Freight Driver's Eye View: Hither Green to Woking

[@dieseldave3879]

I love these journeys through the backs of London's houses - it's a different view of the capital you don't see too often. 👍

[@JBFlytography]

Unless you travel on a train in London…

[@jappychap2003]

As a country dweller in Lincolnshire who once turned down a job in London, I often wonder what sort of lives the people are living in the many and varied properties bordering the railway - terraced houses, flats, apartments. What sort of jobs do they do? Are they happy?

[@oddities-whatnot]

@@jappychap2003Id hate to live in London. People living there are either rich, or struggling to afford to live anywhere, paying ridiculous rents or mortgages every month etc. Having to earn massive amounts between two of you to do it. Far too much crime, congestion, nobody talks to anyone, an unfriendly miserable place. An existence at best just to keep a roof over your head. Rural living way better and although that isn’t cheap, it is compared to city living.

[@100SteveB]

Being a freight you certainly get sent round the back routes. When you got to Clapham Junction I thought you would be going down the Guildford line, but oh no, off round the houses for you! Very interesting video, one of the things I love about railways is that you can be running through some of the most built up areas, yet the permanent way runs along it's own little green corridor - like another world sometimes.

[@kawazukisoddbits2717]

Strange route - upto Clapham Jct was a mystery (don't know most of that part of the Capital) but then I thought go via Surbiton, Esher, Walton on Thames then Byfleet & New Haw etc. That could have lopped about 30 - 45 minutes off . . . . . but I guess they have their reasons!

[@CarolineFord1]

Thank you for this. It covers an old commute through Hither Green and areas near where I live. Nice to see it from the train driver's perspective.

[@brianknowles7130]

Many thanks to the driver and anybody else who made this vid. possible. Appreciated.

[@AndyGabrielPowell]

Hither Green to Woking in almost two hours? Don't think I'd have figured out that route if I had all year to work on it. Fascinating. Thanks for providing such great entertainment.

[@thecolneranger1588]

Loved it. Sunny day and a meandering route full of interest. Brilliantly captioned so I knew where we were too!

[@musicforaarre]

I could just watch these cab videos by the hour; it is so relaxing, and very interesting. Please make more of these. Aarre Peltomaa

[@geoffreymartin2764]

I am not usually into goods train rides but, this has been really enjoyable. Thanks heaps from Sydney. 🏳‍🌈

[@grahametullett4771]

I was a signaller at feltham panel between 1990 and 2006. It was nice to see the railway again. It did look alot different on the down side opposite feltham signal box.

[@patrickspeaight9154]

A route map at the beginning, helpful for those,who are strangers, also it may help to orientat, the direction of travel. This shows the complexity of the rail network. Thank you for your good work. Patrick, Northamptonshire

[@johnboughton7451]

Do what I do & follow on my wife’s iPad on Google earth 3D it’s brilliant

[@jordanielridgway-bent]

Such a geek here. Watched the whole journey in one sitting. I think I echo the sentiment that it is nice to see parts of London and the hinterlands usually hidden from the the views you get from the roads. Thank you for putting this up, very interesting (for me at least) and certainly I shall be viewing your catalog of other vids.

[@bigcasey4143]

This brings back memories of when I was a young secondman/Relief Driver in the late 1970's-early 1980's at Eastleigh. I can remember there being a temporary 20mph deviation between Chertsey and Virginia Water for the building of a bridge over the M25 that was being constructed at the time... I also remember a Ballast Cleaner forming part of our train becoming derailed on a pair of hand points whilst shoving back into Woking Yard, exactly like as in this video... memories, memories.... now happily retired from driving trains after 40 years service... Strangely, not much has really changed in the intervening 40 years, except that it has become more built up...

[@musicforaarre]

1:50:17 I never saw a switch turnout geometry like that before. We are boring in Mississauga, Ontario; We don't have fascinating track geometry like that. This is the first time that I took the back Windsor routes west of Barnes. There don't seem to be any passenger train cab videos of these routes. Quail Maps shows two aggregate yards at your finale; is that what you were delivering ? Aarre Peltomaa

[@CambriaJunction]

I can see myself in this video, watching you go past the back of my flat in Loughborough Junction! Shame I wasn't filming as I could have provided you with the reverse view.

[@drfoop]

I noticed you and just went to your channel to see if you'd been filming Ben/

[@jeffreyhughesmbe]

One of the most exciting journeys skirting central London ………absolutely fantastic.

[@alwayslight2658]

Perfect weather, beautiful line, quality camera, clean window, excellent driver🙂 - logical result is a perfect, top quality, low speed railway video. Many thanks for a pleasure to enjoy the ride. ❤ Always check the capacity of memory card. It needs to follow the camera data traffic and be able to record them all. Otherwise pictures are lost and video sticks instead that it would run perfectly smooth. Video should always run perfectly smooth. It is a common mistake that so many do when they go from HD to 4k.

[@Louisa93able]

I enjoy being able to register a lot more detail with the lower speed of Freight; much appreciated; thanks!

[@musicforaarre]

There's a lot of mud (beize colour) being pumped up in the diamonds in the middle of Lewisham Junction 8:23. We had the same problem where the CP North Toronto subdivision cross the Metrolinx Barrie line (formerly CN Newmarket Subdivision). When the wheels crossed the diamond joints, I could see the mud squirting out from below the ties by the pumping action. Aarre Peltomaa of Mississauga, Ontario p.s. I love that Lewisham Junction; it is so unusual in it's track arrangement

[@johnboughton7451]

This is by far one journeys it’s got the lot & it amazes me just how much the builders of these lines knew how to link them all together without the aid of overhead observation When you follow your journeys as I do I follow a single line junction & you follow that line & to your amazement it joins up with the Great Western or North London Line or the LMS it baffles me how they knew how to connect them all up perhaps someone with better knowledge can explain But! Thanks Ben this is my most revisited video

[@MarkHenstridge]

I lost track of time in the cab ride view, love the signal box "Woking" at 1:39:45 Thanks for the upload .....Mark in Australia.

[@alanmorris9425]

Phew what a round the houses run from Clapham Junction to Woking, obviously not enough capacity on the mainline for freight but not only did it use a diversionary route but it used the longer one via the Hounslow Loop rather than the traditional diversionary route used by passenger trains via Richmond and Twickenham. Overall highly appreciated.

[@stevenboyd816]

Superb footage Ben thank you for bringing this to us

[@martinberzins7478]

You have chosen an interesting journey, you have good equipment, filmed in good weather at the right time of day to avoid sunlight glare - and someone cleaned the windscreen before setting off!

[@bunkerboy02]

Wow what a great video. Seeing London through a different set of eyes. Thank you.

[@terryashton3541]

This is absolutely fantastic, when I was trainspotting back in the 1950s, all my spotting was done on the LMS and LNER, I never got the chance to see this part of the Southern Region, great footage and well done, I am watching this using my Track Atlas as a guide and I find it confusing especially around Clapham Junction, gee these signal people who direct and guide these trains around this very busy area do a tremendous job, I never realised how complicated the network could be.

[@meijiturtle3814]

Excellent photography, crisp and clear. Widish angle lens but not so wide as exhibit distortion. This video could be an instructional aid!

[@keef71]

And great captions, not just the stations but junctions and lines too.

[@antikoerper256]

Man gotta love the UK! Never been there and do I wish to visit or even live there someday! My granddad worked in our royal bulgarian railways pre 1945 and the coming of the socialists, so trains are something I love. Greetings to all and respect!

[@josephinebennington7247]

Quite fascinating when you run it split screen with OS maps open. You see a much larger picture, know exactly where the train is, know what is being passed, what is coming up. London rail tracking is incredibly complex.

[@rwm2986]

Thanks Ben. Very interesting on a beautiful day for filming. Many, and I mean many, years ago I lived in Virginia Water so I am familiar with Clapham Junction to Addlestone Junction (start of Byfleet Curve) although the 'Hounslow Loop' was not used as much then. Down trains from Waterloo to Windsor and Weybridge were a single train to Staines (via Twickenham and Richmond) where it divided and four coaches (as I recall) going to each destination. Then, Up trains combined into one at Staines. Now, trains to/from Weybridge use the 'Hounslow Loop' and trains to/from Windsor go through Twickenham and Richmond. But, of course, a 66 gets to use the most scenic route every time! Thanks again.

[@martinmarsola6477]

A nice tour in this part of England. Quite interesting and informative. Thanks for the video and chat. Cheers mate!

[@nickf38]

Great filming - really enjoyed this journey, video quality is outstanding. keep up the great work :)

[@mikestorey7244]

Really outstanding videography this time. So clear, compared to previous views. New gear? Another great video - many thanks.

[@Mortimer50145]

When I saw the train approaching Clapham Junction on the Ludgate Line, I thought it would cross all the way and go through the high-numbered platforms, down towards Wimbledon. But no, it went onto the Windsor Lanes. That confused me! And then the Hounslow loop - I suppose it keeps you off the main Waterloo-Reading route until you get to Feltham. And then Virginia Water, Chertsey and back onto the main Waterloo-Woking route again. It's interesting to see the Hounslow loop and the Chertsey route, because I only did those occasionally when there were diversions: when I lived in Bracknell the route to Waterloo was normally the direct route via Richmond.

[@robertbutlin3708]

There’s no connection from the Ludgate lines to the one through Earlsfield; to get there one needs to go on the Brighton Main Line and then via Tooting.

[@Mortimer50145]

@@robertbutlin3708 Ah. I'd assumed that there was a ladder crossing right from one side to the other just north-east of Clapham Junction so a train on any line could be moved to any other line or to/from any of the branches. Was that ever the case?

[@robertbutlin3708]

@@Mortimer50145 not sure. There’s not been anything for a good while, and any ladder would have to cross the entrance to Clapham Yard.

[@williamsworkshopuk]

This takes me back - I grew up in Lewisham and the first section of this is well known to me, at least from street side. 9:29 Greenwich Park branch ran left to right over the low level lines towards Blackheath Hill 9:54 Site of Lewisham Road Station 12:08 Site of Brockley Lane Station 12:27 Site of GNR Coal Depot (left) and Dairy (right) 15:56 Site of Junction to Crystal Palace High Level along the line of the flats 16:04 Nunhead's original station site

[@drdoolittle5724]

Totally brilliant in every way, thank you very much for bringing to us!

[@bgmckeown]

That's quite a detour from Clapham Junction to Woking! Excellent video!

[@amtrakharry]

That was another great video Ben !!! Thank you for sharing it with us Ben...:):):)

[@cellarton]

Love these videos Ben, please keep them coming !

[@ianmosely3441]

A very enjoyable, and entertaining video. Thanks Ben.

[@stephenrice4554]

I was on the tracks , working district and one of the gang huts was at that area where you entered the siding . Hair raising the state of them now . Keep up the great video 👍🇬🇧

[@Bloodknok]

I used to live in Walton-on-Thames, taking the train regularly to Woking and also to Egham, via Weybridge. I passed over the Byfleet Curve many a time, and always wondered where it went and what it was for, as no schedule trains ran along it. Now I know!

[@luciusesox1luckysox570]

I started as a secondman at Hither Green in 1978 and the very first job I did started from that platform. If I remember we relieved a Theale train pulled by a Crompton (class 33). Brings back memories .. deary me..

[@jonathanm9200]

Fantastic trip. Trains definitely look far more fun to drive when they can't go in a straight line from A to B!

[@allantavener7378]

Glad i work passenger and not freight, these seemingly aimless wanderings around the back of beyond must take a level of competency which i think the public would find hard to understand, well done on another great video.

[@ramonwilliams5721]

Just watched your video, went through places I’ve heard of but never been. kind regards

[@MrPhillipgraham]

I've been watching a few of your videos, mainly passenger services. I think I prefer this type of freight video though! Much calmer speeds and great that the camera is outside the cab. I think if I became a train driver I would run freight?! Seems much more chilled out. Thanks.

[@malcolmelliott1876]

Great video and enlightening routing! I grew up in that area and never remember so much frieght traffic back 50+ years ago. Also never realised Woking still had such a big working yard

[@hcrun]

Then one thing which hits me every time I watch a video such as this, no matter where in the world it is, is that rail corridors (and rolling stock) have become so defaced by graffiti. Britain, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Japan, Peru, India, Australia, New Zealand.....and many, many more. Too many to list. Such a shame. Thanks for the excellent video, Ben. Most enjoyable....and educational. Subscribed. 👍

[@1903bretep]

Thanks Ben another great ride, keep them coming..

[@bazza3643]

Wow, what a great video. Someone once said that the “SouthernElectric” was the greatest electrified railway system in the world. Your video shows how right they were. A two hour journey across London, travelling north and south of the Thames and third rail electrified all the way. The benefits of this vast electric railway system, started over one hundred years ago, are largely ignored by the millions of commuters that use the electric train services every day, and under valued by the current national railway management who can only see 25 KV AC for UK railways, forgetting the the Southern Electric has been operating very successfully carrying millions of passengers for the past 100 years. The management of the LSWR, the Southern Railway, and later the Southern Region were years ahead in their ideas. While the other railway companies north and west of London were still operating dirty steam locomotives, the railways in the south had installed a clean efficient railway system, and today, the other railways still trying to catch up. Perhaps if there had been no Second World War, the Southern would have electrified the LSWR main line all the way to Exeter in the 1940’s, imagine a travel time of under 2 hours from London Waterloo to Exeter Central 70 years ago.

[@hcrun]

@Bazza "...and third rail electrified all the way." Isn't he (she?) in a Class 66 diesel-loco??

[@michellebell5092]

Excellent video and thoroughly enjoyable trip from south east London through stations i know so well to Woking station, where I happen to work.

[@thenarstar]

Clapham Junc is a-ma-zing! Ive only experienced it as a passenger so its incredible to ride on the Ludgate route that goes under all the Waterloo lines and the Victoria-Brighton 3 times (29:31)(30:24)(31:30)! And this freight movement has bumped a Portsmouth direct line train from Plat 5 to Plat 4 at Woking 1:39:18

[@johnjkiwi7818]

Great video! I love hearing the thrumm of the class 66 EMD 710 prime mover (engine) beating its heart out. 👍👍👍

[@GTown054]

Keep up the amazing work!!😎 You have my like and sub👍👍😀. Looking forward to more great footage.

[@ol1ver49]

Thanks very much for this. I wondered why the train was coming into Clapham Junction on the north side - was it really going to cross most of the tracks? Of course I soon realised it was going via Staines, but was surprised that it took the Brentford loop (because that's quieter?). I'd not registered that there was a chord south of Addlestone before. Also made me realise why interchange platforms for Loughborough Junction and Brixton are impractical - four tracks are needed on that viaduct near the former, and there's no possibility at the latter save at that useless former East Brixton station site.

[@Grid56]

Whenever I visit The Smoke it always blows me away how complicated the rail network is . Lines come at you at all heights and all angles in the central area. Great video, pity it's not double 37s.

[@SoundscapeAtmos]

Thanks Ben for this. It was a visual treat, although quite a bit of wind noise throughout, but the visuals made up for that.

[@jonathananderson2816]

Lovely video, well filmed. Not being in South London, the only other time I have seen the route from Virginia Water to Feltham is the Reading to Waterloo (Video125)

[@musicforaarre]

Palm Tree ! 30:56. We don't have them in southern Ontario. There's another one north of Ladywell Junction on the west side of the fast tracks near the Esso station in Lewisham as well. It's unusual for me; maybe not for you ! Aarre Peltomaa of Mississauga, Ontario

[@dodgydruid]

The Lewisham bridge at St Johns was an army "temporary" bridge, once upon a time the whole Crystal Palace to Greenwich line ran across there with the Nunhead spur being the only bit left of the whole line, the flydown was built when they demolished St John's other two platforms and the flydown was built on the old Hither Green Continental sidings which held the boat train freight sets where an engine from Bricklayers Arm depot would fetch down to Dover and the other railferry ports after HG's pilot had deposited them there for forward movement. I remember how they remodelled St John's signalbox going in there with me father as a very young lad and he showed me the old layout before the 1970's modernised layout was brought in for a short while although the box lingered on but like HG only as a relay box. My father at North Kent Junc was one of the first railmen to reach the crash, he allegedly ran all the way down the line after his boss like all the boxes set the signals to red across the board, he was only a box boy not long in the job and he had to see the carnage of the rail disaster.

[@TrainSpotterTVIndia]

Beautiful creation, thanks for sharing

[@firstfreeone]

Nice Ride Ben. Pity Network Rail do not install flange lubricators before the many curves in the tracks over there to stop the continual screeching. Poor old 66099 was making more noise than a steam loco on this run. Travel safe my friend

[@garrylennox25]

Be interesting to know what you were pulling, cargo, weight etc. Thankyou

[@paulwilliams73]

Wandsworth Town Platform 2 - second from left (36:13) next station Putney Platform 3 - second from left (40:05) no uniform platform numbering, ya'd think i.e. platform closest to Buckingham would be platform 1

[@dodgydruid]

Bringing back some memories, firstly the occasional visit when I used to ride the cab of my uncle's 33 who dotted around all over the place including parking stuff in Hither Green which still had back then the old catenary stuff, to my late father who often relief'd out of Hither Green box and commuting from Grove Park every day and the best bit if I was late for duty at Waterloo, I used to ring London Bridge where my father worked at the box there and got them to pull a red on a fast Hastings DMU so I could hop on and not be late for work. Happier days when BR was cool, have no time for these modern joyless units, give me an EPB or a 4CEP any day :D

[@dodgydruid]

I also remember the old signalboxes before London Bridge, St Johns would have been the next one up from HG, then North Kent Junction then Tooley St box followed by Borough Market and Cannon St or Charing Cross flyover box from Borough Market. Now LB has gone and the great plan to move all signalling operations to Euston running apace with the whole of Britain signalled by about 40 people... progress :(

[@paulcuthbertson8015]

I noticed the lack plant/ sapling removal from the brickwork of those beautiful Victorian arch bridges.

[@jessicamorgan3073]

Thanks for another fab video

[@kieranharvey4576]

Nice! Driving around on my lines, will keep an eye out 👋

[@douglasthompson1974]

This video has inspired me to make a scenario on my Train Simulator game, albeit a short one.

[@dislecsyk991]

Having spent most of my life living somewhere that had one train (where a "long" one had 4 carriages) in each direction per hour, Clapham Junction blows my mind.

[@123penfold]

Once you left Clapham Junction it seemed to be up hill and down dale , right and left at Junctions.

[@kevsbangerracers2027]

I love it when the train stops at the byfleet curve and after 5 seconds the orange man zaps into space lol

[@pauloconnor2980]

Great Lunar light action @ 3:18!!!!

[@frankkie3849]

Very nice,thanks for sharing,😊

[@AndreiTupolev]

Is the camera mounted externally? It picks up external sounds well and the sound of the loco, but I've just noticed there aren't any AWS sounds

[@beneliastrains]

It certainly is mounted outside!

[@croydontramcabrides9767]

It wasn't until we got to Feltham that I realised we were going to pick up the South Western main line at Byfleet & New Haw.

[@randomguy-tg7ok]

Which begs the question of why it wasn't joined at Clapham Junction.

[@likklej8]

Where the engine shed? 73C? In the 60s it was a great and friendly MPD a railway man would even advise Train Spotters away from third rail areas and talk about the different locomotives

[@capitallines]

Great trip along London's leafy byways👍

[@peterellis9105]

Great video. You see everything.

[@future057]

Lots to encounter on this journey! You do get about a bit!

[@beneliastrains]

Thankfully this isn't my patch - it'd be an awfully long day from Warrington!

[@hamshackleton]

@@beneliastrains - I was thinking that, Ben, You must have a really vast knowledge of the railways, to be operating around London as well! :-) See you on Arpley bridge one day!

[@future057]

@@beneliastrains Talking of long distances, do freight train drivers’ route knowledge have to be more extensive than passenger drivers to account for unusual routings etc.?

[@grahamwhitworth9454]

Interesting journey by a circuitous route, but I wonder why there was no caption for Hounslow Junction.

[@wilsonflood4393]

I like the way you name all the lines used eg up Kent slow

[@luciusesox1luckysox570]

Why no AWS sounds ? Ahh, the wind noise. The camera was on the outside of the loco :)

[@martyn6792]

fascinating video, interesting move reversing on Down Guildford. What was that periodic sound ? Sounded like arcing

[@chrispollard6568]

Used to catch the train from Chertsey to Egham every day decades ago

[@iain.4627]

my dad worked at hither green freight depo till about 12 years ago he retired as a driver

[@MartinMiller1]

Excellent!

[@vasilicastoica6785]

Salutări din România 🙋🙋🙋🇹🇩

[@petergaskin1811]

This was part of my route to Canary Wharf before I retired 13 years ago. Some change, or what?

[@johnthompson5034]

Video quality is absolutely superb but hang on where was the microphone, outside?

[@philipperry9012]

Brilliant thanks for sharing this

[@DennosManCave]

Wow! I'm guessing the indirect route is to stay away from passenger services on the mainline? Certainly a long way round from A to B!

[@keef71]

is this (or does it follow the route of) a regular sand/gravel train? just because i noticed the fine line between the rails, even through a complicated area like Clapham Jcn!

[@beneliastrains]

This is a sand and gravel train, so yes!

[@kevsbangerracers2027]

Great video very relaxing to watch,, is that route always busy for freight trains??

[@kalensus]

Was it my imagination or were some of the signals flashing? I don't know if that's a side effect of the light and/or video recording or whether flashing signals are some specific instructions.

[@robertturvey2113]

That was excellent Thank you for a fine video. An interesting option to via Chiswick rather directly via Richmond. Is there an operational reason for this?

[@marknelson2073]

2:34 - needs to be sampled, looped, and some lyrics added… 😆 Awww, sand? It should have been… rocks.

[@pauloconnor2980]

@ 9:15-Christ, have they heard of track lubricators in Lewisham!!!!

[@pablorobertodurso8892]

Great video

[@SalsaShakers]

I watch trains at 0.4 and buses at 0.3. Thx for video