Running to Time. Equinoxe. Channel 4. (1988)

Documentary report on the new high speed train (BR Class 91) introduced by British Rail and the prospects for an improvement in service on its introduction.
First broadcast 11/2/88.

[@framingdevice2222]

Nobody ever beat this livery. They were designed for it. It's still iconic and up to date looking.

[@violinstar5948]

Just like Pendolino

[@richardclarke376]

imagine something this intelligent going over network TV in 2020! Would never happen.

[@swaneknoctic9555]

Agreed. I don't think the tattooed illiterate morons would appreciate this viewing.

[@mccobsta]

This is just the normal softcore British doc all channels do them except 5 as they're owned by viacom now

[@vasili1207]

@@mccobsta no where are you living ? no British tv is like this now. there more interested in telling everyone there a bad person

[@souvikrc4499]

Especally with Channel 4 itself on the privatization chopping block.

[@earnshaw5]

Modern tv is all dating shows and other mindless rubbish. It is why I watch KZbin and Netflix documentaries more than tv

[@JBFlytography]

Life span of 30 years.... here we are 31 years later. Still in service.

[@AusLegoBoy]

Ok

[@jonathanp896]

However, 32 years later the majority are in long term storage and will likely be scrapped, and the rest will soon follow. So it was pretty accurate, really. They did a good job and worked hard for 30 years, but keeping them reliable is becoming increasingly difficult.

[@YukariAkiyamaTanks]

@@jonathanp896 unfortunately

[@cameronyoungcg9270]

@@jonathanp896 the rest of the fleet are now in for "major maintainance" as RAIL put it so we can see maybe a few more years out of them still.

[@bangerbangerbro]

@@jonathanp896 Now 34 years later they are back out of long term storage to continue at least until 35 years later and possibly longer when nothing is ordered to replace the last of them.

[@canyoudigit5058]

RIP British Rail. I have great memories of you.

[@edfinch1237]

Quite the opposite for me. My parents moved our family to Scotland in the late 80s and my dad regularly took my sister and I on the train south to see family in London and the home counties. I have memories of standing on the platform at Dunbar station in the freezing cold or pouring rain, or in a cavernous falling apart King's Cross station staring at that giant ticker board waiting for trains that were invariably delayed. Often we'd have to get on a train that we hadn't got booked seats on due to cancellations and have to stand or sit on the floor all the way to London or Dunbar. The trains were uncomfortable, hard and rattly compared to modern trains and the track was bumpy. The train would often have to stop or slow right down due to rail defects meaning what was an advertised 4 hour journey often ended up at 5 or 6 hours. You could smoke on the trains back then and even though my dad would try and book a seat in a non smoking carriage the smoke would permeate through the train and I remember feeling constantly ill. I'm leaving out the even worse experience on "network south east" the part of BR that serviced the routes out to family in Weybridge, Addlestone and Walton-on-Thames....BR was absolutely awful and only rose-tinted nostalgia on some people's part (I bet by those that largely did not have to use it on a regular basis) make people think otherwise.

[@alanlmsca]

Wow! I remember this programme from when it was first broadcast. I remember being so inspired by the Class 91 that I built a 1:25 scale model of it for a GCSE CDT Project. Infact I still have the model on my dressing table now! All I can say in poor old British Rail. It really was never allowed to flourish like other railways in Europe. At least the 91 are still going :)

[@Ash-928]

Although its not as iconic as the 125 (which is still going strong after 40 years!), the 91 is still a great train and is an example of how great British engineering was back in the day.

[@pennyjunction9066]

alanlmsca ok boomer

[@arthurmatthews9321]

The best quote in this documentary is the line .it is a machine as slick and elegant as a Ferrari with the power of a bulldozer. That right there perfectly describes a class 91

[@alanlmsca]

@@pennyjunction9066 Hehehe. First time I've been called a boomer. I best order my zimmer frame.

[@Martindyna]

Now that the railways are privatised and BR, BREL & BR Research gone money is seemingly no object and we spend enormous sums of money to keep shareholders happy and to buy foreign designed trains that, if we're lucky, we assemble here. BREL became absorbed into Bombadier Derby which still produce new trains in the UK but how British the designs are I don't know. Everything is so international nowadays which I suppose is not necessarily a bad thing.

[@CMD_Line]

I do love 1980's documentary music 🎶

[@GRALISTAIR]

One of my favorite railway documentaries of all time. I remember it like it was yesterday.

[@syedadeelhussain2691]

A superb documentary for transportation engineers and economists. Must-watch for Operations research modellers too! Wonderful transfer of knowledge to students. Great

[@wearecity]

Produced in my first year on the Railway and 34 years later, we are both still on the railway.

[@HSMiyamoto]

The detail in this documentary is astounding. One should have an engineering education to get the most from it.

[@ronniedelahoussayechauvin6717]

I never heard anything about Trains, until just lately.

[@poino11]

This video made me choose a career in railway design! , we need programs like this that don't excessively dumb down topics so that young people don't get a false idea of what they want (or more unfortunately) what they think they want that isn't so.... my 2 cents

[@SunnyIntervalsORG]

That APT-E looks really good even today! Imagine seeing that go by in the 70s when it was running!

[@willb3698]

The Queen: "Such Beautiful Countryside in Great Britain" Mitterand: "Yes - and so much time to enjoy it"

[@richardclarke376]

The Queen: "You have obviously forgotten Agincourt.... and Trafalgar!"

[@isaacroebuck9514]

Insane to think of how many times they've tried to replace the class 43 over the years, they just won't give up even now, true legends for sure.

[@robertyoung73]

Excellent documentary, thank you.

[@marklee1194]

My favourite Equinox episode.

[@cefnonn]

Thanks, 'stablestaple' for uploading. I remember this being shown years ago. So good to see it on youtube.

[@MegaQuenten]

'Even if the train is..... Running to time!' Brilliant.

[@gkeaoyrge]

Can't believe the Electra are approaching their intended lifespan! Quite strange seeing them brand new here and now as the old model in reality. To me they don't look almost 30 years old. At 3:40 the design and livery looks great.

[@greendayforever2k9]

Well HST's are still running fine and they're approaching 40, both are better than any new trains we have.

[@Ash-928]

InterCity 125 and 225 the last of the great British built trains.

[@DJenerate]

That's the first time I've ever heard them called Electra's. The livery looks really nice without the yellow front end, too bad we're only just now seeing trains without it.

[@daveyr5462]

The IETs are pretty horrendous. Nasty, plastic things. The Class 91s and the MK4s are still king of the King Cross as far as I am conerned. The Swallow livery is beautiful on these machines. I'm from the GNER era, the red, gold and dark blue was beautiful on the Electras. They look brand new even now. RIP 225. We'll miss you. Even the daily commuters will eventually miss you. And your diesel-drinking brethren.

[@gapa1982]

Davey R old comment I know, although I can’t agree with you on the Class 800/1/2 comment, I am sad that we have little loco hauled trains these days. They can’t be matched for comfort.

[@britishrailclass]

People: diesel trains are slow and crap Kenneth Grange: hold my beer...

[@Cerebro1983uk]

I remember seeing a model of the 225 displayed at Bristol temple meads station in 1988 when I was 5 years old. And the western region is still not electrified yet in 2017 while the rest of the UK has been for years.

[@Nine-Signs]

Oh how I laughed: 50:00 "unsympathetic staff, dirty coaches, closed buffet cars, noncompetitive and confusing fairs do not make rail travel attractive" Oh that me howl. Today we spend more money on a train ticket to travel 100 miles in trains that stink of piss than we do on a plane ticket to travel 1000 miles. To travel to Norwich from Coventry = 2 hours by car, 3 hours by coach, 140 mile trip, but due to the fractured service we now have it takes 5 to 7 hours on the train and 280 miles as you have to go via London. Passenger numbers went up out of necessity post privatisation as our population since 1980 has increased by 10 million people. It has nothing to do with "desire" nor "efficiency" as it is neither desirable to travel on a privatised train that stinks of piss, nor efficient to have to travel 280 miles for what was a 140 mile journey under a nationalised service. The amount of subsidy given to privatised rail today is 4 times the size of what CONservatives gave to British Rail once you adjust for inflation. Privatisation, an utter failure.

[@cedarcam]

There is one other line in Wales which has in cab signalling. The new ETRMS system which is a joint development of European railways. Work has now started on the East Coast line from Kings Cross but it will be a few years before we see it in operation. Class 91's did run at 140 mph for a short time All went well but track workers could not get enough warning time to stand clear and the unions asked for better safety arrangements to be made. A lack on money sadly resulted in a reduced speed

[@annother3350]

3:36 good to see a young Nicholas Lyndhurst getting involved!

[@MannyAntipov]

😂

[@Embracing01]

Running to Time was repeated on the 25th Sept 1990 during Channel 4s Going Loco season. Odd that they repeated something which was over 2 years old at the time, but likely they needed something to fill the air time with a train related programme as most programmes like that rarely if ever get broadcast again. Odd that the uploader as spelt Equinox with an E at the end as it's spelt Equinox.

[@giannicolonello3240]

24:06 what is that man doing on the ladder?!?!

[@michaelpowell3980]

came for the British Rail nostalgia, found myself enjoying the BA 757 and the old Victoria coach station!

[@ttrjw]

I turned 18 in the May this was broacast.. Undergraduate degree in transport subsequently.. 18 years with Transport for London. The only reason I didn;t go into heavy rail was BR privatisation. This is the finest raildoc around. Grown-up treatment of the subject, fab visuals and great music. Plus a youngish Roger Ford and GFA too. Even the rival modes are gorgeous. 757 in Landor and VCS too.

[@niklassteve8899]

Once I bought 91‘s add on on TS，and I was impressed by its performance

[@ikbification]

A CLASSIC DOCUMENTARY. STLL HAVE THIS ON VHS

[@tob19]

omg I found where the beautiful cooling fan sound is

[@retroscient]

The piano music used at the start and end of this documentary is quite evocative. Was it a custom tune just for this episode, or can I find it anywhere else?

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

And here we are 35 years later with a fragmented railway network where individual railway companies consistently under invest and under-perform, ticket prices are astronomical, and where profits go to shareholders. Privatisation really was a fantastic idea, as long as you think that profits rather than service quality, are what you want.

[@daniellongshaw9031]

Heartbreaking to see what has become of crewe these days. And soon the hst power cars and class 91s will be a thing of the past.

[@carlthompson1247]

Crewe is in for a multi million pound rehaul like most stations are having. Good jobs 125s are going, we are now having fantastic investment in new stock!

[@jimusgrimus]

Carl Thompson 125's are the best train ever built. nothing compares to them.... their foreign built replacements included.

[@carlthompson1247]

kelly we cannot continue with them! Yes they are good but we need to modernise

[@trainzrawsome1]

Carl Thompson I think you are MASSIVELY underestimating class 43s... Sorry.

[@jimusgrimus]

he sure does......H.S.T. has surpassed everything. Deltics included.

[@PeaveyPV20]

Class 91s have been a good servant and i will miss them as they are phased out, always had comfie seats which you dont get in the latest trains

[@rexremedy1733]

i would love to travel on the the HST... its an awesome piece of technology.

[@CyberGlitched848]

2:14 best HST pass by shot of all time

[@safirahmed]

British Rail will eventually return because the people will demand it.

[@stablestaple]

@TheWesternAS Interesting points - the whole chapter of rail transport in the UK has been a very sad tale of under-funding, missed opportunities and general decline...all very sad, particularly for a rail enthusiast but also for the general populace who have to bear the brunt of political short-sightedness. Thanks for watching/posting.

[@Cerebro1983uk]

I was 5 years old in 1988 I remember this equinox series on channel 4. I'm 34 years old now soon I will be turning 35 in January wtf I'm getting old. When I was 6 years old my dad took me to Bristol temple meads station to take pictures of the diesels based at bristol bath road depot and passing through the station. good days long gone Nowadays suck

[@framingdevice2222]

35 isn't old. Don't feel like that. Enjoy what makes you happy again, find that enjoyment in something again.

[@Marc-so2cd]

The class 91 is a beautiful locomotive.

[@willb3698]

Takes me back to London>Carlisle / Shap Fell 125's and Virgin. That was a great route. Say what you will, but I live in Australia, came back recently to UK and used trains exclusively. Refreshing.

[@tonybailey7037]

Good to see the younger Captain Deltic

[@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206]

Today 15th December 2019 is the LAST day of service for both the class 43 and class 91 on the ECML

[@cedarcam]

The signalling was upgraded on the 140mph section of line by introducing flashing green aspects meaning the next signal will be at least showing a green aspect. These are still in use today through Peterborough as far as I know

[@GreatWestern175]

I've seen it myself when scouting for spots along that stretch of line. It does bewilder me that BR left the fifth signalling aspect intact and NR have made no effort into changing it back to a all-green mode

[@jamestripney7294]

Wooden mock up , the glory days before computer modelling

[@Nine-Signs]

Hard mock ups are still made by various firms :) Computers can only tell you so much as the driver cannot sit inside it. However VR headsets will change all that. If they haven't already. ;o)

[@miniroll32]

Growing up I assumed all intelligent British men sounded like this narrator

[@javiergomez9970]

At 2.38, the train at the platform before the intercity train comes is a british rail class 141

[@toomywins]

holy shitttt i remember this when i had a video player! :D

[@707747727]

The only answer is to start with the permanent way, upwards.

[@fman02]

03:00 Feel the diversity!

[@jasonmatthews5173]

The ECML was supposed to be built upto 140 mph, but the signalling is not up to the job beyond 125 mph. Network Rail (formerly Railtrack) said that it was waiting to be fitted. All the signalling was put in between 1971 and 1991 with Tyneside IECC).

[@Ben31337l]

+Jason Matthews I've herd the HST can reach 140MPH too... is the ECML still limited to 125MPH?

[@FabianEason]

+Jason Matthews Much of the ECML is technically good for 140mph. Long sections of it have been signalled for it too, by adding a fifth aspect - flashing green. You can still see this in areas around Peterborough. What put the brakes on 140mph was a safety directive taken high up in BR, it was decided that it was not possible for a single driver to reliably sight lineside signals above 125mph, and so it was required that there be two drivers in the cab (similar to Shinkansen). As such the record run of 3 hours 29 mins Edinburgh-London was done largely at 140mph and with two drivers in the cab. It was not economical to have two drivers, and also there were signs that the OHLE was not sturdy enough to put up with 140mph consistently, so it was abandoned. When the ECML gets ETRMS it will be able to go back up to 140mph, and Hitachi have promised the IEPs can be upgraded to 140mph with minimal intervention. Railtrack never planned signalling for the ECML, but they did plan it for the WCML upgrade, which turned out too costly so that too was abandoned, and the Pendolinos subsequently had their suspension softened to align better with 125mph running, and so these too are now restricted to 125mph.

[@Ben31337l]

***** So instead of HS2, increase the maximum speed on the ECML, lol.

[@thetrainguy1]

+Fabian Eason Why not install cab signals?

[@Ben31337l]

thetrainguy1 I expect that installing cab signals requires the track infrastructure in order to operate, and therefore, require that UK trains be delayed due to track upgrades, besides, the current trackside signals might confuse the driver if the cab signals are not implemented correctly

[@TheJononator]

9:18 "The titling train was dead." Richard Branson: Hold my virgin cola...

[@Nine-Signs]

"while I grab all of the publicly funded research and use massive taxpayer subsidies to develop it, the likes of which that were never given to BR but as I am a conservative billionaire capitalist its a piece of piss for me to swindle the UK public with the governments blessing while the media gives me credit for doing so" Yea, he probably didn't pay for the Cola either.

[@tob19]

Richard Branson: *smashes the tv and heads to the narrators house*

[@davidjones3758]

Beardy Branson is just a tosser

[@orsoncart9441]

@Hitogokochi Branson is a very successful business man who has made a lot of people jealous of his success.

[@orsoncart9441]

@Hitogokochi Have a nice day mate.

[@jasonmatthews5173]

Funny thing is that Metro Cammell merged with GEC Alstrom a year after this programme was broadcast on Channel 4 (1988).

[@railwork2643]

+cybhunter007 this is BR 30yrs ago this was filmed...

[@alexdev5809]

+Dewi Morgan your right. I'm writing in 2015 and the brisith government bought some class 800 and 801's from Hitachi Rail Japan.

[@BlackRose-vi2yg]

Cannot even imagine catching a coach instead of a train now. Things move on so much

[@javiergomez9970]

When it shows the west coast main line at 6.36, in that period, not all Intercity southbound services terminated at London Euston. Some went to Bournemouth, Penzance, Exeter st Davids and Paington. Also not all northbound services terminated at Manchester Piccadilly or Liverpool lime street, some went to Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.

[@AgentSquash]

This still happens today - CrossCountry

[@interstat2222]

Intercity called it Cross Country too. I remember.

[@interstat2222]

I'm sure I got Intercity 225 from Euston to Glasgow Central in 1990-4. Can anyone confirm. I was a tiny kid and just have vague memories. Or would it have been a class 90?

[@mikewatt8706]

there have been so many advances over the years one being bogies. todays fastest trains have one set of bogies connecting two cars making a far stiffer train with less rocking and another advance is long lengths of tracks without joints except for expansion and contraction thus making the ride very smooth and quiet. then we have the electric motors in almost every wheel set.

[@orsoncart9441]

Listen to the part between 5:00 and 6:20. Therin lies the problem with the railways now.Not run by engineers anymore.

[@taffy402]

And now we buy trains from anywhere and everywhere except here in the UK !!

[@owenevans83]

DEWI MORGAN Bullshit, do you not know about Bombardier? Sure they aren't British owned but who cares...

[@riverhuntingdon6659]

+DEWI MORGAN Yes, and once the last Eurostar was built at the former Met-Cam works, GEC/Alstom soon buggered off back to France. Today, the only train being made here's the Vivarail D78/ DEMU, and a good idea it is too. To think that we once made rolling stock for all over the world, including the first Toronto Subway cars, built by Gloucester Carriage and Wagon Co to designs very similar to their London Transport surface stock ones.

[@owenevans83]

River Huntingdon That is true, it was a shame that Alstom closed Washwood Heath in 2004. However, you seem to be forgetting a few things. First, Bombardier (I know they are foreign but who cares) build multiple units for the UK market and for export at Derby. Hitachi have opened an assembly plant at Newton Aycliffe, and Alstom are planning a new facility in Norhtwest England. Also we can't forget all the companies that manufacture components like bogies and pantographs, as well as rolling stock maintenance companies such as Brush and Hunslet (who still build loco's). Nevertheless, I find it sad to reflect on the contraction of the UK's rolling stock industry.

[@riverhuntingdon6659]

Yes indeed, Bombardier, or ABB as was, built many of the 375's I used to work on. I always recall being on the "first one up" and failing at Crowhurst in the middle of nowhere as the computer didn't like a bit of frost on the juice rail LOL. Hopefully things have got better since I retired. Then there's the GauTrain, in South Africa, another Electrostar clone. They seem quite happy with theirs. The Hitachi Javelins seem very spartan compared to an old Phase 1 4-CIG Brighton line unit ! Now I'm showing my age. Brecknell Willis are still going as far as I understand it too. We even exported MK2 based EMUs to Taiwan of all places, as I suspect you know, but if not, look up "EMU 100" and you'll see. The railway there's kept a couple of units in running order, full marks to them. Try and run an older EMU here and you'll soon become tangled in Red Tape ! Rode behind a Hunslet steam loco in Peru of all places. And I've always held the Brush 47's in good regard, among others, bloody good locos. The thing is to an old fart like me, the new units and locos just don't make the right noises, I'm getting old.

[@owenevans83]

River Huntingdon Well I wasn't aware of the mark 2 based EMU's, but I know that BREL exported a variant of the express sprinter DMU to Thailand. Got bit of an interesting story for you regarding Cuba. Brush traction won a contract for type 4- based locos for Cuba, but they kept the order a secret because they were owned by Hawker siddeley, who didn't want to upset their American military customers. They subcontracted the work to Hunslet I think. I do like 47's too, they are a classic design and on par with the great EE 37's.

[@MasterMoyle]

Hope that when their time comes that a few of the 91's get saved for preservation rather than it just being a single classmember that isnt operational.

[@InterRegios]

23:50 and we're still paying the consequences with delayed and cancelled projects.

[@tob19]

Celebrating 30 years of this sexy beast! I need to drive this, don’t get rid of it National rail turds.

[@MrMulrine83]

3:46 "the locomotives are to be known as class 91, but are already better known as Electras" .....

[@Electricfox]

Funny how things go full circle. The APT-S was meant to enter service on the WCML. When the project folded the designs for the tilting bogie were sold to Fiat who used them in their Pendolino series, a derivative of which is now running on the WCML.

[@TANGARASandOSCARS]

The 757 is on the way out - the 91, whilst breaking up with the ECML, still has a future, like the HST. BTW does anyone know the intro music name/artist/location?

[@RWL2012]

22:54 "now (1988) they (HSTs) are over 10 years old" - hah! 30 years later in 2018 they're over 40 years old and still going!

[@GreatWestern175]

They'l be lasting much longer than the 225's no doubt as they're diesel trains and can run almost anywhere even in shortened formations in Scotland and the West Country. 225's rely on electric traction and overhead lines which will inevitably cost alot in age and maintenance

[@cameronyoungcg9270]

@@GreatWestern175 I think some are safe until the 2030s, particularly the ScotRail ones (though they are having serious issues because the GWR sets are in an awful state apparently)

[@GreatWestern175]

@@cameronyoungcg9270 Interesting...I've not heard of any issues and reports from any sources from the UK HST Enthusiasts facebook group about these technical issues from former GWR HSTs. Only the odd one but nothing serious.

[@MegaQuenten]

The guys on ladders @24:07 and 25:21, Fucking hell, H&S nightmare-_-

[@burkezillar]

My first trainset was a Hornby Intercity 225 (which I no longer have). I always loved the look of the 225, especially in that livery. Although I've never been on a 225, I've seen them going back certain stations, and it looks horrid in that all grey livery one operator uses for it.

[@DENPTrains]

You mean East Coast? I liked it quite, thought it was nice, they're not in operation anymore and replaced with a more colourful livery

[@binarysignals9593]

@@DENPTrains National Express completley ruined and bastardised the class 91 set's. GNER had the best livery imo.

[@tomstickland]

What's happening with that ladder at 25.05?

[@HSMiyamoto]

Oh! Mister Porter, what shall I do? I want to go to Birmingham And they're taking me on to Crewe, Send me back to London as quickly as you can, Oh! Mister Porter, what a silly girl I am!

[@rexremedy1733]

how much I would love to be an engineer again... :-(

[@rexremedy1733]

NuggetOfBlueGold you never know... :-)

[@rexremedy1733]

NuggetOfBlueGold thanks for the advice! i had something with programming in mind...

[@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels]

Aggressive looking 125 at speed: 24:02

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

16:40 HIGH-VIS VESTS DON'T HAVE SLEEVES

[@vhayes2257]

0:05 where is that plane landing, can anyone tell? Unless I'm very much mistaken that is not a British airport. Look at the high mountains right behind the city there.

[@Vortigan07]

And The 91's never did get to run at their max operational speed!

[@Bungle-UK]

Why do so many railway fans think we can continue to live in the past? The world moves on and things change, just as the railways changed the world when they first came along.

[@framingdevice2222]

I don't know if they do, but things have got cheaper and with lower attention to detail, so I guess that makes them nostalgic. One day people will be nostalgic for the 800s/802s too.

[@alexpaumen3937]

9:18 The 221 Voyager’s a tilting train. I know I’m being Captain Obvious.

[@cliffbird5016]

prob with the railway is they use diff types of electric power in diff regions. most of the south use a 3rd rail while the midlands and the north use overhead cables, i think the 3rd rail is a lot easier cheaper and safer than overhead. 3rd rail just gets put down like a normal rail. no need for towers so no need to alter bridges. no cables snapping in storms and coming down electricuting ppl. doesnt clutter up the country side either with ugly masts every few feet. easier to maintain as well as all they have to do is lift the foot and stick on a new pad when needed. overhead the cables and the pickup have to be replaced every few months cause the friction causes them to get grooves in them which in turn frayes the cables. saw another vid showing how complicated and expensive the overhead rails r. the pickup arm contact point has to be replaced every day cause they wear out and takes hrs to replace it. while the 3rd rail foot only needs replacing once every few years and only takes a few mins. think they go for the most expensive option just so they can give more ppl a job and make the contracters richer rather than going for the much cheaper and better option. it takes years to put in the overhead cables while its takes days to put in a 3rd rail. when they electified the southampton/ portsmouth line which is about 20 to 30 miles it only took them a couple of days. they estimated if they used the overhead cable it would of taken them 20 years cause they would have to raise the height of every bridge and tunnel. only drawback of the 3rd rail is ppl and animals touching it but on the plus side it costs £millions less to install and maintain. overhead cable needs to be replaced means they have to use deisels while they replace the cable with can take weeks or months. 3rd rail they can replace 1 section in a couple of hrs at night when no trains r running. think it took about a week to electrify the track from bournemouth the waterloo using the 3rd rail which is about 150 miles while it took 5 years to put in the overhead cables from liverpool to manchester a mere 30 miles. Another prob with overhead cables is the wind. if its a strong wind the cables move around a lot causing probs with contacting the pickup arm. several trains lost power due to the wind blowing the cables away from the contact on the pickup arm.

[@interstat2222]

Third rail isn't a better option. It's expensive, loses power at distances and needs constant transformers, DC is not suitable for high speed, very dangerous compared to OLE, more susceptible to weather (leaves, ice, snow), requires constant transformers (it's DC but grid supply is AC), etc, etc... It's only useful for city metro services or light rail (even there it's questionable). It's an unsafe and antiquated system.

[@pearlyhumbucker9065]

@cliff bird I think all the points you negate in a catenary system are correct - because and as long you are referring to British Rail systems. Generally, however, what you list here is for the most part nonsense. Catenary systems exist all over the world and in a wide range of environmental conditions - be it the winters in Siberia or the summers on the ore railway in South Africa - and in transport services that exceed the British ratios by several times their size or train weight. And these systems all work to satisfaction. Therefore you should not complain about the basic principle, but should complain to British Rail if they are unable to build a functioning overhead line system. Apart from that, your positive assessment of the third-rail system is completely wrong, For example, with the high voltages present in today's overhead catenary systems, it's no problem transferring high power - therefore it's much easier to meet the todays demands of long, heavy and fast trains. Such high voltages can not be realized in a third-rail system, the proximity to the earth of such busbars would lead to continuous flashovers to ground. "due to the wind blowing the cables away" Dont make me laugh. If the wires are so sloppily hung up and not under tension that the wind can blow them away, then somebody has not worked properly. Another case for complains to BR. But perhaps - in your ignorance - you have simply transferred your observations on an old, exhausted tram line to railways?

[@PilesDriver]

Thank you for sharing your expertise prof.

[@wceyuki]

16:56 so close but so far - that number.

[@javiergomez9970]

Hello there, in those days, as well as the East and West coast main lines, did Intercity rail use the Midland main line as well?

[@binarysignals9593]

Yes, they used to run deltics and still do run 125s

[@javiergomez9970]

The East Coast main line electrification was completed in 1991

[@handlesarefeckinstupid]

Wrong.

[@javiergomez9970]

Mutli million pounds was spent on building those Intercity 125s

[@javiergomez9970]

Sorry

[@riverhuntingdon6659]

+Javier Gomez After the overheating Valenta engines had been sorted, they were a very good buy too. An old boy once told me they'd never have built them, if it wasn't for our rather humbler designs of DEMU on the Southern Region ! Sure they were noisy, but reliable, and the Northern Ireland Railways used almost the same kit for many years. All the builds though were based on 3 or 5 car articulated build for Egypt !

[@m222rjr]

And money well spent! All of the power cars are now 39/41 years old and are. now being refurbished for Scottish Intercity services until 2030. They are still modern looking and ride really comfortably. The wisest investment BR ever made! I

[@GreatWestern175]

Interesting irony watching this. The ECML was electrified by fast, cheap efficiency and on budget. But provided limited power supply on the route in stark contrast to the WCML, plus dewirings by high winds and other issues are caused. Meanwhile the GWML is being electrified but gone so overbudget by over-engineering and installing so much steel masts and centenary. So what is worse the former or the latter??

[@manusmacgearailt667]

I really don’t know, the catenary and masts on the ECML look way more attractive than the ones on the West Coast or Great Western, from watching train videos filmed in France, Germany and Italy, I think it’s also a problem to do with British design, in France it seems that the electrified classic lines have stanchions painted black or dark iron colour, and sit over the tracks neatly like a bridge or box, thus look less intrusive. In Austria they have electrified high speed lines with trains running at 230 km/h, about the same speed intended for the class 91, with simple masts and catenary that look like the ones on low speed commuter lines such the C2C LTS line between London and Shoeburyness.

[@mistofoles]

I didn't get the elephant and mice analogy...

[@fatwalletboy2]

at a combined speed of 125mph......but if the bird flies at the train at 10mph the conbined speed is 135.

[@scottlaw38]

Paul again the Deltics were good but pretty gutless compared to the 91,s awesome power and speed, also the snow problem has been fixed

[@mikewatte4478]

paddy irish man was taking a train from london to liverpool. paddy bought his ticket on the train. as paddy paid for his ticket the guy says. change at crew. paddy says. ill have my bloidy change now.

[@brianligat2038]

"We will soon be arriving at Crewe. For passengers needing to change for Liverpool, there is a Sports Direct shop opposite the station."

[@peterbattey8263]

I wish someone would explain to me WHY ON EARTH IS EVERYONE IN SUCH A HURRY!! Why do people in London need to be in Glasgow or Edinburgh in two hours? What is so important that the journey taking a little longer is is bad. What the blazes do they do with the supposedly saved time? I bet they don't spend it doing leisure activities. If someone can enlighten me as to why this is so. It will be highly appreciated.

[@manusmacgearailt667]

Finally somebody has addressed the elephant in the room, I mean high speed trains are cool to look at, and they are kind of amazing in they’re own way, but the most important thing should be providing people with a frequent, comfortable service on as many different routes as is worth while, for a fair price. I bet the money for HS2 could easily cover the cost of reopening the Great Central Mainline as a high capacity medium high speed electrified railway, electrification of the Chiltern Mainline, Midland Mainline, Transpennine route, the Great Western from Reading to Plymouth via Newbury, and the North Wales line from Holyhead to Crewe, thus providing a comfortable and quality service to London for ferry passengers from Ireland.

[@jouebien]

It's not just about city to city. The faster your trains run the better your commute times are and the further out of the city you can live. Not every one has the ability to afford housing in the middle of a city or has job options out side bussness centres. Faster your local trains go the less time express trains are stuck behind slow locals. I used to commute for 90 minutes from Gold Coast to Brisbane and it was the worst thing I ever did. Halving that time would have made such a difference - I could have had breakfast at home instead of 30 minutes before work started.

[@framingdevice2222]

Because they were competing commercially with other forms of transport. Most people see transport as a tool and want it to serve them with as little time and effort as possible.

[@YPO6]

1:39 what's that truck with "A" logo?

[@FirmCat]

Seddon Atkinson

[@KeiranCounsellKC1994]

i cant see why they didn't just replace the class 43 engine system instead of making a whole new train

[@thomasthornton2002]

Keiran Counsell because electrics tend to be lighter and distribute weight differently so you need to redesign the frames and suspension so at that point it’s just as easy to start from scratch

[@True_NOON]

I know this has less to do with ectual matter, well to some degree , but the music and groggy dampness of these shots , its britain how it really was like back then , and to some extend the transport too

[@HSMiyamoto]

Whomsoever designed the exterior of the General Election AMD-103 Genesis diesel locomotive (today's P40/P42) for Amtrak could not have been thinking much about impressing children, or making an attractive design (See 16:00). The Genesis was apparently modeled after a paving brick (or E60CP) rather than any locomotive that came before it and has appeared later.

[@MegaMissfitz]

Ya were fine, I know ya were knackered , I was happy just to see ya knowing that ya just wanted to get home & rest...now bout tomorrow.. I WILL NOT be running on time, just incase ya were thinking bout dazzling me with ya sarky smirk 😏😏😏

[@Justforfun-wq7mr]

Who is the narrator? I hear him in a ton of documentaries of the era.

[@TheWesternAS]

The 91 was built for normal operating speeds of 140mph. But to this day there isn't (not that I know of) in cab signalling on any part of the UK network, other than HS1 so no part of the network has a faster speed than 125mph. That is just one aspect of underfunding and government peace-meal planning. The UK lead the world with railway engineering, that cant be taken away. But Europe clearly shows how other networks can run much faster and efficiently. The government was short sighted not BR.

[@WynMills1]

The problem with engineers is they only think about the problems. They don’t have the vision to jmagine the possibilities.

[@jaimieboy999]

Any UK train drivers on here?

[@dominiquebrown5931]

Why are trains so rarely used in the United States? Because airlines and roads are heavily subsidized by the U.S. government. Great Britain could theoretically end up the same way if it's government does not get it's priorities right.

[@mr30u79]

That is true for most of the US, but here in the Northeast, trains are a pretty prevelant form of transport. No one really cares for them, but they are used a fair bit.

[@carlthompson1247]

The railways at the moment I feel are in the best shape they have been for decades. Yes the prices are an issue but the trains are now on the whole modern, clean, better service and on time. Stations (especially the hubs) have had billions spent on them and now are lovely safe places. To be honest if we had stuck with BR it would have been awful and what we see today would not have happened. Really we are too quick to trash our railway system but not realise how much it has improved.

[@taffy402]

And now they buy our trains from anywhere except Britain.The next high speed trains are coming from Japan. You just could not make it up could you.

[@muk8804]

They're not. They may be assembled over here but they are not made in Britain or British products