PADDINGTON to READING Great Western DMU ride with steam 1960

[@jonethomas3892]

This video I'm glad I looked at as its the only one I can find that shows my old digs of the rail hostel reading, I could of been on any of the goods trains up to London way, thanks for memory's,

[@tadpoles10]

I also spent fourteen years in the hostel as a Western Region fireman 'Station Approach' as it was called .. atvb t .. 😉 .. 👍

[@jonethomas3892]

@@tadpoles10 I shared a room of three one guy fro Bristol worked in the signal office, Yates was my first driver great guy.

[@tadpoles10]

@@jonethomas3892 A few names for you from the hostel. I shared a room with Doug Williams & Ernie Reese, then Pete Greenwood from Todmordon, a few other names for you Lew Raissy Dick Rigby, Cyril Harvey, Jim the Chef & Albert who worked permanent nights. Mr Thomas the manager who I met a few years later at Harwich Docks as he was the BR Catering Manager or something along those lines. Happy Days atb t ..

[@jonethomas3892]

@@tadpoles10 thanks for that dick rigby some how rings a bell, 61 63 years I was there.

[@likklej8]

GWR had the prettiest locomotives.nice video. Thanks

[@kevmorrison6323]

Fantastic footage ! When Britain was still Britain. I was only 8 in 1960 but still remember the steam days well. Thanks for sharing.

[@tinders5069]

A valuable and probably unique bit of footage from days when you could see where you were going. The drivers didn't think a lot of having an audience looking over their shoulders. Thanks for sharing

[@tonywise198]

I lived right beside Burnham Station (near Slough) until March 1958. These scenes bring back my trainspotting days.

[@joeturner1597]

I was 3 when this was made. 35 years later, I would sign the route.

[@NickRatnieks]

. This is indeed a real gem of a film. My mother would take us to Reading General to watch the trains- when it was time to go, I would throw myself face down on the platform- and would have to be dragged away by a foot until I got up and walked. My grandmother made a point of pronouncing Sonning as Sunning which is the correct way- although few did. Sonning Common in Oxfordshire, "Sunning" in Berkshire. I am afraid we tried not to look at the engines at Reading Southern as they were always filthy- unlike most of the Western engines at the adjacent Reading General- we were diminutive loco spotting snobs. When I return to Reading, I wonder where the town I knew as a child went.

[@ariesjay9947]

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[@elianchristian8531]

@Aries Jay instablaster =)

[@ariesjay9947]

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[@ariesjay9947]

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[@elianchristian8531]

@Aries Jay No problem xD

[@jimbegin6554]

Miss those DMU’s with their whiskers. Thanks for another bit of nostalgia Alan & Heather.

[@dominicmeakin]

This is a superb record of the route. Many items covered in this video I have not seen recorded elsewhere, let alone on colour cine film! This channel is going to be an invaluable resource for research.

[@Mortimer50145]

Does anyone know of any footage online of the journey from Maidenhead to High Wycombe via Bourne End? My first memory of a ride on a train was when I was about 3 and we were living in Maidenhead. My grandparents came to stay, and my grandpa (a steam enthusiast) took me on a train "where you could look out of the driver's window". I'm sure it was the HW line. The driver saw me looking through the internal window behind him, and at the next station he invited me into the cab "to help him drive". I was in my element, and the memory has stayed with me. All the section from Bourne End to High Wycombe is long gone.

[@hughtierneytierney3585]

I was also asked by the driver to 'help him drive'. This was on the line to Marlow back in the seventies.

[@ianmurray250]

Thank you very much Alan for sharing this wonderful video with the world. Thank you.

[@timphillips21]

Those were the days. Great video, Pure nostalgia.

[@vincentswift7]

Brilliant clips I saw a lot of those locos

[@trainandbikefan]

Wow - this is the very first time I've seen a colour image of one of the last 1940's 'original' Swindon built GWR Diesel Railcars (W33W or perhaps W38W) painted in green with cream whiskers at 2:52 - this rarity not even mentioned in the commentary - although the red & cream version at 2:20 was almost noticed! Number 22 is still running at Didcot in brown & cream.

[@bradleyturner6643]

Thanks for the upload, I used to be one of those train spotters and I have used the DMU to go fishing at Tyford on the river "Loddon" there

[@TheMiserablegit]

That is simply wonderful. Thanks very much for sharing.

[@naysmith5272]

maybe of interest, in RAIL issue 976 on the last page there is a photo of a GWR 2-8-0 standing at Maidenhead in blizzard conditions, by the signal box (which I think is the one @5:17) taken 31st December 1961 by Mike Pert. It interesting to stand at present day Maidenhead station platform and compare with how it was.

[@peckelhaze6934]

Great clips of a time gone by. Your wife certainly does good commentary.

[@thomasburke2683]

I never knew that the suburban trains out of Paddington shared track with the metropolitan (H & C) past Royal Oak. Thank you for a lovely cine/video. It is good filming, informative, and relaxing with the clear and soothing commentary.

[@simonworman7898]

Express engines all polished up and my home train The Cambrain Coast Express with a King in charge,! which because I can remember,means that I have been living quite along time! "Love it"

[@flippop101]

A lovely piece of film. Thank you!

[@Sam_Green____4114]

I had a stonking ride behind a Class 50 ,Paddington to Reading in the 1980s , a semi fast stopping at Slough and a couple of other places ! With my head out the front carriage window a lovely exhaust sound from the 50 ! took a few photo`s but no filming !

[@andrewlong6438]

I often travelled from Leamington Spa to Paddington in the 1980s and enjoyed when drivers opened them up on main line from Didcot.

[@businessbuilding1]

Thoroughly enjoyed that!

[@steamfandan9682]

Can I ask if this has an unedited version?

[@ianburnett7333]

Great piece of filming!

[@jimyoung2188]

good video but left out a lot of the stations in between like Southall and Hayes etc .Loved seeing all those steamers, nostalgia nostalgia.

[@gainsbourg66]

Is there an unedited version?

[@invisibleman4827]

I think that 'unidentifiable King' at 0:35 is 6027 King Richard I.

[@DarkSide-nt7fo]

Could someone help me figure out what number the 9F is please? My guess from looking at the cabside is it's 92227. If anyone knows for certain or has a good guess, please do say.

[@prof.hectorholbrook4692]

Fascinating. Cheers.

[@davidpnewton]

It's not "an unidentifiable King class" at all. There are a maximum of five locos that it can be since there is very clearly I as the Roman numeral at the end of the nameplate. That means that it must either be King George I, King Charles I, King James I, King Edward I or King Richard I. Looking at the nameplate lengths again it's clear that the text is too short to be King James I leaving four possible choices.

[@zedcharlie]

Superb stuff Alan! I recommend similar material on AGDenyer,s channel, a mix of diesel and ac and steam, also superb.

[@charlesstanhope3568]

Any ideas for Castle at 3:58?

[@Stipperstone]

"Call back yesterday. Bid time return"

[@simonlilley]

My home station of Langley at 03:02

[@alfredscoggins3206]

Hello Alan - I hope you have already but you do realise that these films should be lodged with the National Railway Museum? They're a wonderful record, not only of the trains and railways but the local scenery of that time - and they're in colour. They should be stored and preserved, no question about it. If you haven't already, I do hope you consider it. Thanks.

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

But the Museum wouldn't potentially reach so many viewers as KZbin can - and they could be ANYWHERE in the world!

[@alfredscoggins3206]

@@AlanSnowdonArchive Yes, but You Tube may not last. The museum would hold them for posterity. I'd do both, personally.

[@noaerrr]

Where 5mts ever common in Paddington?

[@markm7558]

Is the full unedited video available anywhere?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

NO! Back in 1960 we didn't have video for 'consumers.' Film, even 8mm film, was expensive, to the young fellow I was then. And you had to send the exposed film back to the makers for processing, then wait a week or two before you could see what you'd shot. It WAS edited as film, I used to spend a lot of time at that, with quite primative equipment. So please beleive that this IS the FULL version.

[@matthewpalmer2049]

I thought 7903 was Foremarke Hall not 7909

[@BernieHolland-w4l]

You 'think' correctly, Matthew - 7909 carried the name "Heveningham Hall"

[@mrbaker7443]

7903 is Foremarke Hall to this day! Its based on the GWSR

[@jimclarke6023]

Hallo Alan Hope you will still get to read these comments. I am the Chairman of the Foremarke Hall Group, who rescued our loco from Barry and it is now fully restored and working on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway ( www.gwsr.com ) . It is great to see some original BR footage of 7903 (not 7909 as the commentary says) in action. Can I please have your permission to put a link on our website www.7903foremarkehall.co.uk, to this page Best Regards Jim Clarke

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

As I'm not at all Knowledgable on things GWR, I must appologise for getting the number wrong. Those cast numbers God's Wonderful Railway provided are not the easiest to read, and I don't have a spotter's ABC book with your loco listed. Unfortunately it would be an awful job to change this once the .avi file has been created and uploaded. I'll be honoured if you put a link to my video on your website, by all means please do. Best of luck with your work on Foremark Hall, Alan S.

[@Isochest]

you could not do that at 6:40 now!

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

I should hope NOT! Trains approach faster and quietly too if they (are ever going to be - in the case of Reading GWR main line!!) But in fact this platform end ramp had no track immediately adjacent, as at date of filming.