The Twice-Abandoned Silvertown Tramway

[@jamesduffin9417]

Never knew I’d be interested in a railway line I’d never heard of but Jago strikes again.

[@Peasmouldia]

Class 08, one of the few constants in my 67 years on this rock.. Thanks JH.

[@Castlebank_Sidings]

When I used to work trains to Wards scrap yard we used 08s and class 31s. Alot depended on the traffic on the day and if it was just 2 wagons into Wards it'd generally be an 08. If we had to drop off and pick up at Burkes chemical plant along the way it'd be a 31 because of the climb out of of Connaught tunnel.

[@JagoHazzard]

Ah, interesting. I’d not seen any photos of the class 31s, but of course they’d be ideal for the job. Thanks for filling me in!

[@RossMaynardProcessExcellence]

Let's hope the products from the jam and marmalade works never got mixed up with those from the guano factory. "How's your toast darling?" "Interesting new flavour. Is it plum?"

[@GeorgeChoy]

hehe

[@sooz13]

I did wonder if I'd misheard 'guano factory'!

[@mickeydodds1]

'Bat Guano' as Stanley Kubrick might say.

[@kanedaku]

"Tastes a bit covid-y..."

[@davidsirett5560]

couldn't taste any worse than KFC chips.

[@BibtheBoulder]

KZbin was made for Jago Hazzard. What an interesting video...

[@hmartinspliff]

Jago Hazzard is like a railway freight train......he always delivers the goods!

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@adrianrutterford762]

My great uncle had property in Silvertown, which was destroyed during the blitz. I’d often wondered where the name came from and now I know. Thank you.

[@20PhantoM07]

Marvellous, these videos make me want to take my bike and go exploring the London docks looking for railway relics.

[@MrFrenchdisco]

Thank you. Fascinating. You should do a video on the Silvertown Explosion - no one ever talks about it

[@spacedmonkey1375]

Three of my family (way before my time, obviously) were killed in that.

[@2H80vids]

Bad as the explosion was, it could have been much worse. Just listen to that list of industries, all grouped together. The boiling, molten marmalade was probably one of the safest products in the area. The huge explosion gets mentioned quite often and in various places but nobody ever seems to go into any detail. As you say, it's seldom discussed properly: I wonder how much info is out there.

[@michaeljames4904]

_Plainly Difficult has entered the chat..._

[@JagoHazzard]

I do have a video in the planning stages...

[@MrFrenchdisco]

@@JagoHazzard Smashing. Can't wait. Love your work.

[@andrewbaker7839]

Now this one I know a little about, I've researched it as part of studying our Family history. My Grandfather ran a Ship's Chandlers on Victoria Dock Road, very near the Western Bend, opposite the Western Dock Gates. When a sailor had disembarked, he'd typically get a pay packet, and leave by the Western Gate, they'd pop into my Grandad's shop to buy socks, jumpers etc, and then pop across the side road to a pub, where they'd probably get rat-arsed. They had to cross the railway to do this, but there was a level crossing, so that was no problem. My dad was born in the flat over the shop in on the 19th July 1919, the day of the Great War Victory Parade, the route of which went down Victoria Dock Road (and most of the rest of London!) My grandma was standing on the flat balcony over the shop, some idiot in the crowd let off a firework, which missed my Grandma's Ear by about an inch - and terrified her into premature labour. A midwife was called ( - yes From "The Community of St John the Divine") and my rather small dad was kept warm in blankets and a baking tin in the pre-warmed oven! The BIG problem was the bridge over the Western Sea Gates of Royal Victoria Docks - which connected it to the Thames. It's filled in now, but you can clearly see where it was from the map. This bridge was ***Tiny***, I have some photos somewhere, and it was shared by the tramway, pedestrians , horses, buses, lorries. It was a serious bottleneck - if you wanted to approach Silvertown from the west, you HAD to cross this bridge. It was only just wide enough for one of any kind of user at a time. This led to the building of "Silvertown Way" in the 1920s (I think it is credited as the first flyover in the world???). It's still there - carrying A1101, which gave an alternative route for everything except the tramway. Unfortunately the building of this flyover caused several other changes to road, railways etc, and the combined effect was that when the sailors left the dock, their pockets bulging with money, they were now cutoff from my Grandad's shop. This ruined their business and it closed.

[@carolinegreenwell9086]

thank you Andrew - a Call the Midwife episode all of your own !!

[@sarac.3259]

How interesting to have comments like yours further bring alive the history of areas JH is looking at. Thank you. People were tough in those days (had to be). Your dear Grandma - giving birth in those circumstances. Sounds like an episode of Call the Midwife (which my daughter watches avidly).

[@sarac.3259]

@@carolinegreenwell9086 had the same thought at the same moment.. 🙂

[@johnnyhollis9977]

Excellent little story, thank you for sharing it. :-)

[@neilbain8736]

A way of life, all gone now. It's nice that it is recorded, though. The personal memories make the difference.

[@timsully8958]

Oh, it is so desperately sad to see North Woolwich in such a state 😞 Really loved that station and can’t believe I last travelled to it 15 years ago now. Especially as just about every aspect of the North Woolwich-Stratford line has been destroyed 🙄 I used the line down from West Ham to get to Charlton games via the ferry and the Kent lines, which I always enjoyed far more than any other route, even though it probably took far longer 😎 I had no idea so much of the old tramway was still in situ. I can remember there being lots of tracks seemingly just lying around in the area as a lad in the 70s and 80s but assumed most of it had already gone the same way as the North Woolwich section. Ah well, sic gloria transit mundi as most people would say if they knew what it meant...and didn’t know how to say it in one way or other in English already 🤷🏻‍♂️ Thanks for another hugely enjoyable video, albeit one tinged with nostalgic mounrnfulness...👍🍻🍀

[@kevinfitzpatrick444]

Tell you what, that railmaponline site definitely is the rabbit hole I've needed

[@JagoHazzard]

I know right? I am honestly in awe of the guy who runs it.

[@cargy930]

OpenRailwayMap is pretty addictive too.

[@johnburns4017]

Nice one Jago. This reminds me of the of the Liverpool MD&HB railway, but a smaller version. The Mersey Docks & Harbour Board Railway had its main spine on the seven mile long Liverpool Dock Rd, with only slow shunting trains running on it. Its spine was mainly underneath the electric Liverpool Overhead Railway, making it a two tier railway. One side of the Dock Rd was most of Liverpool's docks, with the other side of the road littered with rail goods terminals. Some goods terminals were end points of the national rail network, with others only on the MD&HB railway. Freight would go into the the goods terminals. The rail wagons would be shunted onto the MD&HB railway, taken to other terminals or into the multitude of large docks. The railway did not serve companies, as in London, but docks (ships) and many rail terminals. This was taken on the site of a bombed MD&HB goods terminal: 64.media.tumblr.com/33c375edc8d02c88b5a6def97f9a4151/tumblr_n6jdckQDSu1snb6qwo1_1280.jpg

[@smb6995]

Man, your content is so fascinating and interesting that a person from St Petersburg is watching every single upload when it pulls into my recommendations junction. Only things I knew about London are facts from English classes in school and your videos. Thanks 🤗

[@ovig8917]

I kept refreshing KZbin page to see a newly uploaded (Sunday morning) Jago video and here it is at last.

[@frglee]

Sad to see North Woolwich station in such a state. Wiki mentions that 'from 1984 until 2008 the original station buildings and one disused platform served as the North Woolwich Old Station Museum, dedicated to the history of the Great Eastern Railway'. I visited it several times, once with a school party, and recall it was well looked after by volunteers. The collection is now owned by the River Lea Tidal Mill Trust.

[@Byzmax]

Wonderful video as usual. Learnt a few things and chuckled away at your amusing observations and witty remarks. Perfect start to Sunday.

[@crispoman]

Considering they were handling things like guano, sugar, fertiliser and oil there, it's surprising there weren't more explosions.

[@russellgxy2905]

Sugar and fertilizer are explosive??

[@Wario512]

@@russellgxy2905 fertilizer and explosives are made from the same chemicals, and flour (from all the mills) is highly explosive ("Mehlstaubexplosion" in german), oil is burning and oilstorage might explode as well, so...

[@paulohagan3309]

@@russellgxy2905 When supplies of regular explosives ran short, the IRA would steal industrial fertilizer and make it into what they needed.

[@chrisinnes2128]

@@russellgxy2905 they are when mixed together

[@stephenphillip5656]

@@russellgxy2905 Sugar is energy-rich, so would certainly burn fiercely. Fertiliser is most certainly highly explosive - there have been some *huge* explosions over the years, most recently August 13th 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon.

[@peteryoung4957]

It's amazing how you find these little remnants of track all over the place Jago. Another great video.

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@harbl99]

"...a jam and marmalade factory; a tar and creosote works..." Slight error. Those were both the same place. It's where Marmite was made.

[@sirmeowthelibrarycat]

😡 How dare you! Marmite on toast is delicious! I challenge you to a duel of toasted sandwiches at dawn of the next millennium 🤣!

[@wossisname4540]

@@sirmeowthelibrarycat If you do manage to arrange this duel please get the date right (Mr. Blair even got that wrong)........3001; and I shall cheer on the Marmite candidate!

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@wossisname4540 one man turns up at 00:00 1 Jan 3000; the other one turns up at 00:01 1 Jan 3001. Neither get their duel and both are baffled. Out of curiosity, does the day begin at midnight to you, or is that the final minute of the day-just-passed?

[@petertooth2831]

“Onward marmite soldiers, onward as to war “.

[@beonxvi]

Studied and lived around this area for almost 6 years, and I just learned about this today. Love your videos!

[@JustWowNick]

Every industrial towns got their: - sugar refinery - jam and marmalade factory - site of a mass tragedy - flour mill

[@tonyrees1247]

Thank you for another fascinating video. My dad moved his engineering business to the arches under Silvertown Way in around 1970, closing fifteen years later. I used to work there as a holiday job while I was at college, as well as using the facilities to "improve" various cars and motorbikes. I was vaguely aware of the tramway bur never saw any traffic and assumed it was abandoned until one day I was surprised to see a loco ambling along. My memory tells me it was a saddle tank but it was more likely a diesel shunter. At that time Tate & Lyles had their grand entrance with the sculpture of the lion and bees over it. Opposite dad's place was International Paints. Their alarm would go off frequently with the fire brigade arriving minutes later. Further along there was Charringtons brewery with a fine brutalist office block, and British Oil & Cake Mills, each of which emitted characteristic aromas. Between was a fine old pub where I used to have to go to get inch thick sandwiches for the lads' lunches.

[@AtheistOrphan]

0:53 - That view is taken almost exactly from where I sat during the Jean-Michel Jarre concert back in 1988! Ah memories.

[@vindicator2011]

...yes! ...man did it rain that night

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

There was also a fireworks display held there (to his music) a year earlier! Much better weather than a year later 😁

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@vindicator2011 - I went on the very windy day (I think it was a Saturday). It was the following day that it rained. Still a great gig though!

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@PlanetoftheDeaf - Really? I’ve always been a big JMJ fan and have never heard of that. I think you may be referring to the actual concert, which featured LOTS of fireworks! 🎆 🎇

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

@@AtheistOrphan He wasn't there in 1987, but there was a public firework display set to his (recorded) music in the same location. I'm sure the use of his music was a promotion for his concert(s) a year later!

[@nicholaskelly6375]

Very interesting indeed. As a member of the Industrial Railway Society. I often visited the Silvertown Tramway to look at the various locomotives that T. W. Ward had over the years. At the lines closure it was the last surviving significant industrial line in East London. My earliest memories of the line date back to 1962. That Christmas my late father was an engineer on the Metcalfe Motor Coaster 'MELISSA M' we were in the docks to celebrate the introduction of the new ship 'ANN M'. Dad took me to Silvertown Chemicals to see their Bagnall 0-4-0 Fireless steam locomotive. It was the very first time that can remember being taken on to the footplate of a locomotive. This memory has led to a lifetime interest in such things! We also spent a lot of time on the four Woolwich Ferry paddle steamers which were working their last Christmas in 1962.

[@CoxallK]

Another fine, quality, video brought to you courtesy by a man who is fast becoming a youchoob legend. Spot on. 👍

[@annother3350]

I noticed old Geoff marshall's had to up his game lately!! ;O)

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@roderickmain9697]

the thing to note here is you are creating an historical record. Excellent

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@michaeljames4904]

Am now envisioning Jago straddling a DLR train yeehawing with a parson’s hat and for this I’m very grateful.

[@1258-Eckhart]

3:04 It is such a shame to see that lovely G.E.R. canopy slumbering into desuetude, but hey, it still exists (along with its lovely Queen Anne station), so hope need not yet be abandoned.

[@nilo70]

Thanks again Jago for the update of a very confusing status report , that , moving forward ,and using best principles , in a proactive way , and community standards , will be the new wonder of the age !

[@bigblue6917]

Thanks for the video. I knew about Silvertown through an interest in the Great Eastern Railway. Also thanks the reference to Railmapsonline. I shall be disappearing down that rabbit hole myself.

[@vlu855]

Brilliant series, my friend. I worked in London for some years before emigrating to NZ and now you renew old times.

[@stolpinski1]

My mum bless her worked at a number of the factories along the tramway. They included knight's soap & of course tate & lyle. I think she worked at Babcocks as well but I'm not sure if that was on the tramway. She lived through the blitz and still lived in Silvertown up until the early 2000's. Told me many great stories of the area she grew up in. Great memories, thanks Mum xxx

[@antonydicesare4632]

Quality, quality, quality, I'd expect nothing less from you jago, top notch yet again

[@BarryAllenMagic]

When the wind blew in the wrong direction, you could smell Silvertown for miles around East London. It was a godforesaken place; that even made us in Wapping and Shadwell realise just how lucky we were not to live there.

[@cuebj]

There was a rendering plant that sometimes really turned the stomach

[@tlillis4]

Did anyone else catch the “Dr Strangelove” reference? I actually think it poetic that the DLR uses the right of way of a long-gone tram line. It gives me hope for the many similar links in New England.

[@paulboger7377]

I loved that bit! I can imagine a British Slim Pickens uttering the same words in a mighty Vulcan!!

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

This is a nice vid. I grew up in East Ham/Manor Park and remember the area in the 1970s, very run down & semi derelict. I saw scrap wagons in Wards although never saw a train actually work there. From Custom House the passenger train service was confined to the Down Line which was was bi-directional. The old Up line was in effect a long siding which the freight trains used, Stratford crews working them. All along Woolwich Road the tramway was still extant even in the early 1980s although very much out of use beyond Wards. I remember North Woolwich station in use, the passenger service being 2 car Cravens DMUs. After the revamp in 1979 when the service was extended to Camden Road, the old station was renovated as a museum. I was there when the Queen Mother arrived behind Flying Scotsman in 1984 to open it. My father was on the train, being our Mayor's official attendant, i still have his photos of the day here indoors. Such a shame it is now unused and unloved again.....i should imagine conversion to flats beckons!.....

[@nowster]

Doctor Trainlove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Docks.

[@michaeljames4904]

superb!

[@billsinkins361]

Goldie, how many times have I told you guys that I don't want no horsing around on the locomotive!

[@MrBaldypete1]

I love your videos about my neck of the woods. It's nice to wander about with a bit more knowledge of the place than I had before! Cheers mate!

[@tantive4]

Brilliant! I first came across this old line when designing the DLR line to City Airport. I'll dig out my old photos

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

Up until I moved away 5 years ago, I used to often frequent that area for events at ExCel. Nice to see those cranes and ridiculously high bridge again! I was mostly on the north side but crossed to the south a few times. Don't remember seeing the tracks anywhere then, but it was mostly at night and I wasn't looking out for them.

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

Fascinating. It always pleases me that amongst the office blocks and expensive flats taking over Docklands, the Tate and Lyle sugar refinery still exists there, and still heavily relies on the River Thames to transport in raw materials

[@cuebj]

No longer owned by Tate and Lyle. Sold to an American processor of cane sugar. T&L focused on sugar products

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

@@cuebj The business at Silvertown, even under new ownership, is still known as Tate and Lyle Sugars though

[@robertthomas4633]

What a tale, I am intrigued.

[@CorvoFG]

All those competing industries, most of them making a horrendous smell. That place must have stunk all the way to Gravesend.

[@luvlimiss2007]

Silvertown smells funky now

[@davidsummer8631]

I used to work near the Young's Brewery in Wandsworth and I dont think Im going to forget what bubble and squeak smells like because that best describes the smell of the brewery

[@paulbarber1960]

With all those industries no wonder it burned well during the blitz

[@highpath4776]

@@davidsummer8631 thought that was Gartons Glucose.

[@highpath4776]

Bit further back up the river add in the Paint works.

[@johnnyhollis9977]

I love it when you are able to find little remnants of the recent past still in place! Those bits of in-bedded railway track always spark the imagination. Interesting support story for the Docklands too! What usually strikes me is the wall to wall concrete everywhere in London now. Living in the very rural countryside it always shocks me as I used to live in London many years ago. In those days there were many hoardings still about shielding bomb damage from WW2! It's all changed now....for the better though? Many thanks for another brilliant informative video. ;-)

[@susiewickham9990]

This part of town was our short/long cut away from the A13 on the 1990’s. Longer on distance but shorter by a long shot on time. Was always fascinated by the. Let’s London Link. A kind of isolated train line which seemed to be used by no one. I always wondered what the tracks in the ground were. Now I know ! Thanks Jago. 😀

[@tardismole]

Perfect timing, Jago. I needed this for a book I'm half way through writing. Huge thanks.

[@JagoHazzard]

You’re very welcome!

[@paulchoccyt1303]

A video without advertising, how refreshing

[@jamesduffin9417]

Another interesting video about something I’d never heard of before! Great job Jago superb as always

[@highdownmartin]

I remember coming across Silvertown station when out cycling further afield than usual from my home in south East London. Around 1976 or 77 it would have been. I think there was an 03 shunter and a few wagons or vans near a factory and the platform still had a big dark blue enamel sign proclaiming Silvertown. A British Railways sign. Not a British Rail sign. Eastern region blue. Very interesting vid and I wish I’d done a bit more exploring in that neck of the woods, as all sorts of railway stuff was still there, maybe seeing the last gasp of local trip work or rusty and weed grown but not yet ripped up or built over. And all the old warehouses and industrial buildings. Fascinating. And I coulda nicked that sign!

[@roberthuron9160]

There were at least four cities in the US,which had similar facilities! To wit,Boston[underneath the Atlantic Avenue Elevated],New York/New Jersey waterfront,on the Hudson[ an entire encyclopedia,could be written on that],and last, but not least,Baltimore,of which,a light railway line,actually follows part of the old right-of-way,on Howard Street! And every port city,in the US,and Canada,had similar setups,but they are far lesser known,and that's a real pity,as it's part of the heritage,and history! Thank you,Jago,you did it again,and hopefully you've profoundly affected people,to notice things in their own backyard!! Thanks again for your time and effort 👍!! 😇😇😇😇😇😀😀😀😀😀😀💯💯💯💯💯💥💥💥💥💢💢💢💢💢👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@francisnewmarch6837]

Jolly interesting as always, thanks. Regards from Loutraki Greece

[@fistthemorturer2614]

jogged a few memories this one. the sugar refinery in Factory Road, i've visiting many times as as an out of hours engineer, going there in the early nineties at 2 AM. was quite an eerie place back then. had the railway running the length of factory road, and still had those old terraced houses near where the woolwich ferry would berth. And... John Knight, the animal by-product rendering mill... lovely...

[@petermartin3818]

It is suprising that North Woolwich Station - a once grandiose affair - still survives and hasn't succumbed to the usual conversion to exclusive apartments with riverside views - or had a fire which has seen off many items of architectural heritage that get in the way of development. After BR finished with it, the station was taken over as a museum dedicated to the evolutionary story of the Great Eastern Railway and the dockland area it served. It opened in a blaze of glory by the Queen Mother in the 1980s who was conveyed in the Royal Train hauled by Flying Scotsman, the surrounding area being transformed to emulate VE day celebrations with the streets bedeckked with bunting and street parties everywhere. There was an ambitious plan to construct a tourist oriented rail line using preserved steam locomotives to a proposed site along the river at the Thames Barrier. However, over the years, the the demograph of the area changed, where it didn't fit in with the development thinking, the funding was cut, and the Museum was closed and abandoned about 15 years ago, where many smaller artefacts were relocated to the East Anglian Railway Museum near Colchester and can still be viewed today.

[@henrybest4057]

I believe that the Crossrail tunnels to Abbey Wood run directly under it. It wouldn't be a good site for exclusive apartments with trains vibrating the earth under it every few minutes!

[@neilfranklin5644]

Oh for sure every old abandoned building around here has its own fire just prior to redevelopment. Strange that.

[@Electricfox]

It was a lovely little museum, they even occasionally had a little steam locomotive and a short bit of track which they'd run every now and then. I was so sad to hear that it had closed.

[@petermartin3818]

@@henrybest4057Oh, I don't know - it could be a selling point: "Exciting executive apartment deveopment with panoramic riverside views. Exclusive and direct access to local transport hubs." Got to add another half million to the asking price.

[@boohaka]

That was really interesting! The East of London was always a mystery to me, but you’re clearing it up for me in wonderful detail!

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Thank you once again for sharing your videos. Always full of fascinating information. I particularly liked the map showing the sidings (in green). Must have been such a busy busy place and a devil to coordinate when at/in full capacity/operation. Thanks again & take care 🙂🐿 P.s once again, I’m hitting the like button but once again it keeps on clearing itself - not cool algorithm, not cool at all. For the record, “like” number 318 .

[@PtolemyJones]

Sad to see the museum boarded up.

[@JagoHazzard]

Indeed. Wish I’d been there in its heyday.

[@gregessex1851]

Whilst slightly different spelling, there was a Silverton Tramway in outback Australia which came about thanks to the craziness that is the Australian gauge wars. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverton_Tramway

[@tz8785]

And in the US, there is/was the Silverton Railroad (still operating but as heritage railroad).

[@Stevedd33]

Such a shame to see the “depressingly abandoned” North Woolwich station. I remember using it when it was the terminus of the North London line and later visiting when it was the wonderful Great Eastern Railway Museum. A lovely building. When I get the chance to travel to the UK again I’ll make sure to visit the area.

[@chriszanf]

I used it a few times when it was working as I used to go to parties in the huge pub that was opposite (The Royal Pavilions)!

[@Stevedd33]

@@chriszanf I had a drink or two there myself back in the day 🍻

[@mikehebdentrains]

I'm always intrigued with odd bits of rail line still in place (I'm easily pleased). When I first worked in Tilbury Docks in the late 70's there were many tracks still there although the ones to the original central arms were mostly cut off and abandoned to facilitate the "new" main entrance from the fly-over. There was a complete railway station, called 'Tilbury Dock" (the platforms and signage were still there) terminating at No. 1 Berth. No.1 Berth was built by P&O, I believe, as a passenger terminal but I think was never really used as the Passenger Terminal at Tilbury Riverside came on stream first. I do remember a cruise liner using No 1 Berth to disembark passengers once, I think the Riverside terminal got damaged or something, but the pax were all taken away by coaches. The terminal buildings were also hired and used on occasion for retirement parties, but that's another story entirely and probably best not recorded. There is very little around to confirm any of this :)

[@johnhooper7040]

Thanks for another interesting video. I live in Britannia Village the other side of the road from the Silvertown Tramway and I have walked the route to examine what remains. I always feel an opportunity was lost when the DLR was extended eastward, rather than the massive concrete viaduct that was built, hardly 'light rail' the DLR should have been extended at ground level along the course of the Silvertown Tramway as I'm sure would have been the option chosen in most European countries, although that would have required overhead catenary on the DLR. Until the construction of Crossrail there was another major relic of the Tramway, massive wooden level crossing gates where the Tramway crossed the loop of road that serves the Tate & Lyle sugar works. I wish I had seen the Tramway in action, although I did see PLA steam locos at work on the Royal Docks railway network back in 1958.

[@edbrown1121]

Absolutely loved the Dr Strangelove reference. Especially as it came just after you mentioned guano.

[@billsinkins361]

You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company!

[@superadventure6297]

As soon as you said "A DYNAMITE works.." I thought there's no way there wasn't a huge tragedy at some point- Oh, I see.

[@brianartillery]

That would be the Brunner-Mond works. The resulting devastation, known as 'The Silvertown Explosion', is well worth reading about.

[@AaronOfMpls]

@@brianartillery I wouldn't be at all surprised if he does a video on it.

[@richteffekt]

Thank you for clearing up the oft repeated myth that the Silvertown dynamite explosion tragedy had occured in the marmelade and jam factory but did in fact happen in the dynamite shop.

[@1963TOMB]

I hope no-one had a sticky ending!

[@Leonard_Smith]

This comment serves no purpose other than to encourage the KZbin algorithm that Jago is worth supporting. Nice video.

[@sirrliv]

I feel like at some point the Class 08's (And for true train nerds it is Oh-Eight) and their derivatives may warrant a video of their own someday. They may only do 15mph, but they can do that while pulling just about anything. Except for the Class 09, which were geared up for 23mph. And there's the bizarre Class 12 Master-Slave duo. And so on.

[@lordmuntague]

Must admit I've never heard of an 08 being called just an "eight" before, but then I suppose we should really be calling them "zero eight" for the utterly pedantic. I think the master-slave units were Class 13, built from other 08s. Nice of Jago to highlight them though, all good stuff.

[@JagoHazzard]

I had a similar thought myself. I tend not to cover individual locomotive types, but the 08s have such a long and interesting history. They’re even experimenting with converting one to run on hydrogen on the Severn Valley Railway, so there may be a lot more history to come.

[@atraindriver]

@@lordmuntague No, definitely not a zero-eight; oh-eight, as they massively predate the railway's fascination with phonetic alphabets and suchlike. Or if you want to pretend to know what you're talking about, like wot I duz whenever I'm being paid to play trains, you could call them a 350 or a Jocko. 350 for their horsepower, of course, but I never have found out where the Jocko nickname came from.

[@bobsrailrelics]

Railmap online is amazing, totally agree. Thanks for another interesting history lesson.

[@jamesjohnmoss8130]

This one was really good, all your videos are really good. So I guess I am saying this one was really great. Thanks and please keep doing this stuff.

[@sabinebogensperger1928]

Good morning, right on time! 👋

[@cuebj]

Thanks. Lived and worked and ran and cycled and walked all over there from 1989 until 3 years ago. Now just across the River. Know all the scenes in the video. Still on board of Royal Docks Trust to support community groups in the area

[@teecefamilykent]

Once again sir you have outdone yourself.

[@hx0d]

Very interesting, never knew details about this line!! Great vid as always

[@RogueWJL]

It's lamentable that the ports and industries where either moved elsewhere or went abroad and we get so much imported. Wonderful video

[@Rog5446]

Jago brings class to my class 55.

[@madspiral]

Excellent video Jago. I remember using the old Silvertown BR station in the 90s when writing an article on re-visiting the dociklands and around the millennium mills building, several years after the Jarre gig there. Speaking of which, did you know that building was one of the central backdrops of his Distination Docklands gig in 1988? I will share your video in the Jean-Michel Jarre Facebook group. Now, they're hardly train or tube nerds, but the content re that area may give you some extra interested viewers.. and who knows.. subscribers? :) As for me, I've now got to head back that way from deepest darkest Berkshire, just to find those tramlines you referenced. Now see what you.ve done??

[@AtheistOrphan]

I’ve fond memories of that concert. I still have the souvenir programme (with ticket) plus the photos I shot during the event.

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@SeventhSwell]

I've lived in cities with visible abandoned rails here and there. I always liked it and I'm glad they were there, since it's a bit of history, but I've always wondered why they leave them. It's hard to believe the metal isn't worth tearing up to reuse. But I guess with labor and transport it must just not be. Anyway, another interesting video. Thanks!

[@Trevor_Austin]

This was in my father’s area. He grew up in Smith Street by the river (now a scrapyard) and his father was an electrician at Tates (before amalgamation with Lyle). 45 years later I flew into and out of London City airport as a Fokker 50 captain.

[@trickygoose2]

Don't know why they needed the dynamite factory anyway. As I understand it, you could have made some pretty good explosives by combining the products from the oil refinery with the fertiliser and sugar factories plus the flour mill.

[@TheEarthHistorysConfusing]

You're a fabulous content creator and fantastic researcher in all the topics you've done. Thanks for sharing this. Absolutely fabulous. Have a fabulous day. Cheers mate.

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@stevesalvage1089]

Never herd of this I should do , thanks to jago I'll look into this !!

[@alexandraclement1456]

Betting pool say that condos, offices or a combination of both will be coming with good access to the DLR.

[@paulsengupta971]

I love all this industrial heritage stuff. I'm from South Wales and grew up around a lot of industrial heritage, though around here they tend to demolish everything. I went to university in east London, Queen Mary College, just as they were redeveloping the docks and starting to run the DLR, so I'm fascinated by this area.

[@JagoHazzard]

I’m planning a couple more videos on the old railways around here - there’s a lot about.

[@paulsengupta971]

Excellent. There are many many sites of old railways here in South Wales as every colliery, every ironworks, everything had its own railway. There are disused tunnels, viaducts, etc, all around here.

[@ramblingrob4693]

Short an very sweet, Excellent 5 stars as usual

[@colinwhitelock8666]

Fascinating video superbly presented. Now subscribed!

[@davidrobert2007]

2:42 the tramway was not a success because the sleepers were mounted vertically

[@RingwayManchester]

4:57 where is that building Jago? Great video

[@sooz13]

Fascinating as always! Thank you.

[@MrGreatplum]

Excellently narrated, as ever. As a man of excellent taste, I’m sure you are aware of Mark Knopfler’s excellent “Silvertown Blues” from his excellent Sailing to Philadelphia album... “On Silvertown Way the cranes stand high Quiet and gray against the still of the sky They won't quit and lay down though the action has died They watch the new game in town on the Blackwall side From the poisonous drains a vision appears A new circle of cranes, a new reason to be here A big silver dome rising up into the dawn Above the church and the homes Where all the silver is gone, gone, gone If I'd a bucket of gold, what would I do? I'd leave the story untold Silvertown Blues Going down in Silvertown Down in Silvertown Going down in Silvertown Down in Silvertown”

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks! If it weren’t for the copyright issue, I’d have loved to include that in this video.

[@MrGreatplum]

@@JagoHazzard - stupid copyright issues!

[@neilbain8736]

Nice piece of history, a bit of a refreshing divergence from your usual. Wasn't the BR 0-6-0 shunter derived from some similar LMS thing- I know something was- not sure if it was the 08. With the oxidizing power of sugar, the jam and the phosphate/nitrate content of (or from processing of?) the guano, the dynamite works, absolutely the last thing to worry about was the chunks in your Chunky cut. As it was I'm sure I've read that people were burned alive by molten sugar from Tate & Lyle when it was bombed. I personally missed the Great Yarmouth Semolina explosion of 2006 by a few days, when a silo overfilled and erupted spewing the town with semolina powder. The trouble really started when the council tried to hose it down and it absorbed the water, expanding into a slippery dangerous mess A friend gave me a link to that same Rail map a while ago. It's a nice rabbit hole to go down too!

[@JagoHazzard]

Your knowledge of the Class 08s is correct - the LMS did indeed come up with what we might consider the prototype. I think under British Rail, they were known as Class 11.

[@Panpan1568]

Brilliant video. Thank you

[@SeverityOne]

The Dutch had 68 or so Class 08 locomotives as well, from 1950-ish onwards. They ran for decades (I remember them from my youth), some of them even went to England and came back again ("there and back again"?) and are still in use, as are a handful of others.

[@ironjade]

For years I've assumed Silvertown was so named because of the presence of Tate & Lyle's silvery product. You really do learn stuff on the Internet.

[@peteregan3862]

NSW has a Silverton Tramway - from broken Hill to the South Australia border. Broken Hill is far closer to Adelaide than Sydney, so the mines wanted a rail connection to Adelaide. The NSW govt did not permit other people's railways on its turf, so the miners got their railway approved as a 'tramway'.

[@adamcrofts58]

Again thank you Jago. Short and sweet and to the point. Imagine a time team of the future trying to sort all this out. In a dusty dystopian future somebody will say, 'hey look what I've found, this guy Jago is really helpful. ( Yep sorry but helpful is singular l ) Still looks wrong

[@mayankshrivastava3554]

I have been watching your videos for quite some time and I appreciate these. I have never been to UK but I find rail history interesting irrespective of my travels on any particular train. Appreciate the work you do. I don't usually comment much but I have to ask, what's with that cable car in the background? I had never seen it in any London related content I had seen before. I did some search and I just can't wrap my head around the reason behind it's existence, let alone Emirates funding it. It's so weird. Side note: Really appreciate the London Underground system. It's got a rich history and a massive network. Hoping Delhi (my city) catches up soon. Keep up the good work mate! Edit: Found your video on the Emirates Air Line. I feel the same about the cable car as you do, just like how I feel about naming lines/stations after companies.

[@johnjephcote7636]

I thought I had travelled here on a railtour 26/08/1961 but in fact it turns out that I did the Poplar loop line just to the west (and we could not proceed to Poplar itself owing to a weak bridge).

[@garygoldsmith3887]

Fabulous as always

[@JBB4118]

"A fellow could have a pretty good weekend in Soho".....i see what you did there!!

[@bobingabout]

3:51 Although many of us train nuts call them the class 8... They're actually the Class 08. The Class 8 was a BR built Pacific steam engine.

[@Thomas1980]

Great Video! Thumbs Up and Like

[@colingrainger1954]

Excellent info.. Thanks