Class 319 - Thames Crossing

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Hello! :D
Built in response to the development of the Thameslink scheme, a large scale infrastructure project to connect northern and southern London by heavy rail, the Class 319s would be created as the backbone of this new service, and would ply its merry trade across the vital Bedford to Brighton run for a dutiful 30 years.
However, through a slight of hand by Network Southeast, more Class 319s than were needed to operate Thameslink were procured, and thus beyond its cross-capital duties, the 319 would find a variety of work initially across southern England, and later to the far reaches of the northwest, with conversions of 319s into bi-mode and hydrogen fuel units seeing these machines continue to work across vast swathes of the network.
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References:
- Key Model World (and their respective sources)
- Kent Rail (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[@Locomattive8572]

Connex get a lot of hate, but they really helped my mum once. It was a snowy evening, she was on her way back from university hospital Birmingham where she was a nurse. She was due to catch a Silverlink train from Birmingham New Street to Long Buckby. However the 321 broke down at Rugby. Because not all Silverlink services stopped at Long Buckby she was going to left at Rugby for 2 hours in the snow. The driver guard of the Silverlink set spoke with the driver and guard of Connex service, which was pathed to follow the silverlink service. They agreed to make a stop at Long Buckby just for my mum. My mum wrote to the company to say thank you, and explain I was mad on trains. They sent her and me loads of little goodies in reply.

[@mikehindson-evans159]

Another really useful history lesson, showing how a robust design can be re-modelled, tweaked and prolonged. many thanks for this video.

[@hawickrfc]

Always remember being on 319s approaching Lonon bridge from the South, sitting waiting to get into the platform and the train groaned and moaned more than the passengers! Nice enough trains, the NSE spec had the seats too low, the small Brighton flyer sets had good seats and there was some with first class with proper seats from intercity, but half the time guards would chuck you out even though the 319 operated services had no first class (just as many thameslink service today have first class areas but no first class as there isn't a fare for it...)

[@lukegreen5341]

1:42 Great Scotland Yard. It's The Victoria Line Railway. Thanks Mate. X❤

[@rahil6455]

These on the Thames link branch used to be my childhood local trains. What a throwback, thank you 😍

[@BRELElectra]

Class 319s were also the first EMUs to sport murals that were designed by Edward Pond, on the wall end bulkheads.

[@Vanmanyo]

Awesome video as always! The 319s are probably up there as my favourite trains and it is a shame they only live on as a few 769s. I have been lucky enough to go on all the 769s, including the GWR ones, and have been impressed by porterbroook! I have also been on the 799 which is indeed a great feat in engineering and hopefullly a gateway to reducing reliance on diesel stock without the hefty price of electrification.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

No, the Hydroflex will trade the hefty price of electrification for the hefty price of hydrogen fuel

[@ethmister]

Shame that the 769 is a bit crap. Though these will all be dead soon anyway.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

@@ethmister They will last a bit longer, somewhere between 1 and 4 years depending on how Northern see fit to use them or not after the Bolton-Wigan electrification is completed. Not to mention if anyone (like Scotrail, potentially?) picks up the other ones which are currently stored spare (though that's rather unlikely IMO).

[@casualyconfusedlive6931]

Hello man of vans

[@amessman]

Great! Something interesting to listen to on the ride home tonight.

[@Jamtrain2012]

I’ve been really enjoying your videos recently. I am just getting back into railways after a few years of trying to be ‘too cool’ for it. Your videos are impressively well researched and narrated in way someone with little knowledge can fully understand. I feel I always leave well briefed on the chosen subject.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Cheers from Canberra AU, RMV,. always a relaxing watch. -)

[@barrydysert2974]

i adore the sound of the 319's motors accelerating and decelerating !:-)

[@EM-yk1dw]

Excellent documentary once again ❤

[@lindsaydonovan6241]

Seems hilarious how they kept adding first clast, removing first class, adding/removing pantographs & renumbering, instead of just having a uniform fleet!

[@scofab]

Fascinating as always, thank you again.

[@michaeloreilly657]

Nice to see lots of your own work on this video.

[@grahamdoyle5330]

Trains passing through St Paul’s Thameslink (now City Thameslink) can be seen from 08:22 to 08:50, when that station was new, and still open to the air and weather; it has now been completely covered by buildings. It seems to be filmed when the platforms were built but before the station was opened. First we see (1) Southbound train emerges into the light down the slope out of the Snow Hill tunnel, approaching the platform, then (2) A northbound train passes the open-air platform and enters the Snow Hill tunnel, (3) a southbound train goes up the slope towards Blackfriars. I remember once catching a train from there when it was open like this, and am very happy to have found some film showing it.

[@obelic71]

These sort of EMUS are the unsung heros of every railway company. f.e the Belgian NMBS classic MS eletric units are recently withdrawn fron service. The first batches were introduced in the 1930's and the latest build in the early 1980 's! Only new rules and regolations made them obsolete not the technical part

[@Londonmidland319lover]

Been waiting for this video for ages

[@joelightrailway2362]

I really like these units as I as a kid of the 1990s, really like the design of these fabulous units a long side the old Mk1 electric units Classes 421 & 423 as well the modern units like the Class 377s. I’m sad they have left the Southern region as I always like the electric traction motors when they depart at stations. I really do hope that maybe one will be preserved personally as they by far the best units of the 1980s, 90s & 2000s.

[@Sacto1654]

The Class 319 seemed to have run in quite exemplary service during its lifetime, kind of rare considering the sometimes questionable reliability of many train sets built after the 1955 BR modernization plan.

[@robertperring4194]

Pedantry Corner here. Cheriton is pronounced as you would with the word Chat. Minor matter, but as I lived near there for some time and therefore important to me at least. Thank you

[@mdhazeldine]

Small correction at 4.08 it is the Snow Hill tunnel, not the Stow Hill tunnel.

[@True_NOON]

To the list ✅️

[@AberdonaiBrum101]

Yet again,BARVO! Also Idea: Could you do the turbostars sometime?

[@railquest]

Cracking video! Audio quality sounds amazing now!! 😃

[@AndrewG1989]

Northern should still the Class 319 and Class 769. And could also have more Class 319 and Class 769 to boost more extra capacity across the Northern network. As Class 769s are Bi-mode can go anywhere in the North of England. The Class 319 were also used on Gatwick Express-Rugby back in the Network Southeast days.

[@owenchuarbx]

They should be given the name. Thameslinkers

[@paukastell7210]

Rember when they were with southern trains

[@kingallstar6460]

The Class 319 - One of the best sounding trains in the UK

[@joelightrailway2362]

The best sound from any EMU of the Southern.

[@georgeadams2555]

growing up, i always used to wish to travel with southern as it meant a electrostar instead of one of these with thameslink

[@andrewreynolds4949]

There are at least 30 units still out there in various forms, though only the eight 769 units with Northern see regular service. It's somewhat likely they will be retired after the ex-WMR 323s enter service and the Wigan-Bolton electrification is completed, but we will have to see.

[@Norffff]

Another very good video Keep it up!

[@MainlyHuman]

I was looking forward to seeing 769s on the Reading to Gatwick line, the three car units currently in use have had inadequate capacity for quite some time. I saw some on test on the line, however I gather from chatting to a couple of guards on the regular service, that the units were underpowered by comparison to the older stock and thus unable to climb (or at least keep good time on) some of the steeper gradients east of Guildford. Quite an embarrasing end to that project, which at one point I think was planned to give a direct service between Gatwick and Oxford.

[@subnormality5854]

I want to like this video, coming out on the traditional Saturday morning. But I'm having a bad morning just now.

[@subnormality5854]

I love you

[@jacksebsmith]

Thameslink City Metro branded 319/3 units didn't operate out of Victoria. They operated Luton/St Albans City to Sutton/Wimbledon

[@bfapple]

3:11 I’m not sure what you mean about the 319 modified bodyshell. The 317s operated, on-and-off, the very same Farringdon-Barbican-Moorgate services as the 319s for several years.

[@tjpep1926]

Is this tts of your own voice?

[@leonsacher3919]

Can we please get a video talking about the PEP? (Class 313 , 314 etc) please??? I would love it and I bet some other ppl, too

[@spongatejunction]

Graham Farish do an excellent model of the class 319 EMUs I have got two of these

[@bfapple]

And an additional 16 319 ‘clones’ built for Royal Mail in ~1995.

[@ethmister]

Class 150 please.

[@LolLol-xy4rh]

Please tell me that 319 008 and 319 009 were saved

[@NE23_Media]

I've just looked those units up they are now class 769 but I'm unsure what unit number they are now

[@u7yf3tz5vm]

319008 is now 769008 and currently in storage, 319009 is now a parcels unit numbered 768002.

[@jonjohnson2844]

Not liking this new narration style, the elongation of the last word is particularly jarring.

[@MannyAntipov]

Also the pronouncing of “Connex” makes him sound like he’s saying “Connect”

[@BeastofCaerBannog]

I was wondering if my hearing was off. Glad it's not just me. Yeah it's pretty jarring.

[@NeilEvans1980]

Yeh this doesn’t sound like a real person anymore? It’s too clipped? Bad compression maybe?

[@mattjones1992]

⁠@@NeilEvans1980speed at 1.25 sounds human lol

[@CrumpledSandwich]

Microsoft Sam recorded this one

[@NeilEvans1980]

Not enjoying this new naration sound, the super clipped weirdly nasal sound is deeply off putting

[@TheTrainMaster15]

@@NeilEvans1980when working with new equipment you have to make a lot of iterative changes over time. Just give him time to tweak and work off feedback

[@NeilEvans1980]

@@TheTrainMaster15 is this new equipment though? Sounded more like text to speech: if not then that compressor needs to be dialed WAY back as it makes every word sound like a horrible head cold.

[@mdhazeldine]

Was this video narrated by AI? It doesn't sound quite like your real voice, but like an AI emulated version of your voice. Sounds borderline robotic.

[@marcusvictor1559]

Elocution beginning to sound more conventional. Vowels ending sentences might be improved by shortening, plus overall pace reduced by about 15%

[@joelkemp5835]

These things were always in an awful state under first growing up

[@MartinIbert]

All units carrying an orange fascia are obsolete. Please re-paint them.

[@NeilEvans1980]

Is it not pronounced conn-ex

[@MannyAntipov]

it is

[@AtheistOrphan]

It is. I listened to the station announcers pronouncing it that way every day for years! How do you think it’s pronounced?

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

I needed to know why they couldn’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for most of the mainline Trains so that they could extend the unused abandoned underground train 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 which will include the class 507, class 508, class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign all of them into an overhead wire line trains and also make most of them into Five carriages 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 Gardner 6LXC, Cummins M11, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner LG1200 and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 8-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 10-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 507, class 508, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into 11 carriages per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers? A Stock Train and 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 even much more Larger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Railway tunnel into a High-Speed Railway lines? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Railway line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. Then put the modernised 11 carriages 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 Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 carriages per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 47 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project if that will be OK for London Australia, 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 Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from the Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden more 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 can they also make another brand new underground train station in Chingford and could they extend the Piccadilly Line and the DLR right up to Chingford? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Gardner 6LXC, Cummins M11, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner LG1200 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 can they order Every 87 Octagon and Every 48 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 147MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 147MPH 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 18 Tonne Boxes of Coal for all of those 147MPH 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 very important Professional ideas Please? Prime Minister of England, Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister of Germany, Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.

[@SportyMabamba]

Take your medication

[@EmyrDerfel]

TLDR

[@cameronirvine37703]

Away you @canadineboxhill-harris2983 Stop commenting spam on people’s posts. No one is going to read it.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

Questions one at a time please. But I think most of them can be answered with “that would be too difficult, cost too much and give mediocre end results”. And generally steam locomotives cannot even sustain speeds much higher than 100 mph, much less 147 mph.

[@paukastell7210]

Not here as well