It's All Gone Wrong - Episode 26, Day 44 - Maidenhead to Marylebone

[@markjaques5921]

I have lived in the US for 11 years so it has been great watching the journeys I always loved traveling on trains. What are the odds that I had to go to London for business and was slightly even more amazed to bump into you two at Paddington station. The Americans with me got totally confused and bemused as they thought I had seen some celebrities they way I was talking, good luck on the rest of the endeavor from Seattle USA.

[@RoulinBrooks]

I laughed at Vicki's gasp of astonishment when the pod door opened up. Also, as much as the day didn't go as planned, bravo on riding such a varied range of transport: trains, a car, a bus, a Heathrow pod and the Underground. A day like this isn't great for Geoff and Vicki, but it makes for entertaining viewing.

[@railenthusiast88]

Thank you for carrying on despite the heat and delays. Although not the best day for travelling it was a good snapshot of when things go wrong on the railways. Your day reminds me of one I did from Leeds to Porthmadog return. A domino of delays on the way and when the guard realised on the transpenine route the late running meant I missed the connection at Manchester and my next train was in 4 hours sorted an alternative route and a taxi from Bangor. Trust with the temperatures dropping the next few trips are less stressful.

[@thestargateking]

When I eventually go to the UK this video series will be my travel guide

[@crazyoncoffee]

Tina Onions - was a Marshall once. When?

[@TomLane11]

In the Evening Peak (roughly when you were at West Ealing, I think?) on that day the performance measure for on time trains hit 0% for local stopping trains out of Paddington that evening.

[@dorsettyke]

I could feel your pain at the end of that vid. Nothing left in the tank!Well done :-)

[@etmccaus]

Stayed up late here in the U.S. catching up on ATS videos and in a stroke of serendipity, caught you both on BBC World News. Worlds collide!

[@geraintpreston3959]

Thank you for visiting my adopted station and giving it a quick walkaround despite the HOT heat! I get to visit my hometown so rarely these days.

[@matthewb6916]

Changed at Grantham for Kings X countless times, not once have I stepped outside the station! Great video, this series is everything I expected it to be and more! Cheers, Matt

[@Nooticus]

Thanks a lot for persevering when things go bad to carry on making these amazing videos!

[@andrewholloway231]

I would like to say, thank you Dan. You're doing a grand job.

[@DanLoudShirts]

Well thank you very much, sir!

[@davidmabon4091]

DanLoudShirts and Dan you have a marvellous Mondeo

[@riccisun9695]

Congratulations for being featured on TV! Been following your journey from the start and it's amazing to see Britain from such a different angle especially for foreigners like me from Hong Kong, so way to go and looking forward to all the great videos ahead!!

[@moritzl7065]

"The next train is 11 minutes followed by one in 12 minutes" It's sad how common that is on the Piccadilly line...

[@ianmcclavin]

I suppose having 50% of the Heathrow branch trains coming from Terminal 5 and the others from the T4 loop doesn't help. That explains the dwell times at T4 Station.

[@sonnyrowles1769]

Fantastic episode Geoff!

[@connorgeorge6294]

When your a lover of Planes as well as Trains and you're freaking out when they are at Heathrow!

[@DanLoudShirts]

what you missed on film but Geoff And Vicki reacted to was a 747 going right over the top of us. an amazing sight!

[@connorgeorge6294]

DanLoudShirts amazing!

[@linusfotograf]

Dan the Man. He seems so friendly and cheerful.

[@DanLoudShirts]

I'm a miserable old bugger really.

[@camotech1314]

​@@DanLoudShirts your profile picture says different 😅

[@michaelwatson113]

Well done you two. The weather is way hotter than normal. Train service is disrupted more than usual. And you stay cool. Good on you. You found some great shots,eg from the pod. And you gave a good challenge to commuters: look around that transfer station. All in all a good day.

[@DarthJedi2005remixes]

I used to live in Leeds as a student and became very familiar with the platforms at Peterborough and Stevenage when catching the train back to my parent's house in Cambridge. Wouldn't have a clue what they look like from the outside!

[@Tevildo]

Stevenage doesn't really have an "outside" - the ticket office etc are all on the footbridge between the car park and the leisure centre, so what you can see from the platform comprises the entirety of the station.

[@smdhomeworkhelp]

Great episode! Obviously not nice to see everything going wrong in the afternoon but ultimately that shows that the trains are not always perfect. You will look back on this episode in 10 years time and be glad it happened just to illustrate how frustrating trains can sometimes be. We all love trains but we also know they are susceptible to problems like any other mode of transport.

[@CallingAllStations]

Wakefield Westgate, now that's a station I can't count how many times I've changed at and never ventured outside.... Next time! Good old tube trying to save the day... still, well done on managing to turn a stinker of a day into another great episode!

[@joshmorris5580]

Calling All Stations it's lovely outside very modern with some greenery with a slope up to the city centre it's about a 5 minute walk into the city centre from the station

[@julieaylward7033]

I must say that I preferred the old Wakefield Westgate (Denton Station in A Touch Of Frost). The new one is too clinical, not on a bus route, has a microscopically small drop-off area, has the First Class lounge at the wrong end of the platform and does not have an Upper Crust buffet. Apart from that....

[@joshmorris5580]

Julie Aylward going to look for photos of the old train station. I know there was a free city bus that stopped outside the station and other places of interest I don't know if it still is in operation

[@julieaylward7033]

Hi Josh, Yes, the Free City Bus still runs but but only between 07:30 and 18:40 (17:00 on Saturdays) and not at all on Sundays!

[@joshmorris5580]

Julie Aylward I live in Doncaster I like Wakefield it's a very nice small city everything is spread out a bit but I like it. shame the free bus doesn't run on a sunday

[@ambivalent_hoax]

I do enjoy all the aside moments in these videos where you find a point of interest or someone with whom to talk. Also, never knew about those pods. Rather nifty.

[@airfoxtrot2006]

Brilliant photo loved the Heathrow pods!

[@scottdurling3857]

When you have to run through a station you should shout "All The Stations Coming Through, make way for All The Stations!"

[@klaudiagrob]

I really admire what you did. It's unbelievable.

[@320ifq]

It is a shame things went so badly, the Maidenhead/Marlow (walk along the Thames ) Henley / Twyford loop on a summers day really is world class tourist trip ....... Try it again on a summers day when that is all you have to do other than be at the flower pot pub Medmenham for lunch.

[@DanLoudShirts]

.... or the Bounty at Bourne End!

[@TheFrozenSaint]

Or just gone to the Marlow Brewery

[@Parlophonic]

The Bounty is officially in Cookham because it in Cockmarsh on the Berkshire bank of the Thames.

[@zigzogoid4591]

The Marlow Donkey used to have a central bay platform at Slough Station in the early 1960's. When it was no longer needed it gradually became full of rubbish until finally it got filled in permanently.

[@rjc83x]

That ending was DARK man....

[@IANROD2000]

Nice to see my hometown Station Maidenhead with no overhead wires…

[@camotech1314]

But electricity is more eco friendly 😊

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

As a wee Lad I grew up near Henley on Thames before I moved to Canada. in the 1970's Thanks for this~

[@KasabianFan44]

I don't think many regular users of Clapham Junction know what it looks like on the outside 😆

[@ashleypike125]

Yep, I pass it all the time, changing from South West Trains to Southern and I have never been outside of it.

[@connorgeorge6294]

KasabianFan44 true

[@robz7846]

KasabianFan44 Clapham Junc is quite busy, esp near Northcote Road and Falcon Road. I always get the Overground in to Clapham Junction.

[@LucaPasini]

I've been there just once to change between Southern and the Overground, and I went outside just because I was curious to see what was there! (Greetings from Italy)

[@jamesfunnell7075]

KasabianFan44 True but in me you have an exception! Is my local station.

[@Northernlightshow]

The last time I was travelling from Maidenhead to Marlow a few months ago they held the branch line train as there was a busy connecting train that was late. In this case it was full of schoolchildren.

[@DEFarnes]

All the terminal 5 pods

[@TOJPFC]

She said it! Vicki said "Quaint!" Everybody drink!

[@gobears6487]

Vicki!! Thanks for the cute pooch shot! (In a camper in Henley 😎) Awesomeness!

[@roseharvey2664]

Agreed, was sweet. Bet the dog was trying to cool down.

[@mrtulala1]

East Croydon - I often change there for London Bridge, but have never ventured into Croydon itself. I don't think I'm missing much, mind.

[@simontay4851]

Croydon is not a nice place.

[@bowlerstuff9589]

except the trams

[@MrGreatplum]

If only there were more air con trains this day! It looks incredibly warm!

[@DanLoudShirts]

they got an AC blast in my car! plus a plethora of cold drinks!

[@Cptnjenks]

well done guys. great effort despite bad circumstances. keep it going.

[@IainG81]

well done, thanks for your efforts.

[@deadwing04]

Despite the end of the video, this is my favourite episode so far... Heathrow pods and mentioning my birth city, Budapest in one episode... awesome! :D

[@wycombedaz1]

Just downloaded the album good luck guys

[@DarrenKC53]

All the delays....

[@ElectricMotive]

Darren Johnson yes

[@barvdw]

It wasn't better in Belgium, that day. I'm afraid trains don't like temperature hikes. And neither do most humans...

[@davidwho1011]

All the sweating

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

So much for continental railways being much better than ours!

[@barvdw]

You can travel for months and not have a delay. You can take a train for the first time in decades, and have the worst delay ever. That's life! BTW, buses or planes aren't much better.

[@joshmorris5580]

I commend you both trying to do this monumental task in that heat I can imagine it became very frustrating towards the end of the day

[@penaltygallery]

Will the cd be available in Woolworths soon?

[@DanLoudShirts]

also coming out on laserdisc, 78, 8-track, cassette and wax cylinder.

[@DavidLeeKersey]

What no Reel to Reel?!?!?!?

[@DanLoudShirts]

ooh, I forgot that particular format!

[@tomsmith5584]

DanLoudShirts Vinyl records are making a comeback, at least in the U.S.

[@cjmillsnun]

They are here too

[@PaulWhitehead-tl4we]

I used to watch the Steam Donkey (plus 1 or 2 carriage rake)chuffing up and down the valley from Winter Hill where I would be picnicking with my parents on sunny summer Sundays in the early 60's. Amazed to find that the service survived the infamous 'Beeching Axe'. Presume the 'Donkey' didn't make a sanctuary though?

[@jaksims]

I've had to do that same run for the Marlow train before, late running trains seems so common when you have to make a connection...

[@Darren79]

Thank you, Vicki! Your factoid on the Windsor and Eton station tussauds exhibition - I'd totally forgotten going there in the early 80's:)

[@DanLoudShirts]

Darren79 Royalty & Empire it was called. I went there with my school and two of my friends won a competition to meet Joe Brown there (randomly!).

[@jonathancombe9991]

I remember it too. I do wonder if anyone apart from school parties went there. I also went there with school.

[@Roblilley999]

Crazy Cockney Joe Brown?

[@grazeme]

As well as maintaining the replica train I also used to run the theatre show at the station.

[@nmart1n]

Such bad luck! Try it again on a cooler day x

[@harlowrog1]

Best episode so far 👌

[@gobears6487]

Hi guys! Why "donkey"? In California the old logging trains were called "steam donkey", and there's a cool little restaurant in the Sierra, north of Yosemite, called The Steam Donkey! 😀 xo ccfg

[@EARTrains95]

its donkey because donkeys used to run on the line between Marlow and Bourne end. but donkeys died not long after they started on the line so they put trains instead and then proceeded to name it donkey.

[@jamesjames9226]

The intro was like a Bond cold opening

[@whoseeuro121]

Marlow Donkey is a fantastic pub, went with my partner's family and were going for his 40th in 8 weeks :)

[@thomasnorton2679]

the Thames Valley branch lines are beautiful

[@christhetube]

Thank you both for such great videos. Both of you do a great job of presenting. I do have an idea which you may or may not have thought of. How about Preston to Blackpool South and North and you could include the trams (preferably when the heratige trams are running) and don't forget the Pleasure Beach Express.

[@Hanzilla75]

Dan is the man. Good work fella.

[@DanLoudShirts]

I did what I could!

[@timor64]

Wow. You guys worked so hard that day and yet both kept your good humour. Psychologically what I found interesting is when the Heathrow Express/Connect option failed you reached instinctively for the Tube because you know it like the back of your hand. If this happens to anyone else -140 bus runs every 10 mins or so from Heathrow to Hayes & Harlington. Also it doesnt cost £6! I love your videos. Thank you for all of them.

[@cantbants]

Hang on in there guys! It has been far too bloody hot for travel lately.

[@halcyondaystunes]

great episode...and well done for keeping going on the hottest day of the year, i was sat in my god daughters paddling pool while you were negotiating Heathrow :D Loving this series and having been someone who isn't all that interested in trains, i have the urge to start exploring the country myself on them, i just wish it wasn't so expensive.

[@AllTheStations]

halcyondaystunes thanks! Our tip? Get a railcard ... third off, and always buy online in advance! Some great value tickets out there ...

[@LemoncloudGT]

@@AllTheStations go on northern when they do their £1 sale

[@ianmcclavin]

You said about the ride on the Marlow branch being bumpy, same units being used on the branch as on the main line, but you really notice the difference on jointed track after being on continuously welded rail for most of the time!!

[@ethanr__]

8:53 I change at Finchley Road all the time, only been out of it once.

[@graemebrand4740]

I pass through from Gloucester to Paddington for work regularly. Haven't got a clue what some of the intermediate stations look like.

[@grazeme]

I used to maintain the replica Queen Victoria train when it was Madame Tussauds. Now I am a guide in Windsor and tell my sightseers about it. There is a lot of history at the station shame you didn't say more.

[@davekirwin]

Oh, I feel your pain when it all goes wrong! No matter how you try to get round the system, something else crops up to ruin the plans! There is no shame in bailing - lol. Good job on the taxi front Dan.

[@kimburgess]

Poor Geoff and Vicki! I hope you were able to cool down and your next day was better!

[@roberthindle5146]

YAY! Geoff and Vicki have made it onto the Beeb!

[@Football-gaming-Highlights]

At 8:55 this happens to me all the time at Mile End

[@JeSuisRene]

As someone who regularly goes to Mile End… you’re not missing out on much 😅

[@marthaanderson2656]

A Steam Donkey is a steam powered winch once used in logging

[@gobears6487]

Hmmmm, some really very strange stuff on the notice board PIS thingie on the Heathrow Express (around 11:45 or so)... interesting!

[@Tevildo]

I'd be interested to know, as well. 0014D3050B99 is a MAC address assigned to SEPSA, the train's manufacturer, if that helps...

[@gobears6487]

Tevildo I guess I need to read through all the comments again, because I was surprised not more people had input on it! And we know from a prior video that Geoff is connected with a guy who makes/designs/is involved with PIS stuff (not sure how to make PIS plural, LOL!)...

[@Tevildo]

Well, MS becomes MSS, but I'm not sure that we can use the same process in this case...

[@cephalopod7300]

@@Tevildo This is great observation on your part

[@jdoyle5938]

The station at 123 is now just terminals 2&3 as terminal 1 closed. Look on a tube map it's a change most people won't notice.

[@joshuaknight1130]

love the intro

[@dobbigaming1060]

The only thing I love more than trains is... Planes! Great episode

[@radarskiy]

The sequel to Gone in 60 Seconds: Wrong in 90 Seconds

[@borderlands6606]

There was also a Delph Donkey round the Saddleworth villages.

[@SMlFFY85]

I was wondering if anyone would mention that.

[@charliem.6256]

Love it!

[@richardtalbot8769]

Heathrow pods are great, yet they deliver you to the car park lifts to the terminal.

[@Parlophonic]

Aggggggghhhhhhhhh! I've missed you! I live in Cookham! Allas.Oh sorrows all.

[@DerickRethansXdebug]

Heathrow Express' connections are definitely the worst. So many problems all the blooming time I go through there.

[@R3VStudios]

Oh please. In DC, it's 39C. And on this day, there were a TON of strikes.

[@littlemissgiggles165]

I was at terminal 5 last week and didn't know about the pods, I should have watched this video sooner!

[@Cloudrak]

I live in Slough and it is really annoying when people misspell the town.

[@ericrabinowitz6390]

I Love the mechanical praying mantis at 9:26. Could it be quaint?

[@benivanphillips]

Gatwick is lovely and simple. It's on a mainline, so the trains are more straightforward

[@sonnyrowles1769]

I always find that taking the heathrow trains from Ealing Broadway can be so annnnoying so I just take the Piccadilly from Acton Town instead as the services are way more frequent.

[@nightveil4464]

That title has never been more fitting

[@nnmmnmmnmnnm]

You look hotter and more weary as the day goes on, as do all the passers by. Top tip on breaking journeys from Geoff.

[@Divinearchangel1]

Bristol Temple Meads for me, Rarely step outside that station as it's a good place to change from WSM. When I do it doesn't feel right at all xD

[@boldford]

If you go to Slough again look at the roof crestings on the main station building and compare with what was Dartford booking office.

[@johnusher1921]

All The Pods - should have been a bonus video!!!

[@DanLoudShirts]

londonist.com/2014/09/a-ride-on-heathrows-self-driving-pods

[@FMGfootballmadgamer]

Preston and crewe is a station I have changed at multiple times, also Manchester Piccadilly

[@oscare.quiros6349]

Geoff and Victoria: If possible, can you please add a simple map of Britain so that we, non-Brits, could locate more or less where you are each day. Love your show!!

[@steverob5]

Cannot believe I did not run into you - I was getting in to Marylebone station at exactly the same time that you were leaving and headed for the same boarding area. Must have missed you by seconds!

[@juansdf1]

Gorgeous blue Maserati at 3:57 !

[@ianmcclavin]

On the tube, some may be lamenting the demise of the "A" and "C" Stock, but those "S" Stock trains have certainly come into their own with their air-conditioning in the hot weather!! Last Saturday I had to change at Mile End from the District Line onto the Central to go to Stratford, getting into that 1992 Stock unit was like entering a mobile sauna!!

[@mikecowen6507]

Great job saving the day from the jaws of defeat! I'm somewhat surprised at how much equipment was failing at moderately high temps. At the same time here in Phoenix, Arizona we set high temp records 3 days in a row, with 2 of them at 119°F (48.3°C). Despite being miserably hot, our light rail (tram) trains had no outages, even with full air conditioning. It proves systems can be engineered for the environment, but it comes at a price. If this one day is the worst you get, it's not cost effective to engineer for more, whereas we have well into October for many more 100+°F days. (And then there is "heatsoak" which happens in August/September when temps NEVER drop below 100°F at any time of day.)

[@DanLoudShirts]

one of the failure was due to a pigeon which got caught in the overhead wires, exploded and caused the wires to come down on the tracks!

[@radarskiy]

Mike Cowen, what's the lowest temperature you run at in Phoenix? The temperature spread can be as much as a problem as the upper limit. It affects tensioning the catenary wires and the rails. I'm up in Portland, where the typical summer highs may barely get into the 90s but the winter lows can be expected to go below freezing.

[@mikecowen6507]

radarskiy We get below freezing in the winter. It's been known to snow briefly here. We use a constant tension catenary system, so that isn't an issue. During construction we had some broken rails (in winter) due to an improperly high neutral temperature being used. It hasn't happened since.

[@lionvillelion]

great episode. Things are always more interesting when it all goes wrong. No Lord Buckethead at Maidenhead?

[@DanLoudShirts]

Sadly he was nowhere to be seen, but I voted for him! He isn't from Maidenhead sadly.

[@DC4444]

They were filming the Paddington Station documentary on the 19th June 2017.

[@christhetube]

Maybe after you have done all the stations you may like to start on the Preserved lines

[@charliemoir5591]

13:04 is that All the Stations I heard in the announcement?

[@jaceksz3820]

Yes

yaaay the mini chain bridge, Clark Ádám, our hero :D we all learn about Adam Clark in school

there is a square named of him

[@oa_zine]

Wow I bet you didn't expect to be using the E8, my local route! It only recently got converted to DD operation, so you're lucky you weren't rammed onto a packed SD like before. Great video though :)

[@hyphendoubleyou7378]

Would recommend exercising caution re "on the day fares" and Break of Journey (BoJ): only Anytime tickets allow unrestricted BoJ. Some ticket types (i.e. off-peak) on some flows in fact DO NOT permit BoJ. Some others are not permitted on the outbound whilst allowing on the return. Depends on the individual restrictions for the fare.

[@gobears6487]

Hyphen Doubleyou I think it must vary, because I commute on off peak tickets several times a week through Reading and I often break my journey on the way home to do errands (a few shops right next to the station, north side)... 🤓

[@hyphendoubleyou7378]

gobears6487 Oh absolutely, on some it is indeed permitted just fine. Arriva Trains Wales "Off-peak unrestricted" fares though are at least one I know of where BoJ is disallowed on the outbound leg. Restriction code 8A: www.nationalrail.co.uk/8A

[@gobears6487]

Hyphen Doubleyou to be fair (to you), I've never tried to break one of those journeys on an outbound leg, only return 😎👍