British Rail Network SouthEast-North London Line September 1989
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.พ. 2018
- A days videoing on the North London Line from Richmond around to North Woolwich in September 1989. This was just before the 2 EPB's were replaced by 313 units. Also seen are a couple of SR slam-door's, a couple of DMUs at Gospel Oak and a few freight trains with 31, 33, 37 & 86's seen at various places. There are shots at Stratford Low Level platforms, the whole area there has changed out of all recognition with the arrival of the Jubilee Line and the DLR using the Woolwich line tracks. Filming was originally done with a panasonic M5 camera onto full sized E180 tapes. If you liked the video please subscribe to my channel, there are lots more transport & quirky vids to upload!
Do you know what the massive difference is for me, it's the amount of overloading we get these days with yellow line, beeping doors, constant announcements on the platform (see it, say it, fark off), on the train (give up your seat to someone that might need it more - is a personal bug bear) it's just a constant barrage of information that we simply don't need.
I agree totally! Nanny state at its worst! Oh for a quiet train journey again.....
Bring Back Network South East, they did a good job running most of the National Railway network. Simple and orderly.
Yes, and it was even amking a profit in its last full year of existance. Quite a feat for what is basically a commuter railway! I miss it as well.......
Yes. That is all!
I just want them back for the livery
Well, there was not a lot that couldve been done , and what was , was done ok, however the issue , much like today, is that theres barely any new trains , or even enough on the network
I actually liked London more in those days. Sure it was dirtier and grimier than today, but not half as busy and chaotic as it is now.
Especially on the trains, always packed.
I really miss the sound of the old slam doors clunking across the points and that screeching of metal on metal as the darkness outside would suddenly light up with the flash from the third rail… that was my childhood!!!
Same here.... this is how things were all over the railways.......
Great vid, many thanks for filming back then and uploading. Oh the memories memories and more memories! Remembering the immense buzz before alighting Wn.H.L and Stratford stations before going into OC and SF depots for some of the best days of my life!! Hurrar for u guys! :D
In the 1960s when I was 7 years old and living in Hampstead I remember taking a day trip with a friend to far-flung Richmond. We took sandwiches and marveled at the smart dark blue carriage livery which used to be dark green and comfy seats. We didn't get off but then traveled back to Broad Street gawping at all the back gardens and small workshops on view...
Yes, it was a very interesting line to ride along. I did it back in 1979 when the North Woolwich service was extended to Camden Road and BR issued 1000s of leaflets with a ticket for a free return ride!
6321 WAS THE LAST TRAIN OF THE DAY AND LAST EPB UNIT FROM NORTH WOOLWICH TO STRATFORD LOW LEVEL ON SUN I OCT 1989, WHICH I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE AND IT WAS THE HISTORIC LAST EPB IN NORTH LONDON. 313'S TOOK OVER ON MON 2 OCT 1989. ON SUN 9 DEC 2006, I WAS THE VERY LAST PERSON TO USE SILVERTOWN STATION, A REBUILD OF THE 1863 ONE, OPENED IN OCT 1984 BY MICHAEL PORTILLO. THE STRATFORD NORTH WOLLWICH ENDED BY MIDNIGHT THAT DAY AND I BOARDED THE VERY LAST TRAIN INTO NORTH WOOLWICH AND I WAS ON IT ON THIS HISTORIC LAST TRAIN FROM THERE TO STRATFORD NORTH WOOLICH AND SILVERTON THRN WERE CLOSED FOR GOOD. THE STRATFORD TO CUSTOM HOUSE SECTION IS A DLR LINE NOW AND FROM THERE IT IS A ROUTE VIA THE NEW TUNNELS UNDER THE RIVER THAMES YTO ABBEY WOOD. ,
What a fantastic, fantastic video. I grew up in Richmond, Sheen Park to be precise and our garden backed onto the line out of Waterloo. From roughly 1988 when I would’ve been 5, I’d spend hours watching all manner of rolling stock passing. District, NLL, The Reading bound 38’s, the Windsor trains and so on.
Once I got a bit older (11/12) I’d sneak off and get a ticket to Willesden Junction which in hindsight wasn’t the safest thing to do! I loved it there, it was such an absolute hole but the sights of the Euston fliers down below, the breakers yard in the background and all sorts of interesting goods trains rumbling through... Couldn’t get enough!
I can almost smell this video.
Great stuff Soi!
My pleasure....i too grew up with a busy freight railway (+ a few DMUs) at the bottom of the garden....probably explains why i have this vast stack of railway vids......By 1996 i was driving freight trains through Willesden, ballast trains and the Yeoman and ARC heavy stone trains, you would have probably seen them....and felt them, the stations would shake when we went through.....
Third-rail throughout and clapped-out DMU's in the Barking line bay platform at Gospel Oak, I remember it all well, but what is most striking is the view of those North Woolwich bound trains at Stratford towards the end. It's hard to imagine that's the same site where the Stratford Int. - Woolwich Arsenal DLR trains leave from now.
Yes, it's amazing how much Stratford has changed. There used to be two curves from the Woolwich line years back, one went east towards Maryland, the other to the west onto the line that is now the DLR. The east curve went back in the 60s, the other i have travelled over on a railtour but it went when the DLR was built!
It was nothing short of criminal what Boris did to the old steam museum and North Woolwich was only the opener for what he did to London Bridge grr In the 90's I had moved to Bournemouth and got to know one of Bournemouth West's shunters and he said of all the EPB's stored there awaiting scrapping that they were in perfect working condition and had another 40 years or more left with decent maintaining, an utter waste of reliable, efficient trains that the joyless plastic rubbish of today cannot match. And that of course was the problem because BREL built those trains so well they never wore out and the new private railways wanted to buy in trains that lasted 20 years then the passengers plundered for new trains, it was a damned bad ripoff for the taxpayer who has ended up subsidising the new companies ten times over what BR cost :(
Fantastic vid. Travelled from Richmond to Broadstreet back in the early 70's. Seem to remember that at Dalstone Junction there was a freight only line to Stratford
It was freight only until around 1979 when the GLC sponsored an extension to the North Woolwich to Stratford Low Level DMU service. When Broad Street closed, the North London Line service was diverted that way, after the line was electrified.....
@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus thanks for that Soi. I was only 14 at the time and we didn't have the benefit of the internet back then
Always enjoy your videos
Great video, brings back a lot of memories. I spent many hours photographing freights on the North London Line and the GOBLIN during the 1990s. A line that has changed beyond all recognition now!
thanks for posting this fantastic video we used to get the train from north woolwich to willesden and remember the EPBs you have shot and i later worked for silverlink at gospel oak so found it really interesting
I aim to please!
Class 416, 2 and 3 EPBs. Some of the best EMUs produced at Eastleigh. I remember these units when I first started working on the railway in 1988. Only joined BR until I got a proper job, 31 years later still there 😂.
Lol...that happens to a lot of people both on BR and the Underground...people just join to tide them over but find out it can be a good job where you can have a few laughs...and the pay's not bad now either.....
Thanks for uploading this video. Brings back memories when I used to take a trip on the NNL from Stratford to Richmond on the EPBs. I did take photos of them around August of that year before they were replaced. I see unit 6323 running and that unit I travelled on few times. Sadly didn't have a camcorder back then as they were expensive so had to use a camera instead. I also had a chance to ride on the 104 DMU from Gospel Oak to Barking. These trains are sadly missed. Thanks for sharing . Rob
I'm pleased you like the vid. I was lucky enough to get a video camera which took full sized, E180 tapes. It meant no copying of the films which kept the quality up and it sat nicely on my shoulder so it didn't wobby too much if i kept fairly still. Plus with a tripod trying to pan round and aiming for a name or number would be very hard where's i could point it up or down as required quite easily. If you want to see BR blue 104s check out this vid of mine th-cam.com/video/oHHIM21RqBI/w-d-xo.html and enjoy!
Can’t tell you enough how happy this makes me. The memories.
The flipping litter on the track! People can be really messy buggers!
Great stuff. Thanks for recording a part of the rail network overlooked by the majority.
My pleasure....it was fairly local to me, and as the 313s were due to replace the EPBs i took the opportunity to spend an afternoon filming them....
some great old footage, thanks for sharing!
Great to see the old NSE electric units and livery, but quite a shock to be reminded of the state of the stations and awful litter on the tracks. The new and refurbed London Overground stations on the old lines now look much smarter.
Great video, Gospel Oak was the spot to be for loco variety & the old 501 'Jail wagons' as they were nicknamed.
The bars were to stop you knocking your head off in Hampstead tunnel....it's a bit narrow in there.....
God, I miss those old units. Many, many happy trips on those! Cheers!
Glen Arnold - can’t remember them, funny that, as used the line from 1985 onwards, I do the 313’s in pre Silverlink livery.
My pleasure. They had a nice bouncy ride to them and very deep comfortable seating as well.....
Yes, they had real character, in sound and atmosphere, as well as the mattress like seating. The replacements have been ever more sterile and soulless.
It's easy to look back with misty eyes, and while alot of trains from back in the day were (and still are great) - the NNL trains seen here, weren't. They stank of rust, stale cigarettes, and yes some even smelt of urine. They had 'bars' on the windows - so you couldn't really see out properly (wtf was that about?!). They were creaky and should have gone ten years before they did. The SR NSE trains were ok, but not these ones. They were freezing in winter (no heating), and boiling in summer (windows difficult to open, and no air con). So no, they weren't good trains at all. Pretty wretched ones.
@@robtyman4281 The bars were to stop you leaning out and hitting your head in Hampstead Tunnel as it was a bit on the narrow side. That's why the 501s before them had bars as well. These were still Southern based units although worked by Stratford and Willesden crews, with some stabling only in east London. There were no toilets or any staff about the place, when they were first introduced. It really was a cinderella line although it picked up with the spread of Travelcards to BR lines. And NSE improved things as they did all over the network. And then at the end of 1989 enough 313s were spare from duties on the Great Northern (workings that didn't go to Moorgate & needing the 3rd rail capability, they were replaced by 317s) and were put to work on the NLL & Watford DC lines, improving things no end!
OMG what a change. Barking to Gospel Road. Dmu to 170s to emu 4 cars. Stratford Station low level to now dlr and jubilee line. Precious videos of history
Amazing how much has changed in the last 30 years......
Fantastic footage of this retro route of the North London line 👍
Thank you.......i did this just before the EPBs were replaced.....
Just went through Willesden on Saturday, always a decent spot for some train spotting
Wonderful footage. Nice 1:39 to see some un-NSE’d stock still rattling about! I miss those days of paper-covered track 😂
A lot more freight coming thru Willesden back in the 70's. Always 37 stratford locos. Hauling scrap i guess on the way to Vic Berry's
I worked it as a guard. You took this just before I went to Shoeburyness for driver training.
Initially only 6313 to 6328 had window bars, three per door. In 1987-88 the other 18 had two bars on each door so they could run on the East Grinstead line. So for a year or two all 34 units could work the North London Line.
Awesome video. Gotta love the Warp Drive noise the EMU DC motors made.
Note how cash strapped BR economised on tidying up litter on the tracks.
Yes, unlike today where the running lines are strewn with litter and bloody budhelia weeds!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Really? I guess it depends where you are in the country, in the Basingstoke area it's not too bad I have to say (since I'm a great BR fan).
I first started using the line from 1985, I remembered the 313’s in pre Silverlink livery, liked riding those DMU’s seen in the video Gospel Oak to Barking, but struggling to remember those old slam food trains.
The EPBs only worked from 1985 to 1989. As the line got a lot busier it needed longer trains.....
Soi Buakhao - Many thanks, I remembered some bits of 1989/90, think at that time, may not have used the railway much, or its memory jam.
Wow! I never seen 2-car train (before Class 313) met Southern/South West 4-car train about overtake 2-car train. Nice 👍
The 2 car EPB's were replaced as ridership levels outgrew the stock in use!
Back in the day when trains made proper noises
I have many happy memories of these totally knackered 1930s era trains
Not quite 1930s, early 50s though. And around 28 years old at this time..... although still younger than the Sprinters still running on the railways today......
I loved the North London Line, it got you from the Southern region all the way over to Stratford, and getting off to spot on the way round. Never did the bit between West Ham and North Woolwich, shame.
Did travel on classic southern slam door stock.👍🏻
Love it.. used to travel to Richmond, then on to Willesden and Broadgate. Happy days
Of course, being an old fart, I did the North London Line, with ex-London Midland units (Class 501 EMU) from Broad Street, on days out to Kew Gardens. I can also remember Cravens Class 105 DMUs to North Woolwich. I was on the first weekend of Class 416 (2EPB) on the NLL, in 1985. I was working at Old Oak Common Open Day, the first unit off Stratford Low Level duly failed in Hampstead Tunnel, which is flipping dark, when the lights go out ! At 18 mins 08 secs on your video, you catch a glimpse of Brazier House (the three story brick building, to the right of shot, with the windows open). I worked here too. It was the Regional Civil Engineer's offices for BR Anglia Region. I can also remember the Class 104 DMUs on the Tottenham & Hampstead Joint (before it was called the GOB - Gospel Oak and Barking !), the original service being from Kentish Town (and St Pancras ?). Part of the North Woolwich line is destined to live on with Crossrail. Indeed Silvertown Tunnel is due to be reopened and renamed Connaught Tunnel. In BR days it flooded, and the former Up Line bore was disused. Nice video. Happy memories.
I would say we are of similar vintage, i too rememebr the 501s and the Cravens on the new service to Camden Road back in 78/79 time. Funny to think now that Dalston Western Junction to Stratford was freight only until then! The Barking-Kentish Town Line (grew up with it at the bottom of the garden!) i went out on the last day it went to Kentish Town back in 81. Originally it was an East Ham to St Pancras service, head east of of EastHam Down Side bay, around through what is Hathawy Crescent (following the line of Shakespear Crescent, & Hath Cres used to be Little Ilford District Line Car Sheds) until Browning Road bridge where it joined the line from Barking. At the other end it went in to Pancras rather than stopping at Kentish Town. And that was before my time although my Dad rememebered it.....
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Cheers mate. The Cravens Class 105 also worked some peak hours limited service from Stratford to Lea Bridge and Tottenham Hale during the 70s / 80s. But I commuted on them on the Romford-Upminster for many years. I also remember the Class 105s doing the Marks Tey-Sudbury, and Class 116s doing the Wickford-Southminster. The Witham-Braintree was too, but I did it on a Class 308. I do remember the token machine under the stairs at Platform 6 Upminster, when the Romford branch was worked by Electric Token Block Regs (prior to 1978), before it became One Train Working with staff, then One Train Working without staff. My first trip over the T&H was on the 5th July 1981, behind 47 019, working BR Eastern Region Merrymaker No: 30 (07.00 Shenfield to Newton Abbot !!) which I boarded at Gidea Park. 47 019 came off at Kensington Olympia. My railway career included the LTS, but mainly the Great Eastern, then national. I was based at Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, and Euston. But my railway work included working at Southend, Colchester, Norwich, Cambridge, Wick, Inverness, Aberdeen, Fort William, Edinburgh, Glasgow, York, Wakefield, Crewe, Birmingham, Watford, Derby, Swindon, Bristol, Woking, Ashford (Kent), and East Croydon. Occasionally visiting East Ham Shed, Ilford Car Sheds and Stratford Depot. So it is highly likely we have met.
Yeah i can remember the 501's (only just) I would have been about 3-4 years old. didnt realise the 2-EPBs were different units until much later.
@@francisbennett48 Cheers for that. When I was younger, I was also confused. The 501s were three car, and had a slightly different front end.
Great footage thank you
My pleaseure! And there's more to come......
Stratford my second home, wow just look at it😂
No such thing as dlr, Westfield or the overground platforms, nor the jubilee either.
I think I heard an express probably bound for Norwich or something in the background.
Yes, the Norwich service was class 86 hauled at this time.......
Love that clip if gospel oak and that farting dmu great archive video
I seem to recall filming the EPBs as they were due to be replaced by 313s, the line was getting busier and busier. And now 5 car trains.....and this a line Beeching want to withdraw passenger services from! It wouldn't have saved BR much as the line would have stayed for freight anyway, probably what kept the service going.....
It was a confused time seeing VEP's and EPB's north of the water, I remember when they rotated back the redundant EPB's to SR metals with their jailbird windows which was highly weird say on the Bromley North line which you could lean out almost all the way and not get whacked by anything hehe To this day the former Tyneside EPB's and the 4CEP's will ever remain my favourite units, I did one year try and ride the cushions on every EPB but was a task beyond my ability, I did manage to ride every service Routemaster and RT in the 70's thanks to the Red Bus Rover but failed with the EMU attempt :(
Ah, desperation knows no bounds! I like your style re haulage, i do what i can bus and train wise. I don't recall VEPs working nortn of the Thames unless you mean the terminal ststions like Charing Cross, just north of the river. The North London was solid EPBs, the crews didn't sign any other SR traction, and Southern crews didn't sign the NLL. The bus moves would have been fun, more so if you consider RMs went through the Aldenham Works Float system and a numbered vehicle going in came out on a totally different bus! The joys of splitting the bodies, sub frames and vehicle identities......
Used to get on these rattlers to go from Broad Street to Dalston Junction in the mid 1970s. Total air of dereliction all the way. Just as well the viaduct was too massive to demolish as it's now in use for the ELL, but it remained devoid of trains for 25 years or so. Such a shame I didn't look out for the old Dalston East curve which is now a cafe and garden centre I believe.
Yes, the boundary wall of the East Curve is still there and gives away where the spur was. I can't believe it was over 30 years ago when these were replaced......
Just look at how quiet Willesden Junction is.
The ridership has gone up these days what with Oyster cards, more frequent trains, longer trains and of course the population of London is a million or two higher than 1989! All those extra people moving around the place plus the younger generation don't drive as much (cost + social media can't be followed when driving-we hope!) which explains the growth of rail ridership in general, not as certain media types (think Rail magazine) keep telling you, that it's privitisation. Think what BR could have done with 4+ times the amount of money they used to recieve, and in 5 year spending periods! That meant you could plan your work out over the whole 5 years and be efficient as possible.
Another area of which I know, wondered what you recorded it on, really good quality on vhs for the time, most of stuff stuff i have is on Hi8 and nowhere good as this where the colours ‘bled’ especially red, great shot of class 31 with I the think driver route training, who would have thought that we would even miss this EPB’S. Like a previous comment the new stuff is clean & reliable but just soulless. 🤓
I had a big video camera that sat on my shoulder (so fairly steady and i can pan up and down easily by moving my body rather than jerky movements on a tri-pod) and took E180 3 hour VHS tapes. So no copying involved, everything straight to the master tape. Since copied to DVD and now uploaded to computer and converted to MP4.
Wow..that was quite the throwback hearing the handbell summoning in the adjacent schoolyard. And must some of that trash have brought on wheelslip to that departure outta Stratford?!
More likely greasy rails with a bit of leaf mulch, the units are climbing up out of Gospel Oak going towards Richmond.
Ah. Now I'm noticing Richmond's trashy state too.
A great reminder that the NLL was for a time third-rail running throughout. A bit unusual that the shoes of the 501s appear to arc on making contact with the conductor rail more frequently than on breaking contact..!
Yes, the LNWR electrified on the 3rd & 4th rail system especially as they co-owned the Watford DC lines with the Underground Electric Railways Group. In later years (1979 if i remember correctly) BR introduced a DMU service to Camden Road by extending the North Woolwich service. In the mid 1980s it was electrified using the 3rd rail system to match the main NLL service. Before the new electric service started, the 501s were withdrawn and replaced by 2 car class 416 EPB units which is what we see here (only one 501 made North Woolwich, on the farewell class 501 railtour, which i was lucky enough to be on! We also made Croxley as well before it was mothballed).......
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Ah my bad -I realise I had misidentified the EMUs from the vid... Good history, thanks for elaborating!
@@jess.hawkins My pleasure....i like to interact with people viewing my vids...it's all good fun!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Me too I agree!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus how come you have so much knowledge?
I Remember the EPBs on there like it was yesterday. 5 Coach duel Voltage Class 378 These days
I remember when the North Woolwich service was extended through to Camden Road in around 1979. No intermediate stations back then, so it was a storming run on a Cravens DMU from Stratford to Cannonbury..... happy days!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbusthe Cravens! I’d forgotten that
Great video. I used to ride the train from Hackney Wick to Camden Town. I always wondered why these EMUs had bars on the windows while other routes didn't. Anybody know the answer to this? Thx
It was because Hampstead Tunnel was quite narrow and trains were close to the wall. If you stuck your head out you were very likely to hit the tunnel wall! Hence the bars, the previous stock, the 501s also had them fitted.
Is the North London line the only one ti have had three elwctrification systems. 4th rail 630v DC, then 3rd rail , now 25kv AC ?
Yes, i think so!
Broadgate station 👍👍 years gone by
Broad Street station. Broadgate is the name of the shopping area that stands where the old station was.
At 7mins 30seconds in are they route learning? And the dmu after that sounds like a motor bike
Yes, it was a route learning train, possibly making a route learning video for staff use. The old DMU's generally had a loud exhaust, some more than others if it was a bit worn out!
Why were the tracks pulled at camden road at 12:21 platforms still there. Wondering why they ripped up the tracks? Cheers. Also will they put new track down in future?
I seem to recall it was the state of the bridge over the Camden Road, it was in a poor state of repair so the freight lines were cut short before they reached the bridge. It would cost a lot to put the lines back as the bridge would need replacing first.....
Was the North London Line part of Southern region? I notice that the two-car trains have S prefixes on the carriage numbers.
No, it used to be the London Midland Region. Then BR extended the North Woolwich service to Camden Road in around 1979 using DMUs. Later BR electrified the line from Dalston to North Woolwich and ran trains all the way through. Being 3rd rail the only spare units were SR ones so they used the 2 EPB's. They were still maintained at Selhurst if i remember correctly although stabled at places like Stratford Market, Willesden ect
So much litter on the track then, now we have weeds.
Yes, the PW engineers of old must be spinning in their graves at the state of the tracks today......
The 2-car EPBs seem quite undersized for the nll, especially when compared to the lengthy 5-car capitalstars that now operate the line. I still find it an odd decision that they were chosen to replace the larger 501 units that had received a relatively recent refurbishment and were not even 30 years old yet! Only reason I can think of is a decline in passenger numbers that might have resulted in the third car becoming redundant...
At the time passenger numbers were falling, plus i don't think there were enough serviceable 501s left for the extra workings through to North Woolwich. Using spare (from service cuts, like the Underground in the early 1980s) EPB's from the Southern, allowed a good stock of 501s for the Watford DC services.... When the BR Capitalcard was introduced, that helped passenger numbers rise, even more so when it was merged with the LT Travelcard.....
When did 313's first start running on the North London line I read in one book it was as early as 1987 could somebody confirm this for me please.
Hi MrGriser, the 313s were on the Watford DC lines by 1986. There was a peak hours Watford-Broad Street service via Primrose Hill and joining the NLL at Camden Road ran along it to Dalston and into Broad Street. After Broad St shut in 1986 (i have film of the last evening there and hope to up-loaded it at some point) the service was diverted into Liverpool St via the Graham Road Curve at Hackney. The 313's took over from the 2EPB's on the NLL just after my video was taken in the October 1989 timetable change and ran until replace a few years back. I hope this helps.
So they started and the EPB's were immediately withdrawn it wasn't progressive.
Yes, it all happened on a timetable change. The EPB's went back onto the Southern and spare 313s ran the NLL. There were too many 313s built, the Great Northern didn't need them all as passenger numbers were dropping so the last 3 or 4 units were allocated to Clacton and worked the Colchester-Clacton locals. These came off when needed for the Watford DC service and if i remember correctly the GN had some peak hours workings that didn't go to Moorgate but Kings Cross so could loose the 313s and be replaced by 317s which is how they got enough to do the North London as well. As an aside i've just up-loaded the last night of Braod Steet, you can see it here th-cam.com/video/_MJ5AAo4vrk/w-d-xo.html, happy viewing!
I WAS ON EPB 6321 SUN I OCT 1989, LAST NORTH LONDON LINE RICHMOND NORTH WOOLWICH EPB AND , LAST EPB IN NORTH LONDON . 313'S.S STARTED ON MON 2 OCT 1989, RICHMOND NORTH WOOLWICH NORTH LONDON LINE.
What a bizarre looking train at 7:17! Otherwise great video! I love NSE I wish it survived into the 2000s and beyond
Wayne Walls thanks
It is DM395280, one of the London Midland and Scottish Railway design inspection saloons, but the last was built in 1957. The DM ones were presumably the original LMS series built from 1941 onwards.
Funny, the terminology differences a Pond makes!
To an American, "Low Level Platforms" means standing at rail top level, possibly being able to walk on the third rail, and carriages equipped with steps.
The low level on here refers to Stratford where the main station was up above the North London Line platforms, even the London Underground Central Line platforms which run in & out of tunnels here to connected with main line services. The North London platforms were indeed at a lower level but not at track levl as in europe or on our narrow gauge trains here in the UK.
The DMU's were the Goblin, right?
Correct.....
Did you used to drive soi? If so where n when cheers mate
On BR at Ilford and Acton so have covered Network SouthEast passnger trains before moving onto mostly freight with the odd charter train......plus bus driving after the railways!
You any idea what date in September it was ? I'm pretty sure i'm the driver of the 104 leaving Gospel Oak.
Sadly no, most vids i have an accurate date of filming but this one didn't get noted down. Were you a Stonebridge or Stratford driver?
I was at St Pancras then. Stonebridge, Watford and Stratford did the high level. We did the Barking sevices. I'm at Kings Cross with LNER now.
I've a photo of me leaving barking on 9 Sept with the same white T shirt on L703.
Hmm, so i assume you know Tony Potter (St P), Grimmett & Nutty Newall at SF & Mark Humberstone at KX then?
I've known Tony for 35 years. Used to be his secondman ! Me and Marc were both on duty together yesterday (sunday).
Were class 501s still in use by this time?
No, they had finished in 1985. The North London Line went first and the Watford DC lines last, there was some sort of power issue that needed sorting before the 313s could run on that line.
Nobody’s mentioned the filthy trackbeds in station s. Stratford in. particular
A hang-over from DMU days, when the line was worked by Cravens units shuttling between North Woolwich and Stratford with Tott Hale in the peaks. The units would sit in the platforms ticking over, dripping all over!
Those old Stratford Low level platforms used to be pretty scary places back in these times… no staff around, totally disconnected from the rest of the main station and outside of rush hour not many people about… as a kid I used to love just getting on a train from Brentwood up to London and riding around on the trains at night, I must’ve been 14 at the time when some bloke came up to me at the low levels and said ‘hey boy, have you ever had your shit pushed in’…. Being so young and innocent I had no idea what he meant and just said ‘no that doesn’t sound very nice!! It was only when I got older I realised what it meant, was gutted when they rebuilt the station cos I wish I could go back and find that man loitering in the dark, dirty Network SouthEast shelter so I could get my shit pushed in!!! I grew up in the wrong era….
Interesting memories..... lol
Network South East wasn’t bad,I used to go to Exeter on a Network card which fare wise with the card used to only cost £3 on special Network Days.
Bring back the EPB,s!
I used to love their tea as well, 32p a slice
Low Level before New lines
Stratford looks slightly different there days
Just a bit!... lol And no sign of a 2 Cravens BR blue DMU either.......
some of the litter on them tracks tho 🙈
and i really didn't like them slam doors.
i used to do anything to avoid them lol
the other slam doors had toilets and you could walk thru them even sit in first class.
When i grew up most BR stock was slam door, they were great fun especially as you could open them while still moving!.....
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus it's a shame society can't be trusted to use slam doors these days.
apparently health and safety risk.
7:18 this unit is still in service isn’t it? Or one similar
There's still a couple of these saloons still running, now under the care of Network Rail......
I think that's one of the ex-LMS 50' saloons, probably gone by now.
And now the 313s and 315s themselves meet their end in 2023.
8:53 nice catch!! By design?
Just lucky one pulled in on the Down while i was filming the one on the Up.....
17:13 Im confused...what station is this again? Haha :D
17.13 Stratford Low Level :)
Haha I know right?? God it looks wierd without the Jubilee Line next to it.. :D
Ha you know! Oh the good olde days eh! And wot with Stratford plastered in skyscrapers aswell now, its all well weird :D
Back when the infrastructure was cared for, no buddleia.
The Pway engineers of old must be spinning in their graves with the state of the railway today. One of the 'benefits' of privitisation i suppose???
It is simply appalling. Surely something should be done? Love the 2EPB footage. Happy days. Anymore 1938 and 1959/62 film at all?
The railway now has too many 'professional' managers who don't actually know anything! Weeds & trees look 'pretty' and keep the passengers occupied while waiting for their new, improved service which probably isn't running (i've been south recently and had the joys of trying to find a Thameslink train running on the Great Northern, and failing!). Trees are linear forests which have been allowed to grow through lack of funds under BR and a total lack of understanding about their dangers to trains since the joys of splitting the railway into hundreds of pieces (& i like trees, just not too near the line!).
Soi Buakhao I totally agree Soi. I am a driver and trains sometimes have to pick their way through the undergrowth and overgrown trees. I am sure a major structure will collapse one day due to buddliea growing through it.
You should try working a freight train, i had a spad at Ripple lane on the goods one day due to a bloody buddliea bush, the dod went back on me but i couldn't see it because my line of sight was obscured by the bush! Bloody Pway were out double quick and cut it down before a Traction Inspector showed up, ***ts!
really miss these trains crossing bollo lane crossing .these new overground trains have no character and are boring.welcome to 2018
The EPBs were great fun to ride on, i remember journeys from Woolwich to Dartford & Gravesend on them, they would storm along bouncing all over the place-great fun!
@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus I remember EPB officially stood for Electro-Pneumatic Brakes, but the popular concensus was "Every Passenger Bounces!!"
@@ianmcclavin Not half! I've had some storming runs along from Woolwich to Gravesend back in the early 1980s......happy days!
What a let down, where was Custom House? 😱
I didn't get to all the stations, i picked out a variety from Richmond to North Woolwich......
17:14- 18-14 What a disgraceful. dirty, litter strewn railway line it was then, this was the dirty awful view you had waiting on the platform. unbelievable that it was accepted at the time.
Br didn't have a bottomless pit of money like the railways have today so track claening was probaly low on the agaenda! Although even today, that area is still very windy, due to the configuration of the nearby buildings. Filming buses outside the bus station last September i was almost blwon off my feet! And it wasn't a particulary windy day, just the way it was funneled between buildings. The low level platforms were very exposed to the elments and probably meant a low of litter was blown in.
I know! ....also the NNL trains looked empty. People weren't using the line much at the time. It was only when it became London Overground that people started using it in large numbers.
@@robtyman4281 Not true, the reason the EPBs were replace was that numbers were increasing and they were getting rammed! The Travelcard helped with this increase once it allowed travel on BR lines. By LO days London's population had been incresed massively by immigration plus the upturn in the economy where large numbers travel in everyday, so the ridership increased. Add in more services to cope, and as the service is more like an Underground sevice, even more people find it an attractive line to use!
Mate, in 1979 i was 16yrs old, i went to college in London, my mum gave me a fiver and that paid for my travel from Orpington to London bridge return plus lunch, But the important thing here is that We could afford to travel without braking the bank back then, Now our privatised rail network mostly owned by foriegn countries since 1991 have had 57 Billion pounds in dividends paid to them by our governments, so that is profit that has gone Outside the UK, and you`re complaining about the rubbish on the track? Jesus christ, Just imagine if we had kept our rail network "in house" and invested in it..Look at Italy, France, Germany and Japan just name a few, they have a far cheaper and better rail network than we do, yet people like you will always run away from a simple socialist idea of our nation investing in a railway that will benefit Everyone in this country..Im guessing that you hate the NHS too.
@@NowFunStarts I worked for BR and none of us wanted it privitised or broken up. Now it has (or did) a limitless amount of money but it still looks unloved and unkempt. The government changed the amount of taxpayer support of fares from 50:50 to 25:75, the passengers now paying the largest amount of course....