Tasmania Rail - X Class Loco compilation original VHS edit, 1980's

[@SteveZerker]

Holy hell that shot from 06:46 to 07:42 is so cinematic! Gets all the angles, full face of the guy looking out the window and all!

[@Boababa-fn3mr]

Wow. What brilliant little locos the X class are! Amazing footage.

[@SeanHodgman]

An absolutely magnificent video , I've always been a massive X fan

[@SeanHodgman]

Will definitely look forward to the newer version

[@zanelindsay1267]

That's a nostagic look at bygone times. Sad to think how things fall from an active life into disuse and decay, like some of us aging people. An interesting compilation with the different locations, stills and action scenes, nice work with the editing and supplemental sound track. Thanks for sharing ...

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks again Zane. Quite a bit of effort went into editing this one, way back then when I only had access to 2 domestic VHS machines. As with many of these VHS to VHS edits, I will eventually digitally edit it and process the end result. This one will be re-done exactly as it is with next to no changes.

[@pharmajoe990]

Loved the video, thanks! I think we had an X class on the Bellarine Railway in Queenscliff VIC, ex Tasmanian. Awesome engine.

[@tedbear4243]

Cheers Joe. The little X class are indeed an awesome loco.

[@SeanHodgman]

Still there at Bellarine X3 and X20

[@waynegrice4972]

X class and XA’s were our most versatile loco’s. Excellent shunter, good grunt for a mainline haul. Team them up with a Y class (for the legs) and it was happy days.

[@SeanHodgman]

Thanks heaps Ted Bear that was magnificent

[@tedbear4243]

Thank you. Will have a digital re-edit of it sometime in the future

[@tompierce5969]

Some really great sound and footage there, if it ever gets put onto a dvd I'd love to have a copy.💿

[@tedbear4243]

Whats up on KZbin is just the original VHS to VHS edit from years ago. It will eventually be digitally re-edited from the original camera tapes, pretty much as is but with slightly clearer and refined images. It might ake a couple of years before I get around to it tho - have got a sizable back log of things to do before I get to it :-(

[@SeanHodgman]

I too would love a,dvd / bluray copy

[@BoomedYetLush]

Very much enjoyed the compilation. My X chromosome was starting to tear-up towards the end.

[@livinlifetothefullest2750]

Agreed, great to see the 2nd last batch (before the lucky last) in operation but then to see them slaughtered, torn up and parts strewn across from their bodies was equally sad as well.

[@tedbear4243]

I hadnt watched this for probably 15 years and, even though I had put it together over 25 years ago, found it held up pretty well. The final segment was/is indeed quite a sad piece. This is one video that will definitely be re-edited digitally soon. The shots and music will be the same, or very close to it, but the quality will be improved just a tad.

[@SeanHodgman]

Sering them sitting there in Launceston after being scrapped is very sad

[@paulgreen2524]

Learned how to drive trains in X Class locos.

[@leonkernan]

4:37 When I did my 3D printed model I got a comment because the fan grill on top wasn't nicely centered on the loco. I had to send them photos very similar to that to prove it was correct. Just one of the many quirks of these things.

[@ACLTony]

I hope that, at least, one or more of these impressive machines have been preserved or restored. Of course, some environmentalists might have a hissy-fit if they see one of these running and belching dark diesel exhaust. But these locomotives are an integral part of transportation history and apparently did their job well.

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks for comments, and yes, fortunately a number of these gutsy little beasts have been saved.

[@SeanHodgman]

Unfortunately no XAs were saved

[@1goodyrum]

awesome stuff keep them coming

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks, will do my best. Hope to have something new up once per week at least

[@waynegrice4972]

Think back in the day, that the best overload on the Kimberly bank was with Y8 &Xa3 from memory. The late John Sutherland was on train control. Had the choice to halve the load at Kimberly,, or try to make it in one go. Think the crew was Jones and Wilshaw. We made it, only held up 235 at Deloraine for40 minutes.

[@tedbear4243]

Kimberley bank claimed quite a few X class causalities towards the end of their time. John Sutherland was very good to me years ago when I used to visit Tassie with my old VHS cameras!

[@SteveZerker]

bloody lovely, nice one

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks Steve. As ive mentioned elsewhere, this will be a priority to re edit digitally which will improve the tech (and edit) quality a little bit, but its going to be a while before I get to it

[@rsinclair6560]

Did you film any locomotive action between Tonganah and Ledgerwood? Kamona, Trewalla. This section was probably on of the most unique civil railway engineering constructions in the world. The State doesn't know what's under it's own nose until it's gone.

[@movierazor]

Just brilliant!!

[@Bushkid11]

23:20 where abouts was this!?

[@tedbear4243]

Hi there. Most of those derelict shots were taken at the old loco depot area in Invermay. I think a couple of shots (maybe X5? - I cant recall, maybe someone could help here) were off site at some private industrial place in the Invermay area. I'm thinking they may have had 2 X's, and wanted them for the engines.

[@Bushkid11]

@@tedbear4243 oh ok!

[@ACLTony]

These are some quick running turbocharged switchers!

[@tedbear4243]

The little X's were quite a 'zippy' little beast of a machine.

[@johnsergei]

They were intended for main lines & the first main line diesel in Australia. @ the time there were only a handful of switchers/shunters in the entire nation. proper big mainline diesels came the following year on the mainland in 1951. X class ran at a more moderate speed than the 70MPH big diesels on the mainland, but they were geared for manline speeds & on Tasmania's winding narrow gauge network, 35-45 MPH would have been the norm. You could say it's a development of the British shunters like Class 8.

[@tractionactionacrosstheapp803]

Poor X’s, AN flogged em towards the end with bigger tonnages.

[@kylestennings456]

Sensational

[@Tom-Lahaye]

The typical English Electric sound brought in these precious images, despite the poor quality, of times that we can't bring back anymore. English Electric proved that they could build reliable diesel locomotives some years before they started to build locomotives for British Rail, of whom quite some survive to this day in mainline use. The X class does also look very similar to the NZR DE class, and do share the same drive train.

[@livinlifetothefullest2750]

And to think the model was actually designed as a shunting loco and for the 40 years in revenue service they certainly got some decent mileage and you could say caning around the Tassie Alps.

[@tedbear4243]

The sound has held up surprisingly (relatively) well considering its magnetic storage all these years. These little beasts were a very successful loco and in some ways ahead of their time. They certainly received quite a flogging and built up considerable milages. As per comment elsewhere, this will be re-edited digitally soon to improve (slightly) its visual quality.

[@LolLol-xy4rh]

Do you have any on the Tasmania V-class diesel shunters?

[@tedbear4243]

Sorry mate, have zero on the V's (I'm not quite old enough!)

[@ДжеримиКарпинтер]

Hello, my friend on how the camera was shot (brand name)?

[@tedbear4243]

And hello to you. Thank you for taking an interest. Back then (1980's) I used to hire video cameras (VHS) and had different ones. They were mostly Panasonic, sometimes JVC. Both brands had some good equipment for the time, both cameras and players.

[@ДжеримиКарпинтер]

@@tedbear4243 super, could you write me the names of these two models, by the way, the video was shot in the ussr, kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5qpc4lvj8iJqaM. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGmmYnaQa5V1a6M

[@michaelfeldman-budarick9295]

I hope they'll be a compilation of the 830 class, there one of my favourites in tasrail/AN

[@tedbear4243]

The 830's (and 48's) were / are indeed an awesome loco. Old 830 footage is spread across numerous original vhs tapes. Will endeavour to put a compilation together at some stage.

[@michaelfeldman-budarick9295]

@@tedbear4243 that would be amazing mate thanks for the reply

[@rsinclair6560]

A couple of cab rides in the Alcos over the Billycock then the old 1300 class(ZC). As Launceston was the A.E of the.E, and not much to do there so you could hang around East Tamar Box and get a midnight ride to Conara JNC or Longreach Chip mill. Drove a few back to LCTN. Went to the 830 auction they sold between $900 and $15000. Sims Metal bought most of them and cut them up at Bell Bay. Managed to save the builders plates, horns and headlights and marker light lenses. The 251 engine was magnificent however saw one come back from Herrick covered in black lube oil after the big end went through the crankcase.

[@bigrobbie1843]

when they serviced these guys, did they ever think of givving them a scrub down

[@tedbear4243]

Yes, the poor old things always seemed to be grotty

[@SeanHodgman]

Only seened to be cleaned up for the final tasman limited run