Trains In The 1980's 1988, 'Final Days Of The Peaks'

[@KevinBrown-k4p]

Brought a lot of memories, all good, flooding back. The peaks were under-rated but special

[@Deliciouscreamsponge3034]

remarkably amazing footage from the 80s, I continuously watch this video and it's always thoroughly entertaining with not only the powerful roar of the turbo but with the enormous amount of following and enthusiasm the peaks had. ten out of ten from me.

[@MrDeltic15]

Thank you, I really appreciate that. Glad I was able to record the final months of the Peaks on the Midland - something I've been doing this year with the HSTs as they now near the end on this line.

[@penybontshed]

I think the driver on that first Peak was my late father who retired in 1991. What a fab bit of footage! He was Kentish town and then cricklewood driver, steam to diesel to electric.

[@beyergarret123]

I must have acknowledged him many times! I worked on the Pway between St Albans and Hendon during the late 70s.

[@oldandgrey495]

@@beyergarret123 - In the early 1960s, I used to play in the woods overlooking Silkstream Junction, just north of Hendon Station. These Peaks used to scream as they came out of the underpass heading towards Colindeep Lane road bridge, for London. The best place to see them was at the Colindeep Lane end of the woods where I would have a clear view of the four lower tracks. There was no lineside vegetation there in those days. I may have been too early to have seen you, but there were often PWay men working on the line, and looking out for hooligans who had started leaving sleepers across the tracks. The trees in the woods were all cut down and the ground they stood on lowered to make way for the M1 motorway. The road bridge has been doubled and extended over the motorway. The place I used to wait would now be the northbound hard shoulder of the M1, under the extension flyover of the new section. Still can't forget that sound!

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

Are or were you on the railway too?

[@fexploder3281]

Don't even get me started on what power they will use for trains next!! I am pretty sure trains would be powered by horses again, or the wind in the future.

[@ianjones4116]

I hope it was your dad... I keep looking for vids of mine. He too was a driver, Shrewsbury based.. A clip will appear one day . 🤩👍

[@jack81007]

Great video,wish there was more Peak footage out there. Fantastically powerful and charismatic locomotives,sadly missed.

[@stevecoombes2103]

Living in Nottingham during the 1970's.I used to travel to London on a regular basis. I remember very clearly that the Class 45 was the usual form of traction to and from St Pancras in those days. They always appeared to put in a good performance and nearly always got me to my destination on time. Well done to the "Peaks".

[@ShelvokeSPV]

Wonderful stuff. I used to love watching the Peaks going in and out of St Pancras back in the day.

[@davidgray5782]

Brings it all back! So many memories, especially 'peak bashing' on 45046 (Royal Fusilier). The noise they made when they accelerated was one of a kind. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see and ride with these classics!!! Thanks for the upload sir.

[@antman09ful1]

Very good Darren, as others have said magic memories. A guy I worked with knew the person who painted them names on the Tinsley locos, so I had a list every week and took photos of them. thanks for shearing this video. Mike.

[@grahampearson5283]

The Class 45 Peaks had been relegated to secondary duties on the Midland Main Line as the Inter City 125 High Speed Trains rose to prominence in the early 1980s. I read a story in late 1988 about several '45 Peaks' which didn't survive the start of 1989 because of things such bogie fractures, camshaft failures, generator failures, collision damage, ignition barrel failure and fire damage.

[@class45peak]

Thank you Darren . That video is far the best I've seen in a long time ,the memorys of these lovely locomotives are flooding back , they were happy days .thank you ever so much , regards Malcolm .

[@andrewganley9016]

Back In The Days When We Had 'Proper' Trains on a 'Real' Railway!

[@fexploder3281]

Yep.

[@angrykid138]

Definitely

[@Keithbarber]

These days we have *PROPER* trains on a *REAL* railway _thanks be to God these days are over_

[@gazza1858]

Another outstanding video thanks a lot.

[@SteamboatWilley]

Some very excited bashers on the train at 9:30. Sadly I was only seven the year this was filmed, so was too young to partake in such activities. A pity. It must have been amazing experiencing classic locos like these in their heyday. I consider myself fortunate to have at least been able to ride behind the Virgin Cross Country Class 47s before they were replaced by the nasty class 220s and 221s.

[@angrykid138]

@HighHopesBass Definitely Bashers I was one of them

[@neilsansom7363]

Absolute hellfire video! Love these BR blue era videos around Kettering, Leicester and Derby. Many great days and memories!

[@grahampearson5670]

The London St Pancras to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield routes were regular turns for the Class 45 Peak Diesel Electric locos from around 1962 to 1982. The introduction of the Inter City 125 High Speed Trains saw The Peak Forty-Fives relegated to secondary duties on the Midland Main Line. Accidents such as collisions, fire damage, bogie fractures, camshaft failure, electrical faults and generator failure saw a lot of The Peak Forty-Fives written-off and subsequently scrapped.

[@neilonaniet]

06:23 - 43195 there, which now sits on Laira depot waiting to be scrapped after getting a tree through the cab on the 31st of December 2017.

[@cmeonthemove]

Fabulous footage Darren, how I wish I was into trains in these days to catch some of this! Definitely tapes to savour.

[@alisterbetts6490]

Lovely to see and hear 45115 again, what a wonderful engine....

[@MrDeltic15]

+Alister Betts Always have a soft spot for the Class 45's having grown up with them as a child running by my house(and schools!)in the 70's & 80's.

[@HomeMoviePerson]

Superb video Darren. A very good video as a record of the last couple of days of the Peaks in action on the MML. It would be nice if they could bring one back to mainline condition as it would be nice to see one out on the Midland Mainline again instead of pottering around on preserved lines. I also hope that when NR finally finish using the 31's that they run a railtour down the Midland Mainline as it would be nice to see one or two of them on a passenger working. Enjoyed watching this :)

[@garthcox4]

This brings back memories! As a kid I spent a few days on the MML in summer 82 before the hsts took over the following year. 45/1's were the exclusive traction on rakes of mark 2f's. At the time I preferred the noth east- south west route ( now cross country) through Brum as in spite of the 47's, there was still mainly 45/0 and 46 use right up until hsts took over (winter 83?). Good days!

[@bryanthomas3178]

So many memories Bryan thomas

[@stephenjohnson2195]

Will always remember having 101 and 105 double headed between Derby and Leicester when I was on an East Midlands Rover. I think it was the 12 15 off of Derby Sunday lunchtime. It was a regular turn so I assumed it was a positioning move

[@NapierNimbus]

Wonderful shots Darren and great sound captures of an era sadly long gone - always liked the sound of the Peaks even when just on tickover - priceless footage

[@Desiro360]

Wonderful footage there dude, thank you for sharing :)

[@nablicman]

Happy memories I spent many hours at Man vic 45s on the York Liverpool trains and the occasional Man vic Blackpool north bash with peaks happy days.

[@iankemp1131]

Great memories. Fine filming and sound especially for that era.

[@sam8alex12]

Very nice Darren always, liked the peaks ,Thanks for sharing it.

[@KevinBrown-k4p]

How times have changed... walking over the station tracks, hanging out of the windows. Health and Safety would have a field day.....

[@kevingraham3161]

I loved the 'Peaks' i use the bash them from Liverpool Lime Street to St.Helens Junction and travel down to Exeter and bash them between Exeter and Newton Abbot/Plymouth. Great times.

[@timstrainvideos142]

excellent video!

[@MrDeltic15]

Thank you very much.

[@simonmalexander]

Great Video and great memories of what I used to watch....

[@Thornaby37]

Excellent footage 👍

[@angrykid138]

Excellent video

[@MatthewJBrown]

These are wonderful; I just wish video cameras of the era recorded sound better! I was a young trainspotter and basher who spent a lot of time watching and riding behind these in the early to mid 80s around Durham and Newcastle. Really takes you back.

[@Tom-Lahaye]

+Matthew Brown At least we had sound in the Diesel Era, the steam guys back in the day had to do with 8mm film and recording sound had to be done separate, and it was extremely dificult to cut and edit film and sound togheter, so most did let the sound for what it was. But I have to agree that the sound is missing some of the real grunt that the peaks had, but I think that's more to the age of the material than to the actual recording abillity of the camcorder then. My Sony camera that I bought in 1992 had a stunning sound quality that was even better than a lot of the cheaper digital cams from now.

[@FrontCompVids]

Great video, particularly like the onboard stuff from 9:30! Subscribed.

[@guyneeve9365]

Great clips..subscribed!

[@tonywilson4704]

Great footage. Takes me back to the late 70s early 80s whilst doing East Midlands rangers. Peaks on the mml, Deltics on the ecml.....classic!!!

[@davidwolstenholme6413]

I could never understand why bashers of that time felt it necessary to put on such a loud performance at every station, it was embarrassing. No wonder BR wanted to rid themselves of real loco hauled trains; of course there were many reasons and I'm not suggesting this was anything like the main one, but still; did they ever wonder what the operators of those trains and the general public thought about their ridiculous antics? I was an avid loco haulage freak at that time, have been since the 1970s, but that behaviour just embarrassed and sickened me. Brilliant video, wonderful Peak action.

[@MrDeltic15]

Thanks very much. Yes, things did go a bit too extreme, especially if it was near the end of a particular loco or working - things still carried on into the end of the HSTs too sadly.

[@cedarcam]

Sadly those antics have now drawn the ORR's attention to our heritage railways and ruined it for everyone. Some lines have already begun to fit bars on windows or restrict how far windows open, others will follow, although only advisory guidance at the moment it is sure to be made a requirement before long.

[@davidwolstenholme6413]

@cedarcam I noticed a good deal of head scratching at the East Lancashire Railway over this very issue at their first diesel event of the year. Bars going up is a dreadful move both aesthetically and financially.

[@cedarcam]

​@@davidwolstenholme6413 The East Lancs is the first I came across who have limited how far some of the toplight windows open by putting screws in the runners. The diesel gala last year was their first after new guidance came in on August 8th The guard said on that gala day the ORR were monitoring behaviour and we were not to lean out of windows or wave arms out of them. I asked if it was OK to take video from toplight windows and he said as long as arms and heads are inside that was OK. Someone took objection to that and ended up being escorted off by the police. One of these arm wavers had got an eye injury somewhere requiring hospital treatment, being a railway accident it had to be reported to the RAIB and it is as a result of that the ORR had their attention drawn to our heritage railways. I do not like the idea of bars going up at all, but as the guard said it only needs one serious or fatal accident and the railway will be closed down. If people were sensible and took care this would not of happened. NYMR are fitting locks on vestibule windows to limit them to 100mm opening. I am not sure how you get out at a station, staff open the door from outside?

[@SMILEVIDEOTRAINS]

Wow, such nostaga. I was hoping I may see 45109 as I have the cabside number of that loco. Nice video mate

[@imautuber]

Thing I remember the most about Peaks, Huge loco, tiny buffers.

[@MrDeltic15]

Yes, now you mention it!

[@pbwake65]

The Liverpool to York train 08:50 at Manchester Victoria used to arrive at York at 10:32 was sometimes headed by 45 141 Zephyr.

[@colin5296]

Last years at school I used to love these old big Sulzers ,me Dad used to take me to York Museum on these trains half the treat was the journey , coming back in the dark hanging out the window dropping down into standedge tunnel you could watch the brake rigging on the loco brake cylinders jump to attention then the sparkes from the blocks in the tunnel was great .Even if you got the odd 31 which carried on after ,they were entertaining enough but not quite the presence of the old peaks .I did the odd trip to sheffield just to watch them come and go great music .I wanted in on all that muscle but never got to work on them sadly just missing them ,the big diesels seemed on there way out which is why I went electric though I did manage 08 ,31 ,37 ,47,and a very special Deltic as apprentice the DMUs were good old sloggers but the diesel running up your arms all the time wore a bit thin. Don't think we will see a railway like that again.

[@andrewcutts7416]

Great footage. I used to see them at Leicester Midland when they ran on test down from Derby. My last railtour with them was the 44 farewell. Old fogey now ha ha!

[@MrDeltic15]

Thank you very much. Well I grew up with them as a child in the 1970's and can just about remember seeing the last of the Class 44's passing and on a visit to Toton back in the day.

[@MEKAYJIMMYNATHE]

Great video mate, there isn't many vids with Peaks working in the heyday on here so good to see quality like this. Surprised you weren't up front with the bashers though... lol. Great vid Daz, well worth the Fave, Thumb & Like. :)

[@andyroo1889]

Great memories, thanks, I was always on the 1M10 in the school holidays....

[@phantomsvideos]

1M10 was a midnight parcel train from St Pancras. I used to work it

[@brizzolglover7518]

@@phantomsvideos no it was the Sheffield Pancras overnight

[@55018]

Great Camera work :)

[@borderlands6606]

I spent a lot of time behind these on the MML in the 70s and 80s. They were getting long in the tooth by the time this footage was taken and had a high failure rate towards the end. I was ready to see the HSTs come in from a punctuality position, but they didn't have the character of the Peaks.I remember them as a nipper in green alongside Staniers! Gawd I'm old!

[@eeclass20]

Was lucky enough to catch the final 18 months of 45 action at Man Vic, 45150 being the last I drove . I think the train was a Harwich Blackpool termibated a Preston due to late running.

[@MrJimbaloid]

Ahhh you mean "VAMPIRE"

[@fexploder3281]

1:10 My favorite diesel sound.

[@tinsley.tmd.41a52]

Superb video how I miss the tinsley peaks!

[@MrDeltic15]

+tinsley.tmd.41a Thank you very much. Guess I took them for granted at the time, but I did get to bash many of them with the Midland being my local line.

[@brushhead]

@@MrDeltic15 we all did in those days

[@c5173]

nice footage

[@krayzkatman1990]

Between1975 & 1978 I used these trains to go to school travelling from Market Harborough to Kettering & return. I think the fare was 35p. Interesting to see the track being taken up north of Kettering only for it to be put back around 30 years later

[@MrDeltic15]

You would have passed me many times as I lived in Rushton back then and would watch them as a child.

[@thomasnirtrainmannorton3254]

I'm visiting Ipswitch soon could you please tell me what time thee class 92 on 4L18 arrives and all the diagrams on Saturday please. Thank you

[@BoogiesTrains]

Interesting shot of the Gloucester Motor Parcels Van at 4:10. Can you tell me the exact location?

[@MrDeltic15]

That's the old parcel sidings on the west side of Leicester station.

[@fordia]

Thanks for that! When were the parcel sidings removed? I remember them there as a kid, and noticed they were gone a few years back....were they gone in the late '80s and it took me 20 years to notice?

[@atomiswave1971]

Sadly no peaks on mainline register at the moment. Want one soon please :)

[@replay6896]

What was the very last br peak hauled train?..please.

[@MrDeltic15]

The very last BR one is at the end of this selection, although 45112 did do a special charter run into London St Pancras and back in April 2004.

[@martinsmith1538]

Railways ruined now. Those were the days. Filmed for prosperity. Great work.

[@leeproctor7622]

Great shots of fantastic locos i drove peaks in Buxton for years so have fantastic memories. Pity about idiots spoiling the view by hanging out of the windows spoiled many a video for me

[@dackesjulag]

Excellent footage of these majestic loco's, shame about the clown at 1.25 !! RIP the Peaks....

[@MrJimbaloid]

you had 128 give you a good show that day. and she shouldered on to the bitter end. But my favs were 107 and 150 the vampire. had a mega cab ride one cold November in 150 from manc pic to sheff.my lords even beat rides out of barrow hill on grid and choppers though I never rode a 58. great days of my life sadly all gone.

[@kipsome45]

Great footage, a bittersweet watch. That Peak (128?) in the last on-train footage from Leicester sounded really unwell. They were obviously running them right down at the end.

[@kenstevens5065]

I travelled a lot on Midland main line back then and remember how scruffy and run down nationalised network was. I'm no fan of the now privatised network and can't help feeling that if BR had been given the investment the network has had since (mainly from fares which are far too high) we would have just as good or better services now as well as a leading rail manufacturing industry. The excuse against nationalisation has always been that Governments can't run a business. Fast forward 40 years and they've now proved they can't run a country either.

[@darthtool8131]

the fumes wafting around in those stations!! its a shame the old diesels had to be retired, they sure were iconic.. but you cant justify such heavy pollution like that anymore.

[@66CLASS]

how things have changed over the years 14.15 you woulden get a way with that now nice to see the good old videos from the good old days . 5/5

[@MrDeltic15]

+66CLASS You certainly wouldn't, i'm surprised nobody challenged them back then to be honest. Plenty of old videos on My Channel if you've not seen more yet - just search "End Of BR Blue", "Trains In The 1980's", and "Trains In The 1990's" for more.

[@thomasnirtrainmannorton3254]

An absoloute SHOWSTOPPER of a video of some epic beast locomotives. Absoloutely extraordinary. All I need now is some popcorn and a drink. Why does 45141 have a snail on it?

[@dackesjulag]

It was the Ti emblem..

[@train4905]

Awsome😊

[@MrDeltic15]

These were the days, great to be around and able to capture them on video.

[@harlem23ru]

TSW2020 собственно, потому я здесь. Крутой локомотив, запоминающийся.

[@KCroOTM]

I know this film is about the peaks but I have never seen a class 128 DPU on film before 4:15 •_•

[@1951GL]

Gateshead (52A) Class 46s dud sterling work on Newcastle - Liverpool trains.

[@timothyparsons8327]

D82 ! Peaks forever

[@MartinRayton-gx5ts]

Wagons

[@dommurray1185]

Beautiful acceleration 47484

[@MrDeltic15]

Sadly not to be repeated.

[@mrbojangles7577]

45 060 (D100 in my day) Sherwood Forester ❤

[@MrDeltic15]

Lovely split box loco. Filmed her at Nene Valley Railway Diesel Gala in 2011 and Severn Valley Railway Diesel Gala in 2017.

[@spitfire451]

Remember watching the Class 45,s brining in the football train into Nottingham station most Saturdays... One had an unofficial name called Vampire... Think it might of been 45 027.....

[@MrDeltic15]

45150 carried an unofficial 'Vampire' name. Oh for those days of Footex's again, very rarely seen in recent years sadly.

[@rolexkings7747]

That's Cleggy boy scenior reaching for the 40 mile marker...from the Derby-based Peak bashers.

[@rolexkings7747]

I recognise some of those bashers - the one at the end was from Cardiff I think...those were great days...but I don't miss having tiny pirces of rusty metal in my eyes.

[@IndigoJo]

Are they local trains or specials? I'm sure Midland Mainline was an InterCity line operated by HSTs by then.

[@MrDeltic15]

These were the last loco hauled workings before HST's took over everything - there was one out and back commuter working Monday to Friday and one Friday only to Derby that were still hauled by Class 45's(and then Class 47's)before they were completely replaced.

[@aschliov]

wonderful when trains were made in england :)...... style grace and that sound :) build me a tardis pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@johnhardman3]

It was more wonderful when the English themselves were made in England.

[@daystatesniper01]

Gawd i recognised TT and the shed brigade there at Leicester lol

[@paul5491]

Bit late to this.....but was TT the chap with a long beard and hair....used to hate being called TT,we called him The Baron,Leicester Train Spotting legend......imagine he's gone now?

[@daystatesniper01]

@@paul5491 Hi Paul i think it may be the same lad ,rode a push bike if not gone he would be in his late 80s by now and yes he haded the nick' TT

[@daystatesniper01]

@@paul5491 Also do you remember the cage brigade ? Shawn,Paul Mick, Plunge, etc'etc'

[@paul5491]

@@daystatesniper01 Yes mate,Paul might be me!Shawn Collier is active on Twitter,Was it Mick on his motorbike,Painted in BR blue?Plunge i don't remember.....but Physco...Gay Ray and loads more!

[@daystatesniper01]

@@paul5491 Lol a few names i have not heard for decades there ,yep Mick on his bike ,Shawn was a good mate ,we started the Leicester Railway wagon society back in the day ,like you say there was a good gang of lads back then are your initials P.N'S by any chance ?

[@sandletters39]

There was nothing much wrong with the Class 45s and why did the newly sectorised BR choosed to unexpectedly accelerate the rundown after the mid 1980s? Perhaps it was because they proved to be more costly to operate despite their superior acceleration and reliability from their Crompton Parkinson motors.

[@scopex2749]

Lots of ‘flailing’ going on! CRANK UP THE VOLUME TRASH THOSE SPEAKERS!👍🏻 Todays diesels are crap and all look the same and sound like mopeds 😕 I bet some of these old drivers were in tears as they lost their locos. 😔 OMG and some 43’s with screaming VALENTAS! Nice! Even saw a Romanian 56?

[@richardgregory8964]

Why do people throw there arms in the air out of the carriage?

[@dommurray1185]

Bashers mate😮

[@richardwalker1880]

Good old trains and BR the peaks did 100 mph flat out

[@dieseldave3879]

👍

[@avantiwestcoastguy]

This train is very cute

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

One day they were there...the next they were gone.....

[@MrDeltic15]

Sadly so - you don't know what you've got until it's gone.........

[@GBRailer]

Don't wind it up!

[@stuartwright7829]

Good vid was not a massive fan of 16 wheels , but that were better than anything EE produced, and from a brush fan started doing brush in early 85. sulzer power.

[@colin5296]

Thats a bit below the Lonsdale ,who dont like a whistle or 4.

[@dommurray1185]

Wagons the lot

[@oddities-whatnot]

Hooligans :D

[@MrDeltic15]

Absolutely :-)

[@iainmaturin8460]

don't remember those names from my days in the 70's, did BR rename them?

[@richardhelliwell1210]

Unofficial names given the few survivors by their depots, just for fun. They were going for scrap anyway in a few months so I don't suppose anyone cared! That was the World I grew up in, where nobody cared about trivial things like that and we weren't subject to the Health & Safety mafia! I was born in 1966 and my late father & grandfather worked for BR for 43 years each at Derby. We got free tickets to travel on BR too, so would often go down to London on the Midland main line to visit relatives behind a 45. I always remember the drivers running them into Derby platform 6 pretty fast, so fast I wondered if they would stop, and the platform vibrated with the weight of them. Really makes an impression on you as a kid of 6 or 7! Great memories!

[@AlexTrain5249]

Even though this was one of the most evil engines in the RWS, this was a rarely successful British design.

[@Taublix]

D199 was rude but the design was great.

[@avantiwestcoastguy]

Bye bye 👋class 45s

[@ianstafford2218]

Peaks were far too slow. Should have replaced them earlier, if it wasn't for a government too reluctant to invest in new power. The Midland main line has been a slow crawl since steam days. Better to close it south of Leicester and divert trains via ECML and ECML, with suitable links onto those main lines.

[@s125ish]

Ian Stafford silly , what happens to Kettering , Bedford etc

[@bryanthomas3178]

Then were the days