Secrets of The Motorway - M55

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 494

  • @sandwichbar8226
    @sandwichbar8226 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    Hello Jon, how the devil are you, have you had a good week?

    • @TheChiefSmeg69
      @TheChiefSmeg69 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      You know I HAVE subscribed and it was indeed Wicked, Sweet, Awesome

  • @That_beetle_idiot
    @That_beetle_idiot ปีที่แล้ว +119

    XX109 has survived, it's displayed outdoors at the Norwich City Aviation Museum.

  • @henrya3530
    @henrya3530 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    During the Cold War there were a number of military production facilities located around the Preston area.
    A question that is probably not asked so much today but remained very much in the minds of planners back then was: "If there is another war, to what military purpose can this civil engineering project be put?" In the 60s and 70s there were still plenty of people around who had first-hand experience of WW2.
    I remember when the Worsley interchange was constructed on the M61. Everyone who saw it said the same thing, "Box tunnels! What a great way to protect stuff from surveillance overflights and indirect blast damage." The world was a different place in those days.
    You may like to find on a map the following locations: Salwick, Samlesbury, Warton, ROF Chorley, and HMS Nightjar. 50 years ago those locations had things that were of critical importance to the defence of the UK (not so much since the end of the 20th century).

  • @peterward9745
    @peterward9745 ปีที่แล้ว +55

    I was there when they Jaguar landed it was quite a sight .The aerials at Inskip were part of HMS Inskip which was a Naval station, I used to work there in the 70,s. It’s still a government site but run by a private company now. There was at the time a Commanding Officer there who basically said that the runways where the sea and anybody seen walking on them would be put on a charge. He said that only Jesus could walk on water. So they had to use a water taxi, I.e a vehicle to travel about the site. I think it’s the same guy who decided that as he was a bit of a climber he would climb the one of the large masts which are 600 ft high. Snag was he froze about half way up and they had to get a rescue party to get him down

    • @kirkmooneyham
      @kirkmooneyham ปีที่แล้ว +10

      If he were a regular person, I'd say he was quite mad. However, being an officer in the Royal Navy, I guess that made him eccentric...

    • @M0UAW_IO83
      @M0UAW_IO83 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@kirkmooneyham Nah, as a Navy officer that just made him normal, the real Navy "eccentrics" are the ones in the subs.

  • @henrikhyrup3995
    @henrikhyrup3995 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    I love the way you say "Have you had a good week?"
    It sounds genuine and concerning in a way.
    It always gives me a warm and friendly feeling inside :)

    • @AutoShenanigans
      @AutoShenanigans  ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Great to hear, that's what its all about :D

  • @martindooley4439
    @martindooley4439 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Passed my driving test in Blackpool at the Warbreck Hill test site. Drive home on Tue M55 ten minutes after passing my test. Gotta love the 1980s

    • @tomwinch9107
      @tomwinch9107 ปีที่แล้ว

      I also passed my driving test there too (and in the 80's). I suspect the M55 was my first motorway too, though at the weekends I lived near Garstang, so also drove on the M6 soon after passing.

  • @peteblack50
    @peteblack50 ปีที่แล้ว +197

    My Grandad (who lived just a few miles up the A6 from junction 1 of the M55) told me that the reason that the bridge was too low was that when they built it, they used an Ordinance Survey bench mark on a very large stone gate post as the datum for the works. Unfortunately, the farmer who owned the farm had moved the gatepost to make the gateway wider, but had buried the gatepost deeper into the ground than it was when the bench mark was applied to it, and so the bridge was lower than it should've been.

    • @johnclements6614
      @johnclements6614 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      One of the first things you do when you build a road is set up your own setting out points/ stations down the road where you know there position and level. You would compare the levels with a number of bench marks and ordnance survey trig points along the route. Then you can erect fences etc in agreed positions before you start the main works.
      It is normal for benchmarks, setting out points, stations etc to move so you normally check them against each other as the works progress. On a large project like a motorway it is likely they would have a survey team that would go through and check the stations every month or two. The contractors setting out engineer would be expected to work off at least two stations so that they can ensure they have not moved. The client would also have an engineer that would check some of the work. Whilst it is possible that they used one point as their only check of level it does seem unlikely, it would have taken a many months to build the bridges so they would have had to have been particularly lazy and unsupervised for it to happen.
      I think it is more likely that there was some problem with the drainage design, services that could not be moved or the design headroom changed.

    • @PrograError
      @PrograError ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@johnclements6614 well who knows... modern sensibilities might not have worked too well back then...

    • @SiRhodesDriverTraining
      @SiRhodesDriverTraining ปีที่แล้ว +4

      That’s brilliant. What a mistake. I always thought that bridge wasn’t part of the Preston bypass ? On Jon’s maps it shows the bypass ending at a roundabout. I always thought it was constructed for the M55 & the lane underneath is just for High Loads as the bridge on the road section on the roundabout is easily 16 foot high.

    • @christopherthompson2078
      @christopherthompson2078 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@SiRhodesDriverTraining s

    • @peterthebricky
      @peterthebricky ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@johnclements6614 you say that but I know that but quite a few of the houses built opposite me are 150mm lower than intended I heard it from mates who worked on the site and it's obvious to see they have shingle all around and the damp course is level with the ground not 150 up engineers can make mistakes

  • @AB-on1on
    @AB-on1on ปีที่แล้ว +98

    In Germany there are many section of the Autobahn which were bulid during Cold War to operate as emergency runway for nearby military airfields. They are mostly gone now but sometimes you can recognize it due to the special way they were build. They are a straight piece of road with no bridge or power line crossing, a concrete median with removable barriers and big parking lots on each side of the stretch to store the planes. They were connections to powerlines nearby to operate the emergency runway properly and you could place a mobile radar control tower along the side to operate the flights. In 1984 during a Nato military training an emergency runway was used for training purposes on the A29 Autobahn near Ahlhorner Heide Junction

    • @peterthebricky
      @peterthebricky ปีที่แล้ว +5

      All the bridges had signs showing direction and weight limits for tanks and I was told that some of the bridges had chambers built in that charges could be dropped in to quickly them blow up to slow down an invading army

    • @PhilLesh69
      @PhilLesh69 ปีที่แล้ว

      I forget the name of the base, but there is a small air force base, probably near K-town that was divided by a local german roadway that separated the residential and tenant activity area from the airfield. There was a separate guarded gate and fencing around both sides and concrete bunkers lining the road and spanning the field that ran along the roadway. But rumor was that the underground bunker system was really a tunnel system to allow pilots and ground crews to get from their homes and offices to the airfield if the Soviets attacked.
      Also, when I visited Rhein Main air base in 1989 or 1990 there were still a few sections of highway where they had the reinforced shoulders and hardened concrete jet bays and other standby equipment for emergency flight operations.
      The way it was told to me was they were mostly so already airborne pilots had a place to land after the airfield had been bombed, but from what I saw the ones near Rhein Main were meant to refit and refuel for ongoing operations.

    • @PhilLesh69
      @PhilLesh69 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Sorry, it was Rammstein, not Rhein Main. Rhein Main is in a far too built up area. I always confuse Rammstein and Rhein Main for some reason.

    • @susime1239
      @susime1239 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The Luftwaffe did the same towards the end of the war even with the Me-262. They'd do their missions, land back on the road and then be pushed into the woodland at the sides to hide them from the allied air forces. If I recall I think for some months after the war heavily camouflaged aircraft were still being found in the woods on the sides of roads used for makeshift runways.

    • @JBarrandon
      @JBarrandon ปีที่แล้ว +2

      We have a similar system in Sweden that is still in use!

  • @timc5969
    @timc5969 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The M55 is the road which TVR, who were based in Blackpool, used to do their speed testing on. It’s a quiet road at night so they could get away with doing some big speeds without much trouble.

    • @stevemclaren1041
      @stevemclaren1041 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      From personal experience, Sunday morning pretty popular also ! I remember being int he slow lane doing probably 80 as one came past - I felt like I was standing still !

  • @stevemclaren1041
    @stevemclaren1041 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I understand when the Jaguar took off it left two long burnt patches of tarmac on the yet to be opened M55. Runway tarmac a different formulation - you can see the two engines on reheat... like having two blow torches applied.

  • @lordnevets9184
    @lordnevets9184 ปีที่แล้ว +83

    Jesus Christ mate. This is some remarkably well put together, beautifully made, genius level epicness happening here and you are class mate.
    Highly underated.
    Never matched and immutably perfect.
    Thank you.

  • @TheBioniXman
    @TheBioniXman ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Worked on Jags in Germany in the late '70s. They were designed to use motorways and autobahns in the event of war.

  • @vibingwithvinyl
    @vibingwithvinyl ปีที่แล้ว +66

    Here in Finland we have several emergency "runways" across the country. They were made simply by widening an existing straight piece of road. One is located about 20kms away from where I live.

    • @neiloflongbeck5705
      @neiloflongbeck5705 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Also used in Sewden and Germany (during the Cold War).

    • @redboyjan
      @redboyjan ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Common in uk in areas with plenty of brake warming hills. Always wanted to send it in to one for fun!

    • @PrograError
      @PrograError ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Same in Singapore, tho one of the more famous ones are going to be decommission due to the expansion of the neighboring Tengah airbase. those emegency runways are more or less part of the early planning of singapore especially with our expressways. (the one being decommissioned soon is more like a Major rural road that got expanded with a huge median and removable infrastructure

    • @rockerjim8045
      @rockerjim8045 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Keep safe Finland from the monster next door

    • @refraggedbean
      @refraggedbean ปีที่แล้ว +2

      IIRC also part of the american highway system design is intended for emergency use too, hence why there's always at least a mile of straight road every once in a while, though Id be skeptical how useful they would be in some regions and these days due to the proximity of trees in some areas and due to lack of sufficient maintenance

  • @ribblehead02
    @ribblehead02 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The bridge over the A6 at Junction 1 was not built in 1958.
    The previously referenced bridge was built coincident with construction of the M55 Motorway.

    • @SiRhodesDriverTraining
      @SiRhodesDriverTraining ปีที่แล้ว +1

      And it’s 16’ high so HGV’s can use the roundabout. The road through the centre is for Abnormal Loads as the A6 is a High Load Route.

  • @albertperks3476
    @albertperks3476 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    My Dad served in the RAF during the 70s and 80s and when serving in Germany there were regular exercises that meant the Jaguars used autobahns as runways. My Dad preferred this type of exercise as he was a cook and would commandeer a service station and all German services at the time had to have fully functioning commercial kitchens so nice and easy for my Dad. Consequently he did not like exercises that involved the Harrier jump jet as that meant being in some forest in deepest darkest Germany where he had to set up a field kitchen and apparently there was a lot of mud that got splattered around.

  • @ShedTV
    @ShedTV ปีที่แล้ว +42

    In the '80s, on a daytrip to Blackpool, we would drive along that road following the route of the disused railway and end up at the site of Central Station, which by then had been demolished with the trackbeds filled in and turned into a huge makeshift carpark. You could clearly see the surface of the platforms, chopped off steelwork and walls, and the old station lavatory building which was still in use.

    • @nightw4tchman
      @nightw4tchman ปีที่แล้ว +7

      It was very much the same until about 10 years a go when they pulled the old loo's down and did some resurfacing. You can still kind of tell where they were.

    • @craigcooperxyz
      @craigcooperxyz ปีที่แล้ว

      Very much still a large car park for now. There are big plans to redevelop it. Some sort of crack pot scientology thing I think.

    • @andw2638
      @andw2638 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@craigcooperxyz An Erich von Daniken theme park I think. Many of his claims still draw people in, and are the main inspiration for the Ancient Aliens TV series, but a lot of them have been debunked. It concerns me that we might end up with an equivalent to Morecambe's notorious Mr Blobby theme park which these days is only of interest to the Urbex crowd.

  • @cyberleaderandy1
    @cyberleaderandy1 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Ive driven tge M55 many times but this makes it more interesting.
    A you tube channel called Adventure me has done a video on the lost central station and the railway like if anyone is into this side of Blackpool history.

  • @AndreiTupolev
    @AndreiTupolev ปีที่แล้ว +58

    Well, Jaguars were not uncommon on the motorways.

    • @Dan23_7
      @Dan23_7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      🏆😂

    • @CycolacFan
      @CycolacFan ปีที่แล้ว +3

      The occasional Puma and Cougar too. Maybe even a Tiger, a Lynx or even a Cheetah. Or perhaps a Leyland Leopard.

    • @Dan23_7
      @Dan23_7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@CycolacFan I used to drive a “rabbit” lol

    • @andw2638
      @andw2638 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Dan23_7 I had a Lada (russian for swan :)

    • @Dan23_7
      @Dan23_7 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@andw2638 Mine was a Mk1 golf but it was a rabbit in the states 😂
      A crap joke on my part I think 😂

  • @trontastic
    @trontastic ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was one of the kids on that film. Still live around there. It was my playground's before they made it into a road. We used to thrash old mopeds along the top of it to South shore. 😝

  • @stepheneyles2198
    @stepheneyles2198 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Perfect timing to catch that train on the outro drone shot!! ;-)

  • @johnmoruzzi7236
    @johnmoruzzi7236 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Ref the Jaguar jet story… there was no RAF Warton at that time, it was just Warton Aerodrome and operated by BAC, formerly English Electric, and later British Aerospace. I worked for the Warton Division after graduating, they were building the Tornado and EAP demonstrator that led to the Typhoon / EFA.

    • @craigcooperxyz
      @craigcooperxyz ปีที่แล้ว

      I didn't realise that it was RAF, always thought it was BAE.

  • @Mange070
    @Mange070 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    In Sweden this kind of events happend often during the 70-s and 80-s. Viggen, Draken and Lansen often took off and landing from road-bases.

  • @marcwaller3657
    @marcwaller3657 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    XX109, the Specat Jaguar that landed on the M55 still exists and lives at the City of Norwich aviation museum which is well worth a visit if you like aircraft.

  • @angus9558
    @angus9558 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    im australian yet addicted to this series

  • @horstyoutube6413
    @horstyoutube6413 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    If you look up exercise Highway 84 you can find videos of an German Autobahn used as a emergency landing strip. They tried it with C130 and C160 Cargo aircraft, F16 and Tornado jets, and even some A10 Warthogs. There were quite a few of these „Autobahn airfields“ in western Germany.

  • @hoagy_ytfc
    @hoagy_ytfc ปีที่แล้ว +2

    4:27 Good to see someone keeping to the left when not overtaking.

  • @KyleHulton
    @KyleHulton ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Wheyyy my home motorway! 👍🏻
    Marvellous coverage, but there was few missing items 😅 I didn’t hear J3 mentioned and the royal naval airfield, apparently used to be used as a sonar station of sorts, according to my grandparent, it was used to detect submarines in the Irish Sea and was also named HMS Inskip which is apparently one of the few if not only building to carry the prefix HMS 👍🏻
    Also may I add, yes Wyre is pronounced Wire 🎉

    • @Volcano-Man
      @Volcano-Man ปีที่แล้ว +1

      HMS Inskip was a Fleet Aur Arm Station during the war, known as HMS Nightjar. It was the transmitter station for the RN, / Whitehall Radio, and the receiver station was at HMS Forest Moor. I lived in Treales just down the road from it.

  • @tiagomsmagalhaes
    @tiagomsmagalhaes ปีที่แล้ว

    2:15 "so.. now!". Nailed it

  • @NGTyurru
    @NGTyurru ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I have been waiting for this! My home town Motorway

    • @Dan23_7
      @Dan23_7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Where you at ? I’m Leyland

  • @rover_animates
    @rover_animates ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Been on the M55 once - for me personally it is a decent motorway. Certainly interesting that the M55 was once used as a runway!

  • @Mrtallguy76
    @Mrtallguy76 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Used to be my local motorway when I worked at Warton. Looking forward to junction 2 and the PWDR opening 🎉

  • @MrBlackfalconuk
    @MrBlackfalconuk ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Thinking about the stories of using MW as airfields, pretty sure that came from the Military as in the theatre of BAOR (British Army of the Rhine ) we actually did it, using Rastplatz as turn around points for AC 130s and Pavematts for Harriers, though I have never heard it being used in the UK.

    • @thomilsvlog4544
      @thomilsvlog4544 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      A number of sections of the post-WW2 Autobahn network were actually specifically constructed for use as auxiliary airfields, in case the Cold War had gotten hot. Those sections would be arrow-straight, lack a grass median, having a concrete one instead, and have removable median barriers. Each end of these prepared sections would also sport the Rastplatz or “rest area” you mentioned, basically a large car park with minimal amenities at either end. Whilst these were used for drivers to take a break during peacetime, they were designed to act as aircraft stands during wartime.
      Out of curiosity, when you mentioned you used the autobahn was an airfield with the BAOR, was that in 1984 by any chance? I know that the German Luftwaffe and US Air Force ran an exercise in that year to test the concept, Exercise Highway 84, and I’m wondering whether you may have gotten roped into that as well.

    • @MrBlackfalconuk
      @MrBlackfalconuk ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@thomilsvlog4544 I was in BOAR from 1989 to 1993, during on Active Edge we had 2 AC 130s land on a section of autobahn to support a Div Ex in Soltau. I was part of the AAC and we had to fly some parts from Gutersloh to that area. Knowing and seeing it in action was completely different and to see a flight of harriers parked behind the mound was exceptional. It was the longest I had been on exercise prior to being deployed on Ops.

  • @VaderMonkeyGaming
    @VaderMonkeyGaming ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I've found it interesting to learn more about the motorway that I've detested all my (driving) life.
    The scenery along the M55 is beautiful (until you reach Blackpool **rolls eyes**), the convenience of the road is superb and the traffic can be surprisingly less than frustrating. However, it's the 1 motorway that I have had the worst luck on due to either a vehicle break down, accident (or near miss) due to other road users or random police stops over trivial issues (less so since ANPR became a thing). I'm not even exaggerating the fact that these sort of situations have happened to me on only this motorway. So instead I only use the A583 to travel to Blackpool.
    Regardless of my waffling, keep up the excellent work and I'm looking forward to the next episode.

  • @chrissutton4256
    @chrissutton4256 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great video: I was there along with my fellow students from our Aero Engineering degree course at University of Salford. Brilliant feat to watch. Never took any photos (camera broke the week before😲) so great to see it all again on video.👍🏻

  • @David_Crayford
    @David_Crayford ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Proud brag: my brother was on the design team for the Boeing 787 nose landing gear, and my granddad worked on the Mark II Hurricane at RAF Kemble.

  • @pcdude5346
    @pcdude5346 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    ah welcome to Blackpool! wondered when you would make your way here.... quite a lot of history with road and train lines up here and a lot can still be seen once into central

  • @joeweston3252
    @joeweston3252 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    loved how they used the M55 for a runway test site during the cold war interesting bit of motorway.

    • @AutoShenanigans
      @AutoShenanigans  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      It's the most interesting part of the M55 :D there's not much going on!

  • @roderickmain9697
    @roderickmain9697 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    When I worked for ICL (britains major computer company...yeah that long ago) I paid a visit to one of BAE's then sites in north Manchester (Chadderton). There were some buildings that clearly had been large hangers of WW2 vintage. So i asked around and was told that was where they had built the Lancaster bombers. But there wasnt any runways around the site. Ah, they said. Theres a piece of straight-ish dual carriage down one side of the site. They took off from there (...never to come back. Doesnt seem anyone landed there)

    • @markbooth1117
      @markbooth1117 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Now what was the Chadderton aircraft factory is the home of the Manchester Evening News, you pass it on what is now the M60 (Manchester Circular Motorway) The Lancaster's probably took off after building, to go over to either Woodford or Ringway (now Manchester Airport) for test flights, etc. before being issued to a Squadron or Maintainance Depot.

    • @roderickmain9697
      @roderickmain9697 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@markbooth1117 I think its what is now called GreenGate / Lightbowne Road. The NOV building seems to be where BAE systems was and when I try to look it up, it seems that was the place. That said, its changed a lot since I was there even looking down from Google's satellite view.

  • @CC-nz7mg
    @CC-nz7mg ปีที่แล้ว +26

    I can't believe all those ordinary people were standing just dozens of yards from that aircraft launch!

    • @chrisplunkett2814
      @chrisplunkett2814 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      How do you know they're ordinary' people?😉

    • @johnclements6614
      @johnclements6614 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Check out an A10 landing on a road at Alpena, Michigan. people and house are quite close.

    • @rockerjim8045
      @rockerjim8045 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@chrisplunkett2814there from Preston

    • @dave_h_8742
      @dave_h_8742 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Difference between then and now, no health and safety Nazis just common sense.

    • @daveoftheclanburgess
      @daveoftheclanburgess ปีที่แล้ว +1

      And those 600lb bombs were HE judging by the yellow bands on them. Those spectators were very close!

  • @marktighetiggy
    @marktighetiggy ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Who'da thunked we'd all be so looking forward to the next episode of a series about motorways! Being a North Westerner I've been loving the local (to me) action of the last few weeks.
    Thanks to your other televisual masterpiece all the service stations, we called at Cairn Lodge services and ate a lovely dinner on the way up to Fife yesterday.
    Keep up the fascinating work. 10/10

  • @Seaside_Seanster
    @Seaside_Seanster ปีที่แล้ว +3

    As someone from Blackpool, this is the motorway I've been waiting for.
    Yes, I'm wierd

  • @davidpearson2039
    @davidpearson2039 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Summer holidays to Blackpool and lost 50p every damn time as my Dad (the driver) was always first to spot the Tower. It never occurred to me until I was taking my own kids there that he just bloody well know where it was!

  • @GazMoby
    @GazMoby ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I don't live in England, I rarely drive there or even visit but still I'm addicted to these. 🤷🏼

    • @RClaffieJr
      @RClaffieJr ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I'm an Anglophile in America enjoying these videos

  • @yorgle
    @yorgle ปีที่แล้ว

    Hello. Thanks for having me. I'm good. Yeah. my week was pretty good. Thanks!

  • @shaunwest3612
    @shaunwest3612 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video John, very interesting,and again a mention too railway, very nice thanks 👍😀👌

  • @danielmarshall4587
    @danielmarshall4587 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    A shorter video for sure but CRAMMED full of goodness, thank you.

  • @mcbeaverbob2440
    @mcbeaverbob2440 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    “At a cost of only 207 million pounds” 😂

  • @derekheeps1244
    @derekheeps1244 ปีที่แล้ว

    There is at least one UK road built on the foundation of a runway . What is now known as Inchyra Road in Grangemouth was once the shorter runway of Central Scotland Airport , opened in 1939 , but later became RAF Grangemouth . This closed in the 1950s . many of the taxi ways in the airport became roads in the housing estate that was built on the site . While the control tower burned down in a fire , two large hangars remain as industrial premises , and there is a memorial garden , with walls bearing the names of those who lost their lives during the war , behind a Mk 1 Spitfire , at the former entrance to the airport . Photos of the airport when active are ( or were when last I visited ) displayed in the INEOS visitor centre just across the road .

  • @dukedepommefrites8779
    @dukedepommefrites8779 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    M dad redesigned the tail cone on the Jag as it had a tendency to stick when releasing the parachute. Anywayz... if you ever do the M65 you could talk about swampy et al and at Ewood, in Blackburn the road goes through water (under the canal and over the river). wot more do you want.

  • @Exp93
    @Exp93 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I think someone should count how many times Jon said "M55" and "XX109", because I'm pretty sure he tried to set a record of how many times he could say each one! 😆

  • @matthewbartlett1977
    @matthewbartlett1977 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    On a slightly tenuous link regading Motorway's and Military Aircraft. Alongside the M3 between Jct 9 and Jct 10 is a bridge called 'Spitfire Bridge' & a piece of road called 'Spitfire Loop' . Back in the 1940's when it was the A31 a pilot flew a Curtiss Tomahawk under the one of the bridges clipping the bridge whilst trying to miss an oncoming HGV. The pilot crashed whilst landing but was unhurt. The story got out about what had happend but people assumed it was a Spitfire, hense the name, but wasn't until the 1980's that it was accepted that it wasn't a spitfire flown. (Thanks to Sabre Road's for clarification of info)

    • @AutoShenanigans
      @AutoShenanigans  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Someone should do a video about it (M3 episode)

    • @matthewbartlett1977
      @matthewbartlett1977 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@AutoShenanigans 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️I’d forgotten you had already done a video on the M3! I had already watched it honest!!

  • @hublanderuk
    @hublanderuk ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks for the video I am going to Blackpool next week. So will drive down the M55 and now know what to lookout for.

  • @JulianJLW
    @JulianJLW ปีที่แล้ว

    Notable examples of flares adorning the legs of those watching the Jaguar take off.

  • @bennevis21
    @bennevis21 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Part of the M8 at Renfrew was built over the old Renfrew Airstrip that served the city of Glasgow.

  • @JonBowe
    @JonBowe ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Rumours had it that the A47 long straight stretch just outside Norwich was kept with the concrete structure (top layer) for Jaguars to land on if RAF Coltishall was hit.
    Towards the end of the Jaguar life, they proved that the earth was round as they wouldn't be able to take off, with all the added equipment fitted to them. It was fun watching them take off at Incirlik in Turkey, and Cold Lake in Canada, on exercises and missions fully loaded.

    • @SuperAMJS
      @SuperAMJS ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Aah, the Jaguar. Constant thrust, variable noise...

  • @LBRacingCars
    @LBRacingCars ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Accidentally found this channel in a TH-cam rabbit hole. It's utter madness and I love it🤣 Keep up the nutty work

  • @andysvehiclehistorychannel
    @andysvehiclehistorychannel ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I came home via this section from Garstang on Saturday night as you can tell from my channel name I'm very much into history but you learn something new everyday let's say that with the channels Motto Remember history is made everyday
    Great video John

  • @scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain
    @scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Another great video Mate, driven the M55 a few times heading to Blackpool and Lytham so great to get some history on it, especially the plane landing on the motorway.

  • @mybookfacetube
    @mybookfacetube 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    What a lovely, jolly day out. Man you crack me up. Had to pause the video to recompose myself. P.S. Your end shot and music are always on point. Especially this one.

  • @IPADGETT
    @IPADGETT ปีที่แล้ว +3

    That take off estimate was a bit optomistic .I reckon those cluster bombs were just empty cases and the plane was almost empty of fuel . Jaguars usually used the curvature of the earth to take off

  • @petrolhead28
    @petrolhead28 ปีที่แล้ว

    Probably the only you tube notification I watch without fast forwarding. Brilliant

  • @milehighclassics
    @milehighclassics ปีที่แล้ว

    Great concrete sculpture, a total angle that life desired then with crush velvet and purple metallic paint and your ORANGE jacket looks cool on the Jon’s outro

  • @timofthomas
    @timofthomas ปีที่แล้ว

    The A5 duallng extension from the M54 to the Shrewsbury bypass was also designed to be able to land a Tornado on (and they did test it out before opening) with just enough gap between the bridges to set one down and use as a dispersal runway in the event of a hot war - the problem is anything big enough to hit the nearest base would probably have rendered the A5 uninhabitable too for as long as would have mattered - there are several other stretches of trunk routes that are also desingated dispersal fields - they can be told apart from the rest of the network because they are less likely to be filled with potholes....

  • @mistacoz
    @mistacoz ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Best thing to come out of Blackpool.

  • @tikkathreebarrels
    @tikkathreebarrels ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent. Wyre is pronounced as wire not weer. Harry Yeadon was the responsible County Surveyor at the time of the M55 being built.

  • @MrPreston1179
    @MrPreston1179 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video. Considering I live very near to these locations, most of that stuff was completely new to me. Extra marks for totally swerving the mainstream media for a month. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be in any doubt about the correct pronunciation of Wyre!

  • @01mememememe
    @01mememememe ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Cheers Jon, Motorways, Radio (miss Ringway Manchester, expected him to pop in there), Aircraft - look forward to what, boats, hovercrafts?

  • @thebazgaz
    @thebazgaz ปีที่แล้ว +1

    As a regular driver of the M55, I can't wait for the new junction to finally open. Firstly it'll stop all but a short stretch from just being 50mph controlled, but also difference it will make in getting to the likes of Lytham. Undoubtedly though- it's likely to make the M55 even busier - making the few miles from the m61 and m6 joining, and the m6 and m55 joining even more of a car park

    • @coops1964
      @coops1964 ปีที่แล้ว

      Personally I can’t see the point unless the new junction is actually being built for the benefit of lots of new housing developments.

  • @revidual
    @revidual ปีที่แล้ว +10

    So, a Jaguar exceeded the speed limit on the motorway, in other words, a standard day.

    • @redboyjan
      @redboyjan ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Join the road at the speed to match the existing traffic ✅

  • @pauldupre2269
    @pauldupre2269 ปีที่แล้ว

    Couldn't imagine being aloud to stand as close to a Military Plane taking off these days on a Motorway, imagine that, the Health & Safety....crikey.
    Love ur Vids.

  • @lord_chozo7341
    @lord_chozo7341 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Shortly before the M55 opened there was a sponsored walk along it. I went on it (as an 11 year old) with my family and many hundreds or thousands of others.

    • @nightw4tchman
      @nightw4tchman ปีที่แล้ว +2

      It's funny, long after it opened my mates did an unsponsored walk down it at night and ended up making a contribution to Lancashire Constabulary's Christmas party funds. Eejits.

  • @MarkCSevenSixTwo
    @MarkCSevenSixTwo ปีที่แล้ว +16

    The M62 between junctions 7 and 9 at Warrington is built on the main runway of the old RAF/USAF Burtonwood airbase.

    • @andrewcharles5575
      @andrewcharles5575 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      similarly the M5(S) between J12 and J13 follows the line of the runway of RAF Moreton Valence, latterly used by the Gloster aircraft company for the commissioning of Gloster Javelins

    • @mittfh
      @mittfh ปีที่แล้ว +2

      And down South, part of the M5 runs along the site of the main runway of RAF Moreton Valence. Some of the buildings survived until relatively recently as a business park, but have now been demolished to make way for a Dobbies garden centre and Javelin Park EFW (typical they chose such a scenic name for a giant incinerator!) However, aerial photos show crop marks along the alignment of one of the cross runways, while at the South end of the former airfield are ghost slip roads for a missing MSA.

    • @fredericksaxton3991
      @fredericksaxton3991 ปีที่แล้ว

      Part of the M4 Services at Membury are built on parts of an old WW2 airfield.

    • @UnbelievableEricthegiraffe
      @UnbelievableEricthegiraffe ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I remember being driven past the Former RAF Burtonwood in the early 1980s When the Air traffic control tower and remainder of the Taxiway was still there.
      The whole area is now a massive industrial area Amazon Asda & UPS Warehouses.

  • @juliankent8875
    @juliankent8875 ปีที่แล้ว

    Tremendous John.👍👍👍

  • @graemerigg4029
    @graemerigg4029 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Reminds me of the M40 story. Just before it opened was used by the Andersons for the filming of 'Thunderbird6'. They flew a Tiger Moth under a bridge, the pilot got in to trouble as she was supposed to land it and drive under but a crosswind prevented it from happening.

  • @philsharp758
    @philsharp758 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Great stuff as always. At 00:40 are you standing on a cycle path with a give way sign just before a step of flights? Evolution at its finest. And a radio station with no Ringway? The world is turned upside down.

    • @qwertyTRiG
      @qwertyTRiG ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Beautifully ridiculous, isn't it?

    • @kgbgb3663
      @kgbgb3663 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@qwertyTRiG But, to be fair, they have supplied one of those trough thingies to wheel bikes in, to save having to carry them up and down the stairs. It's just a pity it's on the left going down and on the right going back up, so you have to pick up your bike or walk around it at the bottom

    • @philsharp758
      @philsharp758 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@kgbgb3663 It should be a "Stop" sign. "Give Way" means to proceed if there is no oncoming traffic. But if you want to ride down steps, knock yourself out.

    • @kgbgb3663
      @kgbgb3663 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@philsharp758 A "stop and dismount" sign would make sense, if there is such a thing available in the UK. But if someone (not me) is athletic enough to be able to dismount and start wheeling their bike without stopping, it's fine by me, so long as they give way to people already on the steps. It looks like the authorities, despite their other failings, agree with me.

  • @jameswilding7572
    @jameswilding7572 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This was the episode I was waiting to see as I regularly use the M55 for work. Never knew it was used to test plane landings.

  • @2DogsVlogs
    @2DogsVlogs ปีที่แล้ว

    Yes it is true that the Motorways were designed also as landing strips in case the airfields were destroyed. Not so much now days but in the '60's and 70's this was quite well known.

  • @boola69
    @boola69 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Absolutely amazing. Great content as per usual Jon.

  • @MemskiBobSki
    @MemskiBobSki ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love how you get confused with pronunciation of Lancashire place names. I do too. Only been a Lancastrian for the last 59 years.

  • @sammikean8400
    @sammikean8400 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video to have playing in the background while I work on the car! My bfs been super impressed with the amount of facts I've given on motorways since I've started watching!

  • @2001davebowman
    @2001davebowman ปีที่แล้ว

    I didn’t realise how much I needed the “have you had a good week?” until today. Thanks for asking, no it’s been quite crappy really. But this video has cheered me up! It’s a roller-coaster. Speaking of which… I was expecting your closing piece to be at the Pleasure Beach. But it was better, that train passing right at that exact moment. That there is James Burke level timing!

    • @AutoShenanigans
      @AutoShenanigans  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I was going to do a "beach outro" but that would have involved driving right into Blackpool during the school run... it's not for me. So we get a moody railway instead :D Thanks for watching.

  • @g7dmo
    @g7dmo ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Cracking work John. Lewis is going to be upset not having a slot in this one as you discuss radio towers in what is essentially his back yard.
    And at one one I thought Geoff Marshall was going to pop as you almost slid into a full on railway related thread.
    Keep at it and all the best.

  • @JoesWebPresence
    @JoesWebPresence ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Not just stories. Planning to use roads as runways was part of NATO's cold war doctrine, and many planes, including the Jaguar were designed with this in mind. suitable runways would be priority targets, so alternatives had to be thought about. This was more envisioned as happening on German Autobhans, and they (and the Swiss) put way more planning into the infrastructure for it, but RAF pilots were fully aware they may have to use sections of motorway in war, and that could also apply here in the UK. I'd be surprised if they hadn't scouted out suitable stretches of road close to every airbase in the UK.

  • @raykewin3608
    @raykewin3608 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Fine work.

  • @garethpepperell594
    @garethpepperell594 ปีที่แล้ว

    That exact Jaguar XX109, Is not on display at Norwich aviation Museum. Great to read about a brilliant part of History and see the jet in person.

  • @circadianizzy
    @circadianizzy ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very interesting stuff! Typing this from the M62, right next to something you're definitely gonna talk about when you cover it... something to do with a certain house...

  • @alistairwaling7094
    @alistairwaling7094 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    When you did the M61 last week, I was almost certain you would be doing the M55 this week. Thanks for another exciting episode

  • @SiHadlington
    @SiHadlington ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks again Jon. Getting busy with the thanks scroll! Loving the increased love

    • @AutoShenanigans
      @AutoShenanigans  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I spent an hour learning how to make credits "roll" :D

  • @ulazygit
    @ulazygit ปีที่แล้ว

    Bloody jolly good show, Jon … I have used the M55 but as a kid as a passenger in my dad’s car … probably time I tried it again when I return to the UK for the first time in 11 years!
    Think I’ll need to hire an HGV to make the experience memorable!

  • @PhilReynoldsLondonGeek
    @PhilReynoldsLondonGeek ปีที่แล้ว

    Wyre is pronounced like the copper stuff. In fact, nearby St. Michael's-on-Wyre has been in the news over the last few weeks. It is also the place where I was stopped by the police four times in one day - the M55 was closed and they were making sure nobody passing that way was intending to join it. On the fourth occasion, I got an "aware" card - I was sort of resident in the area at the time - on Manor Cottage Field. That would have caused the police to wave me through had I needed to go out again.
    Wyre - in Lancashire, nothing to do with forests - as some acquaintances of mine used to say.

  • @FastAsFunk
    @FastAsFunk ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My old stomping ground. Great to see the M55 on the channel, thanks Jon. Great work...! Regards the Jaguar, it did indeed come from Warton but by that time the RAF were long gone and it was (and still is) the home of BAE Systems who design and build aircraft there (currently Eurofighter Typhoon).

    • @10wanderer
      @10wanderer ปีที่แล้ว

      eh ?? the Yanks left it in the early 50s

  • @nicks4934
    @nicks4934 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Pronounced ‘wire’. Yes an awesome landing by the Jaguar!

    • @2760ade
      @2760ade ปีที่แล้ว

      It's only been on the news every ten minutes for the last three weeks for crying out loud!🤣🤣

  • @RingwayManchester
    @RingwayManchester ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I will not have you cover radio sites without me 😂

  • @nightw4tchman
    @nightw4tchman ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Lived around the M55 a fair bit of my life and didn't know that's what that road was for at Jnc 1. I thought it was just for police.
    My dad was involved in the jaguar landing albeit not very seriously.
    Don't want be too pedantic but I don't think Warton was ever an RAF base. It was US Airforce in ww2. Certainly never heard of it as RAF and I grew up in sight of it.
    And Wyre is pronounced Wire. 🙂

  • @adrianrutterford762
    @adrianrutterford762 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Wonderful, as usual.
    Thanks for another exciting episode!

  • @Voltaic_Fire
    @Voltaic_Fire ปีที่แล้ว

    Making motorways suitable for aircraft is a brilliant strategic move, it was covered why, but I can't help but voice my agreement.

  • @apc108
    @apc108 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    When I was a mature student at Hatfield Uni. in the noughties, one of my lecturers told us that the Hatfield tunnel on the AI(M) was meant to house Harrier Jump Jets if it all kicked off. There is currently no sign of any blast proof doors or even remnants of any hinge fixings, so I'm a bit sceptical! Keep up the good work.

    • @daveoftheclanburgess
      @daveoftheclanburgess ปีที่แล้ว

      I don't believe that for a second Alan, that tunnel wasn't even started after the wall came down and the Cold War essentially over (even BAe was beginning to close and that was a perfectly good runway next door, so still a target). The Galleria was also only designed to exist for 10 years but got a refurb and extension to life about the time they rearranged all the carparks near the McDonalds bit. Th Galleria hangs over the tunnel rather than resting on it

    • @apc108
      @apc108 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@daveoftheclanburgess Hi Dave. I am sceptical as I said, but in fact, the tunnel was built between 1984 and 1987. There is a video on youtube called 'Hatfield Tunnel - Concept to Reality'. The wall fell in November 1989. BAe ended aircraft production in 1993. They were making the BAe-146 small airliner there, which has only recently been retired by the RAF. I'm not sure where the Harrier was made. Every time I drive though the tunnel, I look for anything that could be remnants of blast doors, but there is nothing!

    • @daveoftheclanburgess
      @daveoftheclanburgess ปีที่แล้ว

      @@apc108 Hello Alan, I'm amazed it was that early, as I was a swimmer at Hatfield swimming club around then and, though I remember the works going on and blocking the route to St.Albans, I would never have remembered it as finished that early. May be it was the Galleria that was finished much later. My point about BAe being there was it being a target, so pointless having the Harriers in the tunnel so close by. One of my best friends was employed building 146s (and many of my friends' fathers worked there earlier until the site was drawn down). I think Harriers were built at various locations including Warton as mentioned in the Jaguar scene above and where they most recently built the Typhoons. I think some earlier Harriers were built at Dunsfold where Top Gear used to be filmed. That was the old former AirSpeed factory that built gliders and Mosquitos (alongside Hatfield and many other sites) in WW2.
      Completely off the tunnel subject, I was at RAF Wittering a little while after the Harrier GR9s were withdrawn from service and saw them being wrapped in plastic for transport to the USMC. They snapped up the relatively young planes for a song after the RAF did a deal with the RN not to object to the carriers if the Navy allowed the RAF to get rid of the Harrier so they could keep the Tornados. Of course the RAF wanted the outdated and cumbersome (but supersonic) Tornados, that's what fly boys are about! Us ground soldier wanted Harrier and Apache supporting us in Afghan, not a noisy pointless flyby from a 1970s museum piece that was never going to engage anything!

  • @Havark420
    @Havark420 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love when you visit roads i regularly use

  • @tonycutty598
    @tonycutty598 ปีที่แล้ว

    The Jaguar was designed to be able to operate from motorways. Some of the first targets on any nation's 'to do' list, in the event of war, is to knock out enemy airfields. This is one of the reasons why the Harrier was designed, which could take off vertically. In the present day, Ukraine has dispersed all its fighters to hidden airfields for precisely this reason. The MiG-29, which is operated by Ukraine, has specially designed air intakes to prevent ingestion of ground debris when using rough airstrips. As for the Jaguar, yes, it was tested for rough strip operations on the M55; this was to see if it could in fact manage it and make it an option if all our airfields had been disabled. Of course, it was never used operationally.

  • @RedoStone35
    @RedoStone35 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Ads I got:
    Quad Lock (#2)
    Volkswagen T-Roc (#1)