I was in Hungary in 2022, they still use that little announcement tune at train stations to get people's attention. When I heard it I knew I had heard it before on this programme!
@train49053 ай бұрын
Exellent😊
@HenrysAdventures4 ай бұрын
Does anyone know where in Hungary those steam trains were running?
@christophersmith4836 ай бұрын
This is probably my favourite episode from this superb series - which has never been bettered - each episode is perfectly crafted and made to very high standards. Eric Robsons intelligent and well informed commentary together with the photography and Herbert Chappell's jazzy score strike the perfect mix.
@HenrysAdventures7 ай бұрын
50 years on there's a similar non tourist/non museum operation still going with steam trains in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Tuzla area.
@RUOKH8 ай бұрын
Oh, what have we lost? Civilised rail travel across Europe mean the provision of a quality Restaurant Car; not a trolley-dolly dispensing plastic sandwiches. Thank you for uploading this excellent BBC production.
@dswarner15718 ай бұрын
You are very welcome 😊 and thank you for your comment.
@rh27059 ай бұрын
My twelfth birthday!
@vicsams443110 ай бұрын
I was on this train. I believe I used to work with you ! Best regards. Vic Sams National Operations Standards Manager (retired)
@martinbitter4162 Жыл бұрын
I remember travelling Switzerland and Austria by train in the 80s. It brought back memories. Thank you.
@steveinanglia4185 Жыл бұрын
Great video Dean.
@gezag.hanniker1940 Жыл бұрын
Great film I remember trying to watch this on a UHF channel on public television. Cinematography very good....poor taste in music though.
@adamw29117 ай бұрын
I love the music. Classic cheesy overly 'European' sounding. Just what the programme is about.
@stephanweinberger Жыл бұрын
Funnily Chris Lohner actually ended up doing the announcements for 40 more years, and she will be the voice of ÖBB for years to come - albeit somewhat more artificial sounding - in digitally "rearrangable" form. Even the voice messages in the driver's cabs of the locomotives were done by her!
@robertp.wainman4094 Жыл бұрын
Hard to believe it's nearly forty years since I watched the glamorous Transalpin and heard the perfectly matched 'powering on' accompanying music of the programme... which I've hummed every now and then ever since! Thank you for uploading - as others have said, only segments seemed to be available before. Watching the waiters serving lunch - with panache, freshly cooked onboard, it seems to me things have gone backward when the 'best' available nowadays are microwaved snacks on disposable plates! As for Swiss connections: Many years ago I remember asking at the ticket office in Interlaken if it may perhaps be possible to take a train to A, a boat to B, a cable car to C, a chairlift to D - and a Postbus back to A on a single ticket......"Of course" came the reply.......and naturally every journey connected within minutes to the next. Oh - how good it would be to have the Swiss organising public transport in the UK!
@andrewlong6438 Жыл бұрын
You can’t beat a bit of cine action. Thoroughly enjoyed this. I noticed a busy Swindon works too. I was there there yesterday in its guise as a shopping centre!
@darrenraymond5334 Жыл бұрын
Nice work love it
@dodgydruid Жыл бұрын
I used to drink with the charge hand shown there around 1:10 in the Hand & Flower when I was working for BR and lived behind Olympia in Sinclair Road. We did use Motorail in the 70's from Olympia to the far north of Scotland but every year it was a nightmare including one night a shunter getting crushed between the car flats and the coaches shuffling, it was said the coaches moved only a few inches but the kinetic force of so many tons just a few inches ended the poor mans life and for us it became an even worse situation as my father was the ranking BR man on site and me mum brother and I were whisked to Euston by taxi where BR had arranged for us passengers to be taken to Inverness in a sleeper whilst the drivers had to stay with the stuck train. To be fair BR paid for us to stay in the station hotel in Inverness but didn't see my father for three days and he was in a ferocious mood all that holiday despite getting his three days paid back in extra leave plus paid for being on duty as well. I think we used Motorail for a couple years more but the last year they took our car off at Stirling when it was due to be unloaded at Fort William and we had to wait a whole day and night for it to come up on the next nights Motorail, that was the train where some poor folks saw their cars loaded on a Penzance or Falmouth Motorail and there was a huge furore by angry car owners.
@naysmith5272 Жыл бұрын
This was also shown on 12th October 1983 at 18.30. 39 years ago from right now. lol 😀
@AtheistOrphan Жыл бұрын
I remember watching it when first broadcast. I feel so old!
@centredoorplugsthornton4112 Жыл бұрын
Unique among Great Railway Journeys episodes in that the host traveller appears at the beginning, but not again for the rest of the episode, only giving narration. Story is one Bill Grundy was meant to present this episode but had a mishap in Switzerland on a preliminary trip and had to return home. He was host of BBC's tea time Today show til it was canceled in early 1977.
@dswarner1571 Жыл бұрын
Yes! If you read Aspectify's comments a bit further down there is a bit more info on Mr Grundy's exploits. Thanks for commenting.
@adamw29117 ай бұрын
Yes I always wondered why you never saw him during the rest of the show. All the others focussed quite heavily on the narrator. This does seem an absolute age ago though. This was the golden age of rail travel for me. At the time...we didn't even know it.
@nyaromeneko44552 жыл бұрын
They still run the VRB steam train on weekends in September or October. Pioneer railway in Budapest still going strong. Everything else "modernised", I guess better than "discontinued".
@michaeldelz2 жыл бұрын
I was born in 1983 and my dad had this taped off the tv, one of my earliest memories was watching this and I often wondered when he taped it, so 1986. I could vividly remember certain scenes in it such as the scrapyard at the end. It got taped over some time in the late 80s and I never seen it again for years but could always remember it. Along with other episodes in the series.
@dat581 Жыл бұрын
I have a similar story. It was on a VHS tape at my grandmother's house in the 1980s and I must have watched it more than 20 times as a kid. Watching it now makes me feel 8 again.
@martinbitter41622 жыл бұрын
The 1980 Transalpin seems modern even to todays standards.
@LanguageOdditorium Жыл бұрын
The Mistral 69 coaches were a truly timeless design
@medwaypeninsulaMR2 жыл бұрын
An excellent film with the push to electric cars and the range issues I wonder if there is a need for this type of service again. Cheers Kev
@andrewlong6438 Жыл бұрын
It’s not just electric cars but the whole issue of traffic jams on West Country routes not to mention the pollution. On another video, I saw a suggestion about electric cars being charged whilst on the train - great idea.
@acquiesce1002 жыл бұрын
Has anyone got the Ben Okri one where he goes from London to Arcadia in Greece. It's my favourite along with Michael palins.
@centredoorplugsthornton4112 Жыл бұрын
For some reason no US TV channels showed it. It was on the BBC world service, channels in Canada and had a chapter in the companion book.
@kevanhubbard96732 жыл бұрын
You might not have needed 'a dash around Paris'as some of the trains carriages use to be shunted around the Paris peripheral loop line linking the main stations.
@grendel_nz3 жыл бұрын
Zurich to Vienna is brilliant :)
@dswarner15713 жыл бұрын
That's a journey I've not done but would like to. When did you do that journey?
@martinbitter41622 жыл бұрын
Yes, despite being just another Railjet.
@LanguageOdditorium3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for posting this! This is my favourite episode too. I especially enjoy the part about Le Cisalpin. I used to love those Mistral 69 carriages. I consider myself privileged to have been able to use them on several occasions between Amsterdam and Antwerp on the Etoile du Nord. My dad and I would sometimes go on special train trips for the sole purpose of riding on the Mistral 69 carriages. Beautiful and timeless design.
@robertp.wainman4094 Жыл бұрын
I agree!
@NDSKOSTHEORY3 жыл бұрын
Great footage and a reminder of the motorail workings that regularly crossed the network during the summer timetable, and the bonus of hydraulic haulage in the West Country, wonderful 👍👍👍😎
@davidjames385893 жыл бұрын
Just thought of something: when these were made, steam on BR had only been gone for 12 years. Must have felt much different to see steam in the wild compared to me, who never did.
@passengersplace2 жыл бұрын
West German steam had only been gone for seven years, and French steam for five. East Germany wouldn't dieselise until the Berlin Wall fell and over in Poland, steam still had a full 34 years left to go. Of course, steam in Western Europe on the lines ordinary travellers wanted to take had finished by the late-60s and you had to go and hunt it down on regional lines after that.
@aclark9032 жыл бұрын
#Bluebellrailways
@andrewyoung749 Жыл бұрын
@@passengersplace w german steam finished in 1977 right? i thought french ended in 71 with just some special traffic hanging around e german finished when? obv the pacifics were still in traffic into 1982/5. but do you know if anything clung on on freight? im sure i read articles about as recently as 1991 db were saddled with freight traffic with steam in e germany. aside from that db suddenly found itself lumbered with a load of narrow gauge steam and a full blown steam workshop lol.
@kevingraham27333 жыл бұрын
Brilliant, thanks for uploading
@davidjames385893 жыл бұрын
And forty years on, the only trains still running are the ones that were already museum pieces. Everything else has been reequipped or discontinued aside from the TGVs at the end. The Cisalpin whose future he pondered was effectively gone three years later.
@dswarner15713 жыл бұрын
Indeed David. Having been a rail enthusiast for most of my life, it's only in the last 8 years that I've really paid attention to what is going on the other side of the channel, particularly France. But even there in that short space of time so much has changed, probably for the better as far as the "passenger experience" is concerned but the character has all but gone.
@davidjames385893 жыл бұрын
@@dswarner1571 I suppose the only consolation is that when the TEEs et al were new, people said the same thing about the character being gone. Still can't see people getting misty-eyed over Thalys or new Pendolino trains being retired.
@Aspectify3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much posting this complete version. The only versions I've been able to find previously have bits missing or is a poor quality cine film strip from the Internet Archive. This was my favourite episode too. I know Herbert Chappell's music isn't to everyone's taste, but I love it. This episode was originally going to be presented by Bill Grundy, but according to Eric Robson's autobiography he "apparently [fell] down the neck of a whisky bottle, in Zurich" and the footage which had been shot was repurposed with Robson doing the narration and linking. I think what we got is much better than if Grundy had been involved. I find it frustrating that all of Series 2 of 'Great Railway Journeys' from 1994 is on iPlayer, but not Series 1.
@dswarner15713 жыл бұрын
Hello! Thanks for your comments. I had never considered the composer of the music until you mentioned it but I think Herbert Chappell got it spot on. I wonder if the music is available anywhere else? Thank you for sharing the piece about Bill Grundy. I never knew that and like you I think we got a much better programme with Eric Robson. However, my belief that Eric got on a train at Victoria has now been dashed and maybe he wasn't "travelling east too..." after all! I think I have all of series 1 on VHS so will try to get them on here soon. I'm hoping to get a dedicated capture card so maybe I can get the quality up a bit too.
@Aspectify3 жыл бұрын
I'm afraid the music doesn't seem to be available separately - I've looked. If you could get the other episodes on that would be fantastic!
@davidjames385893 жыл бұрын
I did not know that about the host! I quite like it as is. Hope Eric got to enjoy some of the earlier parts as well.
@nandrews100003 жыл бұрын
@@dswarner1571 If you need encouragement, then you have that and my wholehearted support. I remember the series well from my teen years and would love to see again!
@iansmith40232 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames38589 According to Robson's autobiography,he was sent out after the film crew had finished their work - but with strict instructions to follow the exact same route in its entirety. This wasn't just so that he could provide an honest commentary; but so that he could write a properly first-hand and authoritative account for the tie-in book. Apparently he encountered problems getting into Czechoslovakia (as it was then);because,whereas the BBC film crew had a raft of permits,he (as a solo traveller) had none!
@steveinanglia41853 жыл бұрын
Great video Dean, brings back memories of travelling on some of these routes.
@Cazkumali3 жыл бұрын
I saw a few clips on archive British diesel and electric traction vol 2 vhs the coaches are usually at the front behind the loco followed by the motorail wagons
@jeffreyhodge55643 жыл бұрын
Life was fast enough then ,manageable ,but now ,hell with a pandemic to boot !pasties on the beach at Dawlish,tea from the cafe shop on the beach head ,white china cups ,teapot tray milk ,hot water etc ,where’s that all gone..?
@dswarner15713 жыл бұрын
Totally agree with you Jeffrey. Where indeed has all that simple but lovely time gone? Values have changed and I don't think for the better.
@bichonfrise61534 жыл бұрын
3 like friend^_^✨ thanks for sharing~😍
@diddleysquat66444 жыл бұрын
Western😀
@neiloflongbeck57054 жыл бұрын
What was the Class 44 at around the 4 minute mark?
@dswarner15714 жыл бұрын
Hi Neil. I don't know I'm afraid. This section was filmed by my Dad and unfortunately he concentrated on the 31.
@neiloflongbeck57054 жыл бұрын
@@dswarner1571 oh well, that's a pity. Never saw one of them when they were in service.
@neiloflongbeck57054 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't want to be in an air conditioned Mk2 if the loco was a 47/3.
@anthonycripps10454 жыл бұрын
We used to take the motorail from Kensington Olympia to St Austell in the 70s and early 80s. Until the year they abolished the formerly wonderful breakfast and there was a sign saying at the terminal saying "Collect your tray meals here". I can honestly say leaving to go on holiday on the motorail was the most exciting event as a young boy!
@Wettonbunker4 жыл бұрын
Fantastic!!
@Isochest4 жыл бұрын
This is brilliant. GWR trains in the 1970s! Keep it coming!
@deano41713 жыл бұрын
B.R. trains, not G.W.R.
@pinback6672 жыл бұрын
But WR.
@robertstorey74765 жыл бұрын
Wouldn't it be wonderful if some heritage society recreated a motorail train. They wre just amazing.
@dswarner15715 жыл бұрын
Excellent idea! There are probably a few wagons knocking around. Being a flat bed they must have found use on a preserved railway somewhere.
@neiloflongbeck57054 жыл бұрын
@@dswarner1571 the chassis used for the MotoRail flats were all coach underframes and I'm not aware if any avoiding the cutter's torch.
@robertstorey74765 жыл бұрын
What a wonderful film ESPN the footage of kensington olympia. Brought back childhood memories of a motorail holiday to Perth. I can vividly recall waiting in the lounge at Olympia ...it was really exciting for a 6 year old! Thanks.
@WeFade2Grey5 жыл бұрын
A lost world, thanks for sharing
@dswarner15715 жыл бұрын
Yes, very much so.
@robertstorey74765 жыл бұрын
A better world too.
@przychodzkipl5 жыл бұрын
Great catch. Liked and subbed.
@dswarner15715 жыл бұрын
Hello and thank you for subscribing.
@annescholey65465 жыл бұрын
We could hear Deltics and HSTs through Newark from down the road
@BevMattocks5 жыл бұрын
I remember regularly seeing motorail trains at Dawlish in the 1970s... Fond memories...
@DasJibbala7 жыл бұрын
Just found out about Motorail today - Lovely footage, I used to take the train along the Dawlish coast route to get to university (right about the time it collapsed into the sea..)!
@simonburton59457 жыл бұрын
Wonderful memories. I started spotting around 75 - 76. Happy days. Thanks for uploading
@vean20047 жыл бұрын
Brought back so many memories with our old Wolseley 6/99 to Cornwall in the 1970's and Western hauled as well!
@dswarner15717 жыл бұрын
I can't remember which car we had on this occasion - maybe a Mark 1 Escort or a Viva? My dad can still recall the car being pushed off the train at Totnes because it (the Viva) wouldn't start. He says he pushed the Viva more than he drove it!