British Rail-Ipswich May 1987

Some shots at Ipswich taken just before the 47s were replaced by 86s all the way through to Norwich. The Inter-City trains arrived from London behind an 86 and the loco was changed to a 47 for the last bit to Norwich. Also seen are Met Cam DMUs, an 08, a pair of 312 EMUs plus the 47s & 86s. If you liked the video please subscribe to my channel, there are lots more transport & quirky vids to upload!

[@grahameccles9804]

Thanks for posting this on KZbin, I hadn't seen it before. I was British Rail's Area Manager at Norwich for the duration of the electrification project on Anglia. The decision to change locos at Ipswich was taken to utilise the wires as far as Ipswich as soon as possible and to release some of the 47's for other work. It wasn't an easy decision because, as any railway operator will tell you, changing locos en route imports risk to the punctuality of a railway. We planned the shunt moves very carefully, rehearsed the engine change for several weeks using 47's to train the Ipswich drivers and shunters, the station staff and the signalmen at Colchester before the actual timetable change. I was very nervous about the start of the timetable and was there for the very first timetabled 47 to 86 change. It went like clockwork. We swapped locos in each direction every hour, seven days a week, for a whole timetable duration. The success was down to the attention to detail by everyone concerned at Ipswich and in the Signalling Centre. Thanks again, it brought back some very happy memories.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

My pleasure. This was filmed right at the end of diesel operation, i shot out on one of my rest days to film it all. I gew up in East London so Stratford locos were what i had grown up with, so i wanted to get the last of them on top link work. In later years i worked at Ilford Car Sheds so signed the GE main line as far as Colchester until i got my drivers cheque on freight and only managed as far as Marks Tey! Have you seen the earlier part of my day out, at Norwich? See it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXzdmatnqduthLM

[@ianjones4116]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus you old skool staff were the best, my Dad was a Top Link driver at Shrewsbury, worked up from fireman. 44yrs on Footplate. It was one massive family back then . Sadly all gone . Do miss the Bingo down the Railway Club lol. Love them Sulzers,,, used to hate and detest them, they were that common . 👍😎

[@briankay4713]

Wonderful Soi ....Stratford celebrity 47s were a thing of beauty 😍 Was at Ipswich in 1986 when they were swapping out 47s for 86s on the Liverpool Street expresses ...memories ...had moved to The Isle of Man in 1983 so a rare visit for me...

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I'm pleased you enjoyed it......

[@soundseeker63]

There isn't much footage of BR blue 86s at work on the GEML. And surely it was a sight that didn't last long after this was taken! Nice shots of the short lived diesel/electric blue/intercity transitional period on the GEML. By the time I knew the route it was all electric and everything was intercity and NSE.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I'm msure i have odd shots of BR blue 86s, probably at Stratford......

[@19AJB]

Great to see this. You may or may not know that for a few weeks prior to the introduction of the electric service 47s were exchanged at Ipswich on the Norwich - London services in order to give staff practice in coupling/uncoupling. At the time I was a student in London and once - after a weekend at home - I remember that it was frustrating when a 'required' 47 arrived from Norwich only to be replaced by a 'not required' one! What I'd give for 47s from Ipswich to London now... At the moment we are lucky enough to have 90s + Mk 3s, but they are shortly to be replaced by something less interesting and (probably) less comfortable. My generation won't enthuse much over them, but hopefully future generations will...

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

That was something i didn't know, it shows that someone was thinking ahead! The loss of the 90s+MkIII sets will be a big blow, as you say whatever replaces them won't be 'InterCity' type stock at all, just a modified EMU!

[@driver1coach]

Great Memories of immaculate looking Stratford 47's, remember seeing them on Harwich Boat trains from manchester Piccadilly

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I caught these shots right at the end of the diesel service. I think it was only another week or so and the 86s worked right through....

[@djpeekay25]

Was that like a magic tunnel? Went in a Class 47 and came out a Class 86? Lol

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I missed the class 47 coming out so yes it looks like a magic tunnel...lol

[@johnpiper3416]

Great video. Happy memories of the 47s and the 312.

[@djtrainspotter3079]

Quality vid. Good to see spotless 572 + 585 together. And it then gets more interesting, must of been filmed just days before 47574 got the SF large-logo treatment and received 577's nameplate! Oh them Stratford 47's were hard to beat! Great footage sir, many thanks.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I'm pleased you like it. I will have to upload the first part of the trip where i was filming at Norwich. I went out to film just before the 47s were replaced by 86s all the way through to Norwich, having grew up in the Ease End i too have a soft spot for Stratford locos,the express 47s in particular.

[@djtrainspotter3079]

Ha, i more than like it, i'm meant to be deejaying n stuff but rather be watching sectorisation era vids! Yeah i got all me Anglian spotting done at SF depot (cheating)! The sheds there smelt more of wet paint than diesel etc, so many locos got painted there in '87. Remember the electrification to Norwich and subsequent cascade like it was yesterday. And yes, wot a fine bunch of 47's they were! Like the OC's too. Cant wait for your next instalment :D cheers, great stuff.

[@russellbenton2987]

Interesting station back then with all the changeovers . Only passed through it once on the way to Lowestoft. Quite surprising how fast the light engine moves are . Great series of videos. I’m thoroughly enjoying going round the country with you!

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Hi Russell, i'm pleased you like my vids. I am going to put up some from the West Country soon and then see where i can fill in around the country! Re LE moves, old school BR drivers were on the railway, which ran as a railway. They knew what they were doing. Loco swaps were down to a fine art. Unlike today where it was suggested the East Coast had coaches & deisel/electric locos and swap at Edinburgh as required ( a much better way to work, nice quiet train to ride on, no carrying dead engines around under the wires and so on) it was deemed too difficult by those expert railwaymen in the civil service!!!!!

[@markedgar6437]

Very very nice, what an interesting station Ipswich is, thanks for sharing

[@Awesome_Transport]

I think about 4-6 of the locomotives in this video are still around, with the class 03 featured apparently being the last 03 used on the national rail network used until it was withdrawn and preserved at some point when it was owned by first capital connect

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Good to know...... Quite a lot of 03 have been preserved, usefull little locomotives.....

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

that is fantastic it brings back happy memories when diesel were dominating this route until the electric ac locos took over

[@ramblingrob4693]

I went to Ipswich Station last year, quiet. Only Class 66

[@vincitveritas3872]

Great video 👍

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you.....

[@Georgeasaurus2001]

A rare piece of film covering the cross over period,well played sir

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I can't believe i was 20 when i took this footage, it doesn't seem that long ago to me!

[@Marcsharp82]

Fantastic stuff

[@southeasttrainhub]

Nice work from previous years! I've subscribed!

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you, i have lots more from all over the UK, plenty of NSE action taken over the years, i'll see what i can get up!

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Goodness me thats fantastic mate it brings you back happy memories when the 47s were the locomotives dominating that route before the electrification and the arrival of the class 86 locomotives

[@ramblingrob4693]

When railways were busy with locos

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

And at a time when we didn't think it would end.......

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

As of today there are no more loco hauled trains on the great eastern mainline as of today

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, the last 90 hauled Inter-City trains ran in the spring of 2020.... Although a lot of them are still running along the GE on liner trains!

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbusindeed especially when working with freightliner

[@glenc633]

I guess any minor journey times improvements brought by electrification from London to Ipswich was lost with the time taken to change loco

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes, for the short period of time that this move happened. It did allow BR to get rid of diesel haulage under the wires (apart from the Parkeston boat trains), and allowed the crews to get used to the class 86s although at the time they were all taken from Willesden's allocation. Once the full service was electric then Norwich got a set allocation of locos although still borrowwed Willesden's as required (i recall 249 being a regular one)....

[@soundseeker63]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus The GE 86s were initially based at Illford for a time before being moved to Crown Point I believe, though it didn't last for very long. A couple of years maybe. After that point swaps with WCML locos were rarer, and it was usually a RES loco if a swap was required.

[@dcan48]

Fantastic

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Hi Dave, i'm pleased you like it. I can't believe i filmed it 30 years ago! It's nice for me to see these films again as i get them ready for uploading, and to think that people on the other side of the world enjoy them as well--Great!

[@fatwalletboy2]

Hard to believe you had a loco change on what was really quite a short distance service......

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

As they electrified the Norwich line, once they were energised as far as Ipswich they used 86s on the London end and the 47s on the last bit to Norwich. A few weeks after i filmed this they ran electrics through to Norwich on the May timetable change as the wiring job was finished.

[@ianjones4116]

I can watch those events open up all day. Love it when the Big Sulzer opens up, vents open, gulping in masses of air, followed by a near vertical plume of clagg. Brilliant stuff. 👍😎

[@mjstefansson7466]

And tonight Matthew, I'm going to be an 86

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Lol.......and they are history now along with their replacements......

[@vincitveritas3872]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ianjones4116]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus all Sacrilege.... those 86s must still have a good few years left in them. I mean look at the B52 programme. Not a fan of the electric locos,, Diesel in my blood. But surely they could have kept them going. Now today 2022,,, probably be cheaper to run a pair of Choppers than an 86 lol. We can dream Soi. 👍😎

[@edwardbarnes2702]

Ha! I can smell it, the trains of today are fast & reliable, But just so boring!😂🤓

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Keep watching my channel and i'll do my best to remind you of happier times past.....

[@Isochest]

Nice one. I hate the fact NR and a shipping company have spent a fortune on a farty 1400 metre loop at Trimley without electrifying the Felixstowe Branch.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

They were supposed to double track the whole branch but as usual 'short termisim' hit the project and now it's a pony little loop! Our biggest container port and we can't even put double track in or string the wires those last few miles from Ipswich. Mind you there are plans to run most of the container trains away from London and head across country and none of that is wired, nor likely to be! What a shame the March-Spalding Joint Line was shut back in the 1980s, that would save the North East bound trains from have to go through an already clogged-up Peterborough especailly as they want to then divert the trains back to Spalding and Lincoln and get to the ECML at Doncaster. Funnily enough that's what the Joint Line was built for, to take freight trains away from the ECML!

[@Isochest]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus You couldn't have said it better! Ernest Marples corrupt ghost still stalks the DfT

[@worldwide8553]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus Ha Ha Ha, don't make me laugh. Freights will never be diverted away from London, there are just too many of them. When Ipswich curve was opened ALL freights were meant to go via XC, this never happened and never will....at least not untill CP7 and beyond. As for electrifying the branch, doubling it is more important and all though this is only a "farty 1400 metre loop" its a step in the right direction. That and with the resignalling and upgrading the level crossings it will be a big help to both the freight and passenger service.

[@suffolkpompey]

It's almost impossible to double track the whole of the Felixstowe branch, the section between Derby Road and Warren Heath are the problem spots, and the Spring Road viaduct would have to doubled. As for electrification the option was on the table when Ipswich - Norwich was done, but the funds were not authorized. I think the cost quoted at the time was £12m, heaven knows how much it would cost today. The new double track at Trimley has increased the capacity from 34 freight trains per day in and out of Felixstowe to 54 per day.

[@tonymoore9754]

@@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus play live commentary because my security people understand

[@johncottee8314]

No more loco hauled trains on the GE mainline, just boring uncomfortable EMU's, I don't like progress!!

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

It will seem strange not to see proper loco hauled sets whizzing along the GE main line......

[@jeffdavis5225]

80s train porn at it's best,great video

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thank you.....i still have more........

[@ramblingrob4693]

More exciting than porn

[@AndreiTupolev]

Driving that little yellow tractor across the foot crossing and then making a 90 degree turn up onto the platform with a train passing about an inch away? Makes your hair stand on end.

[@gwrdriver1660]

It's not that close really, when you look at places like Maidenhead station where we shoot through at 125mph and people are standing on the yellow line on the platform edge, which is approximately 3 feet away.

[@colinbrooks228]

What Date is this is thsi the Friday 8th May 1987 ?

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Yes!.....

[@ramblingrob4693]

03 shunter an 08

[@ramblingrob4693]

No hi-viz

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Way of the railway back then.....

[@motorheadmalc]

Please can you stop those irritating little preview screens coming up at the end? They just ruin great shots.

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Hi there, a good point. I have found away around it by adding a bit to the end of each video (a shot of a 38 stock leaving a platform) which the end captions can play over. I'll use the same bit at the end of every upload from now on and problem solved!

[@motorheadmalc]

Excellent, good move. Thank you. This video is my era when I worked at Stratford depot. You've made it seem like yesterday again. :)

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I have some film from inside the TMD, i'll dig it out & get it up! There's not a lot of it, just a few locos shunting and some inside shots if i remember correctly but i'll get it up.

[@MSmifffy]

Great video 👍

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

Thanks 👍