Learning to Drive a Train with GB Railfreight

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

In the 1970's I was at Birmingham New Street 'trainspotting' with my brother. An HST pulled into platform 10 and my brother and myself were beside ourselves with excitement when the 'old-hand' driver invited us into the cab. We gleefully accepted his kind offer and for a lad barely in his teens it left an everlasting impression. Fast forward many decades and I am now a retired HST driver. I have no doubt that the old driver in the HST that day is no longer with us, but I always made a point during my own train driving career to invite as many people as I could reasonably do to "have a look around the cab".

[@OscarOSullivan]

I am surprised a driver that old was allowed to drive the HST.

[@damiendye6623]

​@@OscarOSullivan why 1970s is 50 years ago

[@simonwaldman5497]

When I was a 5-yr old at Paddington, a HST driver invited me into the cab, and asked me to press the Big Red Button to start the engine. I was too scared and refused!

[@SpeccyMan]

@@OscarOSullivan You'll be "that old" one day and by then hopefully you will have learned that the word isn't old, it is elderly.

[@paultidd9332]

Maybe you were the driver of an HST a few years ago who let a small young boy who was trainspotting at York (with his mum, he was that young) into the cab. I heard his mum say all he wanted to do in the school holidays was watch trains. I was watching this with tears of happiness in my eyes. Maybe history will repeat itself.

[@Ice_Karma]

I'm quite amused by the anecdote about the driver who lost his leg. 😸

[@jamfjord]

Beautifully dark humour at which I felt momentarily guilty about laughing quite so loudly

[@graemeclifford6358]

Missed opportunity to link it to the non-alcohol policy ..... being legless !!! I am sorry

[@RichardFelstead1949]

Not railway related. I have a mate who has a prosthetic legs. He was catching a taxi and the driver told him it would cost "an arm and a leg" so he took off his legs and said : I have the leg".

[@WillKemp]

@@graemeclifford6358 you should be! 🤣🤣🤣

[@peter_smyth]

I watched a documentary about climbing Everest, and one climber had a broken leg... So they got another prosthetic one sent up by helicopter.

[@MichaelEhling]

8:54 McDonalds: best Jago joke of the year. Excellent set up, perfect tone, plowed right through the joke without asking questions. Superb. 😂

[@trevorelliston1]

Invites like this reflect your growing standing and credibility as a commentator in the industry. Well done, nice video.

[@jonny_vdv]

It's worth remembering that every safety feature in a modern locomotive has a backstory written in blood.

[@alanclarke4646]

AWS is NOT a modern safety feature: the Great Western Railway had a similar system, called Automatic Train Control ( ATC ) in 1906.

[@EugeneMurray-z1b]

Oh dear Serious mixed metaphory going on

[@nomadMik]

… including cow blood, apparently…

[@davidty2006]

@@alanclarke4646 AWS only became mandated after 1952 Harrow and Wealdstone wrecks... TPWS (the one that stops trains after passing a red signal) only recently after the infamous Paddington rail collision.

[@alanclarke4646]

@@davidty2006 A: AWS also stops trains from SPAD. B: AWS may indeed have been mandated after 1952, that DOES NOT alter the fact that the GWR were using there own system not only to warn drivers of stop signals, but also automatically apply the train brake, 49 years beforehand. My statement still stands: AWS ( at least the GWR equivalent) is not MODERN.

[@RogersRamblings]

It was very kind of GBRf to indulge your particular variety of nerdery and that you managed to present the day without coming across as a complete nerd is to your credit. Good work.

[@vickielawless]

The moral of the story, "don't mess around on the railway, trains take a long time to stop". Or, in the words of a friend who worked at Ilford depot- "if you're lucky, they find all the bits..."

[@hairyairey]

Remember watching a TV show about policing the railways where they couldn't let the train go as they hadn't found the head 😢

[@Chris-h3f5u]

Sadly my father often did whilst working at the Stratford depot

[@Abdul.M.]

I remember watching the episode few years ago

[@hannahranga]

I've had a coworker find that out awkwardly, he found some missed bits during maintenance the week after a one under

[@hairyairey]

​@@hannahranga So I can presume the railway industry has a process for dealing with this then? I hope so.

[@alanclarke4646]

"sic mass transit gloria mundi"!! Love it😂😂

[@roderickjoyce6716]

Gloria was sick on the bus on Monday.

[@someonebald2022]

@@roderickjoyce6716 I don't like Mundi's!

[@clickrick]

@@someonebald2022 Tell me why.

[@garethjones4171]

Don't make her tell you again! 😮

[@john1703]

My old Latin master would not. Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant.

[@andrewdale3695]

I remember an article in the Daily Telegraph years ago where they claimed that rubber wheels on a tarmac road gave better grip than steel wheels on steel rails, so we should close all the railways and replace them with roads. That's the Telegraph for you!

[@bostonrailfan2427]

they’re right yet wrong…twisting facts to suit their narrative: the media in a nutshell

[@hairyairey]

Absolutely correct too, which is why the Paris Metro uses rubber wheels for faster acceleration and deceleration. It wasn't an article about power efficiency on level ground. Rail as we all know loses efficiency faster on gradients than tyres do. They were probably seeking engagement as well, lots of newspapers do that

[@johnbeaulieu2404]

Minor correction 66521 was destroyed in the accident at Great Heck in 2001 and was operated by Freightliner. As the photo on the depot clearly shows it was 66734's severed cab that now resides in Peterborough.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I love the fact that you were invited to indulge your train nerdery. (Also, you’re a right clever clogs)

[@CJonestheSteam72]

New job opportunity if KZbin goes pearshaped

[@bobfountain2959]

God help the cows!

[@DaveF.]

Train driver or meat tenderiser?

[@jay-9967]

​@@DaveF.Well, why not both? xD

[@PhillipBicknell]

What and give up alcohol?! 🙂

[@camotech1314]

​@@jay-9967 both at the same time? 😄

[@Alex58399]

0:14 fun fact - the train in the reflection is likely the silica sand train from Middleton Towers to Doncaster and a few others around that way. Picked up from the edge of King’s Lynn, Norfolk at the former Middleton Towers station. I’m doing up said station

[@Alex58399]

And likely 1:43

[@SmudgeThomas]

I grew up on Tennyson in Lynn, the sand trains were our rail freight...then I was at Ribblehead once visiting a family friend, and was gobsmacked as he pointed out the sand train from home going through!

[@Alex58399]

@@SmudgeThomas it certainly gets about. We’ve found old wagon labels dating back to 1981, for York Foss Islands (now a shopping centre)

[@22pcirish]

Started as a train spotter back in the 1980’s Joined the railway in 86, became a driver (and a few other jobs in the middle) back as a driver in 2005 now I work for GB piling up and down the east coast from Doncaster!

[@thefatcontrollershat]

6:42 The hard hitting railway facts we come for

[@SpeccyMan]

The hard hitting railway facts for which we come. (Rearranged to put the preposition in its correct place!)

[@NigelDraycott]

English, so hard it is

[@IndaloMan]

Old enough to remember the 'bloke tapping the wheels with a hammer". Regular occurance at Carlisle when they changed from a diesel to an electric power car on the Nottingham - Glasgow service back in the late 70s. #goodolddays

[@JohnReall]

We called them Car Knockers in the states. Knock , Knock , Thud.

[@paulbennett274]

@@JohnReall They were usually called 'Wheel Tappers' here for obvious reasons!

[@alanclarke4646]

@@IndaloMan the idea being, that if the wheel rings ( like a bell ) then it's ok, but if it makes a dull "clunk" sound then it has a crack.

[@hairyairey]

​@@paulbennett274"Wheel tappers and shunters social club"

[@paulnolan1352]

That bloke tapping the wheels with a hammer would have been Arthur Hetherington.

[@dougmorris2134]

Thank you Jago for an unexpected insight in to the railway operations of GB Railfreight. Indeed, moving freight efficiently is very important for the environment and economy. But a Ferret and a locomotive, to me is something very special, and the old BR Emblem called the ferret and dartboard, priceless. Alas gone are the days when I would have loved to drive a train, I’m just too old, unless a 16mm or 7/8th scale live steam, sheer happiness. Thank you Jago for taking us on your special day adventure.

[@SmudgeThomas]

Driving a train is a wonderful thing. Every driver who invites people into the cab should be given a bonus, for priming the field for future generations. This is also a great argument for starting a KZbin channel...*remembers how hard video editing is and weeps* Also, not Sic Trainsit Gloria Mundi?

[@stevebeal73]

A great video and very interesting. I also enjoyed seeing Ally Pally! Just after trains have passed AP in a northerly direction the train enters a tunnel. Above the tunnel portal is some waste ground where I used to play as a boy in the late 50s, early 60s. Climbing trees and all that sort of stuff. We just used to call it "playing on the tunnels." Many thanks for re-awakening this memory. Sadly the friend with whom I used to play on the tunnels is no longer with us though.

[@rudigerbruss1163]

That was one of the greatest videos so far. Your enthusiasm for GB Freight absolutely came across. Thank you!

[@keithlewis3557]

‘Unless you are a cow’ great one liner Jago. Great to see the modern and historic mix of engines. Loved this video. ✅

[@McCavity2]

2:44 so nice to see the old Hamburg Süd containers… Hamburg Süd was a German shipping company, founded in 1871. Unfortunately it was sold to Mærsk in 2017 who, in January 2023, announced to discontinue the brand - sic masstransit gloria mundi (SCNR) 😂

[@mpersad]

What a wonderful video, the joy you experienced on your day shines through! Thank you.

[@davidvillasenor4444]

Irony is that we don’t send mail by rail but online shopping is expanding freight. Also I ❤ the 125s work horse of the last if British rail.

[@davidty2006]

And online shopping is technically parcels traffic...

[@davidpeters6536]

Good fun! A 125 video would be nice. I am pleased to hear rail freight is thriving again.

[@hairyairey]

Non-coal rail freight is growing, high fuel prices are helping (as is the shortage of HGV drivers across Europe)

[@birdbrain4445]

Truly one of the best days ever for a train nerd. I'm honestly so happy you got to experience something like that; it speaks to your growing profile in train circles. It's also really cool to learn about a side of the railways that... honestly I don't know much of anything about. I do love watching freight trains roll on by though - the looks and sounds of these old workhorses are great and contrast heavily with the relatively sleek and civilised commuter trains of much of London. Great video!

[@londonlore5881]

This was great Jago - especially a peek at the Black Five at the end. Heartfelt thanks to you 🙏🏼👍🏽

[@jakecoare]

What an amazing experience and every railway and train fan dream! Hope you had an amazing time

[@thatforcefieldguy]

Cool that GB Railfreight gave you that opportunity! I got pretty happy when i saw Leytonstone High Road at 1:21, which was my local station when i used to live in Leytonstone.

[@robertcourtney9907]

I love a bit of a freight train, and I can't describe the excitement of when an engineering train goes past at a station! Definitely up for more freight videos, and yes also keen for the 125 videos. I'm a sucker for a class 37, 55 and the 125s. Great work as allways Jago

[@whyyoulidl]

Same!

[@esjay2011]

Thanks

[@General_Confusion]

It's a pity the weather wasn't better when you were driving that simulator Jago.

[@grahamshakeshaft2373]

That's snow joke.

[@maryapatterson]

Get your coat!😂​@@grahamshakeshaft2373

[@roderickmain9697]

There are many videos around where some eejit truck driver has either ignored the crossing lights or managed to beach his truck on the crossing - mosrly, it has to be said, in the US. Even a 40 tonne artic doesnt fare well against 40000 tonnes of goods train. As you say, they dont stop quickly.As for the cow, you cant just yell "mooooooooooooove" either. Anyway, that looks like a fun day and I feel somewhat envious.

[@Roland-pw5xj]

I was once on a passenger train that stopped very quickly indeed. It had only just started, and a swan had waddled onto the line.

[@davidty2006]

One of the incidents that lead to plows before the wheels under the buffers was caused by a cow.

[@Sim0nTrains]

66734 The Eco Express, I remember seeing that a week before the derailment happened but also remember seeing it tarped up as you passed the locomotive on the West Highland Line. Great video

[@rainyfeathers9148]

I love this! You're making connections and friends in the biz and I don't have to worry because it's not celebrity stuff. Glad you had a go on the sim, too bad you brought a train for the onlookers instead of some popcorn😂😂😂😂😂

[@CheshireTomcat68]

Ah yes, the Wheel Tappers and Shunters Social Club.

[@camotech1314]

The nickname for the 66s is a "shed" 😄

[@tsk67166]

If You happen to be in Peterborough, You could also made an episode about Nene Valley Railway, maybe Railworld, too. It was one of my favorite places in Peterborough - old trains and nice cycling path as a bonus.

[@isashax]

What a fantastic day out! Looks like fun indeed

[@MKAdamski]

I worked in a Ticket Office during the 90's and early 2000's. One day I was talking with a guy that had been working on the railway since 1960. He told me that there used to be a bar (Pub) under Euston Station for staff use. He said many a time you'd see drivers coming out of it barely able to walk in a straight line and then get in a train cab to drive the train. They brought in D&A testing for all staff in the early 90's (even head office staff). I believe it was due to the Clapham Junction Crash report.

[@oc2phish07]

Absolutely brilliant and fascinating video, Jago. What an adventure that was.

[@andrewpinner3181]

Wow Jago, thanks for sharing ! That looked like so much fun ! I think the invite you received was well deserved (although also very kind of them, obviously). 😊

[@colindavis1466]

I had a go on a track maintenance machine almost 40 years ago. It would stick prongs in to the ballast and vibrate to raise the sleepers higher up, then add more ballast.

[@FarmYardGaming]

This is brilliant, happy that you got to see all this!

[@apc108]

Interesting video. I sense there is a lot freight nerdery out there to explore, that might be attractive for your audience. Maybe other freight companies will call you, or maybe you could call them! For a while now, I've been using the Open Railway map. I have an app version of it on my PC. There are still many freight-only lines, notably the Ivanhoe Line from Leicester to Burton and our very own Dudding Hill line in North London. There are also short freight lines to docks all over the place. There are even lines to get China Clay down to Fowey Dock in Cornwall. And don't forget that although coal is no longer moved around by rail, wood-pellets and biomass make their way to power stations by rail. Also, looking at Realtime Trains, to identify the noisy beasts going past on my local line, in the middle of the night, I realised there is a lot of ballast that has to get moved around.

[@MrGreatplum]

Looks like a great day out, Jago - definitely a perk of running a popular KZbin channel!

[@petersmith4455]

sometimes a black five was used on the Stanmore railway branch to pick up a goods train in the sidings. which is now a housing estate, i think the loco came from Watford shed,

[@peddersmeister]

I agree with your comment it's no more difficult than driving a car. For my 40th my dad got me a train driving experience on a heritage line. A class 31 and a class 121 bubble car, the mechanics of doing the driving is easy. The hard part is the route knowledge and knowing when to brake. In a car or lorry you can see an obstacle ahead and in most cases stop in plenty of time, in an emergency you can potentially stop within spitting distance of the obstacle. A train at full speed however, you have to start braking miles before what you need to stop at😂

[@SteamCrane]

Grew up in the US in the 1950's -1960's. Modern security was nonexistent. Request to look around a yard or dock was met with "OK, be careful!". Ran a yard switcher a couple times. Nothing better than the feel of the engine butting cars around!

[@flippop101]

One of your best videos yet! Have a great weekend!

[@RobertHolden-es8zh]

Always love a good Jago video, and nice to see that other Peterborough get a plug (writing from Peterborough, Ontario). One major foul sadly. DDGM (General Motors Diesel) was located in London, Ontario and as such the 66 was NOT american but CANADIAN. As a place that still has the Queen on the money (new coins have begun circulation with King Charles). Having worked for DDGM and currently working for Wabtec (I saw the plug you have us in the video....did you??) I can also say those ruthless philanderers from south of the border bought GM Loco and took it lock stock and smoking funnels away and it is now Progress Rail a CAT company last I saw.

[@CornishJas]

If you want footage of 125s we still have them running on the Cornish mainline. Just gone past Plymouth Laira depot and it’s full of them.

[@egpx]

The first time I travelled on the West Highland Line I was idly gazing out of the window whilst passing high above Loch Treig when I saw something covered in a large tarpaulin. What the flip is that I asked myself, paraphrasing slightly. It was the very Class 66 locomotive that now partially resides in Peterborough. I researched things as you do and read about the derailment and thought the driver was extremely lucky that the momentum of the train was not quite enough to push the engine down the precipice and into the waters of the loch far below. It was a close run thing. It was a year or two after the derailment that the loco was finally dismantled and removed.

[@00Zy99]

Ooh! Nerd pedantry time! I get to introduce people (including the renowned Jago Hazzard) to obscure rail minutia. To be precise, MOST American DIESEL locomotives have a single cab. The long distances mean that engines are not turned around as often. And there's a history there too. The very first, primordial, diesels were "boxcabs", which is essentially just what it says on the tin. A box, with one or two diesel engines inside, and one or two cabs. Once these proved themselves, the first mainline diesels came out in the 1930s, at the height of Art Deco and streamlining. The E-Series had two diesel engines in each locomotive, but this still was not enough to power the top-level expresses that they were designed for. Therefore, a booster, or "B unit", was built as well. In order to save on money (cabs are expensive) and to preserve the streamlined lines of the new trains, B-units had no cabs, and A-units only had one. These diesels, known as "carbodies" or "covered wagons", are the engines you see in all of the old shots of American passenger trains, looking sleek and shiny. The same basic profile was also used in Britain, starting with the LMS 10000 and continuing on through the Deltics (albeit with two cabs). The first road FREIGHT locomotive came out from the same manufacturer as the Es (General Motor's Electro-Motive Division) in 1939. Unsurprisingly, the FT bore a family resemblance to its passenger counterparts, both in looks and internals (the FT only had one diesel engine per body, but it was a slightly bigger version of the same model). The FT was The Diesel That Did It, proving that diesels were a viable option for heavy freight traffic. Once it came online, steam was basically doomed to a losing rearguard action. At the same time, diesel switchers evolved in two basic ways. The main way was for a single cab at one end and low bodywork that a crew could easily see over (in BR terms, an elongated Class 08 with lower bodywork, and riding on two trucks). The EMD SW series was the archetype for this. The other, which was for lighter work, had a single cab in the center of the very small locomotive (picture a shorter version of a Class 17/class 14, but actually extremely successful). This was most commonly embodied by the General Electric 44-Tonner (locomotives less than 45 tons only needed one crewman per union agreements). After World War II, EMD reacted to complaints about crew visibility by producing the GP7, which was an F7 (the latest development of the FT) in "work clothes". Essentially a switcher body, but with higher bodywork to accommodate the bigger machinery, and with the cab in same position as an F7 for convenience-which meant a high "hood" at the short end, giving these engines the nickname "hood units". At about this time, the steam locomotive manufacturer Baldwin tried to get into the diesel business, which ultimately failed. However, one of their products was a custom order of six locomotives for the Central Railroad of New Jersey (or Jersey Central/JC for short). The JC had relatively short passenger runs and a high proportion of commuter traffic operating out of its terminal at Communipaw, NJ across the Hudson from Lower Manhattan. Therefore, these six diesels were order with cabs at both ends. Unfortunately, Baldwin, like North British, was unable to make the transition to a new type of motive power. While its designs generally were not QUITE as bad as NBL, it clearly did not think things through all the time. Meanwhile, EMD developed a six-axle version of the GP (or "Jeep") series-the SD series. The GP and SD lines continued to evolve pretty much in parallel until the 1990s. The last dual-engine E-Units came out in 1961. From then on, all future passenger diesels from EMD would basically be versions of GP or SD locomotives with different gearing, steam generators or Head End Power (HEP-known as ETH in Britain), and a slightly different body design that covered the side walkways to present a more aesthetically pleasing appearance (the resulting configuration being known as a Cowl unit). The advent of electronic controls with modular, printed, circuit boards, and a reliable 3,000 HP locomotive (the engine block was bored out and turbochargers added to accomplish this) created the SD40-2 (the -2 signified the modular electronics). This proved to be the sweet spot, and the engine sold hot cakes, continuing to be a staple to this day, even with some rebuilt for more modern technology and emissions. It was this design that was basically copied for the internals of the Class 59, albeit with two Class 58 cabs (which in turn were derived from the Class 52?). The Class 66 uses the 710 engine block, which is the same design that has been bored out again. It also has some updated electronics. Otherwise, the Class 66 can trace its ancestry all the way back to those first streamlined diesels in the US in the 1930s. In the 1990s, Amtrak (the US passenger equivalent of BR) ordered some diesels from GE that had a "hostler cab" at the back, basically a small cubicle where they could be moved at low speed around yards-the cab is outright speed-limited, if memory serves. Meanwhile, American freight diesels gained additional radiators for dynamic brakes and cooling, and wider cab noses for improved safety. As they got more powerful and construction became more streamlined, the operational complications of having boosters began to override the cost savings of not having additional cabs. And so, the last boosters were built in the early 1990s. And they were regarded as something of an oddity even at the time. American ELECTRIC locomotives on the other hand, have mostly had two cabs. There have, of course, been some exceptions. Most of which involve cases where two locomotives were semi-permanently coupled back-to-back for more power. Others involve having center cabs. And there were a few designs mid-century that were basically electric versions of contemporary diesel locomotives. And then there was one type that HAD two cabs, but only ever used one. But that's a whole other story for another time.

[@erichhouchens3711]

The main reason north American freight locomotives have only one cab is the average freight train requires two or more locomotives to pull it. Usually one is facing forward and the other has it's cab facing to the rear. Freight trains in the UK and Europe are limited in length and tonnage due to siding (loop) length and the old style "hook and screw" coupling system which can't handle long heavy trains. As far as dual cab passenger diesels are concerned Amtrak did ask GE and EMD about build a dual cab passenger locomotive. The problem was weight and cost. The "hostler cabs" on the P40's were a compromise. Amtrak further solver the problem of turning trains where there was no wye (triangle) by converting the old Metroliner EMU's into cab cars (DVT). Not all electrics had dual cabs. The Virginian E33's and the PRR E44's only had one cab. What they did have was dual control stands that allowed the engineer (driver) to always sit on the right hand side regardless of which way to unit was facing. Of course few engineers like running long hood forward. The new Amtrak ACS64's, which are really just a Siemens Eurosprinter modified to AAR standards, has two full cabs. BTW - I've heard the Class 66 locomotives are basically SD60's compacted to fit the UK loading gauge. Since they mostly have an AAR layout were they delivered with bells? And one last question. Light engine moves in the US are generally restricted to just 50 MPH account their weight and braking capacity. I assume this is the same in the UK. Also single light engine moves are also absolute block to the rear account not always shunting the track circuits. I guess with the wide spread use of axle counters in the UK and Europe this isn't required?

[@DCS1967]

I believe that light engines in the UK can run at line speed up to whatever their top speed is, 75mph for most class 66s.

[@jamfjord]

I can't help feeling you missed a trick by not taking that comment to a publisher.

[@nutsnproud6932]

@@DCS1967 UK light engines have a lower speed limit because of braking takes longer without wagons or coaches.

[@francistheodorecatte]

The hostling stands in the P40DCs and P32AC-DMs have been removed for close to two decades now.

[@Meeyuh]

0:49 I actually saw some RailAdventure HSTs stabled at Welwyn Garden City sidings a few days again, may well have been the same ones you saw

[@althejazzman]

Seeing the venerable 08 next to the modern 66 is quite a contrast.

[@andrewmarch7891]

Thank you Jago that was very enjoyable! I really appreciate you humour.

[@AnnabelSmyth]

Some years ago I won the opportunity to drive that simulator in a raffle; sadly, when I contacted them, they so obviously wished I wouldn't that I let it slide! Really, people who dole out raffle prizes ought to ensure that everybody will be happy with it.

[@MikeFerrell]

How interesting to watch a video featuring a cab of a locomotive built in my home town of London, Ontario, Canada on one of my favourite KZbin channels

[@SeventhSwell]

3:50 I dunno, seems pretty obvious to me that the facility would also deal with... training. I'm sorry. I'll see myself out.

[@StevensPaul]

Get out....---->👉😮🤪

[@whyyoulidl]

Thx for sharing Jago. It's been an awful week my sides but this put a smile on the ol' smackers 😁

[@stephendavies6949]

I enjoyed this content very much, Mr H. More please!

[@John.Mann.1941]

Very interesting video, which i greatly enjoyed. I've lived in Canada for 57 years now, after emigrating from Britain, so I thought your freight train rather short - a mere 47 wagons. I'm used to watching trains of well over 100 go past, with maybe a distributed power loco in the middle.

[@vicsams4431]

The only time I rode a Class 66 was on official duty from North Walsham to Parkeston (Harwich). Having done @ roughly 400 cabrides, in Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Canada, it was my only freight working. I was amazed at the level of route knowledge, for freight trains are often subject to countless weight related speed restrictions that are unsigned. The driver having just a piece of paper (RT3973 Form) to remind him. Compared to passenger drivers, who have most speeds signed in Britain (speed signalling applies in continental Europe and North America). The only time I actually drove a train was in Hungary, aboard a V63 / 630 "Gigant" electric locomotive doing 62 mph or 100 kmh. It was as a passenger train. Much better than a train simulator ! If train simulators are your thing, you can drive a tube train at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. I think there is one at Crewe also ?

[@lotto77102]

The part about stopping distances reminded me of a very important bit of rail safety my dad told me when he was doing driver training at Rail NSW when I was a kid; XPT's (Aussie Intercity 125's) at their usual cruising speed of 100km/h or so take *over a kilometre* to stop, so if you're stuck on a level crossing not only is it far too late, but the driver's even going to be piling on the power to try avoid derailing. Honestly not sure why they don't mention that sort of thing in our level crossing safety campaigns, I wasn't exactly cavalier around them before but it definitely made me warier of them lmao.

[@harviemilligan1887]

A few months ago I heard one of my kids singing "dumb ways to die", and remembered that I'd seen a video of it used for an Aussie rail safety advert. Was surprised when I googled it to find that the song was written for the Aussie rail safety advert then became an internet "thing" afterwards.

[@nixmixes770]

Very fascinating thank you. I always wondered who looked after goods vehicles where, especially as my workplace desk overlooks the Atlantic and Chatham Main, where each day brings a procession of freight trains, often accompanied by the very distinctive sound of a Class 66 revving up. Sometimes, the heavy aggregate trains make the computers on our desks wobble a little bit. A few months ago I saw a new Tyne & Weir Metro train go past, which was an odd sight in London, SW9. Quite a nerdturn. I think that's a new word.

[@namenamename390]

0:46 this is everso slightly cursed. Two power cars with no carriages in between does look odd. I remember there are some pictures of the german ICE 1 during testing, when they did the same thing with its electric power cars.

[@JohnADoe-pg1qk]

There are some videos of a single ICE 1 power car driving along. Search for "ICE 1 Triebkopf".

[@namenamename390]

@@JohnADoe-pg1qk I've seen that as well. This can actually happen even today. I don't know the exact reasons, but apparently DB sometimes just needs to move single ICE 1 power cars to different workshops.

[@hairyairey]

They did something very similar in France for the attempt on the world rail record (575km/h and 16km to stop!). Two power cars and one carriage. Oversized wheels and broke everything, track, catenary and train!

[@raymondflanagan9355]

I drive a 66 between Peterborough and Doncaster and elsewhere on the UK network. Albeit on Train Sim World ha ha.

[@kellypaws]

More of this. Much more. The underground runs on rails, so it gets a pass. But this was this evening’s KZbin highlight. More of this. And if you include pre steam freight on rails, which you very clearly should, it’s very much more than 200 years of freight on the rails.

[@highpath4776]

That van you hit is one sick transit

[@pras12100]

Ah yes, the sick transit of (Ms) Gloria Monday

[@eekee6034]

🤣🤣🤣

[@jhomayne]

I had a mail train fly past me at Oxenholme earlier. Bloke next to me said they're stopping in October. Seems a shame to me.

[@john1703]

I believe that there is no essential difference between the two cabs on both class 66 and 59. Perhaps you may be thinking of class 91 electric, which was normally used with a class 82 DVT for when the train was being "pushed". The blunt end cab of class 91 allowed for light engine moves. Class 43 (HST) does not have a second cab and two locos were always used together in a train set.

[@davidjones8680]

I have really enjoyed watching this episode, it was really good. I just randomly came across your channel and clicked on just because it was about freight trains. Six months ago I moved home and now have a grandstand view of a section of track here in the heart of the Black Country between the stations of Cradley Heath and Old Hill. Passenger traffic interests me very little, but I really enjoy watching and listening to the freight traffic, some of the larger trains have an engine at each end, both working hard on the steady incline all the way up to Rowley Regis. Tesco trains go up towards Birmingham twice a day, roughly 0600 and 22.00. But strangely I never see them going the other way. Last week I saw what I believe was the setup carrying three nuclear containers, in between two big engines. Is there anywhere online that can give me info on when and where freight trains run and at what times please? Btw, I have liked and subscribed. Many thanks.

[@wilting_alocasia]

Forgot how much I hate pboro station 😂 Used to hate walking up the bridge with the asbestos That being said, always fun seeing so many trains passing through And getting to see specials

[@JoeyFoo]

4:25 Possible error in the script - The Eco Express is 66734, which has since been replaced by an imported class 66 from Europe which took its number. 66521 was the locomotive involved in the Selby rail crash in 2001.

[@Julius_Hardware]

"...control would be demanding to know what's up" - and then they cut off one of your legs apparently.

[@hyperdistortion2]

Only one, though. It’s not okay to be legless in control of a train. Semi-legless is apparently fine.

[@medler2110]

Discipline in the Rail industry seems to be a bit on the harsh side.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@medler2110sadly, it’s because of lives lost that they need to act harsh

[@hairyairey]

I know of one driver who had to bring the train to a standstill for an urgent toilet break. It does happen!

[@Andrewjg_89]

I’ve seen so many freight trains out and about especially in London. Also LNER are planning to replace the Class 91 Mk4s with the new CAF Civity Class 897 Tri-mode that is to enter service in few years time.

[@MrCobo04]

I’ve driven a diesel shunter. Even stopped it before it hit the buffers..

[@paulmacdonald4530]

There is a good timelapse video on KZbin of the recovery of the loco from loch Treig side. Done by QTS. I am also fortunate to know the driver involved hell of a nice fella, he’s retired from driving now.

[@InventorZahran]

The friction of tyres on asphalt also releases rubber particles into the air, causing even more pollution! Freight trains are obviously the better solution.

[@Thornaby37]

There is a GBRF event taking place at Peterborough depot and Nene Valley Railway on September 7th and 8th (although the depot visits have to be pre-booked)

[@TheChipmunk2008]

We're currently wiring a garden 'office' for a SWT driver. it's fascinating talking to him, he has loads of railway signs and equipment he liberated from skips :) I put 'office' in scare quotes because it's actually a 4x6m garden building exclusively for his model railway layout. You'd get on with him :)

[@jamfjord]

Well this is all rather well timed; I'll be touring the GBRf Peterborough depot myself in a couple of weeks so this is a fantastic primer to make the most of that visit - cheers 👍 PS those onlookers were competing for the Darwin Awards and you're probably owed some counselling.

[@makkari1]

Two quality gags therein, Jago. Top stuff.

[@obelic71]

Class 66 locomotives are all over Europe, i am seeing them daily hauling freight from the Netherlands to Germany and back. They are so boxy and numerous on the rails they got several nickname like "(Ikea) Moving box" Yes Ikea started recently an inhouse railway freight company and they use class 66's in Ikea Livery. Maybe we can order later a class 66 from Ikea in flatpack form 😉

[@Jimyjames73]

W😮W Jago - What a Amazing Day you've had - I'm just a little envy of you & it ended it ended well with that Black 5!!! 😊🚂🚂🚂

[@lawrencelewis2592]

The locomotives were built in London, Ontario, Canada so are not American. I've been in the plant about ten years ago before it closed down. Also, EMD was hived off from General Motors and is now a seperate company. I assume that engines such as the 66 are now made in the States.

[@22pcirish]

The last batch for GB were built in the states. There is a plaque on Evening Star that says as much.

[@RailRide]

@@22pcirish There are also videos of the Canadian-built units being delivered to the port on their own wheels behind typical North American freight diesels. The size difference is something to behold :) One example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3rUemaQi7xgi8k

[@jacksonmacmanus1001]

the black 5s did last all the way to the end of british steam, and 44871 was one of the ones that hauled the famous fifteen guinea special too, it double headed the Carlisle to Manchester Victoria leg with now scrapped classmate 44781, the other 2 locos that hauled the fifteen guinea special also survive, britannia class 70013 Oliver Cromwell is under overhaul at the GCR and black 5 45110 RAF Biggin Hill is in storage at the SVR

[@recklessroges]

Living the dream for us all. Thank you for sharing the fun. Sorry about the cow.

[@SteamCrane]

Watched the 66's coming through our town on flat cars on the way to be loaded on ships to the UK.

[@sizenineelm]

Went up to Fort William on the West Highland Line while the derailed locomotive was still perched above Loch Treig below the line. Still amazed it was recovered at all.

[@traindriverdan]

06:18 As a train driver who signs the ECML I said "Oh that's Ally Pally" exactly the same time as you did!

[@TheNemocharlie]

How's about a trip to the Isle of Wight? They run tube trains on their network, I think. Although, if I know that, chances are you've already done one, cos I can't imagine anywhere else I could have been told that other than by you. Top notch video, btw. Surprised to hear how profitable freight has become. Great jokes.

[@chrismcintyre2145]

I’ve been on a cab ride in a gbrf 66 before from Peterborough to Doncaster and I got to do the training centre at GBRF Peterborough

[@Lego6980]

Marvellous video. Thanks for sharing.

[@ianstanley7230]

Another really interesting video. Thanks!

[@nutsnproud6932]

As a schoolboy I managed to get many cab rides. One driver even let me hold down the regulator handle as we went whistling though a station at 90 miles per hour in a 12 car EMU. Cab rides stopped after the 1994 Cowden disaster where it was alleged a guard was driving the train that passed the red signal killing 5 people and injuring 13.

[@Keithbarber]

As I said a while ago, freight trains make railways make railways behave themselves, or they would get to no goods

[@davebutterworth7414]

Another great and informative video!! You’re fabulously funny too 🤣👍🦿

[@russellgxy2905]

I actually had no idea the cabs in the 66’s were different sizes, though that does make sense. The cabs on American diesels are usually tall enough to make diesels effectively bidirectional. I’m still a bit baffled EMD and GMD (both GM) went for a full width “cowl” design for the 66’s and the preceding 59’s, when the home-grown 58’s had the whole hood shape and modular design along with two cabs! Speaking of the 58’s and their intended traffic, what a shock to hear coal trains aren’t a thing in the UK anymore. Well, not entirely, but still just a year short from the Stockton & Darlington bicentennial! As for the surprise of the Black 5, I think that was one of _the_ last in traffic, right down to pulling the last steam-hauled train