Fair enough Rich, I see your point. I guess I was referring more generally to "companies that run trains" as opposed to the post privatisation connotation of the term TOC. I should really have referred to them as just "Train Operators". Thank you for your comment and I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. Have you seen the one I did on Edinburgh? I made an even bigger blooper in that one, referring to the Mk2 DBSO as a DVT!

Thank you for your really kind comments Aiden, and for your fabulous recollections and insights. During the 80s, my friends and I would head up to Scotland at every opportunity in order to ride behind 27s and 37s. We were even lucky enough to score a 26 on a Carlisle to Glasgow once. I'm really glad you enjoyed the narrated version of this video. The original AHC vids (all 50 of them!) were really popular, but some of the same questions kept popping up, which was why I thought it would be a good idea to do some narrated versions. I'm not really that comfortable talking on the vids mind you, which is why I've so far only done the two (this one and Euston). It's lovely though to receive positive feedback and reassurance from people such as yourself. I hope to do a few more in the future.

Thank you for the great comment Fern. I have to admit, I haven't been to Waverley for a very long time so I would imagine it's changed a lot. But I agree, back in the eighties it was a wonderful place to visit.

Sorry I didn't get back to you on this one David. I'm afraid I have no idea what the sticker is. Did you ever find out?

How recently did it catch fire David? I filmed this back in 2020 so it might have been before the fire.

Most likely before this recording because as you can see shes been painted into the ''Pure Yellow'' livery instead of the ''Pineapple'' livery when she caught alight.

@@stuartbroome1258 Thanks Stuart. I can’t get over how much Staybridge has changed from the time of my regular visits in the 80s. Back then it felt a world away from the city, especially on a cold winter’s day. With just one train an hour in each direction, plus the connecting Stockport shuttle, it felt windswept, remote and isolated. Now there are extra platforms, catenary, regular transpennine services and terminating trains from the west. Ironically, there are no more Stockport shuttles though! Did you get out to film the two steam specials along the Hope Valley last week? TP caught them at Ashbury and Romiley, so watch this space for an upcoming video.

@@stuartbroome1258 I’m surprised you didn’t duck out for an hour Stuart, like we did that time back at Chapel. This special was running to some very strange timings though. It had a late start from Preston, an hour long water stop at Eccles and a 12.10 pickup at Stockport. And, after just an hour in Derby, it would have been dark all the way back. Not too impressed at the use of air conditioned stock either! What did you think of the lovely rake of vintage wooden coaches we took from Melbourne to Bairnsdale a few weeks ago?

@@trevormaxwell8134 I’m so lucky to have a friend in the UK who very kindly gets these shots for me. He does a great job.

@@trevormaxwell8134 This is the only one I’ve ever seen Trevor, although they might be more common West of Stuart where trains are sometimes split for the run to the docks. From what I can tell, all three were under power, so I don’t think it was a failure.

@@trevormaxwell8134 At least the SotO is still running with sleeper cars and proper catering facilities. If only the same could be said of the Inlander and the Westlander. I’d love to ride on those two, but I can’t face the prospect of overnighting in a day coach.

@@trevormaxwell8134 I was surprised when Brissie opted for the three coach buses Trevor. I understand that they can run on standard roads or busways as well as dedicated routes, but I’ve heard of other cities who have either opted against them or have actually replaced them with conventional light rail. How are they being received there by the public? When will the new routes be fully operational?

@@nathanroberts355 Thank you for your comment Nathan. It would be fabulous if QR could reinstate the whole of the railway network west of the Kuranda range. Sadly, I don’t see that happening. The guys at Herberton are working hard to reinstate the line from there back to Atherton. This line was operating as a steam hauled tourist line until not that long ago. After it folded , the loco went south and the coaches have since been turned into a static cafe and home for a model railway at the new Atherton station. The volunteers at Herberton are restoring a 2000 class rail motor to work the line, but the track bed is very overgrown and requires a lot of work. A separate group are working at Ravenshoe, but it’s doubtful whether they’ll ever restore a service there, and even less likely it will be linked back to Herberton. QR have responsibility for the line to Forsayth but this year there have been long periods when the westernmost extreme has been out of use. The weekly Savannahlander has had to run a shorted service. Given that the existing line is being maintained to the minimum standard (and that it’s still comprised of a lot of original track and sleepers that are over 100 years old!) I doubt there’d ever be any inclination to build a brand new line to link it up with the gulf line at Normanton.

I agree totally Robert. Thank you for the great comment and I'm really glad you're enjoying the collection.

Only ever rode it once Stuart - Penzance to Paddington in 1986 - 7 day all line rover and my first real bed in 3 nights!! Went to sleep behind one class 50, woke up in London with a different one at the stops - and no recollection of anything in between!! And the train was a lot longer than the ones running now.

Sorry Crosshatch - I'm afraid I can't help you there.

Inverness was one of my favourite destinations during the eighties Ian. My friend and I would get the overnight from Crewe at about 11pm on a Friday. A sleeper birth was well beyond the reaches of our saved up paper round money, so we would bed down underneath a table in the leading day coach!! Saturday would be spent riding behind 37s on the Kyle or far north lines, and we'd return South on Sunday. Happy days indeed.

@@kartwheelkarl That’s the same as me and a couple of mates used to do on sleeper trains, Friday nights and we would go everywhere Newcastle- Bristol- London-Newcastle was one example which we would do. The good old day’s using platform tickets if no conductors were around 🤷‍♂️🤣

Thank you for your incredibly kind comment Keith. I'm really pleased you're enjoying the collection. And to think, Alan didn't think anyone would be too interested in seeing his old videos!!

Thank you for your really kind comment Ian, and I couldn't agree more. Alan's films really are a treasure trove for those of us with an interest in UK railways during the eighties, and I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to share them with so many like minded people. And to think, Alan didn't think anyone would be particularly interested in his old videos!!

Thank you for your fabulous comment Phil. You've now brought back those same memories of the brewery smell for me, although I always assumed that was Bodiies being brewed at Strangeways brewery? There was something magical about Platform 11 wasn't there? And the sound of a peak arriving used to reverberate around that huge concourse, with its wooden ticket kiosks and the fabulous mosaic map of the L&Y. Happy days indeed. Really glad we could bring back great memories for you.

I never managed to visit Gateshead shed personally Ian, but I really wish I had. Thank you for your great comment and I'm really glad we were able to bring back great memories.

Absolutely Steve. Thank you for the great comment and I hope the video brought back happy memories.

Thank you for the great comment NDO, and really glad we were able to bring back such great memories for you. Sadly, I don't think the clerestory coaches are in use any more. I'm guessing they don't meet modern safety standards. They certainly were good looking vehicles weren't they?

Absolutely Antony. But can you remember how much criticism BR used to get back then. They were forever being accused of running old, dirty and out of date trains, and were a national joke for being late! We were all told that privatisation would herald a new era in comfort and punctuality!!!! Did that ever happen? And is it true that UK railways are now going to be re-natioanlised? Thank you for your great comment and glad you enjoyed the video.

Lovely wasn't it Antony? I'm really glad we were able to bring back what I hope are great memories for you. Thank you for the comment.

@@kartwheelkarl yes indeed 👌😀

@@aljonflavin6760 Thank you for the comment Alton, and really glad you’re enjoying the collection.

Thank you for the great comment Mac. I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. And in answer to your question, "Absolutely"! Hindsight may be a wonderful thing, but I honestly don't think I appreciated at the the time just how lucky I was to be living through such a fascinating period in railway history. Oh how I wish I could go back and see it all again.

Thanks Stuart. At the moment, I'm trying to migrate all of the model railway videos over from the main channel. But I have a lot of accumulated footage of layouts that I still haven't got around to editing. The trouble is, I was so happy with the results of the Lyncombe Vale and Wakefield West videos, where I used real train sounds, that I now want to do that to every video I make. And those two videos took me many, many hours to put together! What did you think of the results?

Really happy to be able to bring back those memories for you Ray, and thank you for the fabulous comment. Kyogle seemed like a lovely, quiet town, especially that early in the morning! I'd like to actually visit it someday rather than just passing through on the train.

Thank you for the brilliant comment Olaf, and really glad you enjoyed the video. Strange isn't it? I spent so many hours sitting at the end of Piccadilly's platform 5 watching an endless procession of AC electrics that, for me, that was the norm. A really big day out was a trip to the capitol, with visits to Waterloo and Paddington being the highlights. My first ride on a shiny new and seemingly so futuristic, HST was from Leeds to Doncaster, It was indeed, beyond exciting, even though we never got anywhere near the 125mph mark on such a short journey!

@@davidsnapebrcrosslane8782 Thank you for the fabulous comment David. Really glad you enjoyed the video and that we were able to bring back such great memories.

Thanks for the great info Ashley. I seem to remember seeing something about the pyramid race last time I was up there, but I had no idea what it was. Do people actually run up the mountain?

@@kartwheelkarl yes they start in Gordonvale run up the mountain then finish back in Gordonvale.

@@ashleyramage6958 Blimey! That sounds like hard work. Have you ever done it?

I couldn't agree more Chris. Thank you for the great comment and glad you're enjoying the collection.

素晴らしいコメントをありがとうございます。その小さな謎を解くお手伝いができて本当にうれしく思います。興味があります - ビデオの中にあなたが泊まった家が見えますか？

Sadly not CM. All Adelaide metro services are now in the hands of either 3000/3100 class diesel railcars or 4000 class EMUs. A few 2000/2100 class units have been preserved (at the Port Adelaide Railway Museum and Steam Ranger Heritage Line, but I believe there are problems with loading gauge (relating to overhead catenary wires and platform faces respectively) that limit their operation.

@@kartwheelkarlyes! i went there once thinking its a class 3000 but my dumb bum didnt read the class number

I'll be honest, I wasn't even sure the depot was still operational. I seem to remember reading about it having had the turntable upgraded a couple of years back so they could turn steam locos from railtours. Is that still the case?

@@kartwheelkarl yes, the turntable was in fact upgraded for railtours.

I couldn't agree more 055. To my mind, the Mk3 coaches were definitely the pinnacle of coach design in the UK. I really likes the Corail coaches in France as well though, especially the corridor/compartment variations. I really wish they'd made some MK3 coaches with compartments (other than the sleepers) - that would have made them even quieter and more appealing.

I totally agree KB. It was really frustrating to know that the ocean was so near but we couldn't see it. NSW trains use a shot of the XPT crossing a bridge over a creek with the beach in the background, and in their literature they say it's a great view from the train. In reality, it flashed past so quickly and unexpectedly that I was unable to capture it in the video!

@@kartwheelkarlwhat else is interesting though North of Coffs Harbour if you look over to the West side of the trip the train goes up a hill and you get a spectacular view of Coffs Harbour and the ocean from what I remember

Thank you for the info Ricky. You have a lot more knowledge of that subject than I do. I still have lots to learn about QR operations and stock.

most of the older coal hoppers have been faded out and been replaced with those 106 Tonne hoppers.

@@David2420-n8i yeah the VQH, VCB, VEB like classes.

Thank you for the really kind comment TCR. I grabbed this shot during a quick sneaky detour on my way to an important appointment, so I'm really pleased it worked out well. Was the Savannahlander returning from one of those short overnight trips to Almaden when you filmed it the week before? I've seen a few still shots of it either alongside or sharing the platform with the KSR trains, mostly taken by Will. It will be great to see your video of what is actually a rare occurrence.

@@kartwheelkarlNo problem! Yes, when I saw the train it was doing one of the limited Cairns - Almaden and return runs. Due to the KSR services it was held at Platform 2 for about 30 minutes after the first KSR service left. Then it departed and got to see it pass the 3:30pm KSR service which was awesome! I’m glad you are looking forward to the video on it, thanks! Should hopefully be out in the next few weeks after I upload some of the videos I got of Sydney and South-West QLD action. 😄

Thanks for the comment Trevor. I filmed this video about ten years ago so who knows what condition NR 65 is in these days.

Thank you for fabulous comment Teddy; I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. Enjoy your trip to Cairns, and please give my regards to Will and Joe, the drivers on the Savannahlander. I know they'll look after you and you'll have a fabulous time.