BR in the 1980s Alton to Wimbledon Earlsfield Cab View 1988

[@michellebell5092]

Fantastic. I currently work for SWR based at Woking . And live near Wimbledon so know this line intimately. I grew uo in Walton on Thames and in 1988 was living in Surbiton working in City of London so a commuter on these Veps,

[@spompey]

Hi Michelle, firstly I must say the best career choice you WILL ever make. The railways I know can appear a little repetitive sometimes , but the staff and who you meet make up for that anyday....Love your memories and I hope to bring you more nostalgia from the archive soon....best wishes to you....Mark

[@Bluebush68]

Thank you- so many fond memories from those days if using the railway down that way.

[@spompey]

You're very welcome....Mark

[@ChrisWilloughby-iq4jt]

Thanks Mark

[@thewalkingsketchbook]

Enjoyed this as I lived in Wimbledon Park around this time so was very familiar with the sidings and stations. Used to see my mates in Raynes Park a lot. Often return home a bit squiffy, so, glad someone else was driving!

[@spompey]

Many thanks for the comment and also for watching...much appreciated....Mark

[@mrmofthegower3926]

Brilliant. I started my railway career with South West Trains in 2001 as a GPR booking office clerk based at Fleet, but I used to cover Farnborough Main, Brookwood, Woking, Winchfield and Hook, and the odd occasion I’d be sent to anywhere from West Byfleet to Esher and Guildford to Haslemere. Still on the railway as a station supervisor but times have changed. Loved it back then when most of the trains were 423 VEPs and 421 CIGs. I traveled everywhere on those trains with my staff pass. Thanks for uploading.

[@spompey]

Sounds like you get moved around a lot which makes the job more interesting....many thanks and best wishes to you....Mark

[@MDHGames]

Legend!, this is most appreciated, i've been looking on google maps at what I thought was a line that once connected Wanborough and Farnham directly, but wasn't entirely sure. Really good timing!

[@spompey]

You are most welcome....It was a little known branch line....Best wishes...Mark

[@duncancurtis5108]

You'd expect a 50 to roar past given this is 1988.

[@spompey]

@@duncancurtis5108 I think it is a lesser service on a Sunday....Best regards....Mark

[@stephenrice4554]

Memories of Woking district p way through the 80s and 90s . Used the Frimley , Ash Vale , Brookwood , Woking , Weybridge when I started then moved to Brookwood length about the same time as this film . 👍🇬🇧

[@spompey]

Many thanks Stephen....Much appreciated...Mark

[@karimkekhia4369]

awwwww another epic and beautiful swt cab ride ins route i know so well. good days then. this reminds me of work hehe. please anymore? 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@grandmaskeate6279]

That was great, so unbuilt up unlike today! An updated video should be made for a comparison I hardly recognised Walton station 😀

[@spompey]

Much appreciated.....Many thanks for your comment and for watching...best wishes...Mark

[@rebeccajackson2238]

Another silly question for you mark…if ‘up’ is always towards the major destination (eg London) on a branch line where both termini are equal (eg paddock wood and strood) which is ‘up’ and ‘down’? Also on a through route such as thameslink does the ‘up’ become the ‘down’ after it passes through London?

[@spompey]

It's a very good question...you are most correct...A fine example is the Reading to Redhill line ...On departing Reading the train is on the UP (heading for Wloo...and remains on the UP until Guildford then it is on the Down (heading away from Wloo...Then at Shalford Jn the train returns to the UP direction as it is now heading for London Bridge and remains on the UP to Redhill....PHEW...Do you feel confused now?.....Much appreciated Rebecca and my best regards to you....Mark

[@rebeccajackson2238]

@@spompey thank you. It ‘sort of’ makes sense😂

[@TrainDriver1953]

The driver had a green signal to enter PIR right junction to up local but the points was not pulled for him, I have watched it three times to make sure it was right

[@spompey]

I believe these set of points are spring loaded so they do not have to be set for right directional traffic, but would have to be clipped for times when emergency or engineering trains would need to use the points in a facing direction....Hope that clears up the reason why the points do indeed seem to be trailing.....best wishes and many thanks....Mark

[@robertclare6137]

Many a happy time trick trocking up and down this line as a Guard at Woking and Driver at Eff Jct and Guildford

[@spompey]

Hello Robert....many thanks for your interest, I remember Eff Jn only having around 10 drivers in the 80's, like Epsom where I was based when I passed out only 6 on each shift and Farnham had 32 dvrs in all. What wonderful little depots these were.....best regards to you....do you recall Bob Hinde? now he was a character......so many funny tales I can recollect...Mark

[@Captainpubwatch]

@@spompey Reminds me a bit of the pre-company plan Euston depot for crews on the Northern line. The driver roster was 8, weekdays 2 early turns, two late turns and two spares, some weekend turns and a weeks cover. It even had its own managers as opposed of being a satellite of a bigger depot. Long, long gone though

[@spompey]

@@Captainpubwatch Many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark

[@mrmrst9020]

Brilliant mark 👍🏻👍🏻ps found myself cancelling the AWS 😂

[@RedArrow73]

Your Level Crossing gates would be a smash where I live, in more ways than one! (Texas)

[@spompey]

You should see the open crossings here.......no gates.......best wishes....Mark

[@barrystevens2699]

How come no one mentions the random man trespassing on the tracks at 2:09 ?

[@spompey]

He looks familiar....not a PW man I am sure, yet the driver never blew up either.... and many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark

[@ChrisWilloughby-iq4jt]

Why has the down line from Farnham carriage sheds not been lifted?

[@spompey]

If I recall correctly it was in the process of being lifted....many thanks Chris and best wishes....Mark

[@mattdandex]

Why was the line singled between Alton and Farnham?

[@spompey]

Not really sure why...In my opinion it was a mistake as it causes up trains to sit at Bentley for a late running down service....The Alton trains became hourly when the line was singled, so perhaps that was the reason. Best regards to you and thanks for commenting....Mark

[@MannyAntipov]

6:03 The Bordon Light Railway was never closed due to Beeching! It had last saw passenger services in September 1957, then was primarily used by goods and military traffic until the Longmoor Military Railway's closure in 1966, thus no longer having a connection there. A shame really, as today the redevelopment of the army barracks should've entailed the reopening of the line closer to Bordon (only for a ring road to be built on the railway alignment!)

[@spompey]

Yes I must have had a moment , you are quite correct and accurate....many thanks for pointing the error out...sorry Mr Beeching .....My sincere best wishes to you and again many thanks....Mark PS Totally agree with the comment regards the Bordon Bypass/Ring road whatever they like to call it...Should 100% have relaid the railway to Bentley and perhaps Liss too.....Mark

[@duncancurtis5108]

Where did the line go west of Alton until it shut in 69?

[@markcf83]

Winchester. That section is known as the Watercress line.

[@bertspeggly4428]

I wonder if the video could be digitally enhanced with AI. It's a great video but that kind of quality is hard to watch in these days of 4k.

[@spompey]

The original would not take it......as "Scotty" in Star trek would say.....You're very welcome...many thanks for watching and for the comment...best wishes....Mark

[@tonywise198]

Oh for the days of the 2-BILs.

[@spompey]

And not forgetting the 4 car SUBS.....Mark

[@jacksugden8190]

Never been to that Hampshire station at Alton before, assuming that the service contained on beyond Earlesfield…

[@spompey]

Thanks Jack....Mark

[@AliGroves450]

Its odd seeing the Alton-Farnham section with 2 tracks. I just wish it was kept like that as it would of ran more smoother.

[@spompey]

YES I agree entirely...maintenance would surely be the same as single track gets twice the pounding so twice the maintenance on that track.....if my logic serves me right.....many thanks....Mark

[@AliGroves450]

@@spompey Yeah. There always seems to be a track circuit failure between Alton & Farnham too.

[@spompey]

@@AliGroves450 Worse than it used to be.....my best regards to you....Mark

[@phwbooth]

Very enjoyable, if truncated.Thanks.

[@spompey]

Many thanks Paul and best wishes for Xmas....Mark

[@RedArrow73]

CWR?

[@TrainDriver1953]

The driver was going far to fast as well, how do I know this, I myself was a guard

[@Captainpubwatch]

Is this line speed, or coming into stations or both? Just curious as I know in BR days the approach was very different, these days defensive driving techniques are the norm and back then these didn’t exist. Personally I can appreciate the drivers getting the most out of the units to clear signalling sections faster and boosting the line capacity, but know it’s different now. Not being picky but just asking, cheers 👍🏼

[@RedArrow73]

EPB's?

[@spompey]

EPB were Electro-Pnuematic Brake stock.....1953-1967....best wishes to you....Mark

[@TrainDriver1953]

Should read pirbright junction ok

[@trainmaniacstudios8216]

Christ, the railway looks so... *empty* Haha

[@spompey]

Typical quiet Sunday......Many thanks for your kind comment.....best regards...Mark

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

I needed to know why don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so that they can extend the unused abandoned underground stations. Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock and that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into Five cars per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those Five cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers. A Stock Trains and also having 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it bigger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Train tunnel into a High-Speed train? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Train line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 37 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project that is OK for London Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden Easily. Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly line and also build brand-new underground train stations so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street and also make another brand new tunnel train station in Chingford could they extend the DLR? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Five carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains. Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and they can order Every 17 Octagon and Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique small no.13 and unique small no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 117MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 117MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!!, oh can you make all of those Coal Boxes’s 16 Tonnes for all of the 117MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are told!!!! And please do something about these very important Professional ideas Please Prime Minister of England, the Prime Minister of Sweden, the Prime Minister of Germany, the Prime Minister of Italy, the Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.