Push-Pull Trains of the UK

[@dat581]

I see a Ruairidh MacVeigh video which was posted 14 minutes ago, and I think yes thanks, I'll be watching that.

[@lewisgoestrainspotting]

same for 23 minutes

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

You two have the time to notice how many minutes hence the video was posted‽ I must have it worse than I thought. I just rush straight on in.

[@TheQuadLink]

Me whenever I see a video posted by Ruairidh MacVeigh:

[@HstHercules]

Eat sleep Ruairidh MacVeigh repeat

[@rottenroads1982]

Two of my Thomas & Friends OC’s are BR class 90’s. Their names are Zap and Ziggy. They are the last of the class 90’s built, in 1990. They are Young, and generally quite rude to literally all of my other OC’s. Their favorite job is pulling the Intercity Passenger Trains. My older OC’s would most definitely recommend Zap and Ziggy to do “Real Work” by pulling Freight Trains, which Zap and Ziggy Do Not want to do.

[@aidandenty9206]

A video on the full history of the Edinburgh to Glasgow line and rolling stock would be so good!

[@Sebi1963]

tbh I think that could be applied to all big/important mainlines (e.g. ecml, wcml, gwml, geml, etc).

[@erichhouchens3711]

Here in north America the use of cab cars and NPCU's is wide spread. Cab cars in push pull service are used on diesel and electric powered commuter trains in most cities. In the east New Jersey Transit, SEPTA and MARC all use electric's to push both single and double deck trains at high speeds on the North East Corridor. On Amtrak a mix of both cab cars and NPCU's are used. A NPCU (Non Powered Control Unit) is a locomotive (currently former F40's) that has had it's prime mover (engine) removed. In it's place concrete is added for weight. This gives the engineer (driver) more protection at grade crossings. Cab cars on Amtrak currently consist of old Metroliner EMU's converted to cab cars. Outside of the Northeast Corridor where there are few grade crossings passengers are usually not allowed in the seating area of the cab car. On lines in California where grade crossings are more common engineers used to call the ex Metroliner cab cars the "Silver Coffin" which is a reference to naming cars with the prefix Silver going back to the California Zephyr. Today Amtrak trains in California mostly consist of double deck trains where the engineer in the cab car sits up high on the top level away from any point of impact at a grade crossing. Amtrak now has new push pull trains on order from Siemens based on the OBB Railjet trains. These trains, which will be powered by an electric, diesel electric or bi-mode locomotives, will have a cab car at one end with limited seating. An area between where the engineer sits and the passenger compartment will be left open to serve as a "crumple zone". In Canada VIA rail is also ordering the same train sets from Siemens.

[@creaturexxii]

Many commuter trains in North America use push-pull configuration with usually a MPI series locomotive and bombardier bi-level control car. When I was younger, I was confused on "why are the trains running backwards?" But now I know as this simple yet effective configuration makes turn arounds a piece of cake.

[@toomanyuserids]

Caltrain. F40PH going forward one way, other way the other. It's the norm

[@GilesGuthrie]

As someone who has travelled a lot between Edinburgh and Glasgow on DMU and EMU trains, but who moved to the area in the late 1990s, it was very interesting to see how the Edinburgh-Glasgow routes were run in the pre-DMU days. Thank you for this.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Swindon Intercity DMUs operated these services before the Class 27 hauled push-pull services. These DMUs were clapped out by the late 1960s due to the intense between these 2 cities.

[@dvidclapperton]

Intercity 125's also ran between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@dvidclapperton as did the Class 91s and do the Azumas, but to Glasgow Central not Queen Street.

[@dvidclapperton]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 It was better the days when the 125's ran along the main line to/from Queen Street, rather than later on when the class 91's and azumas ran via Carstairs to/from Central.

[@Pmjs]

I used to work the 47 Push Pulls on the E&Gs. The HST I worked to G QSt was too long for the Platform.

[@lukegreen5341]

19:08 I've Used To Go On Board The British Rail Class 390 Virgin Trains Pendolino Main Line Express Passenger Train From Euston Station In London In England To Glasgow Central In Glasgow In Scotland And From London To Blackpool In Lancashire England In The United Kingdom Three Times In 2015 And 2017 And 2018 And A Bit Like The Coronation Scot Express Train From The London Midland And Scottish Railway Or LMS For Short And It Was Super Awesome. Thanks Mate. PS I've Also Might Go On Board The Avanti West Coast Pendolino Express Train From London Euston To Liverpool Lime Street In Liverpool In England In The UK Which Is Called The Merseyside Express Passenger Train Next Year In 2024 Which Is The Home Of The Beatles. Wish Me Luck. X

[@robertmorley9748]

On 225 sets (and HSTs) the brakes are controlled from both ends via TDM on 225 and 3 train wires on HST. This allows more rapid venting of the brake pipe (again from both ends) which is a requirement above 110mph. This was designed in during the introduction of HST. to allow 125 mph operation within conventional signalling block sections. If the set cannot ‘drop the brake pipe’ from both ends then speed is limited to 110. Sane applies if the DVTis run round on to the 91 for any reason. 🙂

[@VhenRaTheRaptor]

In an interesting addition to this. For a number of years in Auckland [New Zealand] the bulk of the rolling stock [in terms of capacity] was provided by regauged imported British Rail Mk2 couches with our own version of a converted driving trailer added, with a diesel locomotive in push-pull operation. These were operating in a suburban service of about ~30 km out of the central city. And some of those same couches have since been reengineered for intercity service and provide a twice daily service between Auckland and the nearby city of Hamilton. Admittedly at the moment they are running as top and tail because there was some safety concerns with using the trailers, but they are expecting to switch to push-pull operation next month once again.

[@cavanaghcreative_YT]

*coaches

[@VhenRaTheRaptor]

@@cavanaghcreative_YT Wow, how the hell did I screw that up.

[@cavanaghcreative_YT]

@@VhenRaTheRaptor auto-correct maybe?

[@VhenRaTheRaptor]

@@cavanaghcreative_YT Must have been.

[@twinboo529]

In Ireland, we had our own unique Mk3 DVTs sort of like how New Zealand has their own Mk2 DVTs.

[@DKS225]

That odd arrangement with The Class 91/43 had a huge benefit in terms of acceleration with one of each on each end of the train they produced a staggering 8550hp. Thankfully Locomotive Services Limited has preserved MK III number 82139 as well as a preserved rake of MK III coaches and at the moment until early December will be providing a Euston-Manchester Piccadilly Via Birmingham New Street Friday's only service with preserved 87002 Royal Sovereign providing power. However it's on a trial basis and extension of the service will depend on how popular the service will be although for 75 quid one way it may very well end up being popular enough to be extended but that's up to LSL themselves.

[@MikeWillSee]

Sadly that is no longer the case. If you check their website you can see that bookings are no longer available. They've had to cancel them all due to 'operational purposes' (my guess is that Avanti wanted their path back). It's a real shame but hopefully it will see more use in the future!

[@DKS225]

@@MikeWillSee so do I to be honest

[@JBFlytography]

Sadly, that was cancelled from last week. It was meant to be extended in December but apparently it’s now not.

[@bfapple]

I thought the Class 90s were doing this service too.

[@57305northernprincess]

LSL Intercity also has 82127

[@runoflife87]

Such an interesting piece of railway history, thank You. There are still very few push-pull trains in Russia and CIS countries ( localy rebuilt DMUs mostly). When I asked an ex-train driver "How come?" he answered me that not all the locos are reliable enough for stable work during "push" mod.

[@karlosbricks2413]

Certainly on the WCML, when push-pull was introduced there was a sudden increase in the daily mileage of many locomotives on the new push pull diagrams and they had a bit of an issue keeping reliability up to the new demands on the locos!

[@LMS5935]

Always had a fascination with push pull and auto trains whoever came up with them were truly a genius.

[@100SteveB]

I never did like the idea of pushing high speed trains from the rear - accidents could get very messy very quickly with the weight of the loco pushing any derailed coaches forward. Learned that lesson when i was a child with my model train set - a derailment with the loco pulling the coaching stock tended to stay pretty much on the track, but even the slightest derailment of any coach bogie when being pushed from behind would quickly lead to a massive pile up of coaches. I think we were lucky to only have a couple of major incidents involving high speed trains in the push mode.

[@chrislaarman7532]

Alex E has recently explained (and demonstrated) why this model behaviour doesn't apply to real railways. (His channel is in German, I haven't checked captions.)

[@swmltrainspotting]

2:43 that’s Resolven station on the Vale of Neath railway. That was closed by Beeching

[@victoriacyunczyk]

Here in the US, push-pull is alive and well. Pretty much every commuter railroad uses it, plus a few Amtrak regionals. Usual commuter practice is to have the locos facing away from the city. Top and tail is also used on a few Amtrak trains such as the Hiawatha.

[@reecee5454]

I miss the old Virgin Diesel rolling stock trains. I have fond memories of seeing them at my local train station in Milton Keynes, thrushing and leaving the station, what a sound they had!

[@Midtable1881]

Seeing those Intercity/Virgin trains of the 90s bought back some great memories.

[@TheHylianBatman]

I didn't know they had this sort of train operation before the 80's. That's really cool.

[@stuartburgess2409]

Great video , I really miss working the the hauled sets out of Norwich to London with mk2's or 3's & a class 90, & the mini hauled sets out to great Yarmouth & Lowestoft right up until the 745 & 755's came into use , two 37's & a rake of three mk2's & even combination s of 68's , 57's or even the odd class 20 made for an interesting turn of duty , thanks again for a nudge of nostalgia!

[@brucebigglesworth9532]

One of the pioneering push-pull schemes that doesn't get a mention is the LBSCR's 6700V electrification scheme for South London that first ran in1909 using five car sets. These consisted of a central power car (effectively a small locomotive) with a trailer and driving trailer on each side .

[@macjim]

You can still see auto trains powered by steam, on a few of the heritage railways, both the coaches with a ‘branch line’ loco (it wouldn’t be a mainline loco for these services) or the coach with the steam loco built in as there’s a few still in existence today.

[@adamc1272]

A great video again Ruairudh. One piece of miscellany: WAT - WEY is not 168 miles, the mileposts appear that way at WEY as the line was originally measured from Paddington, as the line via Chippenham and Westbury reached Weymouth earlier. 👍

[@DJ-bf1xl]

Another place you will still see the Push/Pull set up in the UK is in Northern Ireland with the Enterprise Service between Belfast and Dublin however Irish Rail also uses Push/Pull today

[@nigelmurphy6761]

Yep. Irish Rail generally use push/pull services primarily on the Dublin To Cork trains.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

Possibly the biggest advantage of push-pull working is that it makes increasing or decreasing capacity to more closely match demand far easier than with multiple units

[@kieranstravels]

Honestly, the MK2 DBSO and the MK3 DVTs hold a special place in my heart, as they bring great nostalgia to me - I remember the MK3 DVTs particularly on Arriva Trains Wales’s Gerald Of Wales service between Holyhead and Cardiff, and the DBSOs down the Cumbrian Coast. Just something of note though, is the fact that Network Rail’s DVT examples have been withdrawn.

[@bfapple]

It’s a shame that driving trailers are not used on test trains, instead of double locos.

[@kieranstravels]

@@bfapple Yeah.

[@terrymoore9388]

Well now the Gerald is of course Mk 4 coaches and DVT with the power from a Class 67

[@marclamar1905]

Hi. Thanks for all you do. Could you look into this for us please? A HUGE oil tanker train crash in Wales in 2020 which led to a vast fire, devastating environmental damage, wrecked wagons and track and cost more than £60 million to clear up, was indeed caused by the lack of a washer.

[@davidpanton3192]

Good stuff, but as always I get lost in your sentences. A few full stops here and there would help! I well remember the 47s and DBSOs on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line. These did the journey several minutes quicker than today's electrics...

[@theextremeanimator4721]

How so?

[@christopherhood9241]

and much more comfortable

[@mdhazeldine]

Yes, he does rather over use the words "while" and "although" to create extremely long an convoluted sentences, making it quite hard to follow. I love his videos, but this one thing has bugged me since the beginning.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Have you tried setting the 'Playback speed' to a lower value than 1? It's also useful when you like the content but there's a little too much of it. 1 ¼ is fine and 1½ is nearly acceptable if you're in a rush. Addendum: Although now I've just gone through the festival of acronyms at minute 16, there's not much high speed or branch line playback speed could do for that. Still, it's all different levels of information and you dips in and tastes what you wants.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Is that increase in journey time due to a change is stops?

[@N00N01]

Having a documentary on the 313-319 classes would be interesting

[@thenewsonatrain]

I just love how informative and interesting these videos are.

[@emjackson2289]

Being a Geordie I have to say my life on the rails as a passenger has been almost exclusively DMUs & push-pull HST/IC225/Azuma service. Can't think the last time I was on a loco-hauled service, probably sometime around 1987 and on a summer hols trip to Berwick (on one of those relief trains that stopped everywhere between NCL and Berwick).

[@swiper1818]

You provide an amazing narrative of UK railway history within the current span of many people's lifetimes - well done and thank you for your hard work! Excellent and very informative video 👍👍👍

[@spartan117zm]

Excellent video. I’d love this same topic for the German railways.

[@167curly]

When I was a school kid the Greenford Glory waited by my school to run between Ealing Broadway and Greenford. Usually it was one or two coaches with Western Region 0-6-0s or 0-4-2s, but occasionally one of the quite elegant streamlined railcars were used, often with an extra coach attached.

[@Tindallhall]

Wonderful footage of the steam auto trains, as well as all the rest - a tour de force narrative- thank you!

[@zanelindsay1267]

A interesting and informative video with fast-track narration!

[@Daytona2]

Insightful video, as ever, thank you Ruairidh 👍 +12:26 The Polmont crash proved how unsafe the concept is. The subsequent restrictions were pathetic - as if only a driving car would be derailed - and were, in any case, long ago removed, and the push-pull limits increased.

[@joshuabishop5527]

There's currently an old DBSO stored at Great Yarmouth sidings, I saw it yesterday when leaving on a train to Norwich!

[@geocachingwomble]

Both Hatfield and the high heck crashes featured the same DVT that was nicknamed Lucky and became very feared by railway staff

[@oliverbrigstocke1306]

It’s the same loco as well, which was renumbered to try and remove its bad luck

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Two coaches either side of the powering locomotive was the limit to the mechanically controlled autotrains due to friction within the linkages.

[@gerritliskow2399]

It's a lovely presentation filled to the brim with well researched details, but here's the thing: the 'famous ICE train' is usually, in its native Krautland at least, pronounced as three separate letters in either English or Kraut. So it's either an ay-see-ee or an ee-tse-eh train but unless you're railway illiterate it is never an "ice" train (whatever that would be). Thought I might just mention this because it's otherwise such a flawless video with lots of lovely historical footage, many thanks.

[@aphexHQ]

Railway history is so cool, and often plays a larger role than you'd think in the planning for the future

[@cyberkidmfb]

Would be nice to hear more about Colonial Locomotives, or, Multiple Units! Great Content.

[@luke27000]

So nice to watch it. History lesson. Thank you 😌

[@allie-873]

I just realised upon hearing what TDM stands for that our system in Belgium for pushpull sets is pretty much the same on all stock from the '90s and on (and has been retrofitted to one type of 1980's pushpull stock which is in it's last 2 months of service)

[@TaronTT]

The Netherlands also still has control cars in service, (although, not for long,) but sadly they're incompatible with the locomotives currently used with them. That's why they now run a loco at each end of the train. The weirdest bit here though, is that the national operator (NS) still has plenty of units of the locomotive class that can run with these control cars. I would've assumed using 1 older loco would be cheaper than 2 new ones, but I digress.

[@macjim]

I remember awaiting the introduction of the 158’s with great excitement but, when I finally got to travel on one from Glasgow to Edinburgh, I was greatly let down due the cramped interior which was also made worse by the noise of the power units and, all the rattling panels too. That, and the fact that it was a two car unit on a service that had a five coach train normally.

[@dvidclapperton]

But thst was when it went every 15 minutes, 2 or 3 carriages every 15 minutes were enough the vast majority of the time. You got 3 x 158's coupled together in peak hours, 3 x class 158's peak were roughly the same seating capacity as a 6 carriage class 47 + DBSO. Scotrail also added extrs 158 carriage to 158's off peak on occasion that looked like cspscity of a single 2 carriage 158 wasn't going to be enough. And half the people who were travelling at 00 mins or 30 mins end to end on the class 47 + DBSO were travelling at 15 mins and 45 mins end to end when it went every 15 minutes.

[@Coxswain]

The DBSO of DRS will always have a place in my heart

[@RickyNowis]

The history and evolution of push pull trains are fascinating. A very interesting documentary about this and how it started then up to now :-)

[@williamadams7865]

It’s worthwhile noting that the Rail Motor example shown at 1:59 (South Australian Railways Steam Motor Coach #1) has not only been preserved but is in full working order.

[@narrowgauger4229]

Brilliant and very thorough video! Interesting to note however, that the Network Rail Mk3 DVT's have never seen much service (expect being used as moving buffer stops during the rebuilding of Derby station). This is because shortly after they were modified for use with NR, it became apparent that they had loading gauge issues that prevented their use. Shame really as I think they look quite smart in NR yellow.

[@christopherhood9241]

the accident in Scotland forced BR to install 'cow catchers' (metal plates) under the DBSO's interesting documentary.

[@Boypogikami132]

You mean cow-catchers?

[@christopherhood9241]

@@Boypogikami132 must turn off auto corrector.

[@Boypogikami132]

@@christopherhood9241 yeah do that

[@grumpyoldman47]

Wasn't there also something about weight over the leading bogie?

[@davidty2006]

Cow catchers were mainly a foreign thing. and ngl british steam locomotives with cow catchers just look soo good...

[@thewildsimon1418]

Used to watch the 12:08 DRS DBSO leave Carlisle every lunchtime when I moved back to the area for college back in 2018 fell in love with both the DBSO and Class 37 sadly never got a ride had I known they would retire them at the end of the year would have gone on it however a very good friend got me a bachmann DRS DBSO recently to go with my DRS owned 37 so almost got the set that ran on the Cumbrian coast

[@benGBRf]

Brilliant video. Very informative. 👍🏻

[@tomwatts703]

13:33 I'd always wondered that about the Intercity 225 DVTs - why they didn't have seating since they were only cab cars.

[@TheFrogfather1]

I remember the Polmont crash. I was on a summer placement at Scottish TV and the footage of the crash was one of the earliest uses of ENG (Electronic News Gathering - i.e. videotape rather than film).

[@Quebecoisegal]

You are a busy man Ruairidh, thank you for all the videos you give us.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The multiple working systems used on the BR(SR) push-pull trains was not based on the systems used on the diesel-electric locomotives that were a result of the Modernisation Plan, but was based on the systems used on the Southern Railway before WW2. In the 1930s the SR electrified the line from Waterloo to Portsmouth and introduced a fleet of 4-car EMUs of 2 types the 4CORridor (aka 4COR or "Nelson" or "Pompey") and the 4REStaurant (aka 4RES). these had through corridors with the detination code panel replacing the left-hand driver's window when looking at the front end, hence the Nelson nickname. The single driver operated upto 3 units from the leading cab. The Class 33/1 was fitted with the standard blue star multiple working equipment and the EMU derived control system that also interfaced into the 4TC set's Electro-Pneumatic Braking system which was significantly different in operation to the standard diesel locomotive braking system. The 12 modified Class 33 that formed the Class 33/1 had two control cables using IIRC 27 individual wires one at buffer beam height for use with other locomotives and one at waist height solely for the use with the 4TC sets and other SR EMUs (when there were power failures). Alongside the control cables were the air brake and reservoir pipes. However, the push-pull service between Edinburgh and Glasgow using pairs of Class 27s at each end of 6 coach takes of coaches used the blue star multiple working system, but all coaches used on these services had to fitted with the same cabling as used on the locomotives, which meant that other coaches couldn't be substituted into these fakes but any locomotives fitted with blue star multiple working equipment could be used on these services provided that they could supply electricity for the train heating system.

[@bigdikboiCJ]

locomotives all use the same mu equpment or else they would not work with other locomotives wich is the point of mu in the first place so cab cars have to use the same or they will be useless

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@bigdikboiCJ this is not true. In the early days of dieselisation on BR there were the standard blue star system, which was fitted to the Class 33 and Class 73 (but only operable when working under diesel power), red circle (as used on the pilot scheme Class 31), orange square (originally used on the Class 22 only, symbol reused on the Class 50 but with different equipment), red diamond (as used on the LMS pioneers and the new standard Type 1 (aka the Class 17)) and once these were all go reused for a different system on the Clas 56 and Class 58). The there the yellow triangle used on the Class 35s and white diamond used on most of the rest of the WR hydraulics. The Class 33/1 was fitted with the SR EMU system to allow it to work with the regions EMU fleet. As for the Class 47/7, Class 86, Class 87, Class 89, Class 90 and Class 91 they were all fitted with TDM systems for working with their DBSO or DVT. There's a similar history for the DMUs

[@arianaashworth3091]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 From what I have gathered, the TDM on class 47/7 and 67 wasn't fully implemented to control them directly as there was issues with interference from the lighting control circuit which used the same cables. The MK3s and MK4s had a separate TDM cable that was not shared so AC electrics got away with it. I believe the 47/7s operating with MK2 DBSO and 67s operating with MK1 PCVs needed a second driver. The TDM system is completely useless on a 47/7 for loco-to-loco control as TDM just does not work the same way as the green circle does, unfortunately class 47s with that system are becoming increasingly rare to find as they were mostly retrofitted to a bunch in the freight sector. Class 67s currently operating with DVTs have stock retrofitted to operate with the system fitted to the 67s (AAR).

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@arianaashworth3091 going from memory there were a few teething troubles, such as flickering lights, with the original batch of Class 47/7's TDM equipment, all of which were resolved. I'm not aware that the AC electrics used anything other than the standard RCH cabling fitted to coaching stock for their TDM, but do know that they were fitted with a later generation of TDM for use with the Mk3 or Mk4 DVT, which had to be retrofitted to the DBSO when running with the Class 86s in East Anglia. I do know that the Class 86s and 87s where fitted with the standard 27-way control cables for multiple working. Yes, the PCVs required 2 drivers because the PCVs were not fitted with a power controller which required a driver in the PCV and locomotive. This was the same whether the PCV was a converted brake van, as used on the oil trains going to the terminal at Sunderland South Dock, or a converted Class 307 driving vehicle.

[@fauzirahman3285]

Ugh, I can't imagine what it would feel like to be the Landcruiser driver who ended up causing the derailment that ended up in a head-on collision with the freight. That was a devastating aftermath.

[@Birchy]

RIP to the Ayrshire Cow :(

[@jammiedodger7040]

Class 150,152,153,155,156,158 and 159 are all great little units for branch lines.

[@MRCSANY]

Fun Fact: in The Railway Series, the book basis for Thomas The Tank Engine, Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel are a push-pull consist.

[@thetechnocrat4979]

Yes, true.

[@tremensdelirious]

Excellent video. Thank you. Watching I just thought about how that same concept has been improved, adapted and revised over many years but it is all about the same idea of saving time and hence money

[@ChimpManZ1264]

It is sad that the time has come where the remarkable MK3 and MK4 services have been generally retired and the few operate services that will inevitably also see them gone from mainstream service.

[@grumpyoldman47]

The GWR marshalled locos between auto coaches at times because the maximum number of coaches which were permitted to be propelled was two; this is why if you look at photos of PP trains on other railways/regions, the consist was a maximum of one loco plus two carriages. Not sure if this rule applied to EMUs/DMUs too pre-Bournemouth, but I can't think of any built before the Bournemouth electrification that had more than two trailers propelled by a power car (Southern Railway/region 4-car sets and longer had a power car at each end until the arrival of the CIGs, and these were formed of two trailers-power car-one trailer, like BR overhead electric sets from the Southend Vic sets onward, and so still only had a maximum of two trailer cars being propelled). The relaxation in PP rules followed the Southern Region undertaking some trials with de-motorised Portsmouth (4-COR) sets in about 1960, which proved that PP trains of longer lengths were safe; longer ones had been worked overseas for years (such as on Paris suburban services). However, there was some restriction about speed if I remember correctly - initially, didn't it have to be less than 100mph and weren't the REP/TC formations originally timed for a maximum of 99mph accordingly? HSTs and 373 Eurostars aren't push-pull trains The lass 91/HST (with one class 43 power car) combination was used for testing of the class 91 locos; originally, there should have been some pre-series locos, and this use with HSTs was planned and implemented as part of the testing process Most of the Mk IV shells were built by BREL at Derby Litchurch Lane as sub-contractors to Met-Camm; the balance were built in Italy If APT-S and IC250 trains had been built, these would have been PP too (APT-S would have had two power cars at one end)

[@uphalljunction2742]

Nice Video and interesting topic, keep it up👍

[@pras12100]

I have a suggestion for a video: "The History of the Liverpool Overhead Railway" as it seems to have been so innovative but was doomed to be destroyed.

[@petergilbert72]

Interesting video thanks. But I had difficulty following the narrative which is probably better on paper than as audio. Please will you shorten your sentences to eliminate clauses and sub clauses?

[@Dwagginz]

I'm going to assume one of those 91s was 91011/111 so I'll cheer it because that's my loco. But a fascinating video, Ruairidh, thank you.

[@macjim]

Now that you’ve covered this type of train, how about covering the slip coach too? That’s where it wasn’t economical to have a train stop at an underused station, or to have an express stop; the rearmost coach would be uncoupled from the train and brought to a controlled stop at the station. A worthy subject I would have thought?

[@thepressure2708]

He's already done a video covering this.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

19:46 it’s 21 years since that crash occurred here

[@lukegreen5341]

6:43 This GWR Pannier Tank Engine Is A Bit Like Duck The Great Western Engine From Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends The Original Series In 1984. Thanks Mate. X

[@Tom-Lahaye]

In the Netherlands push-pull operation was firstly introduced in the 1970s at non electrified lines, where at some times the capacity of the ruling DMUs was insufficient. Then short rakes of coaching stock where top and tailed with a diesel locomotive of class 2200 (not unlike a BR class 20). A generator car would provide on board power for the train. Use of driving trailers was from the early 1970s onwards, which is quite late. This was on the Benelux trains between Amsterdam and Brussels. A rebuilt plan D luggage brake was used as driving trailer, the rest of the train but two Dutch coaches was Belgian stock. In 1987 new Benelux trains came into service, all coaches were based on the Dutch ICR coaches and the locomotives were new Belgian class 11. First domestic use of driving trailers came in the same period on new loco hauled stopping train coaching stock, these also happened to be the first double deck stock in the Netherlands. In the 1990s some of the ICR stock coaches were rebuilt in driving trailers to enable the doubling of the intercity train intervals on the longest routes from hourly to every 30 minutes. This because passenger rates were growing that fast so that trains had reached their possible maximum length of 12 coaches. Creating more capacity was in progress by the acquirement of new double decker intercity EMUs, but because this didn't create capacity quickly enough the train density was doubled. This necessitated the use of driving trailers to accommodate a quicker turnaround at terminus stations. Most are now withdrawn as loco hauled trains became a rarity.

[@chrislaarman7532]

Those trains with generator cars on Zwolle - Emmen were pull-pull, weren't they? ;-) Remarkably, Dutch push-pull started off in 1969 or 1970 with freight trains at Maarn, between the then sandpit and Maarn Goederen yard. (Or did the 1924 "Blokkendoos" sets run push-pull?) Yes, passenger trains in the Netherlands will soon all consist of multiple units, except some international ones. Remarkably, Belgium is continuing to get push-pull sets. Germany seems to have changed to multiple units, but has until recently built many locomotives for push-pull, so the transistion may take some decades there.

[@Tom-Lahaye]

@@chrislaarman7532 That's right, there was a locomotive at each end, I'm not sure if there was a remote control to the rear engine or if it was switched off when direction changed. There was pull-pull in the UK on Glasgow-Edinburgh trains in the 1970s with a class 27 on each end, those were always both powering the train, as the carriages had control cables to link the locomotive controls.

[@metropod]

Amtrak took a few surplus F40PH locomotives, took the prime mover out, put in a new floor, cut a roll up door on ether side and gave birth to the “Cab-Baggage” cars AKA “Cabbages” (real name “Non-Powered Control Unit”)

[@corinheathcote9868]

Mk 5a will in December 2022 be on the Cleethorpes to Liverpool lime Street service. The training of crew is and has been going on all year.

[@TomStorey96]

"Carstairs Junction, Scotland. A bit of a backwater, to judge by the signal box, some might say. But they'd be wrong, for this junction is vital..." Gee I think I've watched *that* video a few too many times. 😅

[@colchestercreek]

Fascinating. Thank you for posting.

[@Andrewjg_89]

The 20th Century was all about old fashioned trains that dominated the railways in the UK. Including during and after the world war. Before the 21st Century came. Now as we are in the 21st Century the Class 43, Class 90, Class 91 and Class 92 Mk3 and Mk4 are still going.

[@petersilvester1315]

I found it all very interesting, but a couple of (hopefully constructive) comments... Your commentary, on this and some other of your videos, tends to be far too fast, not giving enough time for it to sink in. Please consider slowing down a bit! Secondly, e.g. around the 8-9 minute stage, you were quoting lots of technical terms for types of trains and units. This was relatively incomprehensible to anyone other that someone who uses the same terms regularly. I've been into railways since 1956 - but you lost me! I didn't know what you were on about. But - please do carry on. I did enjoy it, really!

[@TringsTrainsProductions]

The DRS workings weren't just for sellafield workers, they were brought in to make up for the lack of Northern stock in general, so they were regular scheduled trains. I used to get the 37 set going to UCLAN for a few years and were the best thing we had until the 195s came in

[@davidty2006]

I would take a loco hauled train with mk 2's over them pacers anyday. or even the older class 101s.

[@physiocrat7143]

The system used on the Waterloo-Weymouth route was a brilliant solution. It should have been adopted instead of bi-mode which is inefficient and expensive.

[@57305northernprincess]

Shame you avoided talking about Wrexham and Shropshire and Network Rail disaster of not been able to use DVTs because of lack of route availability and now they are in storage. DRS used DBSOs for the Cumbrian Coast when Northern had DMU storage

[@physiocrat7143]

The later GWR trailers were very comfortable and were named after birds.

[@stuew6]

IN Toronto in Canada has GO Transit use Push-pull services and Montreal has Amt Transit use Push-pull Services

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Yes nearly every commuter rail company usrs push-pull trains

[@patkins8319]

The mk5a picture is of a trail run through Lancaster castle station.

[@Transportationspotting]

Very interesting video, thank you 👍

[@markcousins9337]

My recollection of Great Heck was the fucker pulled a trailer after having about an hours sleep because he had been up all night "chatting" on the Internet. As for the Manchester Airport-Redcar Central, aka "The Smoggy Special". The citizens of York thank you for that one, TPE.

[@jammiedodger7040]

The best way is locomotive and coaches

[@RedArrow73]

The DBSO left the metals owing to not enough weight to keep it down so the Jobsworths at BR decide to make the carriage lighter.

[@craigsibley8161]

Another quality video 👍👍👍

[@fhs7838]

China only begin (massively) using push-pull train since late 2010s. The CR160J. Due to CR dont operate any short distance passenger trains. So only long distance conventional trains/carriages instead. Still, the push configuration, as the video shows, isnt really safe during impact. The loco just can not slow itself suddenly during a crash, and will crash into all carriages in the front. And the control cars in the front is too light that can not provide regular crash worthiness as a locomotive.

[@kevanhubbard9673]

This method is common in Germany and Switzerland now on passenger trains.Rarer in England now although I think that there's still a bit of 91 haulage between Leeds and London.And not to forget the Chiltern 68's and the Welsh 67's .I don't count 43's as both locomotives are powered thus it's push and pull or is it pull and push?

[@davidty2006]

Push pulls in UK are sure interesting yet marvalous. I do like how the class 91 sets look like a MU but they arn't.

[@johnson_street_IEMD]

great documentary for the DVTs

[@thetrainhopper8992]

Some of Amtrak’s trains here use “DVTs”. They call them NPCUs, we call them “cabbages”😂

[@luke27000]

British Railway, I Salute You 😌

[@mdhazeldine]

Great video. I know Germany uses push-pull a lot and I think also Switzerland, but I wonder what other countries do? Perhaps France? I don't think the Netherlands do (at least not anymore).

[@runoflife87]

All the Western Europe uses push-pull trains. There are some examples from Eastern Europe too (mostly built after 1990 although they were pretty common in the GDR).

[@gab_v250]

Almost all trains use push-pull, except some classic intercity, eurocity and night sleeper trains, which split in more parts to more destinations. That could be solved though with using a configuration similar to the ÖBB Railjet sets (locomotive between a coach and a driving coach of the adjacent trainset)

[@mdhazeldine]

@@gab_v250 Which country are you referring to?

[@gab_v250]

@@mdhazeldine still western europe. Or more specifically, Italy. Trenitalia night sleepers have had only recently begun having cab cars, and not in every service. They're testing a new double unit method on the north-south night sleeper train (one unit goes to Palermo, the other to Siracusa). Luckily all international services are used by EMUs.

[@jordanlawrie8331]

Any chance of a video on the west Highland and maybe the Callander and Oban railway?

[@MattBrownbill]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[@johnfletcher1036]

Do you remember what happened when the Glasgow Edinburgh service hit a cow whilst in push mode? Not a good outcome.

[@arthurrytis6010]

Could have been so much better if there had been a dedicated connection between DVT and Loco instead of time division matrix on West Coast.