Glory Days of British Steam

[@167curly]

As a ten year old lad, I went to school in London in 1951, and on my first day there I was taken to the seaside from Victoria station. My most vivid memory was the immaculate Golden Arrow Pullman for Dover waiting to leave with a semi-streamlined locomotive with arrows along both sided of its boiler and diagonally across its smoke box door. Nothing dirty or neglected-looking about that magnificent train and engine!

[@ianhl7174]

Fantastic video of fabulous engines, brings back memories of riding on the southern up to London Victoria and /or London Bridge.

[@MrDavil43]

I really enjoyed this video. What a tribute to all those who's work has given us such a treasure trove of wonderful locos.

[@JohnPW22]

Superb video! Classically presented and full of fantastic footage! Really enjoyed it!

[@TrainsSteamandDiesel]

Thank you for watching.

[@Cromwelldunbar]

Very good vocal narration delivery too: good moderate tones not overfilling the narrative….altho’ apropos the reference description of the workings of the GWR 1400 class I would not have used the term “propelled” as the opposite movement to “push” their common colloquial references being for “push and pull” workings, not being fitted with anything like a propellor! (🥸🤓😇😀hic!)

[@peterhodes6708]

Great to see the locomotives of my trainspotting youth (60 odd years ago!) Many thanks for posting. 😀

[@PeteWilding]

Very professional video,enjoyed it immensely ,thank you

[@JohnGillespie-s5n]

Steam trains . I wish more had been preserved, and were still used on main lines.

[@Phil-go8rf]

We’ve done very well for preserved steam in the UK with more steam operated heritage railways than you can count and a good and varied stud of locomotives certified for main line operation. I now live and work in France where there are no heritage railways like we have in the UK and there are less than half a dozen locomotives cleared for mainline use and there are about ten mainline specials a year. The steam operated heritage lines that do exist are all narrow gauge and only operate on certain weekends and public holidays.

[@darkgreenambulance]

@@Phil-go8rf I recall the obstinate refusal of the authorities to preserve one of Andre`s crowning glories, so to speak - after a plea was made by enthusiasts to do so. I also recall reading about the diesel merchants having to revive their specifications - after Andre`s steam wonders exceeded the diesel one`s offered. A lot of different logics going on here - but not much imagination!! Thanks for that info - I had no idea of the situation regarding steam in France. I believe France held the speed record for an electric train for many, many years. All the best B.W.

[@gainsbourg66]

They should have retained one mainline route for heritage steam, e.g. the Woodhead line between Manchester and Sheffield or the Waverley route between Carlisle and Edinburgh. This is because steam is one of the greatest art forms ever devised and there would be constant public support. The interest in the 'Hogwarts Express' proved that. Railways should be about pleasure and aesthetics as well as function and speed. Modernity is not always the answer.

[@superbdude6656]

@@gainsbourg66 The Great Central Railway (the former great central mainline) is very close to reopening about 18 miles of track. Once it opens we can expect to see some good ol’ double track mainline steam again.

[@robertkirby3158]

Excellent video! You held my attention with the notion that there was no cost saving with the Auto coach based soley on the number of crew. If the locomotive pulled the coach into the terminus of the branch line the driver left the fireman in the cab and established communictions from the auto coach before using the locomotive to push the train in the opposite direction. A single platform and single track was all that was needed, like the Marlow Donkey. While the Henley branch line from Twyford still had a dedicated platform at Twyford it needed twin tracks and points to permit the pannier tank locomotives to reposition. While the locomotives did not need to turn round, they always pulled the train in either direction. Why is this significant to me? Because while the hardware is preserved, in much cleaner condition than the 1950s, the day to day operting atmosphere has been lost. Short trousered 8 year olds with scabby knees did not need platform tickets to wander onto the sparsely populated platforms at Twyford and stare at the Tank engines like puppies wishiing for bones. In the quietest moments the locomotive crew would invite as many as three of us onto the foot plate for the push back of the coach(s), then forward to clear the points followed by reversal to the other end of the coach(s) and then repositioning of the coach(s) ready for the passengers. This was not heritage indulgence but public transport. I now see it as cultural relief from the risks of war and a mood of contentment without TV, washing machines, bathrooms etc. but the certainty of improvement to come. Even we kids had hope that was justified. Videos like this warmly recall such things even if they cannot inject the required hope into the current scene.

[@robnewman6101]

Very Interesting.

[@SimonTog]

Very nice done video :)

[@MrPete1x]

Excellent. Thank you. But why so little coverage of the Southern

[@hharald.reidars.caspers5297]

There seems to be some incompletnesses and inacurasis/faults in this fine YT-video. Firstly,i want to say that this video left out mentsioning the smallest individual-type or class of Brithish Railways standard Tender Steam Locomotives, the 78000 class of 2-6-0 tender locomotives of 2mt power classification. A class of Brithish steam locomotives that i think there are many preserved specimins of today. And there is also the BR standard 84000 class of 2-6-2T steam locomotives, also of 2MT power classification. As far as i know, several locomotives of this class have been preserved as museum locomotives also! Furthermore, i remember reading and/or hearing something about more BR standard 70000-Brittania class Pacific express passenger train locomotives having been secured for preservation than the two locomotives of the class mentioned in this YT-video.( BR 70000 Brithannia and BR 70013 Oliver Cromwell) . Is not the locomotive BR 700?? Owen Glendowr secured for presevation and maybe now undergoing resturation to fully working order, perhaps in Wales. And i think BR 70014? Mercury maybe also still existes almost whole,intact and compleate, maybe?

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Oh! that GW family look .... I can barely tell a 1366 from a 6000 !! Did CoT hit the ton? Personally, I think it more likely that Atmospheric Piston Carriage which set off sans trailing load, with a solitary terrified passenger on Brunel's South Devon Railway (the old broad gauge company) managed that!

[@JohnGillespie-s5n]

I know they were inefficient but what a lovely sight.

[@blairrobinson4760]

GW locos had brass covered safety valves, not brass. That was uswed for the chimney caps.

[@Macc1]

Steam gave way to diesel. Will diesel give way to "Green Hydrogen"...?

[@Samstrainsofficially]

While there's some valid criticism in there, fuel capacity n such. Industrial locos deserve far far more praise than they get. Without them preservation wouldn't be where it is, without them being the first and last mile of so much rail freight movement none of the mainline stuff would have got to where it is and lots of it wouldn't have been restored as the funds to do a lot of early work and PR of steam pulling passengers to get money in for embryonic preserved lines wouldn't have been. They are responsible for so much of what we have, we need a lot more putting into keeping them safe and keeping the widest variety possible of them going. They are wonderful little machines

[@lukegreen5341]

6:59 This Famous Locomotive City Of Truro Is Appears In A Episode Of The Third Series Of Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends The Original Series. Thanks Mate. X❤😂😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂

[@TrainsSteamandDiesel]

LOL Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching

[@justinfuller8803]

Sadly, the Glory Days were before 1939 and decimation following 1947.

[@Ottakring-us3xi]

still rolling steam that is english