Driving The Thameslink Simulator

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) asked me a few weeks ago if I'd like to come and try out their simulators at Hornsey Depot, to which I of course said "Yes!".
Stopping off at Essex Road along the way for a last look of the tiles, I got to have a go on an Electrostar 377 Classroom style simulator, before heading up to the Siemens Traincare Facility (also based at Hornsey Depot) to try out the Class 700 simulator. Thanks to GTR for inviting me, and to Tim for being my instructor.

[@HalfBewolktBestondAl]

Geoff: "Is it sad that I recognise it?" Tim: "Yeah.."

[@stevieinselby]

When you know it's Loogerberooger Junction, it *has* to be northbound because you've got tracks coming in from the left and right.

[@Nico_boost]

When did he say this?

[@RyanHolliday211]

@@Nico_boost about 7:00

@@Nico_boost 6:55

[@gabrielbenjamin3171]

stevieinselby Loughborough * 😂

[@Quasihamster]

"...so I still have to press the AWS then..." "...you're speeding." "can I just coast?" "You're still speeding."

[@InterJon1]

8/10

[@connectingwings7212]

In Germany the train would get an E-Brake application the moment you start to exceed the speed limit (and don't brake in like 3 seconds)

[@xinotron662]

@@connectingwings7212 are you sure about that?

[@xinotron662]

@@troo_story so I want him to explain, in which case that would happen : )

[@connectingwings7212]

@@xinotron662 Actually not a 100% but fairly sure. I suppose you are a German traindriver or so that you can clear me and these commentators up if that's wrong 🙃 - I'm always open for learning new stuff 😉

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Essex Road feels like an abandoned Tube station until you see the Great Northern train. It's weird

[@jussidjachenko9483]

Technically it is an abandoned tube station heheh

[@Blocky7676]

@@jussidjachenko9483 wdym

[@Spacebug111]

@@Blocky7676it used to be a tube station

[@wta1518]

@@jussidjachenko9483 It's a former chewb station, not an abandoned one.

[@gobiwaq]

I'm doing a drinking challenge on this channel. Every time Geoff doesn't let someone finish a sentence I down a shot. Gout is setting in

[@ryxo2354]

Should do the challenge on politic conversations with the news

[@levigriffiths6942]

hahahahaha thats the best thing ive ever read

[@JulieWallis1963]

David Rogers your _poor_ liver 😂🤪

[@DaWolf805]

For anyone wondering what that 'big red button' - the DRA, does: It is basically an extra step you have to go through before getting the train moving again. Once pressed, it will light up red, and the throttle will not apply power. It was introduced because drivers would sometimes stop at stations, forget they had passed a yellow signal to enter the station, and inadvertently pass the red signal shortly after the station - or stop at a station with a red signal, and forget to check it before leaving. Now, because drivers must set the DRA in this situation, they have a big red reminder in their cab that they have a red signal ahead; and they must press it to move the train again, in the process noticing the reminder.

[@NotDavidTrains]

yeah we are not dumb we know what it is i guess you typed this for nothing.

[@jpgamez8169]

I’ll remember this while playing tsw3

[@Mirandorl]

Tim: Student Grade - Fail. Doesn't let instructor finish Geoff: SENTENCES

[@tinyupes]

Essex Road: The Land that Time Forgot Sounds like a good title for a new book...

[@Mattwatts181]

“I was told not to press big red buttons” 😂😂😂

[@coreystrainsaviation4556]

Amazing 😂

[@MeFreeBee]

In the 1980s I lived right above Essex Road station tracks - not that you'd know, it's very deep. My sister wouldn't use the station because the dark foot tunnels made her feel unsafe and indeed there was a nasty series of attacks down there. Being the 80s there was not much in the way of CCTV. Hope it is better now.

[@Stephen_Lafferty]

It's great that you have a set of unreleased videos to draw on whilst we are all socially distancing in lockdown! Thank you for making these, Geoff!

[@EuanBCFC]

Essex Road genuinely looks like it’s stuck about 30 years in the past

[@paulanderson79]

It's a shame that the simulator doesn't use collimated display systems like those used in commercial aircraft simulators. The experience is completely different from looking at a screen. It brings a whole new level of realism.

[@Nimmo1492]

As someone who loves Train Simulator and TSW, I desperately want to have a go of this.

[@Lewwytravels]

The dream school desk you never got... lmao

[@kezza5264]

I once had the opportunity to drive an Class 08 Shunter on the Forest of Dean railway. I can remember the intense concentration as I listened to the instructions. Being told to take up to notch 2, but keep the speed at about 10mph, she could do 15, but I might cause the generator to flash over. And to look back occasionally to check on the train and to keep the speed in check as we went around the curve, as she tends to rally. Even though, it was only for a short trip, got a taste of what it must be like for the professional drivers.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Tell you what - I'd love to see this simulator more in-depth - perhaps sitting in with actual trainees (anonymised or not) and learning alongside them.

[@ianmcclavin]

I went through Essex Road a few days before the lockdown took effect, and sure enough all the tiles had been removed, so the platforms there looked even more "dingy!!" I don't know how far they've progressed with putting the replacements up; I wouldn't have thought it was high on their list of priorities at the moment.

[@icklebean0365]

Love the northern city line, NSE nostalgia is amazing!

[@stefanocoppo3949]

And you HANDILY had a tile in your hand 😂

[@matthewfield2958]

He stopped off at Topps Tiles beforehand.

[@nouram4299]

Essex road is my local train station and I had to wait to get served as the ticket officer was buying weed of a guy😂🤣

[@matthewfield2958]

Reasons why Geoff is not a train driver: "Are the doors Still open?" "You're speeding at the moment. You're still speeding." "Is that the emergency brake?" "yes." "I didn't press the AWS button fast enough."

[@baruchpinnick811]

Another good video, and nice to see Geoff explain why it's no picnic to be a train driver.

[@joffdorling3562]

Great video mate I really like watching your videos there really cool 😊👍

[@Nooticus]

Really great and interesting video! Thanks!

[@BirbarianHomeGuard]

I love the sound of those Thameslink trains on third rail.

[@SWTransport]

Great Video! Looks very realistic. Wish I could use one of those one day

[@LukeAlfordUKsteam]

Mum: You need to go to bed now Me: but Geoff Marshall uploaded Mum: Oh Ok Edit: This conversation actually happened!

[@lankyafrican6970]

Good to know

[@tobyfarman]

You go to bed at 8

[@LukeAlfordUKsteam]

@@tobyfarman No I found out that Geoff had uploaded when I needed to go to bed. Not this video last video.

[@robertpower8828]

Had this before as well 😂

[@ZephenHD]

It's 8PM....

[@MrJimheeren]

Oh that’s a very German looking cab, it has BR422/425 vibes except for the large panels on the left side. TSW trained me for this moment

[@kelvinchan7532]

That's amazing! I would like to have a try on that simulator too!

[@josephlee5294]

Focus Geoff, focus buddy!

[@BlaiddLlwyd]

That looks like it would be really interesting to try out. A little more realistic than Train Simulator on my PC :)

[@Foxys-Collective-Videography]

This looks like tremendous fun Geoff :-). Thanks for sharing this :-). Have a nice evening and take care of yourself Geoff :-D :-). From your friend Foxy :-).

[@RealCadde]

It's a shame there's not more footage of this. Especially the simulator bits. I would have loved to see you actually driving the train for a full route with stops and time tables and issues.

[@ThatVoxelBlock]

I’ve been on the class 700 training simulator around about the time your video of the class 700 was released

[@andrewholloway231]

This is brilliant.

[@peebee143]

It is a lot like driving a car, but in a different way. A lot of it does become like reflex action, driver observation also plays a big part.

[@johnm2012]

It's like driving a car in the sense that you move forwards for a time and then stop. In all other respects is almost entirely different. Perhaps the biggest difference is that a train has only one degree of freedom. It's totally constrained by the rails. I could say that it's a lot like flying an aeroplane, in the sense that you have a seat and a window and a set of controls and it takes you from one location to another and you need to stay alert and it's difficult and stressful when you're a beginner but with practice a lot of it becomes second nature.

[@MichaelSebastianTodd]

ill need to see essex road and the other nse underground station after the restrictions have been lifted

[@whatdoyoumeanbro4964]

So weird and sad not seeing 313s anymore :( I grew up with them they are my childhood I really do miss 313s :(

[@DavidShepheard]

So THAT is where those tiles came from!

[@donsharpe5786]

Having been down that line in the 1970s they had done a good job of making it look right. The minute you said Loughborough junction, I knew where I was. Get out for Kings College Hospital.

[@SkeletonSyskey]

Essex Road gives me Network SouthEast Flashbacks!

[@alfiewhittaker3763]

@networkrail at essex road please keep the NSE as a subtle nod to the past

[@danielboulton98]

Gotta love Essex road

[@Lxmix336]

Sounds hard!

[@tbrooke3016]

The lighting when he's on the platform makes it look like he's on a green screen. Even the lighting there is a little weird never mind the tiles

[@Scwirul]

[@LONDON_Buses104]

The Great Northern Railway Goes to Essex Road as well!

[@alexlangford6291]

People complaining about train drivers strike and saying you dont need drivers just to press a button should watch this video, kt proves that even on an automatic railway you still need drivers.

[@abracadabra8501]

I liked when I heard the train pun

[@keith800]

I think its the Network south east side of Essex road station that makes it look dingy (that weathered maroon colour ) rather than the tiles they are replacing .

[@SeanCrabtree]

That's awsome love to do this

[@SaturnCanuck]

Awesome. I have had time in an A320 simulator and its harder than you think.

[@subwayexpress465]

Will the new Essex Road station tiles be in the same shapes?

[@massivley]

I would love to have a go at this

[@alexgoldfinger5522]

0:47 Hornsey! reppin the home land!

[@HSMiyamoto]

In Sacramento at the California State Railroad Museum, there is a genuine Japanese Shinkansen simulator. Anyone can use it for the price of admission.

[@20quid]

We need to crowdfund to get Geoff one of these for his kitchen.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Just needs SimSig integration.

[@carolinegreenwell9086]

I always wondered what was in that new building I pass on the way to the recycling depot. Now I know.

[@SeanDuffyProductions]

I want a go in that!

[@subwayexpress465]

Poor old 365s sitting in the depot unused

[@NirateGoel]

Did they have any simualted accidents on the line? The one time I tried a simulator (NIR C3/4K) I was instructed to ignore the car crash on the line off the bridge and kep going pretending I didn't see it.

[@OffTheRailsUK]

Haha Geoff, I would've gotten a 9 or 10!

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

I think the old tiles should be preserved: some displayed in the LTM, and a whole bunch stocked in their Acton Depot.

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

Actually, a whole part of the wall (design) should be displayed in the LTM.

[@diogotavares2705]

For when the secrets of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise?

[@Basset86Trains09]

It would be nice to see Geoff in the GBRF 66 simulator, or the Cross Country 220/221 simulators.

[@deathbyteacup]

I dunno why but I had a real sense of dejavu at the start of this video.

[@keiming2277]

Japan Railway Company : You want to try the most difficult train simulator ? you know where to go

[@ds_e5202]

If you are impressed with the classroom style one Geoff, try TSW2020 east coastway

[@PaulfromChicago]

I'm a little surprised this doesn't get rented out for parties. People would pay money to do this

[@MatthewK421]

377999? Seems interesting.

[@zork999]

I heard "Hornsey Depot" and my first thought was "Is it OO gauge?"

[@JulieWallis1963]

Scott Taylor hehe, very witty, but I think you need to be a certain age to _get_ this. Do little boys still play with train sets?

[@zork999]

@@JulieWallis1963 Well, since I have boxes of 1970-1980 era Horby British Rail and GWR OO Gauge trains boxed up in my storage unit...

[@jayzo]

I'm curious to know if they use customized off the shelf train simulators like the one Dovetail makes (albeit with modifications to allow them to configure the scenarios and to support the custom control systems), or if it's 100% bespoke.

[@TuckertonRR]

The video / software system is probably a tweaked version of various "professional" simulator programs. (ie; for air pilots as well, etc) Tweaked to be able to input the physical characteristics of the line/equipment in use. The actual mock up is probably a real mock up with the actual screens & controls on the real equipment, tied into the software program. Hope that makes sense.

[@alexcollins7937]

Its uses ts2020 as base layer but is heavily modified for there use to allow for realism and the cabs are proper mock ups off the real trains

[@DavidShepheard]

It's weird to see Geoff doing a handshake (and not even his standard left-handed handshake) at the end of the video. I wonder what he will be doing, instead of shaking hands, after the lockdown ends.

[@jackhstproductions649]

I would pay anything to have this experience

[@Trevor_Austin]

You have bought back memories. I remember when the Moorgate - Drayton Park was an LT Underground Line. After closure it was then reworked into the extension we now know. Initially it was operated by Class 313 EMU's. Before this you could get to Moorgate via Kings Cross, Farringdon and Barbican by Class 31 Diesel hauled coaching stock or Craven or Class 101 DMU.

[@Williamm519]

1:46 was there like some sort of fire alarm going off when you were standing outside that 'classroom'? 😂

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

so is this MSTS, Railworks (Train Simulator), OpenBVE/BVE4, TSW or some proprietory software?

[@tonytan8721]

The graphic looks like from early 2000 so I guess bve or msts

[@nanuJoe1967]

Had a train on fire just outside my back garden today (class 465 to charing x) just thought of the pressure going through the drivers mind when that happened..saying it was a brake fault, but by the amount of emergency services and police parked up in my street with also police helicopter present makes me wonder if it was something else then a brake overheating.

[@caw25sha]

I was once on a train that had an electrical fire! The driver announced that "due to a fault on the train we will be terminating here." I got off, saw the smoke and thought "yep, there's a fault on the train."

[@JohnTalbot-k6xi]

A+

[@aviewfromtheinterior]

I simultaneously love and hate Essex Road, it’s both beautiful and ugly.

[@MikeWillSee]

Wow someone with the same name 😳

[@londonbuses2937]

Oh my god you met tim who's a driver on great northern

[@Calum_S]

Will Essex Road just be dingy on one side of the tracks with shiny new platforms?

[@gymnasiast90]

I fear it will be, if GTR indeed cannot touch Network Rail's side. Unless Network Rail had their own plans to do some cleaning.

[@pavelsbogdanovs7676]

When are they removing the Tiles.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

What did we do before we had simulators like this? Train on the real thing I guess.

[@justincrawford7508]

We have all , missed the aws especially with the windows open.

[@djk2509]

So that's where the class 365's are being stored.

[@TimWells1000]

Not being stored, they are still in service

[@thespicyicecubexd_8932]

How much for the set up?

[@eddiestuart3898]

Seriously jealous...!!! :-)

[@stevieinselby]

Wow, they've still got Network South East branding 😮

[@darcyfoster6298]

stevieinselby - IIRC, Downham Market still has them as well.

[@gabri_maybe]

@@darcyfoster6298 but they aren't original,are they?

[@copilotconrad]

I bet you were hired by NR to promote Essex Road as being the new star station in the whole of London

[@Basset86Trains09]

Maybe he did

[@MNalias]

They should make a Densha De D, simulator.

[@king.k95]

It ACC feels real , you can see the background moving on the side window and the noises also the interior of the cab 😂😂😂

[@lepus7860]

im guessing this was filmed before lockdown

[@SK_3PT1]

it was filmed in feburary read the descripton

[@jaymarlon7460]

I wish dovetails games could do a greater anglia service from London Liverpool Street to Colchester town , Colchester and Southend Victoria via Romford using the greater anglia class 321 and greater anglia class 360 on TSW3 on PS4 and PS5 because I’ve always wanted to experience driving a greater anglia class 321 and greater anglia class 360 on a train simulator games

[@kk-transport]

Someone's learning

[@cian392]

one thing i can’t get over is how geoff pronounces it sim-ul-ator

[@stefanocoppo3949]

Geoff I personally think all the gtr stations need refurbishment. They are so shabby and they have really nice trains... What do you think? Hi from 🇮🇹 italy

[@peebee143]

Hand, eye, foot co-ordination.

[@Thegoldenemerald]

Like driving a car

[@iamcholgabolga]

1:25 But tiles....old ones are going new ones are coming. He sound terrified when he said that lol