressors... thats the thing under the floor that used to kick in and rumble away for ages right? - I'm assuming that like busses it's air brakes that need pressure to release the brake pads?
Yup, modern seats are just cloth covered paving slabs.
As for air con. Bloody hate it.
I've been on class 450s to Basingstoke. Great in the winter months. You just about get a comfortable temperature, and then the AC decides to blast you with cold air. This time last year, I was on a GWR class 802 from Paddington where we had to make an additional stop at Taunton and retrain as the AC stopped functioning at it was making people feel ill as the temperature increased.
There is no means for staff to open a window or vent in the case of an AC failure.
The first time I went on those Mk1 Slam doors was back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was between 3 and 4 years old with my Mum travelling between Clapham Junction and London Waterloo and finally again between Winchester and London Waterloo when coming home from School at weekends with South West Trains in 2002 and 2003. When I made those journeys in 2002 and 2003, I finally moved back to London after living in Bristol from 1991 to 2002 for 10 1/2 years. Those trains were legendary and loud when I travelled on them back then.
Everything about the '90s is great. Wish we could go back..
In those days a packed train could fully unload in less than ten seconds. I miss the slam door simplicity and efficiency, even if there was a risk penalty.
The ability for a large number of passengers to board / alight in such a short period of time largely explains the longevity of slam door trains ... including why some were still being built in the 1960s, when a few other British Railways routes were already using sliding door trains which (mostly) dated from before WW2.
Brilliant! Both the sight and sound of the old Mk1 emu's evoke such memories. You really felt connected to the journey with their sound, the clatter over the tracks, the swaying carriages, the sparking conductor rails. The modern units are so anodyne. Efficient maybe, but if the slightest thing goes wrong - you're stuck for ages. With these older units, you just waited for another unit to buffer up and pull/ propel you to a station. Thanks for compiling and sharing - much appreciated.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
This video brings back some fond memories of my teens when I used to ride these around London. They were not winners for their looks but they were comfortable and the seats (the ones that were not worn out) were about the same as a sofa. Something that the modern trains severely lack on this front and even the Mk3 based EMU's have better seating than anything post 2004 built in my opinion. I think these were units were built new in 1949/1950 if I remember correctly. I would love a model of each unit type like a Class 421 and a Class 423 to remember the good times but I am sure one will come in OO gauge at some point along with a OO Gauge Class 319.
Such a great video! Brought back memories. For me these are real trains, the modern ones feel like toys.
Yes going down to Worthing on these, brilliant ride.
I remember in the early 1990s I got on a semi fast Gillingham to Charing Cross via Woolwich and Lewisham service, and it was a slam door train (this service held on to them for a few more years) and I remember thundering from Gravesend to Dartford then blasting past Slade Green, Erith and Belvedere, then the long fast run between Lewisham (sometimes fast from Blackheath) and London Bridge which was bliss in the summer time, such a shame we cant build a modern 21st century version of a slam door train.
Jay Jay dfd go to suppress of the popsicle hustle per Circledddygdgehdhdgdgdhxjdhjjjhvggffdddfyhhgggffcghggghgghhuijhghhjjhhhjjjjujhhhhhjhhhjhhhhhggggggyyyyffhjgfgggvgghhhhhhhhhhhhhfgsurf what's up how's the FAFSA compass it to us with the lonesome I'm a hustler the muscle can't care I care aboutffhgfgggggfdfgfdfffdfggffgdfffalso awesomehffgggfggggvggguhh😅😄😂🐧🐧🎁🌊✈️🌊😃🕷😀✈️🎩🌊✈️🐟🐟😃😀🎊😒🐧🎩🎩🐧😥😥👰🐧😃😃😂😂😂😄🐧🎊🎁🎁✈️🎩✈️👰🕺🐧h
Gffhhggggvp. Feed the
Yes, I want slam door trains back, they would be easier to maintain as well seeing as off the door is dead, undo 2-6 bolts, oil them and whack it back on again rather than having to mess with the door rails and then do some hardware 'coding' to get double leaf doors to close symmetrically (something Networkers have difficulty with). I travel on Gillingham- Charing X via Woolwich and Lewisham services very often and even with the newer stock, it is easily the most hellfire experience on the south east. Greenhithe to Gravesend is my favorite non stop section.
Melissa Shure What the hell...
i remember this route. Headcode 62. It was one of the longer routes to be operated by inner suburban stock lacking 1st class accommodation or toilets. This route was introduced in the early/mid 70's following the withdrawal of the hourly Headcode 82 Charing Cross - Ramsgate via Gravesend service which was fast from London Bridge to Woolwich Arsenal (operated over the Greenwich line) then fast to Dartford then fast to Gravesend. Train was all stations from Strood to Ramsgate via Chatham. Back in the 1960's this service also carried a Maidstone West portion and the train was divided at Strood, usually front 6 cars for Ramsgate and rear 4 cars for Maidstone West.
Oh brings back so many sweet memories, used to commute from East Croydon to Victoria.
Lovely. These were such lovely trains; the 63 stock had de-classified first class compartments, which still had the deep seats and orange curtains in Connex days.
And the Robert Lister announcements as well... That really takes me back.
I love the whooshing sound and found it relaxing.
It was relaxing, very much a case of 'sit back and enjoy the ride'
I still prefer these to all the other trains now aside from the HST's. Fond memories of travelling to college on the North Kent Coast line in the mid, late 90s
I too have happy memories - including the much more comfortable seats!
YES I prefer old school vintage first generation EMUs DMUs DEMUS and also the old school mark and mark 2 series coaching stock and both the old school diesel and electric locos of the 1950-early 1970s my favourites being English Electric locos especially class 37s (type 3) locos they made very reliable strong long lasting locos most of the English Electric were much more reliable than Brush locos sadly some locos were too few in number which limited their lifetime in traffic Deltics (class 55 type 5) only 22 made baby Deltics class 23 (type 2) only ten made the more you have of a class of locomotive or emu or carriage the longer they are likely to stay in traffic which is why class 47s lasted so long so classes 08 20 31 31 37 were made in huge batches the mark 1s thousands were made mark 1 emus thousands were made for southern region not as many mark emus on the great easten out of London Liverpool Street and London Fenchurch Street the older trains were more comfortable to ride in and although they discouraged it you could lean out the window even when moving and see right down the track you cannot do that on most modern trains except HSTs and mark 3s and the handful of mark 2s left still running
I like those trains
Another great video! I would still rather drive these than a Disastro (444 or 450). Never broke down with a 'Slammer' in 14 years.
Great video the great Easten lines out of London Liverpool Stree and Fenchurch Street also had mark 1s
yes - although by the time the lines were electrified most trains out of Fenchurch St only served London Tilbury & Southend (LTS) routes.
Beautifully filmed you'll get no complaints from me
thank you :-)
There were three types of train here, l am going to use Southern Railway (Pre 1947) codes; there were 4CEP on Kent lines (Sevenoaks), 4CIG/4BIG on the Brighton Main Line, and 4REP/4TC on the SouthWest Main Line aka Bournemouth Line, these were interesting insofar that the 4REP was the powerhouse and was actually classed as a locomotive, REP meant Restaurant Electro Pneumatic brakes, and "towed" 2 X 4TC (Eight carriages) TC meant Trailer Control (They could be driven from the drivers cab even if propelled by a Crompton - Class 33 - diesel).
Thanks. At least two 4TC sets are now part of the heritage railway scene.
You have forgotten the 4VEPs as shown at 4:07
cjmillsnun , You are right, there are 4VEP (Vestibule Electro Pneumatic) which were interurban (as opposed to intercity done by 4CIG (Corridor brIGhton) and 4REP (Restaurant Electro Pneumatic) which was classed as a locomotive) trains doing stopping services to Brighton.
I spoke to a driver I knew in passing. Lovely chap, used to clean our windows. It was in the days when working on the railways wasn't that well paid.
He said that the 4 REPs when run in their own gave a 'lively' performance.
He described it as the Aston Martin of EMUs. Each power car, and there were two, had the same power as a class 73, 1,600hp. 3,200hp per unit.
At the time, pre APT and Pendolino, they were the most powerful EMU on the railway.
I used to love watching the hack through Surbiton. Also interesting to watch the compression take place on the corridor connections and rubbing plates when the pulled out of a station heading in the country direction with the REP at the rear.
Now, a year on from your comment, Merseyrail (I live up here now, it's 3rd rail so feels like home) are getting class 777s delivered. Put into the context of a 4 REP, each 4 car class 777 unit is 2,800hp. I've seen one on test on the network. They are swift, it was down the line far quicker than a 507 or 8.
I loved the old VEP, CEP, CIG types.
Slam doors carriages with soft comfortable upholstered seats, not today's fabric covered paving slabs.
Neil Crawford , See the reply on your comment.
Very fine that, thanks for sharing.
the sound of them idling at the station .. mmmmm nice...
that's the sound of the motors driving the air compressor for the brakes I think
The glory days when you could stick your head out of the window.
Great document of marvelous trains!
Thanks :-)
I see quite a few 4-CIGs in that one (the longer distance trains). Nice video, which helps me with a game we have running out our site set in the early 1980s. Thanks for posting this!
Selhurst and Thornton Heath beginning clip
Splendid
Great footage. If only we could time travel back to those days of rolling stock, I can only just about remember slam door electrics on the main line
oh yes, how I wish I had a time machine and could go back in time - with a camcorder! I'd love to ride and film the Southend Corridor Express, GWR City Stock and other special trains that travelled on the Underground pre WW2!
Yeah that sounds great
It was quite dangerous for using manual operating door as ppl could commit suicide by opening the door during train moving. In 90's, BR still used slam door but tube used slide door for years. It was quite incredible.
The LNER and LMS were building sliding door trains but railway nationalisation set the railways back - because instead of moving forwards with modernisation the new owners decided to maintain the status quo...
Slam door trains only went out of use in the last 2 years. They may still be in use on the Night Riviera sleeper between Paddington and Penzance.
The refitting of the upper panes to the windows appear awfully mismatched.
ah memories...starting to feel old watching thses videos haha ...and for all/any failings of the time I'd still give up a day in the future to be able to spend another day in those times. one was not really a London commuter if one didn't at least travel on one of those trains once in their journeys. thanks for uploading
+Vincent de Guard I WAS a London commuter and I am very gld those days are over. Dreadful trains, dreadful service. BR run by and staffed by sociopaths.
I dance on all their graves.
+latimeralder1 I WAS a London commuter and I have not the foggiest notion of what you're talking about. The "sociopath" jibe is presumably subject to the received acumen on "projection".
BR service was truly excellent and in 5 years intensive use I never encountered an unfriendly staffer.
Then you never travelled on SR in the 1980s. BR was a truly dreadful institution with absolutely (and seemingly deliberately) no idea of customer service. Remember the 'good old days' of endless strikes over flexible rostering? The Clapham Junction crash? The way a sprinkling of snow would bring all of Waterloo to a halt? The timetable so fragile that a single incident would bring chaos for hours? 'Frozen points' everywhere? Christ it was an appalling mess....
BR institutionally treated its customers like sh*t. And many of its staff took great delight in doing so too. B*stards.
This comment has nothing to do with British Rail and everything to do with the mental health of the person who posted it.
Where you say " the end of the clip is why you shouldn't lean (too ) far out of the window" ,was that approaching Clapham Junc ? If yes then it's near where that kid bashed his head on a lineside pole (too close to the rail line ) when he was leaning out the (former Guards window )on a class 442 Gatwick express unit !!!
Passing through a station with a bridge that has support columns very close to the side of the train just afterwards... sorry but I do not know the location. But I do remember the terrible event you mentioned.
@@CitytransportInfoplus what a great video. Really enjoyed it, thanks. Re clearance when poking one's head out of the window, there's 6ft between running rails on opposing tracks, 4ft7in of which is taken up with the body over hang- so just 17 inches between carriage sides as they pass.
Back in the late 1980s I had my head outside a MK2F going down Shap when we came around a curve and I saw... another head protruding from the oncoming train. I'm sure that would have knocked sense into both of us if we hadn't both reacted so fast. Then of course there's the trees just South of Rugby and I can still feel the branch smacking me in the face.
Magic days...
"WOW" THEY HAVE NEW FIRST CLASS
They did in those days, yes!
I asking myself if that little Headlight let the Driver see anything on the Tracks at night rides. Nice UK Train Era. Greetings from Germany. 😉
it was more of a marker light for track workers to see the approaching train - in the 'very old' days steam trains had oil lamps at their front, these too acted as this type of marker light as the light they gave off was useless for forward vision, depending on the pattern / shape they formed they also helped signalmen verify the train type (or its destination, on the London Underground) as it passes and for - its only in the present era that forward facing lights on trains have become bright enough for forward vision - in reality this is not the most important feature as (unless the train is going very slowly) the train will be unlikely to be able to stop in time if the driver did see something wrong
@@CitytransportInfoplus Thanks for the answer. 😉👍🏻 This makes Sense with that small Lamps for the Signalmans. I know that a train needs several hundred meters to come to a stop, even with an emergency brake if something wrong ahead of the Tracks. Even I've never been a train driver, I imagine the whole thing to be pretty (un)funny when you're sitting in such a dark cabin and you can't see anything in front of the Tracks at night. You only notice the shaking of the Train but you don't see anything. That must be Creepy. 🙂
@@hackfleischhakenderzerhacker No, it's not creepy at all. Drivers have to learn thoroughly the routes that they work and are examined before signing their "Route Card".
Yes, it's weird charging along in the dark mile after mile, but don't forget that there's almost always occasions when the Driver goes over the same routes in daylight.
i wonder how many people seated this train can carry per car
it depends, typically some were 40, 56, 64, 72 and other similar numbers.
Seating layouts depended on whether the trains were for short distance commuting, longer journeys perhaps over an hour in duration, whether the individual carriage had a guards area, a luggage area, a driver's cab; whether the carriage seated first class or standard class passengers, etc.
Great video. But, I still can't wrap my head around how slam-door stock operated without large numbers of fatalities and injuries.
Jeffrey Ornstein people weren't so idiotic at that time. There were of course a few injuries, but people knew not to open the door when the train was going full speed.
The fucktard apocalypse hadn't started then, now we are in the full flow of it. People needed their wits to survive, now they wander around in a braindead stupor.
^^^^ These are the best replies to ever grace the TH-cam Comments section!
People also can't understand that there used to be rollercoasters where you had to hang on to avoid being thrown out.
I used to commute from Grove Park to Charing Cross in 1991. Can someone help and remind me what class of EMU I would have been travelling on?
Hopefully someone can - I can only guess (EPB) as I know very little about the Southern Electric in those days.
It depends, if it was a slam door it was probably a class 423 or 411 . Most of the 421s were on the Brighton to Portsmouth run at that time.
@@arthurmatthews9321 thanks
Ahh real trains
The Driving Cars are were not a pretty sight, with half of the inter carriage transfer area and doorway extending from the car. And the poor old driver shut into his little cubicle. All changed now, I hope.
bushyconn corridor stock still has the driver in a little cubicle, but stock with no corridor ends such as the Desiro City stock has a full with cab.
Replaced with sealed rubbish
EM176 soulless looking trains now.
Wow. There's a name that would still strike fear and dread into a Southern Region commuter, the shambles that was CONNEX.
A complete shower of poo from the very start.
I notice the modified Network Southeast livery used by Stagecoach. SWT are now sadly gone and under Wirst Groups SWR franchise. Although with the poor way they are performing, hopefully not for much longer.
I remember Connex very well, one of the most inept train (and bus) operators going. Short trains, trains canceled because of no operator (at least British Rail would get another operator from Windsor lines) and rude bus drivers.
It was so bad that veolia the parent company changed all.the subsidiary names to veolia . onyx waste were getting council contracts taken off them left right and centre . The sh**t show that was connex, can't remember the other two branches one was water supply and treatment. It became veolia water . I worked for them at the time of the change . Terrible company just out and out bullying from the top down . Apparently the "french way"