Crewe to Chester - DRIVERS EYE VIEW

[@stevenewton6360]

I have travelled this line many times and never knew about it's history until watching this, thanks

[@vparry1]

Excellent video with just the right amount of information re: local history, signalling etc. I loved the occasional shots of trains passing the locations we were seeing from the cab - the windscreen could use a wash! - great for adding context. Looking forward to the next one!

[@ursusarctos59]

Thank you for all the effort that went into this! Not just a cab view but a thorough description of the line and its history.

[@grahamrudd9183]

Ha Ha... With that wheel flat the class 153 sounds just like a steam loco...

[@MichaelBeeny]

Two years later, I wonder if that square wheel has been replaced yet?? How does a wheel get a flat in the first place?

[@steveg3981]

Not sure why this popped into my KZbin but glad it did. I travelled this route many , many times in the mid 1970s to get to my ultimate destination, Birmingham. I had to change at Crewe. Brought back a lot of memories. I learnt a lot about the route, especially the old stations no longer in existence. I recall the Rolls Royce facility outside Crewe where lots of Rollers were parked, viewable from the train. I guess that closed down some time ago. Many thanks Next stop Chester to Holyhead. I used to live on the Menai Straits and could see the bridge !!!

[@CycloneGU]

I love these commentary videos. As this route exists in a simulator environment, I have picked up the bit about drainage problems around a 65 limit and will have to use that myself when I run that route in that environment. Happy to know more about the closed stations, as well. Keep up the good work documenting these routes, they are infinitely better than uncommentated runs.

[@littlejohnuk]

The commentary is very valued. I have been on this line from Chester to Crewe in late Summer - it was really atmospheric and almost like a rite of Autumn.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Magnificent it’s be a year since we last had a drivers eye view

[@sebastianpastor985]

Thanks very much for sharing ! Well done!!!

[@neilcrawford8303]

Excellent video, very well put together. Love the additional information. It's good that the various TOCs participated and let you publish this. They should know that it is very good PR. I wish there were cameras on the front of all trains, with live streaming so passengers on board could watch their journey via the on board wi-fi. I can't help but notice on so many journeys on the East and West coast main lines and other major routes, how many built up areas trains pass, but with no station for miles and miles. Many of these places are still having new developments and constantly expanding. It's not just new lines we need, or old routes brought back to life, we also need lots of new stations built on existing lines to serve the local population. Especially if we have to change our transport habits in the future as we move away from our dependence on the internal combustion engine. Even a small network like Merseyrail has had Maghull North, and is looking at other new stations such at the Baltic Triangle.

[@jessicamorgan3073]

Thanks for another fab video

[@robbiecarr2049]

They also get coupled up with class 158 or 150 and come to us in Holyhead too often nowadays they are nicknamed dog boxes but either way they get the job done

[@stevewalsh1987]

At Beeston Castle the mounds on the left with metal boxes on top are all part of an abandoned GPSS Oil Depot.

[@tram6214]

Excellent, great cab ride .

[@thomasoakleyderbyshire9761]

Amazing vid. I did the crewe-chester shuttle on march 14th this year. It was operated by 158836

[@geoffreymartin2764]

Thanks Paul, always a pleasure. 🏳‍🌈

[@georginajones7939]

Great video Paul!! Xx

[@fatwalletboy2]

No wonder the walk to the open day back in 1980 at crewe works took so long.its a fair old ride by train to the former site.....

[@johnson_street_IEMD]

Great video there 👍

[@Bigbro28]

Great video, but I guess it isn’t worth the trouble to clean the windscreen for a 27-minute journey. 🐨🇦🇺

[@rhysrobertstransportationa1668]

Platform 2 for the 11:19 Transport for Wales service to Crewe, Crewe only, Platform 2 for the 11:19 Transport for Wales service to Crewe, When boarding the train please mind the gap between the train and the platform edge.

[@train4905]

Exellent

[@andrewnyland7090]

Between 5:00 and 5:15 on the right is Crewe Railway works, now owned by Alstom.

[@sharris9267]

Indeed. I have no idea where @Train_Paul_94 gets his info from but this is the second video which states "the works" was at the site of the current heritage centre. And the statement about the works closing in the 1980's is another red herring, as I visited it on a open day in the 1990's !! It's a real shame to be honest, as it let's down the rest of what is a otherwise an excellent video. The only suggestion I could make is to try and get hold of a old edition of the "Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland" by S.K. Baker to help with your research Paul. I have the 1992 edition which clearly shows the location of the works along with the connection off to the right (which can be clearly seen at 4.29 minute mark) in this video. Other than that, keep up the good work but improve the research to iron out those few last glitches.

[@paulbowler2760]

That wheel flat needs attention!

[@iman2341]

Along with w lot of routes in the UK the NW Mainline, especially to Chester seems primed for electrification. That could allow 805s and 777s under the wires and use of some of the upcoming redundant EMUs byTfW. These 153s are really just worn out at this point. Linespeed improvements to 100mph throughout would be welcome aswell!

[@andrewjames3908]

Yes its mad that funding hasnt been allocated for electrification to allow Chester/N Wales to benefit from HS2

[@MattyEngland]

Full chuff ahead captain

[@29brendus]

This line could be electrified at least to Chester without too much difficulty and lower than usual cost.

[@breeze1472]

excellent informative video but whats the hells that racket as your going along?flat?

[@sharris9267]

Yep. A wheel flat. You tend to get them more in leaf fall season aka autumn. As they make the leaves can make the rails slippery and cause the wheels to lock when the brakes are applied. Thereby wearing a flat on the wheel.

[@pakroomitrains]

Superb very nice ❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍🌹🌹🌹🥰🥰🥰

[@yaroslavyatsyk6475]

Are there any plans to restore all closed stations along the line?

[@stephenduncan3605]

They definitely need to reopen a station at Tarporley that's for sure.

[@WOLF-ZONE23]

Can you do Birmingham New Street to Newcastle please (if you can)

[@karlsmith25]

will be taking that route on 10th sept 2024 to chester as going to the zoo :)

[@raywatkins2351]

The flat is appalling. Why is this unit still in service?

[@wam2610]

👍

[@neilcrawford8303]

It's a shame when rolling stock provision is still an issue that some 153s are being withdrawn and even scrapped. Those that aren't PRM compliant, or have retention tanks should be paired with units that are and classed and numbered as a complete hybrid unit. Say 156+153 a 156/9 series. After all, on most trains only one vestibule out of several carriages has access to the PRM lavatory and wheelchair spaces. What's different with using a non complaint 153 coupled to another compliant unit? It should be that the service is compliant, not every vehicle. Perhaps they could have 153 2-car and 3-car sets by having a compliant and one or two non complaint 153s operated and classed as permanently coupled single unit. On a class 350, only one vestibule has PRM WC access out of a 4-car train. No way a wheelchair can fit between the seats or corridor connections along the train to gain access from any other doors to the facilities.

[@SOSOwner]

The 153s were converted from 155s, and both have different doors to the 156s. As a direct result, you can't really reclass these as 156s...

[@SOSOwner]

And yes, the 350 happens to share a common problem with toilets. The 331/1, a more modern train, has this problem aswell. Even 2 195/0s have more toilets (2>1). Your best bet is probably Turbostars or Clubmans (but not early Electrostars), with at least 2 toilets per train, even in 2-coach formations.

[@javierguidounicaud6621]

Thank you for this video, for the info.given, for the details showed and for the views of the Chester city including some "skate" (1) at the disposal for the travellers using the railway. (1) I.do not know the eaxct name in english

[@neilcrawford8303]

We call them e-scooters. You have to be registered with the hire company and believe it or not, have a valid drivers license. Legislation hasn't moved with times. Personal e-scooters can only be used on private land and with the land owners permission. If you do use one on the road, pavement (sidewalk), in a park or public space, there's a good chance the police will seize it and it will be destroyed. Same if you used a Segway, not that I've ever seen one in use here.

[@javierguidounicaud6621]

@@neilcrawford8303 thank you.for the answer. In spanish the name is "patinete electrico". And it is still too early to see them at the exit of the spanish main stations.

[@neilcrawford8303]

@@javierguidounicaud6621 A pleasure to answer your question. The e-scooters on hire are part of government- local authority trials. There are age limitations, driving licence requirements, training, before you are eligible to hire them. The hire also covers insurance, which is mandatory. They are also speed restricted unlike those on general sale.

[@tristacker]

Scooters, stopped by police? Not where I live. There are swarms of them flying round the streets at night with no lights with impunity. Cops no where to be seen.

[@lifeisgood3386]

Are you up to full steam now 😂

[@harryelliott4310]

Transport For Wales Class 153

[@robertturvey2113]

How on earth is a unit with such a bad wheel flat in service. Surely the driver should fail that unit.

[@simonmellor4028]

Wheel ovality tests, flange thicknesses, flange height, metal migration, are checked regularly. Should a wheelset fail this then it will be sent to the wheel lathe. There are also Wheel Impact Load Detectors situated on most lines, to give advance warnings of the requirement for re-profiling.

[@sharris9267]

I've heard a lot lot worse than that before. Ultimately having the flat rectified depends on availability of other units to keep the services running ie. no services get cancelled. Along with availability of depot space, wheel lathe availability and/or if a spare wheel is available.

[@Rog5446]

Someone change that bloody annoying flat wheel!

[@Dunco3550]

Useless when they were built and even more useless now. Surely it shouldn't have been allowed in service in this condition (with the wheel flat).