HST's at 125mph and more at Goring (Nr Reading) 1989 - BR Network South-East

From The Archives....
About 9 Miles outside of Reading lies an unremarkable station by the name of Goring & Streatley.
So is this Boring Goring or The Place For A RACE!! Watch the video and see...
Features HST, Classes 37, 47, 50 & 56

[@brushhead]

Bought a lump to my throat seeing how the railway was when it had character aplenty!

[@permissiontoshoot5036]

I'm 52 now, but remember the days you could stick ya head out the winda at a ton on the mk2's and a Peaks screaming turbo and those smells - thank's for posting - brought back some good memories.

[@seanomahony5692]

When trains were trains and they had character. Thank you, great video.

[@RailFlicks]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@powernetworker6526]

I agree that these are nice, but nowadays trains have as many layers to their heart as those featured here Some People would say the same about steam engines, would probably say that these have no character and that steam trains were the true best of the best The point in making is that it's subjective (often depending on when and where it was that we grew up) Like I say though, it's true, these are amazing

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@RailFlicks those old Paxman Valentas were screamers, I miss them.

[@class43paxmanvalenta125mph]

yes they where actual trains the only good train nowadays is a 220 bc they are ACTUALLY FAST

[@granthardy3550]

The good, the bad and the overheard. What can you say mind the gaping chasms.

[@stevewaldock4379]

That summed up everything I loved about that era.

[@RailFlicks]

Funny isn't it? We mourned the end of steam, and now we mourn the end of diesel locomotives! Will anyone mourn the end of the multiple unit? Oh I expect so....

[@eckmo7669]

Could watch this all day. Miss this time.

[@formidable38]

Used to be my loacl station up until 1992. I spent many happy hours there, especially in the early to mid 80's before girls and beer took over. I even did a couple of overnights there in around 1982, back then, even the ticket office was manned all night and the station manager invited me in for a brew in the small hours of the morning. The traction variety was something else back then! Happy days, thanks for bringing back the memories!

[@michaelgardiner520]

That’s how I remember the railway when I was a lad, FANTASTIC

[@braddooley9586]

Yeahh proper rolling stock and diesel engines and dmus

[@OlafProt]

Fantastic video. I had a day trip to Reading with my mum in 1979 and it was wall-to-wall HST and 47s. Plus back then the line I came from Dorking on had the Tadpole Units still going, the thumper engines. They had a big of a scream too, but nothing like those old HSTs of course! Love seeing that DMU they replaced the Tadpoles. They had a great seats right behind the driver so if he didn’t close his blinds you got a brilliant up front ride, watching him hit the AWS and using the brakes etc. I still remember all the noises. Being a bit bleak for a moment I would imagine this station was popular with those that wanted to jump. I remember “fast trains” (VEP and CIG) flying through Wimbledon years ago and the staff said they always got one or two a year. It’s no surprise that those of us lucky enough to grow up in the (what became) Network South East area, have such an interest in trains. So varied and interesting. Not now of course I see videos and they all look the bloody same! I always like the flashing red lamp on the back of goods vans that you saw at night, on the Reading-Tonbridge line. Usually class 33s

[@pipcopur]

Came across this totally by accident but what a very pleasant watch it was. Thanks for uploading.

[@dukedepommefrite1467]

There's nothing more satisfying than seeing an HST blast through a station at 125mph

[@saintnick7]

Oh the memories, I will literally never forget that scream, first heard it at Slough in 1980s, fell in love...

[@speedbirdconcordeBOAB]

My favourite years for rail late 80s early 90s. Some great locos still around and Valenta powered HSTs. Even the sound of the 117 dmu at the beginning got me all nostalgic. Nice footage.

[@pauldavies3595]

Thank you for posting this terrific video, many memories came flooding back of a railway with variety! Wonderful to see 'my' loco 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel, I used to follow her everywhere when a young 'trainspotter'! Sadly, no longer with us.

[@edwardbyard6540]

My parents used to commute from Didcot to Paddington every day, on the HSTs. I have fond memories as a kid of going to work with them. The scream of the Valenta engines was just incredible. At Goring & Streatley now, sadly the platforms on the right of this film are now entirely fenced off as they haven't been used for a long time - so you can't get up close to passing trains at full pelt.

[@qasimmir7117]

I used to attend Stanley Grove Primary School. The main line out of Piccadilly Station was on a 20ft raised bank right next to the playground. Many trains would go past but I distinctly remember Virgin’s HSTs at slow speed (10-20mph) accelerating. The screaming was unbelievable, a machine that was as loud as an aeroplane right in front of me. I even remember once, a class had done a school assembly about pollution from the line. They had written letters to whoever it may concern about the noise disturbing classes and the fumes killing our plants (the line was also next to our garden). No doubt that their assembly had been influenced entirely by the HST. I loved it, while teachers and kids always looked in horror.😂

[@cravensdmufan4449]

Absolutely brilliant footage! Great main line action - but also well done for capturing the humble Class 117s (loved the exhaust rasp!). Nice shot of the original interior of the Mk3 trailer pre refurbishment, and IKB running light engine at speed was the icing on the cake! Thank you very much for sharing with us.

[@RailFlicks]

You're welcome! And thanks for your kind comment. Just wish I had more time to put more of this archive stuff on YT, but I will get around to it eventually.

[@sk1nzsk1nz34]

Mate of mine who was a driver back then said the you could feel the power of the 50s above anything else out there. It was his favourite loco to drive. He took me out for the night on a 47 with mixed freight, wish I'd had a video camera back then. Great video, thanks.

[@peterg957]

I used to drive the 43's out of Kings X up the ECML... With 4500 hp under the bonnet ( 2250 hp ) one up front and one up the botty there was plenty of power on tap... Pulling out of the station on notch five with the Paxman Valenta turbo's screaming their little heads off and clouds of exhaust smoke ( sorry Greta Thunberg ) was something to behold with more excitement to enjoy... 125 mph here we come although they would top 148 mph... Now there is food for thought but as I did not fancy tea and biscuits with the Boss well need I say more.. 1

[@peterg957]

@Red Lobster Skull Lovely Plodders...

[@markcolston7043]

best days ever on the railway,i miss it badly

[@paulknightley]

I was a kid in the 80s living in the area and this brought back all the great memories!

[@kiely4561]

I remember the intercity 125’s as a child, they used to scare me a little but also filled me with exhilaration as they flew through stations at speed.

[@roberthill6216]

I like the bit towards the end when you were chasing 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel. As it hapoens the only one I am short of is 47500 Great Western in the dame livery. I have all the others, 47079 George Jackson Churchward 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel 47628 Sir Daniel Goich 50007 Sir Edward Elgar 121020 in GWR chocolate and cream livery And B430 the 117 in GWR chocolate and cream livery All for the GWR 150 celebrations in 1985. I also have the class 57 in the same livery, 57604 Pendennis Castle, in the same livery. I have 60081 in GWR lined green on order with Cavalex through Rails of Sheffield. 47500 is the only one I need to complete the set...

[@torino390]

Only just found this excellent video. Reminded me of how much I miss big powerful diesel engines. 💪😉

[@RailFlicks]

Welcome aboard!

[@MrBooojangles]

Amazing footage again, by the way. I used to love the HST 125's going at high speed, not getting much chance to do routes on them as a passenger myself.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

Great video and love the old 125s i grew up with seeing developed and the big logo'd BR engines, especially class 37s.

[@markcolston2930]

Great times for the railway,just as I remember it as a kid,spending many days at tilehurst station

[@YTdannycookevids]

Great to see things from how it was "back in the day" at the locals! And ill never forget watching trains from that footbridge in Reading as a kid!

[@scopex2749]

Beautiful lovely tosee the old Hoovers in service again and the unforgetable Paxman Valenta powered HST's - we shall never see their like again.....

[@lindsaypickett6146]

Such a great video! Makes me think of my dad. Great stuff! So great!

[@siddywiddyb]

Brilliant! Thank you for letting me relive that era!

[@RailFlicks]

Our pleasure!

[@MrBooojangles]

I've got so much footage of rail stuff from the 80's, 90's and 00's, that I want to upload in the future, when I not got much local stuff to do, that it would take me years to edit and I'm having a job to even find time to use my computer at the moment due to a medical condition making me tired more in the evenings, which my doctor won't do anything about yet.

[@RailFlicks]

This is my problem exactly, finding the time to do all my current filming commitments, and upload all the archive stuff as well! Sorry to hear you're affected by your medical condition too. 😢

[@MrBooojangles]

@@RailFlicks thank you for your kind words. I've since gone to a different doctor, a specialist in fact and he immediately gave me help. It's early days yet and I can still be tired for a few evenings a week, but just last week, I've been able to start using my computer again, thank goodness. It's going to take more then a year to fix the condition he said, but I should have more energy back at the end of it. 🙂👍🏽 Thing is as well. I do loads of photos of different subjects too, so as well as a backlog of videos to do, I also have around 20,000 photos to sort through from about the last five years or so, LOL. 😁

[@lewis72]

I often used to catch a Valenta 125 from Paddington to Reading during my uni days in the early '90s. Paddington always had the welcoming sound of numerous thrumming V12s in the background.

[@fircombehallrailwayoogauge1430]

Great historical footage!

[@AndreiTupolev]

This is awesome! Looked like 47484 was on test from Old Oak; they gave it a good workout. Nice to see an HST interior in original specification too

[@philjones1432]

Amazing video, thanks for posting such great memories.

[@cjmatthiasakamatt8174]

I remember the different locos during the 80s as a young lad and the early 90s growing up as a teenager.

[@Spark-jq2gf]

Britain's railways had so much more character back then

[@Liddy37]

Great video, thank you, brings back many identical memories from Pangbourne

[@stephenpowell5912]

The Good old days before Privatisation ❤️

[@redbee7292]

Great video and a great race at the end 😎 many thanks

[@sheldontaylor82]

Ahh the good old days of British Rail, when there was such an interesting variety of locomotives and trains. Unlike today, just boring uninteresting plastic Japanese trains that all look the same 😢. Glad I was a 70s and 80s child and got to see diesel in its full glory 😊

[@RailFlicks]

Indeed!

[@MisterHampshire]

Agreed.

[@paulbb27]

Love seeing the old locos & hsts blasting through! back when diesel locos were good ✅

[@aA-ye1cf]

brilliant and thank you, I used to live there, oh such memories and sounds !

[@philbennett4150]

Excellent video mate. Want to see these things of beauty giving it beans, bringing back the memories of smells and noises. And hanging my head out making it look like a horsebox! 😁 Well done! 👍

[@woodlandsteve]

Fantastic, happy days I feel privileged to have enjoyed.

[@TheSimonhammond]

Twyford station in Berkshire used to provide equal entertainment! My school playing field in Woodley, Reading backed onto the Tywford to London network.

[@lewis72]

Not many 125s _didn't_ stop at Reading.

[@clarky2356]

Love the raspy noice of the first generation DMUS and my god them hst absolutely beautiful sound days that we will b Never see agam

[@Trainvids716]

Brilliant video, excellent footage.

[@s.a.m_e.v.a.n.s]

Fantastic video would love to have somome try remaster the sound. Nothing beats those 43s

[@jijokoshyksjijo3989]

whatever they say about modern highspeed electric trains. diesel/steam trains are something else.. even though they aren't as fast as modern trains but we could feel the sense of speed very much..😍😍 sadly I couldn't get to experience all that to the fullest.. as I am relatively young..and the world is going electric.. really going to miss them..

[@RailFlicks]

At least there's plenty of Diesel Gala days at many heritage railways to enjoy!

[@rowanpeacock8892]

I love how the 47 is wiping its eyes at the end after the loss

[@richardwills-woodward5340]

125mph 'maximum permitted speed' but often ignored to reach 135mph and even the much rarer 140mph club - a speed also reached on the Newcastle to London press run that managed it in 2hrs 19 minutes and a top speed of 141 mph.

[@RailFlicks]

And then it comes off on a Hornby 1st radius curve! 🤣

[@richardwills-woodward5340]

@@RailFlicks Mine too!!! Always made those curves too tight :-S

[@thecornedbeefcouncil9792]

Line speed on the up main through Goring and Streatley is 120mph, increasing to 125 beyond the station. 125 on the down main and 100 on the relief lines.

[@RailFlicks]

Thanks for the info!

[@hoagy_ytfc]

If it stops at Reading, can it even reach 125 by there? Coming out of London, they don’t hit that speed until past West Drayton in my experience.

[@jpdronography1]

@@hoagy_ytfc Oh yes, they certainly did reach that speed even if stopping at reading. You can see the difference between the 100Mph class 47 and the HST's in this video! Thanks for your comment. Different areas and line speed may affect how far away it takes to reach the max speed. 👍😊

[@thecornedbeefcouncil9792]

@@hoagy_ytfc yes, an HST could easily reach 125 by Goring in either direction even if stopped at Didcot on the Up or Reading on the Down. The 120mph speed limit relates to the up only, the down is 125mph all the way to Didcot.

[@thisisbob1001]

The good old days. Use to do derby to London most weekends back in 90s

[@chrsrwlns]

I was more interested in the first train that we saw setting off from the opposite platform. The old fashioned diesel with "proper" gears, not modern automatics as in the 195's now. I used to go to school in Manchester from Hebden Bridge in one of those around 1961. I couldn't see the class number and it probably wasn't the same as the ones I caught, but the gearing and sound was the same.

[@RailFlicks]

I think many of them had Leyland bus engines in them, if I remember correctly!

[@cryptidhunter9901]

Some drivers used to push these trains to over 140mph in certain sections back in the 1980s.

[@RailFlicks]

Suspect, not with the traction inspector on board though! 🤣

[@peterthornton2396]

What a fantastic video!!!

[@oldschoolpaul73]

This video could just be titled ‘ look how boring today’s railway is’.

[@RailFlicks]

Ha! Ha! Ha! That's funny, but I'm sure they'll be others that disagree!🤣

[@jacquesoeuf]

Those Hoovers, magic..

[@class43paxmanvalenta125mph]

To be honest the first hst is actually kinda scary soundinng

[@50037]

Great to see, brings back the memories... By the way, what was the lively Pub called, spent the evening there one Christmas Eve about 25 year's ago!

[@RailFlicks]

No idea, I'm afraid. Thanks for your comment! 👍

[@caileanshields4545]

Accidently hit dislike on this (ruddy butterfingers). How I wish I were old enough to have experienced this first-hand. Valenta-powered HSTs, 37s, 50s, 56 and a motley lot of 47s. What's not to like? Love how your microphone could barely handle that 56 at 2:23; one of the best-sounding diesels ever to run in this country IMO.

[@davewarren5195]

Love the HST,s.... Inter City 125,s

[@aprotosimaki]

thank you!!

[@RailFlicks]

You're welcome!

[@markcolston7043]

i loved those days,

[@geraiswaiya2347]

Even today, Goring feels wild.

[@shahedmc9656]

Great video! What typical destinations were served by the loco hauled Network SouthEast services?

[@DexterCadd]

Banbury and oxford usually

[@AndreA-ke2id]

The HST @ 4.15 did it for me. They would have been doing this before any TGV or ICE trains.

[@planeguy9744]

Those were the days

[@JamesPetts]

Very interesting! Where was that HST of which you filmed the interior? This was in blue/grey livery, of which I believe that virtually none were left on the WR in 1989.

[@RailFlicks]

I believe I was travelling from Reading towards Goring, but it was a long time ago. The VHS tape label from which this film came from was dated 1989, but it's possible the tape was started in 1988, so it could be from then. Thanks for your comment.

[@JamesPetts]

@@RailFlicks ahh, yes, that makes sense. There were still blue/grey carriages around in 1988.

[@wisehat_yt]

this goes to show... once a train spotter, always a train spotter :)

[@RailFlicks]

That's true!

[@Martindyna]

Awesome video only spoilt by the abrupt cut off (into that horrible white noise) of the Pressed Steel ?? DMU departing Goring & Streatley shortly after going into second gear with the exhausts in mid rasp 0:25

[@RailFlicks]

Sorry for that! I never was a big fan of multiple units of any kind. A lot off spotters poked quite a bit of harsh fun at DMU's that made farty noises! So it was a bit of a joke at the time. But now they're all gone I actually miss them now!

[@Martindyna]

@@RailFlicks haha same here !

[@Ash-928]

@@RailFlicks I like the charm of those old DMUs. I remember the first time travelling on one and finding it odd hearing a train change gears!

[@justandy333]

I love the classic Intercity livery of the HSTs back then, they look amazing, not like First Groups 'modern' colour scheme. Plus the sound of the old Valenta engines was just awesome to hear. Sadly they're mostly gone now except the cut down baby HST sets in Scotland.

[@RailFlicks]

I agree with you!🦘

[@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels]

Best bit: 4:14

[@RailFlicks]

Agreed! Thanks!

[@ANTHONYBOOTH]

SWEEEEEEET

[@Sam_Green____4114]

The LE Class 47 shouldn't be travelling at that speed due to BF regulations !

[@brushhead]

Three aspect signals at 125mph??

[@Crepello100]

Yes there is (or was then) a mix of 3 and 4 aspect signals west of Reading. The 3's are twice as far apart (about 1.5 miles) so it's the same braking distance. Drivers know what's what but it's also obvious approaching the first adverse signal. If that's single yellow they're 3 aspect, double yellow means 4 aspect.

[@BlandNutz]

3:23 what causes that?

[@BigGoucho]

It's called hunting and happens when the wheels bang from rail to rail. Wheelsets might be slightly out of gauge or it could just be because it's the very end set of wheels having all the oscillations end there.

[@formidable38]

This the exact same phenomenon that caused the derailment of the Cliffe to Uddingston cement on the ECML at Thirsk in 1967 and that led to the writing off of 'DP2' and 7 deaths as a passenger train collided with the derailed tanks. The cause was put down to excessive wear in the suspension components of the PCA cement tanks that caused hunting and their eventual derailment at speed.

[@N330AA]

Good times. I miss the loco era.

[@RailFlicks]

My interest died after loco traction was withdrawn. Units just don't do it for me!

[@N330AA]

@@RailFlicks I like a mixture, but now there's hardly any locos. So boring.

[@111672balernabz2010]

Can't beat the scream off an hst at full speed though goring&Streatley, mind you they hammered through Didcot Parkway,especially westbound..

[@N330AA]

@@111672balernabz2010 Yeah they were good. Grew up on the WCML myself though so weren't' so many 125s. Just the one to Holyhead.

[@tomcline5631]

Is this some kind of "ye olde English" mph? I haven't seen anything even approaching 60 mph much less 125.

[@RailFlicks]

You must be referring to the modern railway? 😊

[@animaltvi9515]

Should go to spec savers.

[@animaltvi9515]

@@RailFlicks probably American. 60mph is fast for one of their trains

[@hav431]

never saw a hst

[@nkt1]

The very first train was a HST. And the third, and the fourth...

[@railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf]

Think he means he has never actually seen one in person

[@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels]

0:59 1:16 2:04 - x2 4:14 - best of the lot

[@peterowbottom1110]

4:31