New Measurement Train Driver's Eye View: Slateford Depot to Crewe (via Motherwell)

[@jmckenzie962]

Four hours?! I'm gonna have to grab some popcorn for this one, you've been spoiling us lately with these test train videos

[@updistant]

Excellent, hypnotic watch. Thank you and for putting it together and posting.

[@sidthekid1960]

I do like Don Coffey's cab rides but Ben's are more often and real world,thanks Ben.

[@markcf83]

They're both excellent.

[@stephenuden6403]

Fantastic video 👍 I love the sound of these engines 👍🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@xant27]

My Grandfather drove these out of St Pancras until his passing in 93. Legend he was miss him loads.

[@camotech1314]

❤

[@dlevoy]

that was one (slow) steep climb. well worth the trip

[@dlevoy]

very good

[@andrewholloway231]

Thank you very much. I really really enjoyed this video. Fantastic.

[@richardgriffiths5920]

Another brilliant video Ben and glad I took my umbrella with me on this four hour journey. Truthfully I'm sitting here in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada enjoying my comfort. I think I've watched videos of the WCML and only had one fine day and that was a ride from Edinburgh to Preston. Seen a few changes along the route especially at Carstairs. Good to see these type 45 diesel locomotives still plying their trade and keeping up a high standard of speed. Thank you again Ben for another wonderful video.

[@CarolineFord1]

If you come over and ride on it for real we'll need to make sure it rains for you!

[@richardgriffiths5920]

@@CarolineFord1No way am I travelling over the 'pond' just to get soaked, as we've had heavy rainfalls lately after being hit with three snowstorms, so you've got another thing coming.🤣

[@duainesimpson274]

Amazing! Simply stunning! ❤

[@Zmaczimum]

I love your videos ben, always nice to watch Driver's Eye content, it's like slow television!

[@jonathanparry9505]

Excellent and interesting footage. Thank you

[@mikemidulster]

Excellent, as always, Ben.

[@loopylune1]

Four hours of enjoyable video, look forward to the next.

[@howardwilkinson2573]

Thanks Ben,the beginning gave some idea what driving in the dark is like.Big thumbs up.

[@garryrimmer4897]

Brilliant video and great to see night time driving.

[@wirksworthsrailway]

A great video, thoroughly enjoyed it and your new releases are always a highlight. Well done. 🙂

[@andrewholloway231]

Just started to watch this video and I am enjoying it very much. It is great to see the NMT pass through Curriehill because it is the local station for my brother and sister-in-law who live in.... Currie.

[@jessicamorgan3073]

Thanks Ben for another fab video

[@BIGV710]

wow that was a interesting trip ben great video from slateford[ edinburgh] to crewe

[@johnwebster3224]

Another epic, Ben! Thanks a lot!

[@garyfitzgerald4340]

Bloody hell. And I'm only half way through. An absolutely mesmerising vid, even the first half hour! Can't wait for the next bit but I've had too much whiskey and bed beckons. Really good insight into what these guys do, day in, day out. I am in awe. Good night from Carlisle (or Hounslow as it's known round here!)

[@TortoisePageant]

Very impressive how you caught up with the Northern service to Chester from a standing start outside WBQ. Brilliant videos! 🙏

[@deltic1964]

Fantastic Video Ben

[@lukeanson3697]

❤queen of the rails

[@jimmyhillschin9987]

I love the sound of the HST power cars, especially that Darth Vader heavy breathing noise which I'm guessing is something to do with brakes?

[@beneliastrains]

Yes that's the tread brakes. They're both disc braked and tread braked and the treads make this noise

[@damianmurphy6133]

Another great video - thanks, Ben. Who else was watching for Les Gilpin on the platform at Carlisle ?

[@mrbluesky2050]

Me ! didn't cop for him though. . .

[@nstheboss]

Great stuff, love these videos. Would a head cam video be possible so we can see all of the cab and what the driver can actually see when driving. A KZbinr called the freight rambler used to do them and they were brilliant.

[@lashers]

I saw a couple of those videos and the constant head movements made them unwatchable for me🤢

[@Mortimer50145]

@@lashers Yes, there's a freight train driver (maybe it was freight rambler) who has made a lot of KZbin videos of routes around London and the South East, and he uses a headcam. He never keeps his head still, so the picture is all over the place. A camera that is fixed in the cab, but is set back from the window to show the controls and the driver would be instersting, but keep the camera static and don;t attach it to something that moves around at random like the driver's head.

[@beneliastrains]

It's not allowed unfortunately. Freight Rambler got himself into a spot of bother over it.

[@hamshackleton]

@@beneliastrains That could explain his absence from the Tube!

[@robertbrierley7083]

Very entertaining video, would liked to have known a bit more on buildings we past.

[@keystonedriving8180]

Another super video. I still think of the HSTs as being the high point of British passenger train design, though I certainly miss the Valentas. There was something about the Turbo scream that added to the drama. Bristol Parkway up road was the place to see it, a couple of notches to get it moving then open right up at about 15mph and it sounded incredible as it accelerated. The only thing that I heard to compare was a DRG 'Ludmilla' taking off, the turbo scream would blow your eardrums out! I know the MTUs are more fuel efficient and reliable but they just don't have the same 'presence'. I can't wait for your next offering, wherever it may take us. 12 out of 10 from the Cornish judge!

[@m-arky66]

2:35:48 The field on the right is where the Grayrigg Pendolino came to rest.

[@hamshackleton]

Ah, that Scots/Lakeland liquid sunshine! - - I don't recall seeing that "Hope House" loco, at the very end, running on the main anywhere.

[@jessicamorgan3073]

The Tŷ Gobaith/Hope House liveried 'loco' you refer to is in fact a Driving Brake Van, 82216, and is part of Trafnidiaeth Cymru/Transport for Wales's Mk.4 set formation HD03.

[@Milkey77]

I never realised that railways didn’t need lights to illuminate the tracks. it’s so spooky not knowing what’s around the corner

[@r3playretro]

Driving in dense fog must be fun... NOT

[@peterbrackenbury]

Even worse in the days before the bright headlights fitted to trains nowadays. Oil lamps on the front of steam engines and just the headcode panel lights on early diesels illuminated absolutely nothing in front of you.

[@oldfart6318]

Excellent Ben. Shame the camera did'n't cope with low light but excellent all the same.

[@jonathananderson2816]

Excellent videos. Nice to see Carstairs after the WCML works along with both sides to Warrington (with the slow lines.on the Derby to Preston ride. . Surprised you didn't pass 1S26 unless it passed at Motherwell. I agree about adding the Slateford to Motherwell section. Would be good to see the Up Liverpool independent or Norton Bridge from the Up side.

[@BladeRunner21577]

You have attained demi god status in the cabride world.

[@sidthekid1960]

Well said my my cab ride viewing friend.👍

[@matthewaisthorpe3706]

Great video, looking forward to more of these long journeys. Shame about the rain, i bet the colours look wonderful in sunlight

[@ThomasWhiteford]

Great video but What's the red static interference

[@sidthekid1960]

There ar'nt enough cab views about,please keep them coming.🙏🙏🙏

[@davidwinkle4168]

It's raining again! This is the second West Coast cab view I've seen with constant rain. The first trip was aborted due to flooding!

[@aetch77]

I'm confused. Right at the start you made a comment about isolated brakes. What does it mean? That not all of the brakes are connected and working?

[@beneliastrains]

Some of the brakes are disabled for technical reasons. It's not a fault but it's to do with the testing of the railway.

[@TukayAway]

What a delightful little c**t @3:10:54

[@JohnRodgers7390]

So Ben what do you think about the new layout at Carstaris with all the work that was done since you changed TOCs?

[@beneliastrains]

Much better than before! Not to mention the withdrawal of the long standing temporary speed restriction, it's so much more efficient now.

[@roygoodhand1301]

The quality improves quite a bit after 17:00 due to breaks in the clouds.

[@HSTPaul]

Another excellent cab ride :) any plans for other test train locos, like a 37?

[@beneliastrains]

Cheers. Yes there will be some 37 content when I sign them!

[@HSTPaul]

@@beneliastrains awesome, I look forward to seeing them. For now the HST cab rides are great.

[@knottyal2428]

Daft question: what does OHNS mean? Seen quite a few along these routes. Thanks for a great trip, and what awful weather.

[@danners4302]

Overhead neutral section

[@knottyal2428]

@@danners4302 Thank you! I guessed it might be overhead **** something.

[@carabara3947]

I Take It That's An M.T.U. We Are Listening To

[@PVKtrains]

Anyone else noticed the Northern train up above at 3:35:48

[@philipgrieve394]

Enjoyed the video very much. A question I have is whether the test train route/track is pre set and if so was the diversion into the passenger loop at Abingdon intended. If not intended what is the position with the untested section of the up main through Abingdon. Is it slated for another test run?

[@beneliastrains]

It is a planned route and the train is supposed to go into Abington loop to allow a Pendolino to pass. The recording of the main line happens four weeks before (and after) as the train doesn't go through the loop then.

[@ianhutchinson1783]

Wouldn't have like you to have passed the idiot with the bike at Leyland station under clear signals doing 110 mph. I trust he was receiving instructions from you - a kind of cab signalling! 😀

[@Nanonic001]

Can't let RailCowGirl have the monopoly of awful weather!

[@tango6nf477]

Pardon my ignorance but what is a Measurement Train please? Thanks for a great cab ride.

[@MorganTheTimeLord]

A train engineers use to monitor the track for maintenance purposes I think. It's got lots of equipment inside and measurement tech on on the outside

[@aetch77]

It's used to monitor the condition of the track for a variety of things including gauge (track width), twist, head deformation, wear, cracks, cyclic bounce (the track develops a trough/hump and subsequent trains crossing it make it worse). It also checks the condition of the catenary (overhead) wire for things like wear, height, sag, horizontal position (this is to ensure the catenary wire is within the limits required for the pantograph to maintain contact with it).

[@tango6nf477]

@@MorganTheTimeLord Thank you for your reply I suspected something like that but relating to the rolling stock / locomotive.

[@jondavies9347]

Do you get advanced notice of workers on the line or is it a purely visual thing?

[@beneliastrains]

Purely visual however they have their own safe system of work and they're not relying entirely on me seeing them to keep them safe.

[@europa504]

With the NMT going just about everywhere on the BR network how do the route knowledge requirements for drivers get satisfied? Are there any drivers cleared for 'all lines' (I doubt it)? Do they use different drivers for different areas or take a local driver along who has the knowledge too? Something else?

[@beneliastrains]

A lot of the drivers on the IM services have very extensive route knowledge and will be able to do a whole circuit but this isn't always the case and route conductors or other drivers will be brought in.

[@rogerclark5869]

Thanks Ben very much for posting. Can I ask when you see a EPS speed how fast can the HST go. Cheers Roger

[@beneliastrains]

Not the EPS speed 😉

[@ianhutchinson1783]

I get the feeling that after Warrington North your train is having to be manually cleared by the signallers as you keep getting brought down to a red which then clears immediately to green. A most tiring driving pattern. Are you on a Q path or STP?

[@smulh]

The line speed minus 10 rule cannot apply everywhere - e.g. if line speed is 5 MPH. So what is the lower limit for minus 10?

[@beneliastrains]

You don't have to reduce the train speed below 35mph (unless the line speed is below 35mph)

[@smulh]

@@beneliastrains Thank you

[@gerrynewnham9932]

Altogether a very exciting video showing off the power of the Class 45 locos. I was not bothered by the quality of the first part of the video but was very interested to see the extent of the work at Carstairs and the overall improvements achieved.

[@alistairbell3935]

Oh yes, Carstairs is amazing! If memory serves, we had to roll through a ton of that at 15 mph in the past, and now it's almost all 50+. Great work and well worthwhile.

[@danners4302]

The class what now locos?

[@markcherriman6136]

Being a newbie to this what's a measurement train ? .

[@carabara3947]

Would Be Great If You Could Integrate Some Type Of G.P.S. Onto The Screen To See Actual Speed Or A Quick Dash Glance Every Now And Then

[@andrewjames3908]

At 1:22:00 why are there two EPS speeds?

[@beneliastrains]

The higher speed is for Class 390 Pendolinos and the lower speed is for Class 221 Super Voyagers, which don't tilt quite as much so have a lower speed in some places.

[@chrsrwlns]

I have a couple of questions if anybody can answer them. What is a "New Measurement" train, and what is meant by the brakes being "isolated"? Thank you in advance.

[@Nanonic001]

The NMT is a yellow painted train that carries an assortment of diagnostic equipment to check the rails and ride. It allows them to detect defects, bumps and other issues.

[@chrsrwlns]

Thanks for that. I was wondering why it wasn't stopping for passengers.@@Nanonic001

[@robertscott4759]

I don't know how you Poms can run trains at night without bright headlights to light-up the track ahead. I was a locomotive engineer in New Zealand for 45 years and one month, and we always ran at night with bright headlights lighting up everything ahead of us. If you are going to hit something, I want to see what it is before I hit it.

[@beneliastrains]

More modern trains do have fairly decent headlights but probably still not as good as what you had in NZ.

[@DavidLancstrainspotting]

My friend on P4 Preston videoing you

[@mikejreading]

That hilarious person on a bike at Leyland 🙄🙄🙄

[@observer127]

"What part of "Please Stand Behind The Yellow Line" do you not understand?!" 😄

[@davidellis279]

Would it not be better to have headlights fitted to the locomotive like cars and trucks have ?? I wouldn’t like to drive at that speed without being able to see properly ahead,it takes some bottle to hurtle along at those speeds without being able to see in front of you.

[@DownTheLineASMR]

British train headlights are designed more to be seen by others than to increase visibility for the driver as there isn’t really a need for being able to see the track ahead, generally the only things that need to be visible at night are the trackside warning/speed boards

[@camotech1314]

What does it mean isolated brakes? Man i love the HSTs but their headlights are absolute garbage.