British Railways Diesels & Electric 1960's Western Region

[@5705Seahorse]

Many congratulations to the photographer as this some of the best (I'm presuming) 8mm film I have seen from this period. I was too busy mourning to death of steam to appreciate the variety of diesel traction extant in the 1960s. Not only does this film capture the range of motive power, but also the wonderful mixed goods trains and vast array of semaphore signals and gantries. Excellent stuff!

[@traintelevision]

some of the best footage ive seen from that great era

[@TheWesternAS]

The 22 at Padd. That did it for me!!

[@roberthorwat6747]

Ohhhh the Warships!!! The Westerns!!!... drooooooool The thunderous music those Maybachs made ... superb!

[@jimusgrimus]

Steady mate.............steady.

[@sadelsor]

Maybach was my favorite engine to work on, last year of my apprenticeship at OOC I was given the honor of overhauling a Hymek engine, after the overhaul I took the job sheet back to my foreman, he told me he had booked it out of Paddington in the afternoon, did I want to "ride it" to Reading, I stayed in the engine room when it pulled out of Paddington, there was no words to explain the feeling of listening to those turbo blowers winding up and knowing that 24 hours ago the engine was in parts on my workbench, very hard to explain my feelings, felt so proud and I was on 20 years old.

[@spiccybaby]

The acceleration of the Western at Exeter 11:20 is exactly how I remember them. Great torque.

[@keithedmunds7536]

what a great video I lived next to the western mainline at burnham as a child and remember the transition from steam to diesel and spotting trains to and from Paddington then heyford we walked from there to the usaf base to photo the F111s brilliant thanks pure nostalga.

[@AndreiTupolev]

How absolutely fascinating. Westerns, Warships, D6300s, and amateur footage of the Blue Pullman in action must be very very rare. Interesting to see how the coaches rock over the pointwork @ 1:48, something they were notorious for

[@trainsofthewest265]

Great to see the old Brush type 47's too.

[@sadelsor]

Geoff Webber was my internal combustion engine teacher at the apprentice training school Swindon in 1963, he was also one of the first engineers to travel on the Pullman cushions "just in case"

[@captainboing]

The best of times... Thanks for sharing

[@likklej8]

Loved the Western Pullman footage! Its also nice to see a few Collett coaching stock amongst the BR. Good movie thanks

[@MarmiteCrumpets]

The Blue Pullman unit 1:42 to 2:07 really does seem to be rocking over the points. Thought it might have been a trick of the eye with the reflection of the lights in the windows of the unit, but the trailing driving car seems to prove it. Not surprisingly those Swiss designed bogies did for them.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

MarmiteCrumpets the film jumps both horizontally and vertically in a randon way, this will be part of the reason that all of the trains are rocking and rolling so much. Metro-Camm are beleived to have changed the size of the wheels, meaning that the suspenion was no longer dealing with the forces it had been designed to handle leading to the rough riding that plagued the Bull Pullman sets for their entire service life.

[@nigelmitchell351]

See the wheel slip of the western, they had I think the highest starting TE of any of the early diesels. No slip sensors, but then all 3 axles linked through prop shafts and gearboxes. Don't you just love them!

[@dannydavies2870]

Absolutely brilliant . loved this video.

[@markturner4219]

Super old footage of the western region of my late teens - was surprised by the 'electric' in the title. Needless to say non appeared, but OH! the memories of cab rides with my Dad (Cathays and Canton driver) in Hymeks, Westerns and 08 shunters. Actually LM region diesels did come down into western territory quite regularly, especially on the London - Oxford and Northwards stretch where there were several 'entrees' for them, but more usually 45's and 46' s rather than 40's. How I wish 8mm had sound :-)

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

Mark Turner Great pictures. Has anyone got any footage of diesels being ripped apart with cutting torches. That's my favourite bit!

[@michaelricks1618]

Superb films. Thanks so much for sharing these early WR diesel views.

[@trainsofthewest265]

I was too young to see the Pullman in action, thankfully your film makes up for that;Thanks!

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

Great clips!

[@ThePlayerToBeNamedLater]

Superb! Could we call the 60s the heyday of British Rail. So many locos on here that before I had only seen pictures of in my Ian Allen books as a young lad in Scotland in the 80s

[@owenevans83]

Garth W I wouldn't. the loco variety was good but BR was short of cash and the 60s witnessed considerable numbers of line Closures and rationalization of infrastructure.

[@DP-uq7fy]

Wow, was that really a Class 40 at 8:19, through Heyford? One of my old occasioanl spotting haunts. I can`t tell you how much I miss those days......

[@agdenyer]

When the class 40 were being withdrawn, the engineering department kept some for engineering work, mainly around Crewe. I am not sure but the time was about right, the wagons look like they were for engineering work.

[@stevelomas4119]

@@agdenyer The engineering 40's were used in 1986/7...pretty sure your footage was late 60's early 70's.

[@G0IMB]

Blue Pullmans: Forerunners of the 125mph HSTs:-)

[@QuantaFilms]

Wonderful footage - rolls back the years, I have never seen such good later sixties footage, eg as around Heyford. On a par with Ivo Peters.

[@mickd6942]

Enjoyed that

[@Spitsticker]

The dark blue coaches from 9:49 to 10:04 are unusual. Maybe they were sleeper coaches. But I believe the royal train was that colour. There are two locomotives on a short train, in case one breaks down, perhaps?

[@agdenyer]

+Spitsticker It was the Royal Train stabled at Aynhoe. Probably having been used to go to Oxford?

[@michellemarshall3667]

The Royal Train always had two locos whatever region it was on. Always both powered,always both immaculate, insurance against failure. Rick.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Spitsticker that was the Royal Train, but they are dark plum, not dark blue.

[@JohnPW22]

Classic WR traction! Would love to know more details of locos, locations if available...

[@agdenyer]

The shots I think you are on about were taken between Anyho Junction and Oxford whilst on a cnal holiday. So accurate locations are impossible as some were taken from a moving narrowboat. As it is now 50 years since the last vegitation clearing (steam) trains run, to be able to see the railway from the canal may not still be possible.

[@ASCIITerminal]

Oh, for a time machine!

[@Roo63]

Nice :D Thanks.

[@stevelomas4119]

Great video...what would the Yellow squares painted on the side of the coaches be for ?

[@agdenyer]

I have no idea, sorry

[@allan5919]

Super old footage.

[@MikesMovies]

1:25 class 22! and 3:40

[@thomastherhymer1]

Class 22s were only allocated to Old Oak Common from 1964-on. These were all from the 1962 batch and most of those were withdrawn in 1968 - hardly a long-lived class - but makes dating the shots relatively easy!

[@taffboyslim]

Why are there yellow squares on some of the coaches?

[@agdenyer]

If I am right the western Region had clips on the side of some named coach sets which held enamel signs. A modern version of the running boards seen on older stock.

[@graemekornicki6810]

Superb footage from a great era any deltics?

[@simonp1970]

Nurse.....

[@G0IMB]

Mae hon fideo yn bendegedig!

[@stokes8762]

Nowadays it's lets see how grotesquely ugly we can make a locomotive