BR in the 1980s Redhill to Reading Cab View Over North Downs Route in 1988

BRITISH RAILWAYS IN THE 1980's
Redhill to Reading (North Downs Route) Cab View in 1988
Continuing with my archive of video recording between the years of 1986 to 2001 this video is courtesy of my old friend Nick Winfield who video'd this cab view back in mid 1988. It was taken from a 3 car DMU on a Tonbridge to Reading sevice I hope the video takes you back to this period with fond memories. Feel free to comment, good or bad, all comments are read and greatly appreciated,but it is not always possible to answer each individually. Sit back and enjoy this latest production remembering all those now long gone Locomotive classes and other types of traction. Many thanks for all subscriptions and all of those viewers who have kindly shown an interest in my material.

[@stephenpowell5912]

Class First Generation Diesel Multiple Unit sound ,Great classic footage from a bygone era ❤️ Miss these Classic DMUS, Remember this route as a Child born in 1973 back in 1983 to 1989❤Feeling Nostalgic when I think of the sound the classic DMUs made ,Also remember the legendary Thumper sound❤

[@spompey]

You're very welcome and many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark

[@mdhazeldine]

Thanks for posting this. I don't know how I missed it! I love that you caught Guildford and Reading stations just before they were drastically changed. Excellent!

[@spompey]

many thanks as always Mark....Best wishes...Mark

[@stevieb9699]

Another class video Mark, all history now. Many thanks for doing this good quality film.

[@spompey]

I give credit to my dear departed friend and colleague Mr Nick Winfield for this video....Many many thanks to you and my sincere regards for your interest Stevie as always....Mark

[@TheRedPolyhedral]

That takes me back to my student days in Reading (1979-83). The cheapest way back to Kent was via Redhill and Tonbrudge, but it took so long. I soon learned to get on at the back of the train in Tonbridge so that I'd be at the front after Redhill. Once or twice, the driver even left the blind up on my side so I could see through the front window.

[@spompey]

You're most welcome....Many thanks for your comment and for watching...best wishes...Mark

[@austenhamilton7312]

Me too. I was a student at Reading 1971-75 and did the same journey regularly to visit friends in Kent.

[@PaddyWV]

Nice to see this. I travelled more regularly between Tonbridge & Redhill on the DMU's. The late fast trains back to Tonbridge were an experience. Full speed seemingly down the last stretch with every window and door and wood panel rattling like crazy. Mad.

[@spompey]

Shake, Rattle and Roll.....as we used to say....and many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark

[@ianhosier4042]

What amazes me is how short the station platforms were back then

[@spompey]

And the construction...Wood....many thanks and best wishes Ian....Mark

[@pjaygeorge8016]

From 1947 to 53 frequent trips from Reading South>Wokingham (Martin's Pool) > Guildford (change for south coast like Portsmouth) . Road trips in neighbour's car via Box Hill to Bisley (he was a rifle sportsman). Good memories (from Philadelphia) tho not much has changed with rail rightofway. Tx for digging up.

[@spompey]

You're very welcome and many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark

[@stevegarnham4632]

martins pool is now a small housing estate.

[@OlafProt]

Can't believe I've not seen this before!! this is 'my' time. I was 16 (do you know what date this is?). Such extraordinary familiarity. Even the track noises, air brake sounds, guard 'ready to go' sound and AWS from Deepdene on to Guildford are SO familiar, I went to (horrid posh) school in Guildford but also shopped there (HMV and music took over from trains) and saw Star Wars there in 1977. I grew up a dedicated train spotter in Dorking. Both houses we lived in were beside this line (on the right at 9:30 & 11:00). We were so used to the sound of the trains sliding into Deepdene and then struggling to get traction during the 'leaves on the line' in Sept/Oct/Nov! It was always a treat when there was track work in the middle of the night!! I wonder if I was at home when this went past! The platform at Deepdene 10:00 used to just be wooden, and I have vivid memories of it being lethal during snowy/icy weather! In fact even just during wet weather is was treacherous! At 10:51 I note theres a comment about the demolition of the beautiful old Dorking (North) Station in 1980. There was a lot of talk during that time that the owner of Biwater (who built their offices there) made some nefarious deals to get it passed. Allegedly. I still have a piece of the green painted iron struts for the canopy. This must be a Gatwick Express as it doesn't stop everywhere. The lovely signal box at Gomshall still fully intact 18:20 and possibly even in use. Gomshall was a brilliant station, we used it to visit my grandparents who lived nearby. It used to have a siding facing the signal box. The pedestrian crossing over the track was always a bit scary as a kid because the trains from Guildford would thunder down the hill!! Theres a footbridge now. At 18:48 is Burrows Lane crossing. My grandparents lived about 1/4 mile up the road to the left. There used to be a beautiful signalman's box here on the right just past the crossing. When we were visiting in the 70s and early 80s it was still old manual crossing gates and if we were running a bit late the guy would let us 'nip' round the gates to catch the train!! We often walked (if getting the bus home) and as a kid I always hoped we'd get caught at the crossing and a 47 or 33 would roar past! 20:24 look out for the old WHISTLE sign on the left - green wood with white lettering with reflective bits in the lettering. It must've been at least 40-50 years old back then! 21:03 on the left is a box hedge in the shape of a pheasant that was planted in memory of a guard Henry Wicks who lost his life there in 1892, called Jessie's Seat. As a kid I always wondered about it but of course now we have Wikipedia lol. 21:45 Chilworth has a beautiful station building that i think it has retained (I left England in 2002) and my first girlfriend lived here. We met on of these trains as she went to the Guildford High School (it had girls!) and I went to RGS (it didnt!). 23:00 Shalford still has a siding! And that lovely iron footbridge. I remember watching the signal box disappear under undergrowth. This is very near where Phil Collins had a house in these days, and the Genesis Studio The Farm was. 23:50 amazing to hear the noise of going over the bridge that goes over the River Wey. 24:40 was so exciting as a kid to see 4VEPs pass. And so good to go through Chalk tunnel again. Its been many years! These DMU units were brilliant because if you were lucky (and the front wasn't the 1st Class bit) you could sit at the front of the train and get this view. IF, the driver didnt have his blinds down. Then at 27:45 you emerged into a different railway world. Multiple tracks, a variety of rolling stock, trains that went to London and the south coast, and Guildford Station that was still intact then. I always remember a huge billboard advert at the top of a subway slope that was there for T. Fox (car dealership maybe?) that had a fox on it. It was there for about 15 years i think. at 28:12 you can see the footbridge entrance on the right. I used to sit there an wait for my train to come home - I have a clear memory of asking out a girl there, but I was 12 and she said she was 14 and she said really kindly - "sorry you're to young..." gutted. lol. A wonderful video for me personally, thanks for sharing!!

[@spompey]

Incredible route knowledge and superb memories Mick...So appreciated to read all of this as it is so fascinating.......We referred to the Chilworth Hedge cutting as "The Pheasant" and was a famous location point even in the dark, but not too many train crews knew it's history...Many PW staff knew it as it was a precarious location along the route with a blind curve and high speed (Well 75mph) if I recall right.....so many thanks for this comment Nick.....Mark

[@OlafProt]

@@spompey it all just spills out of me! Must be formative stuff. Best to get it written down before it’s gone. I was self editing too 😂 there’s probably more in my head. All the best Mark

[@spompey]

@@OlafProt Many thanks Nick....Mark

[@055deltic]

Another great video from your archive and many thanks for sharing. Brings back memories of when I used the Gatwick - Reading dmu fairly often between 1983 - 91, to access Reading and home to Cheltenham. I always felt it should be a much better marketed and utilised corridor, when you think how much traffic along its route feeds on to the M25 (A23, A24, A3, M4). It was great to see the green and rural scenery again; also the capture of the dmu engines and jointed track noise - Ah nostalgia! Possibly good idea to ask a friendly driver to a) use his wash/wipe on the window, and b) accept a lapel mic to capture some very interesting conversation - railway related, Australia and BritRail Pass. An amazing video, favourited and definitely will watch again.

[@spompey]

You're very welcome and many thanks ....a good idea....perhaps...best wishes...Mark

[@SLRNUT]

Memories of the sound of thumpers running down from crowthorne to wokingham at night. As always in the 80,s lots trash on track in the stations. Sad state

[@spompey]

You're very welcome...many thanks for watching and for the comment...best wishes....Mark

[@limeyfox]

This is a really interesting video - in my day job I’ve recently been working up an updated set of sectional running times for the Class 165 units that currently operate the route. It’s fascinating to see the previous generation of rolling stock in action, and quite how switchback the route is, not something you can really appreciate without a front-view. Also how ‘aggressive’ the driving technique was back then, compared to nowadays.

[@spompey]

And in those days a rear view....many thanks for watching and for the comment...best wishes....Mark

[@ChangesOneTim]

Drivers were trusted to drive professionally, from years of experience handling a variety of traction types. Unless lucky to drive 'premium' DMU types enjoying D3 or D4 timing load, acceleration was pretty crap but drivers knew how to get the best out of them. Nothing "aggressive" about that. Clasp brakes at least had a decent 'bite' on more railhead conditions than disc brakes can. Ironic that today's trains have much better starting and stopping performance on paper than old stock, but drivers either won't or simply aren't allowed to take more advantage of it - at risk of a 'conversation' after an OTDR download.

[@spompey]

@@ChangesOneTim I agree 100% never a truer statement....You're very welcome and many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark

[@neilcrawford8303]

Lived in the Surrey/SW London area for 50 odd years, but only took my first ride on the line this year. It was interesting to see Box Hill from the perspective of the railway line. Guildford looks like it still retained some character back then. Nice to see the classic SR concrete platform lights.

[@spompey]

You are most welcome Neil....and many thanks for watching and for commenting....best regards..Mark

[@hedgehog702]

The one route I’ve always wanted to see in a bubble car and now at last we have it,awesome!

[@spompey]

I recall it was a 3 car DMU, but it well could have been a 2 car + Bubble Car...the formation was never recorded and should have been....Many thanks for your comment and for watching...best wishes...Mark.

[@RailwayManUK]

Thanks for sharing this (and all your other stuff) - its fascinating to see whats changed and whats not on this route. I've done a few cab rides in 165s over this route and it seems the driving style hasn't changed that much, where you have to power through yellows in order to get up the hills. Dorking Deepdene is my choice of station if I need to get to Reading from my home in Sussex

[@spompey]

You are most welcome and many thanks for watching and for commenting....best regards...MARK

[@carlteacherman194]

Excellent video, thanks for posting. Like others, it takes me back, especially Wokingham to Reading. Earley oil depot was still in used then. I had mixed feelings about the western DMUs at first after the Tadpoles but they certainly helped keep the line open.

[@spompey]

Many thanks Carl for the comment and for watching......Mark

[@jonathanchester5916]

I love seeing this footage between Redhill and Guildford, a route and a train I used to ride on my summer holidays visiting Guildford. The DMU's were noisy, dirty, rattling and of course not airconditioned which made for a real visceral experience.

[@spompey]

All senses were aroused on a DMU!.....much appreciated....Mark

[@leedavis66]

Love the classic AEC whine off the gearbox.

[@spompey]

You are most welcome and many thanks for watching and for commenting....best regards...MARK

[@Greenslade117]

Great video, thanks for sharing. One observation: where are all the passengers?! This looks like the middle of a nice day in summer or early autumn, but the platforms at Reigate and Dorking Deepdene were almost empty. These days, you’d be picking-up a couple of dozen or more at both, throughout the day. Use of the railway has increased a lot, in 35 years, but I guess in those days people’s hours tended to be more regimented, and during the middle of the day you were at work (no WFH!), at school or at home, so off-peak trains tended to be much quieter. In one video, an interesting example of social change!

[@spompey]

They are all busy working like you say, this route was very busy at Gatwick and Reading but very slow....many thanks for watching and for the comment...best wishes....Mark

[@jasongoulden2938]

One of two routes I wish I’d traveled on when on my travels in the early 90s the other being the southern electrics out of reading ending up somewhere south of London

[@ChampsRacing]

Love old cab rides like this! I currently sign the Portsmouth - Woking and Wokingham - Reading parts of this route as a driver and its so interesting to see how much has changed and how stations used to look like and the removal of sidings compared to where there is now days. Thanks for posting!

[@spompey]

You're very welcome and many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark No relation to Woking Driver Dave champion by any chance...he was a great chap....

[@ChampsRacing]

@@spompey No relation I’m the first one in my family to be on the railway, there’s another driver Champion up at Waterloo too also no relation I believe 😂

[@spompey]

@@ChampsRacing Ah OK and much obliged to you and again many thanks.....Mark

[@jamesgilbart2672]

Great footage - even if it was on fuzzy videotape. Interesting to see cars crossing in front of an approaching train - I don't think that's allowed any more.

[@towdcheshiretup7671]

Still have a trackside Southern Railway trespassers 20/- fine cast iron sign 'acquired' (by a then friend of mine who can have it back if requested - you know who you are Mr W!) from the section near the foot crossing at Blackwater to Sandhurst (at 47:13). Colour light signals had only replaced semaphore along this stretch in the few years before the date of this video. 'Three car unit', was this a 'tadpole' so named 'cos the sets were made up from units of different widths. The front car was wider than the trailing units having been made up from stock from the Hastings line and elsewhere. The width restriction of that line led to its having narrower cars than elsewhere (if memory serves). And it's 'Crowthorne'!

[@spompey]

Nudge Nudge Wink Wink....Know what I mean sir....Many thanks for your comment and for watching...best wishes...Mark

[@markcf83]

No. It sounds like a Class 117 or 119, which Reading had in quantity. It's more than likely a 119 as the 117 were generally used on the Paddington services.

[@MrDavil43]

Interesting to see Reading's old track layout and how it looked before the extensive planting of buddleia was done.

[@spompey]

The very carefully planned planting !.......Many thanks for your comment and for watching...best wishes...Mark

[@jeffdavies9099]

Great video,nice to see my patch between Dorking West and Gomshall. After terminating at platform 4a Reading,where does the line continue on to?

[@ianhosier4042]

Reading was the terminus of the line but of course you could change trains at reading for great western mainline services to Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford, Birmingham and of course London paddington.

[@geoffbarry9540]

So I'm confused. You and Macs Tracks both seem to be posting Nick's videos. Are you the same person or do you both have parts of his collection? Not that I mind, I love seeing his stuff - he managed to film such an eclectic range of routes across the country and I hope there are many more to come.

[@spompey]

No we are not the same, but apparently we both were friends and colleagues of the late dear Nick. He passed his collection onto several of us at the time of filming and as I can only speak for myself with my connection with the railway I would assist Nick with getting through the Red Tape so to speak, as to enable him to create such masterpieces.....A lot of his video was made while I was there to assist him personally as well. Apologies if the same videos have been posted, it is probably an oversight on my part....but many thanks for your comment and for watching...best wishes...Mark

[@limeyfox]

@@spompeythank you for posting - I don’t think there have been any duplicates to date, I’ve been eagerly watching them all!

[@spompey]

You're very welcome...many thanks for watching and for the comment..there are a few more to follow soon .my best wishes....Mark

[@Bills200]

What train stock loco would this be? Thanks 😊

[@spompey]

It was filmed from a 3 car class 117 DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) You're very welcome and many thanks for watching and best regards....Mark

[@joergdetzel7848]

I see no 3rd rail except in some areas and no catenary, but the motor sounds electric. Where does it get the power from?

[@Greenslade117]

It’s a diesel railcar with mechanical transmission, dating from the late 50s or early 60s.

[@joergdetzel7848]

@@Greenslade117 thanks.

[@motorheadmalc]

@joergdetzel7848 I know what you mean but that whining noise as it accelerates comes from the gear box. You can hear where the driver mechanically changes gear while accelerating from a stop. You can only coast in 4th (top) gear on these 1st Gen DMUs, otherwise you'd wreck the gears. The sound also reminds me of the old platformed back RT buses from my childhood. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think both buses and most of the DMUs of this era have what's called epicyclic gears which are demonstrated here... kzbin.info/www/bejne/mISYqZyDZbGMqqM&ab_channel=class118

[@cedriclynch]

You can measure certain speeds on these trains by listening for the gear changes. First to second at 15mph, second to third at 28mph, third to fourth (top) at 40mph.

[@OlafProt]

Third rail stops at Reigate. Starts again at Guildford, then stops at Aldershot Junction and rejoin at Wokingham lol . As a kid growing up in Dorking I always hoped they'd extend it!

[@clivecowlard7098]

This line from Reading to Kent was built during the first world war to get supplies to the western front without going through London

[@spompey]

Many thanks for the info on this line.....and for watching....Mark

[@pjaygeorge8016]

Except that Reading South has been kicked sideways to become platform 4 of Reading (general - GWR). Aah, progress ! (Also, Crowrthorne has an 'e'.)

[@BigPaul62]

Frightening to think how dirty and run down the railways were then, litter on tracks in stations, grime and muck and rubbish in many places along the journey. Well worth watching though.

[@OlafProt]

I miss all that. Its all so shiny and perfect and uninteresting now!