Class 08 overtakes its own train!

Loose shunting at Didcot in April 1991

[@stewartmarshall5853]

Its called loose shunting we used to do it with a train of 20 wagons with a 08 we controlled the train using Bell and whistle codes due not being able to see the drive, no radios then, at a place called Ickles sidings near Rotherham

[@JimH24]

Interesting, thanks.

[@andrewbrown6786]

Those were the days - thanks for the reminder 👍

[@robertbate5790]

I was a shunter at Tyseley in the 70s, occasionally worked at Bordesley Down Side. We used to send 16 tonners of scrap to Ickles, and I think Deepcar and Riverside if I remember rightly.

[@Steve.M]

So when it says on the side of a wagon, “not to be hump or loose shunted”, this is what’s not to be done? What makes some wagons suitable and others not?

[@robertbate5790]

@@Steve.M If a vehicle is restricted by such a notice, it must remain attached to the train until it comes to a stand, and hand brakes applied before detaching.

[@RaisedLetter]

At first I thought they were overtaking to get in front of it on the fly

[@SquishyZoran]

So did I!

[@ellisjackson336]

That would’ve been cold lol

[@HylianDefender]

That's an ES&D maneuver if I ever heard one

[@sohamdhamnaskar8340]

Yeah I thought the same

[@doctorelijah]

same, ive done that before in roblox (only once or twice successfully) and id assume its very hard to do in real life the way it is in roblox

[@heavyecho1]

Those Class 08s are the epitome of the little engine that could. That one is currently living its best life at the North York Moors railway.

[@West_Coast_Gang]

Glad the little guy is in a new home

[@Caktusdud.]

I thought I recognised it from somewhere

[@newage3]

That was the best time to be a driver, I pass out in January 91 at Didcot and even then we had 3 pilot turns, 5 days a week, the night turn was brutal. The shutter looks like Jim McClarren who was a good old boy, knew his stuff….., those box wagons were for Russell’s coal, they came up from Radda and went to West Drayton along with loaded HEAs (the red hopper wagons) - God I miss those days so much.

[@JimH24]

Great information, thanks!

[@colin5296]

I hear that Brother .

[@bmwtravel1100]

I thought you were going to show "dropping a car" whereby the car is acclerated toward a siding , uncoupled, then a switch is thrown just after the car passes. then the engine proceeds at speed down the main line, passes the car on the siding, and then rejoins the car's opposite end on the siding. it gets better when a brakeman has to ride the free-rolling car and stop it with the hand brake.

[@cedarcam]

At a factory near me they used to have wagons uncoupled behind the loco coming down a gradient, at the bottom the locomotive accelerated leaving the wagons behind the points were quickly changed onto another line. the locomotive quickly reversed the points were changed to the line where the wagons were and now the locomotive could push them to the loading hopper.

[@oncydium]

I always loved the 08 - so much personality.

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

Probably 1 of the only things BR did right as far as diesels go was these guys.

[@azzifyy5988]

@@lyokianhitchhikerYes and no. Still bought way too many shunters.

[@david103857]

Wow! So weird to see that happening having grown up in that era. I heard a story of a loose shunted Mk3 that escaped onto the main line...

[@Combes_]

"Speed, I _AM_ Speed!"

[@asteroidrules]

So that's what it looks like when you go full throttle on a Class 08.

[@Renatodonadio]

It's a shunting yard, first the locomotive pushes the carts up to speed, so they'll start to travel by inertia, then the locomotive is shunted on the nearby track to catch the other group of carts and move them around 😀

[@user-xd6uy1bo9g]

Devious Diesel with the mischievous trucks!

[@matthew_natividad]

I was just looking for a TTTE reference

[@bobtudbury8505]

i remember the first time i got into one of these in the mid 80s, the engine noise etc sounded just like a trolley bus! ...which i used to catch in the 60s !

[@theobster]

I grew up very near Toton sidings in the 80’s, my mate and I spent half our life there. There were many many locomotives parked up waiting I think to be decommissioned. I’m not a train buff but I found them interesting to be around, from memory they were class 30’s, 40’s, 45’s and 56’s mainly. They were unlocked and we would just sit in them and pretend to drive them!!! I used to love going into the engine room as I’m into that kind of thing. There were lots of 08’s working there, I remember once chatting to a driver sitting up in his cab. He asked us if we wanted to have a look in the cab! We jumped at the chance, he even let us drive it!!! I remember pushing or pulling a horizontal lever with a big black knob on it and the loco moving forward!!, we couldn’t believe it. Would have been about 1983/84 how things have changed, he probably would be sacked now.

[@JimH24]

Great stories, thanks for posting

[@bfapple]

Locos at Toton waiting to be decommissioned. Some things never change.

[@stephendavies4725]

Hi mick I was a driver too at didcot I remember you and all the other guys tony neal , mel Davies, ted watts howard thomas my name is steve Davies I am retired now 3 years and counting love the old days

[@Thomas_Tank_1_NWR_124]

some say its still rolling to this day

[@hoofie2002]

One question : Class 08s are obviously very low speed but how did they move them between yards on the main line etc? Or we they happy to be towed behind a larger diesel? Edit : found it: coupled rods removed and traction motor demeshed for long distance distance moves

[@taffboyslim]

I was at Cardiff Central station in the late 70s when I saw 'yet another 08' trundling up one of the middle roads up to the gantry at the west end of the station. Then I noticed it was 09 026 (IIRC?) The driver climbed out quickly and ran back to get on the Portsmouth train at platform 2. I asked him "'where have you come from?"..."Saafampton" came the reply. That must have been one long shift :-) I'm not sure if that was the first 09 to move to South Wales?

[@darryljones8418]

Back in 1979/1980 trainspotting on coseley station (a mainline Wolverhampton to Birmingham) just about to go home when getting dark and three 08 class shunters came romping thru at about 30 mph running together, shit no camera 😂

[@nounoufriend1442]

Yes we use to de mesh motors , they have double reduction so you pulled counter shaft out of mesh otherwise motors would be damaged . Now they see to go via road as freight fragmentation has left us with hardly any maintenance facilities capable of de mesh re mesh

[@nigelfarley814]

Crickey that 08 must have been going flat out. I wonder what ‘elfin saftee’ would say about doing that these days!

[@cyberdonblue4413]

Even flat out you couldn't squeeze more than 20 mph out of them. Had some great fun with them on nights around Birmingham New St station though. The work was virtually nonstop on nights in the eighties; at both ends of the station, although slightly busier at the north end.

[@markcf83]

The HSE would be having multiple coronaries.....

[@martinsims1273]

The 09's were faster. Virtually the same as 08's but with bigger wheels (or higher gearing, can't remember which just now), so that they could do trip working as well as shunting. I believe most of them were on the Southern Region.

[@peteotoole8383]

​@@cyberdonblue4413used to watch the 08 at new street as a kid used to facinated me 😂

[@steamfandan9682]

They only have a top speed of 15 mph at full power

[@Cnw8701]

We call this "fly switching" or a "flying switch" in the US.

[@articeddie5494]

I used to watch something like this at Temple Mills as a boy, they would roll down a hill into different lanes

[@ClydebridgeStation]

The 08 has the Southern region high level pipes on it as well, so likely was based on the SR sometime previously.

[@Jestey6]

Overtake. “To catch up with and, PASS”.

[@neilbrockbignasty77]

I've seen this many times as my oldest brother was head shunter on newport Dock

[@jemesan77]

great video of those great railway years

[@JimH24]

Glad you like it, and thanks for your comment.

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

The Class 08 was probably the only BR diesel product to WORK

[@astrochaos4182]

Class 37

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

@@astrochaos4182 in general, English Electric was probably 1 of the better diesel makers during BR Modernization

[@azzifyy5988]

Class 55 and Class 43.

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

@@azzifyy5988 English Electric in general was probably the only diesel maker not to be so incompetent

[@NorCraftLinerz]

Devious Diesel!!!!!!!

[@chrismccartney8668]

Before Elf and Safety then !!

[@JimH24]

Oh yes!

[@mattsawyer343]

Yeah no railway rule book then

[@clayv5422]

Alternate title diesel overtakes his own train

[@batman51]

The good old days

[@CarLos-yi7ne]

Nice, in the Netherlands we used these a lot back in the days. Known as the NS 500/600. NS stands for: Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways).

[@Xalerdane]

Which amuses me a bit due to what ‘spoor’ means in English.

[@CarLos-yi7ne]

@@Xalerdane Mmm, I expected something dirty.. 😂 But seems to be almost the same: track. 🤔

[@Xalerdane]

@@CarLos-yi7ne Actually the English definition is ‘the evidence that an animal left behind that’s used to track it.’ So stuff like an animal’s footprints, shed fur, damaged plants, lingering smells, and piles of its dung are all examples of spoor.

[@CarLos-yi7ne]

@@Xalerdane Aha! Thanks! Me as a Dutchy miss those details in your language. 😄

[@Xalerdane]

@@CarLos-yi7ne Well the English language *did* steal it from you before repurposing it for this specific context. Shortly after the British swiped your African colony, if I’m not mistaken.

[@whiteknightcat]

Well that was disappointing. I was thinking he was going to run around the cut while it was moving. He was just kicking cars.

[@jankington216]

I was ready to comment something about confusion and delay

[@nowsc]

… class of 08 seems to not have learned how to use the apostrophe properly :-(

[@lappylappy7269]

Whatever happened to D3785……….. ? As a kid I remember this locomotive working on the Central line in Leicester. ?>Its number lodged in my memory 😂.

[@beeble2003]

It was renumbered 08618 in 1974, withdrawn from service in 1990, and scrapped at Gateshead TMD in 2001. More details if you search for "british rail D3785" -- one of the first hits is a huge database of BR locomotives from 1948 to 1997. The database looks incomplete, though, as it shows D3785 moving between various sheds in Leicester and Wellingborough through the 1960s, but then no allocation changes between 1969 and 1990. Being cut up at Gateshead suggests that it was allocated there -- or, at least, somewhere in the north-east -- when withdrawn. If you search for its TOPS number, 08618, there are photos of it at Thornaby and Gateshead in the mid-1980s.

[@lappylappy7269]

@@beeble2003 Thank you for all that information . I’m disappointed to hear that it was scrapped .I have great memories of it during my train spotting days, many many years ago .

[@TheSynthnut]

Was waiting for rhe 08 to stall on the point and the "hand of god" appear to give it a nudge.

[@kittschultz7505]

In Canada , it’s called “ kicking” cars. I used to do it many times a shift. Retired conductor from Lillooet bc Canada

[@JimH24]

@kittschultz7505 Yes I have heard that saying before somewhere. Thanks for the comment.

[@dallas184]

We call it fly shunting here in Australia

[@drewmog123456]

There’s no apostrophe in its.

[@JimH24]

Thank's for your comment...

[@Bassotronics]

Cool! 👍🏻

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

It’s almost like it’s trying to catch up with the trucks after it shunted them and letting them roll away

[@juliacrask5905]

Awesome

[@JimH24]

Thanks

[@True_NOON]

Coming to TSW6 (on launch of TSW7)

[@williamstephens9945]

Looked bonkers

[@MervynPartin]

Nice one.

[@JimH24]

Thanks!

[@West_Coast_Gang]

Interesting

[@jonathanphelan6627]

so are those trucks still making their way down the line on their own ? Whose job is it to stop them ?

[@itwontcomeout5678]

This is real cool

[@JimH24]

Thanks!

[@alfazagato1455]

I hope that GWR coaling stage is still there. Looks like it had been recently repainted, too.

[@JimH24]

I think it is part of the Didcot Railway Centre...

[@cjstacey1412]

It is still there, part of the Great Western Heritage Centre, you can walk around it.

[@woods840]

Aww British trains are so cute.

[@Xalerdane]

Not enough room in Britain to have big locomotives.

[@user-gk8gg1zt7l]

Good video, like...

[@JimH24]

Thank you 👍

[@VanessaFlyhight]

The correct way to play derail valley

[@lsswappedcessna]

imagine trying this with a DM3 lol

[@Somerset-Trains]

Wouldn't get away with that now days, trains will never be what they used to be!

[@TheMusicalElitist]

OK boomer.

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

Somebody doesn't understand sarcasm! @@TheMusicalElitist

[@JacksonHolloman]

They literally do this all the time

[@acampbell8614]

@@TheMusicalElitist One day its going to be "Ok Millenial"...

[@mattsawyer343]

Safer now!

[@r0ckt3hc4sb4h]

It's cute 🥰

[@dougthompson2598]

Good old 08850

[@NorthYorkshireCoastRail]

It is too, I've been out on it today on a ballast drop, 26 mile trip, wish it still had the coat of grime

[@randolfo1265]

How can I learn more about this locomotive? Never saw one before.

[@JimH24]

If you search online for 'class 08 shunter' you will find plenty of information.

[@NJPurling]

@@JimH24 Also referred to as a 'Gronk' for some unknown reason. The design pre-dates British Rail. Pre WW2.They had different engines & traction motors. They were an obvious substitute for a steam locomotive for shunting purposes. The company, English Electric also made trams, street-cars for any Americans. Their spoked wheels may be unique for a main-line diesel.

[@lord_scrubington]

snowpiercer reference

[@mr.sir.]

And I thought Hyce was crazy

[@Bobsmith-gq5qu]

where are those trucks off to on their own then ? Thought it was going to race round the front

[@JimH24]

The wagons went slowly into a siding (dead end) I guess the crew were just saving time.

[@tahrey]

An adventure! FREEDOM!

[@elijahstevenson2546]

I wonder what happened to that specific Class 08 diesel shunter?

[@JimH24]

@elijahstevenson2546 It appears to be preserved at the North York Moors Railway. nymrdiesel.org.uk/locomotives/08850.html

[@elijahstevenson2546]

@@JimH24 Thank goodness for that.

[@jonah6404]

POP GOES THE DIESEL

[@jappedut9009]

😂😂😂

[@punkystuff]

TRUCKS ARE WAITING IN THE YARD TAKING IN WITH DIESEL SHOW THE WORLD WHAT I CAN DO GABY GOSE THE DIESEL IN AND OUT HE CREEPS ABOUT LIKE A BIG BLOCK WESLE WHEN HE PULLS THE WONG TRUCKS UP...POP GOSE THE DIESEL

[@andypandywalters]

Excuse the ignorant question, but why is there a 'connecting rod' between the main wheels, and what is its function ?

[@ProfessorPesca]

It’s a coupling rod, it makes sure all the wheels are working together so they don’t slip. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupling_rod

[@andypandywalters]

@@ProfessorPesca Many thanks.

[@davidfuller581]

These are a bit different from a typical diesel-electric - they use a single traction motor set and connect to one set of wheels. This lets them power all 6 wheels with only two traction motors. I've seen similar things on electrics before but they usually use jackshafts instead.

[@tahrey]

@@davidfuller581 Given that it's transmitting rotational power from the gearbox, rather than reciprocating push/pull of a piston, isn't it a kind of jackshaft in itself?

[@davidfuller581]

@@tahrey Sorta? I hadn't looked at it that way. But there are diesels that use jackshafts - usually diesel-mechanicals and very small ones at that like the BR Class 03.

[@xymaryai8283]

shove, decouple, stop, switch, notch 8.

[@u2bear377]

* its

[@HowardLeVert]

I can remember wagons actually being bashed by an 08 to get them rolling back in the 70s...

[@toasterhavingabath6980]

I built one of these in a game and it can go about 60m/s

[@tahrey]

Kicking?!

[@mjwiaa]

Wait, what happened to the moving cars? Did he then hitch up the whole thing to them and catch them? Or did they roll away into a city? I'm so confused and unsatisfied

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

They must have been edited out.

[@JimH24]

They rolled slowly into the siding.

[@tahrey]

Some say they're still rolling to this day

[@user-li8uv1tr6y]

I think those are from the 1960s and still in use

[@JimH24]

Yes, a total of 996 of these were built from 1952 to 1962, and some are still in service! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_08

[@acampbell8614]

Based on an LMS design from the 1930s....

[@struck2soon]

I didn’t think an 08 could overtake anything…

[@pootispiker2866]

Me in Derail Valley

[@BrokenCurtain]

That engine reminds me of a dinosaur.

[@Skarloeyandfriends]

paxton or sidney shunting

[@barrysmith1651]

Kick

[@Vectorh]

Anyone else recognize Brewster from Chuggington?

[@lawrence18uk]

Electric Class 08, anyone? That'd have a turn of speed...

[@caramelldansen2204]

A few have been made, but I'm not sure a privatised rail system wants to see head nor tail of the 08s aside from their scrap value.

[@-NINE-THREE-]

Title reads as follows: "Class 08 overtakes IT IS own train"

[@haveatyou1]

Lol

[@kingofthepod5169]

Get schlatt on the phone.

[@alistair1978utube]

Downvoted for random apostrophe in title...

[@Tadesan]

DO NOT HUMP

[@billywindsock9597]

Grammar Police. Its own train.

[@HMSHOOD1920]

Yall have weird looking locomotives.

[@ronaldgalena1172]

Nothing special about that!!!

[@Poshypaws]

Class 08 overtakes its own train!