‪@Traindriverbrian1‬

A quick look at Crewe then Into the loop at rugby for a look at a Sandite train and a look at the paperwork required to work a modern freight train #railway #train #freighttrain

[@stephenbriggs2632]

Please don’t apologise. Really interesting to hear about the detailed planning and documentation for every single freight train. Your explanations are most helpful. Thank you.

[@jimmyhillschin9987]

Love the 90s. Such attractive locomotives, the more so in their orange livery!

[@ColmSharkey]

Brilliant

[@russiandrivers9986]

I like your video. It's very good for helping to understand the Tops list.

[@roysaywell2138]

I've said before that I am an ancient complete amateur enthusiast my only knowledge of driver workings was on steam out of Plaistow shed on the LT &S line. The drivers I knew never had any details like yours, they prepared, climbed aboard and completed the shift. I find your narratives fascinating and so informative. Please do not alter your delivery style, your paperwork explanation opened my eyes, the wonder of modern day technology. Thank you.

[@user-wz2qe2pv6r]

Fascinating. The raliways are a complete mystery to me..Its not like you can just change direction or go when u like as with a motor vehicle...who makes all the decisions around points, lights..etc. Always wondered.

[@jimmydolittle]

Love your channel. My missis says I’m sad watching it… guess she doesn’t understand!! lol. I’m from Ellesmere Port so enjoyed your Garston Docks video. Have you ever worked Manistry Wharf in Ellesmere Port?? Don’t think we’ve had anything in for a good few years now!!

[@iancroot1388]

Great informative video, much appreciated. Can honestly say that I had no idea on all the planning both of the routes and cargo loads that happens with freight trains. don't think I will ever look at a freight train in the same light again. Please keep these videos coming and keeping us informed. 👍👍

[@Mackank]

We have those Class 66 locomotives aswell here in Sweden. Not many of them but I've seen one or two. Speaking the leafs on the track we have those trains aswell as its a big problem here on single track routes.

[@theovanstaden5766]

Great channel, hi from south africa, used to work for SAR in the 1980s, Just love Your videos!

[@panhrabia6975]

I'm one of those from outside the UK, but in Poland we have Class 66 locomotives as well. They are in Freightliner green livery and are nicknamed 'Hornets'. BTW, great channel!

[@Traindriverbrian1]

I adore the electrics Freightliner Poland have they are handsome beasts

[@panhrabia6975]

@@Traindriverbrian1 You mean the six-axle locomotives with a diesel last-mile module, manufactured by the Polish company NEWAG SA. You can drive one of these in SimRail - The Railway Simulator, although not in Freightliner livery. In the simulator, they even have a 'distance counter' to measure metres covered by the train to determine if it has cleared a set of points or a speed restriction area. As a train driver, do you need/use a distance counter?

[@S2RUF]

@@panhrabia6975 Yes, we use the distance counter.

[@davidparry1968]

I remember my late father taking great pleasure in educating those who ridiculed the very-real problem of leaves on the line. Golborne, Lawton & Parkside Junctions-right in my back garden!!

[@derbytrainfan6437]

Thank you so much Brian for this. I recently subscribed to your channel and am so grateful to you and freightliner for allowing this to be shown. I'm a complete train nerd (train pervert) and this is such good viewing material. It is so good to see how safety is a freightliner priority but that they want viewers to see what they do. Superb videos and top ratings for Freightliner. Cheers, Dave.

[@reach90002c5]

not boring at all its very interesting to hear how it all works , thank you

[@keystonedriving8180]

As an ex Freightliner HQ Ops person (pre-RfD days) it was interesting to see the modern equivalent of the BR29973 form which drivers used to get with the route restrictions. Back in those days we were restricted to 1070 tonnes gross with a class 47 and we couldn't carry anything higher than 8'6" though, with the FFA/FGA sets we had then, even 8' containers were out of gauge (W7) at the top corners. There have been a lot of changes in the 40 odd years since then! At the back of my mind, I think that the 4L90 designation goes back to my time, running from depot 62 (Trafford Park) to depot 58 (Felixstowe - which I believe became Felixstowe North when the South terminal opened up).

[@smallrails6831]

Awesome content. Just subscribed. Regards Bernie in NZ

[@thomasmcilroy510]

Saw the rhtt passing through Chelmsford on the GEML network

[@peterbrackenbury]

The leaf mulch on the rail can also prevent track circuiting from operating properly.

[@JohnDoe-yj5ng]

Ah yes, class 66 and class 59s where built at the EMD factory in London, Ontario, Canada! Canadian made locos!

[@driver1coach]

Hi Brian, that was a brilliant description of the paperwork that goes with each individual train working, it would be great if you could show us around how locomotives are allocated the workings and if and when they are required Maintenance and drivers are allocated the work , thanks

[@Traindriverbrian1]

We have no say in that at all. I’ll ask the roster clerk but don’t expect a yes lol

[@S2RUF]

I’ve experience of rostering drivers and loco planning at another freight company, don’t know if it’s the same as at FL but it’s probably not far off as the basics are the same. There will be a base locomotive plan, loco diagram if you will, where loco A will start out at the beginning of the week, work a particular train to destination, then return either to the same place or go off somewhere else. Fuel stops will be planned in, the plan will also allow for changes of power etc, the stops in Basford Hall can be for both train crew and in some cases to remove a 66 and put a pair of 90’s on etc. There will be Loco Controller who allocates a particular numbered loco to a certain service, this will take into account considerations about maintenance requirements etc, they may allocate a 90 on a particular train from Felixstowe as a way of getting it to Crewe for maintenance, with a different 90 taking over from Crewe. It is a bit of a moveable feast as it changes all the time, locos fail and need moving to maintenance points, the spare you did have that replaced the failure then potentially requires another to be moved into place to cover for its next duty. Drivers rosters are based around booked work at that particular depot, drivers will know on the roster what shifts they are on at that particular week, there will also be occasional shifts that are ‘spare’, this is basically there to cover for any weekly variation to the plan, like someone is off sick, or have annual leave, or extra short term jobs due to engineering diversions. These are usually produced at the end of of one week, Thur or Fri, for the week starting from Sunday onwards, so in some cases you may not know exactly what you’re working on Sunday until Friday night. Without rambling on too much that’s a basic explanation of how things are worked out.

[@Martin_Adams184]

Thank you! Such an interesting explanation of operations, especially of the relationships between the driver, signallers and TOPS people.

[@johnwhitehouse9885]

Thank you Brian Enjoyed your video and as interesting to watch. Never got Bored. Thanks again

[@enemyofthestatewearein7945]

Nice to see some 90s down south for change, seems like nothing but 66s for the last few months. Really informative & interesting video too, thanks!

[@impy1980]

Shut up! Haha. Boring? Nah, it's really interesting to learn this side of freight, actually wasn't aware of the W8 / W10, I just assumed all rolling stock was a fixed height across the board. Of course it's obvious about train length and if it'll fit in x yard or x siding/loop, but also interesting to see it's OK'd coz of the route they've put you on. I know you haven't been on youtube that long, only found you at the weekend, but really enjoying your content, and you explain things really well.

[@darrenhillman8396]

Fascinating insight, Brian! Incredible the amount of detailed planning for each train. Can you do an explanation for how you know when the end of your train is clear of sidings or a TSR/PSR, so you can open up to line speed? I’m retired former S&T tech support engineer. Did 41 years with BR / Jarvis Rail / Network Rail) but called it a day in December 2018. Glad I’m out of it, now. Really enjoying your drivers view of things, so please keep it going!

[@georgemccormick8997]

Well explained nice to know that you need route knowledge for what you are doing I really am enjoying these videos you put on KZbin. I now understand more of what a frieght train driver has to do. I watch the whole video & please stop apologies

[@robhardingham6770]

Nice to know about the TOPs side of stuff and the technical side of things. Good stuff.

[@arronbarber8396]

Absolutely fancinating.

[@Sniperwolf638]

Nice content here. I’ve seen the class 66 go through Cambridge with those blue machines for cleaning the leaves off the tracks.

[@peterb514]

Your channel just popped up - really interesting, not boring at all, keep it up Brian it’s fascinating stuff! 👍🏻

[@DavE-bh8lz]

Really enjoying all your videos Brian. Keep them coming!

[@44662dc]

Very interesting take on Freight workings never realised there was so much to take in Many thanks.

[@daveb6603]

I’ve always had a keen interest in the railways and always wanted to be a freight train driver myself many years ago and also remember when the class 90s first entered service which I guess must have been the late 1980s !! Keep up the interesting videos there a joy to watch

[@TalbotBrooks]

Brian - great video. Curious as I work in emergency response - rail transport here requires that the engineer carry and keep up with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) which inventory all hazardous materials on board. It includes the UN/USDOT hazardous materials number, quantity of hazardous goods, and initial reactivity information (which is the "no touching" information about what stuff on what wagons creates a nightmare when mixed together in an accident). My questions to you are: "What hazardous materials training must a train driver undergo and where/how is the manifest of methyl-ethyl-bad-stuff managed on the UK rail system?" Thanks - I'll watch for a video or response here. Cheers and really appreciate all of the info.

[@Traindriverbrian1]

I can only speak as an intermodal driver as I’m pretty sure bulk dangerous goods are handled differently We are told where to find in safety numbers and what they are Paperwork gives details and procedures should a spillage occur The paperwork tells us where it is and what it is and any special procedures we must follow That must be in the cab before departure

[@TalbotBrooks]

@@Traindriverbrian1 thanks for the speedy reply and it makes sense. The volume of goods of a given type often changes how we, as emergency responders, approach a situation. For example, a bottle of vinegar or two is just that - a bottle of vinegar or two. But a container's worth is 1,000+ litres of glacial acetic acid, a highly reactive substance that when mixed with an otherwise innocuous base - like a box of baking soda - will off-gas carbon dioxide. That CO2 alone is often harmless, but it's also heavier than air, so a significant quantity appearing on scene on a cold winter's morning might settle and cause an asphyxiation hazard. After the Howard St. Tunnel disaster here, we learned to pay much closer attention to these sorts of things when it comes to railways (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Street_Tunnel_fire). Please do keep on with the awesome videos - combined with what Don Coffey puts together - well, just a fantastic learning tool.

[@rat-matt-miniatures8705]

I really enjoyed that, some nice nuggets of info to take in :)

[@justinhamilton497]

66772 Maria, was on the Fort William Sleepers this morning looking fairly clean.

[@30041946]

enjoyed riding with you. Cheers Roger

[@robertfleming1204]

Really interesting. Why do they never put 66’s in pair. 2x90 = about 9000hp, compared to about 3600 on a single 66?

[@JohnDoe-yj5ng]

When you go to Rugby, do you watch a rugby game?

[@stuartfinch743]

great vid mate .many thanks for all the imfo

[@stuartbromley5328]

I'm really loving your videos😊

[@robd2184]

Interesting stuff, nice one !

[@stuartbromley5328]

Fantastic ....love it

[@garymcgregor7048]

Very interesting

[@JB-ek4yx]

A fascinating and educational video

[@roymichaeltaylor8784]

Very informative, Really do enjoy your youtube channel.

[@nounoufriend1442]

Container trains are nightmare to consist as you have different container heights, different deck heights on waggons , so its the combined container and container flat that generates the RA . Fortunately TOP's sorted it out but imagine having to do a manual train list if TOP's goes down

[@andyjh8647]

Really interesting to hear about your job and all the planning that has to be done. Just like routes, do you have to be signed off to carry various loads - could they get you to convey a stone train or engineering train etc. Keep up the great work very well explained.

[@S2RUF]

No, when you sign the route in theory you can be asked to work any type of freight over the route you sign. However the route knowledge you have may result in you working some types of trains rather than others, or as in Brian’s case he works for Fliner Intermodal so 99.9% of his jobs will be container trains, the non container work for Fliner comes under Fliner Heavy Haul and from a train crew point of view they are separate companies with their own drivers. That’s not to say they don’t loan drivers to each other but it’s not common as they have different T&C’s. At GBRf and DB Cargo there isn’t that distinction so you could basically work any type of freight provided you had route and traction knowledge.

[@SBEARD12345]

Really interesting to hear about length and weight and brake force. I always thought there was an actual length in metres which you had to ring into the signal person so that you were clear of points before they changed them. Thanks again

[@nounoufriend1442]

Driver enters train length on Qtron , then driver can use trainlenth feature on Qtron , you press train length button at say points , signal , speed restriction and it indicates when the of back train is clear of these

[@SBEARD12345]

@@nounoufriend1442 thank you..as a tube driver we have fixed length trains

[@letrainavapeur]

I actually found this video very interesting, you are answering some of the questions I would like to ask a driver. My next query is how do you manage to get home when you may be dropped off somewhere in the middle of the night?

[@russiandrivers9986]

Normally by passenger train or taxi. Sometimes the company books a hotel.

[@scoopjeff]

Brilliant video Brian, really informative, keep them coming mate. I know a lot of company's can unfortunately take dim view of there employees making videos, hopefully FrieghtLiner will see this as an opportunity to show how good their frontline staff are

[@Traindriverbrian1]

Freightliner know all about my channels. They have met with me on many occasions and are fully aware of what I do and film so I’m fortunate

[@scoopjeff]

Top company Brian, looking forward to the next ones

[@christopherbentley5216]

Will freight be re routed so as to avoid the North London Line,as and when, east west rail finally opens,do you think. .?

[@chriskeene]

I find it surprising and annoying that at certain times this year it has apparently been cheaper to run diesel trains than to run elec locos due to the differing costs of energy

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

That’s a great 👍🏾 naught in how freight trains work . What might be a stupid question but when you have a pair of locos how are both operated ?

[@Traindriverbrian1]

There’s an electrical cable called the tdm Time division multiplex Basically the rear loco mimics the front just as hst did and scotrail 47/7 and all wcml electrics did It’s a 32 way cable that allows the locos to talk to each other

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Cheers Brian 👍🏾

[@johnson_street_IEMD]

Oooohhhhh 90s ... Good, good 12 and 7 (I call them Newbies - those which are ex-ga versus Oldies which you had from prior 😆)... is there any rhyme or reason for when 90s will be deployed on intermodals, or is it purely down to availability ? Is the length thing sloe thing the reason 4L90 often crawls through Stafford ? And an electric traction advocate as well .. purrfect...

[@Traindriverbrian1]

Traction knowledge and who’s driving For example the train I had yesterday came in from Trafford with a 70 on it but the forwarding Ipswich doesn’t sign then as they rarely go down there now so we had to put the electrics on

[@johnson_street_IEMD]

@Traindriverbrian1 do they ever put 90s on the London Gateway paths as they always seem to be 66s and like Felixstowe most of the route is electric hauled .. why don't they use a 66 or 70 to get the train to / from Wembley and have the 90s take over from there ?

[@iantaf5559]

These videos are brilliant, Brian. Many thanks. I have a question about train braking. I'm familiar with the two pipe system on passenger trains - main res to charge the air in each vehicle plus brake pipe to drop its pressure to apply the brake. I believe freight trains use only the brake (single) pipe. Am I right? If so, how do the brakes operate in this case?

[@S2RUF]

Brake pipe controls it all, lower the pressure to apply and increase to release, you obviously have to wait for that to work itself down the train. Plus most wagons have Goods & Pass changeover that control the speed of applying and releasing, container wagons are in PASS for quick apply and release as they go 75mph, others like oil tankers are in Goods for a slower application along a long and heavy train.

[@petersmith4455]

hi, great video, really interesting video,but for me its safer to operate a Bachmann cl90 with a few wagons at my age 69

[@stuking8005]

Great info on how your paper work Works how far ahead do you know your shift pattern 👍

[@euanjt30]

Do train drivers need adr ? If of course your train has haz cargo. As an hgv driver you must have training for carrying haz materials.

[@Nate0493]

No need to apologise! This is interesting stuff! Do you ever get the chance to drive the lone 47? Would love a video on that if it was ever possible

[@Xantec]

of Freightliners locomotives, (90, 70, 66, 86) which is your favourite type to drive?

[@dackesjulag]

Hi, great narrative but why do you have to keep your HV vest in the windows

[@Traindriverbrian1]

So that my TikTok followers who number 20500 now can photograph me while I’m out and about It’s a sort of running thing for them to know yes it was me they photographed Yea I know it’s arrogant and big headed but it’s their request

[@darrenhillman8396]

@@Traindriverbrian1Not arrogant at all. Good idea..

[@ismzorro]

Do they always pair up 90s these days? I was used to twin 86s and thought 90s used to go solo

[@smudgycat6750]

The real question is green+yellow FL livery or jaffa cake?

[@Mr60059]

Hiya Brian , Another great video and as always A MASSIVE THANK YOU for sharing your day with us . One quick question if i may . is 4L90 always booked for a pair of class 90's ? as i am a Massive 90 fan ( Got the full fleet of them in N Gauge ) And trying to get to photo them on workings is getting rare these days Have a Great week and Stay Safe

[@ormondsworld3947]

It’s pretty solidly 90s at the minute but that can change in the blink of an eye!

[@simonwass6315]

I thought it was just water, mixing in sand is pointless and it would just wear the jets. Sandite is a totally different thing and applied differently. The muck is just what is sprayed up from cleaning the rail head.

[@Traindriverbrian1]

When I did my rules it used to be that so it’s probably changed as I have nothing to do with it as it’s heavy hail

[@BIGV710]

90050 going to crewe heritage centre to be cosmedical restored not to be scrapped

[@Traindriverbrian1]

I know I broke the story last Friday by accident

[@bfapple]

@@Traindriverbrian1I was wondering where that story came from.

[@joshuaedwards6733]

What locomotive do you enjoy driving is ti the class 90 or class 66

[@Traindriverbrian1]

66 are fun but 90’s are just a different world for speed and power, 90’s are my favourite now

[@inferno4419]

How does intermodal compare to passenger work? Which do you prefer?

[@Traindriverbrian1]

Intermodal has worse shifts but I prefer it as I get most weekends off and control and management leave you to it. You feel more in control of your own train and I love the company I work for. They’ve treated me well and allow me to do this. Something a passenger company would never allow me to do Driving intermodal trains is also more of a challenge

[@inferno4419]

@@Traindriverbrian1 thanks for the info, I’m a TOC driver and I’ve thought about making the move over if the opportunity arises. Keep up the great content, very insightful!

[@StuAnderson90]

Hi Brian i've been tracking your progress on Open Train Times... I saw you were sat outside Berkhamstead at signal 53 52... You were waiting for 3B53 to get out of your way... it turned on the fast line but it seemed like the signal had gone green but you were still sat there and lost 3 minutes at Hemel Hempstead what happened?

[@Traindriverbrian1]

This is where open times let’s you down and route knowledge comes in. You see berkhampstead is on an s bend and we don’t see the signal that was green until I’m almost on top of it so I have to employ defensive driving and Expect it to be red until I see it

[@StuAnderson90]

always good to know :) @@Traindriverbrian1

[@KarrrRep]

So you will be in Northampton at 16.48 it's now 16.32. Sound your horn for us I'm not far from siemens depot

[@Traindriverbrian1]

Done at 16:56 as I’m sat next to the depot

[@KarrrRep]

@@Traindriverbrian1 heard you. I live 2.1 miles from siemens depot in St James northampton always hear train horns here. Loud and clear

[@stuartlindle4908]

Why do they double head 90s and not 66s?

[@Traindriverbrian1]

Traction and how it’s put down on the rail. A co-co freight loco has better pulling ability than a a solo class 90 on a heavy train

[@ismzorro]

​@@Traindriverbrian1 ahhh that makes sense, too bad freightliner don't have any 92s

[@stuartlindle4908]

Makes sense buddy thank you👍

[@bfapple]

@@ismzorroWill be interesting to see how GBRf get on with the Class 99s.

[@Western-Ranger.]

Your videos are awesome please keep them coming. I passed my train driver assessment many years ago but couldn't get a job on the railway