Trains in the 1980s - Class 50s at speed! - A compilation

This is a compilation video of clips of Class 50s during the late 1980s/ early 1990s running at speed - mostly on the West of England and Southern Region main line.
Not all Class members feature, but there are multiple clips for some locos.
All the still photographs used in the captions were taken by me and are from my personal collection.

[@DIDCOTTWIST]

Lived in Radley in the 80's just a stones throw from the track and could always hear a 50 from before it got to Culham which gave me enough time to get to the fence to watch it go past i absolutely loved the sound.

[@OldOakTrains]

Went to Radley and Culham with the still camera in the early ‘80s, know them well. Thanks for commenting 👍😊

[@paulknightley]

Fantastic! Twyford was a frequent haunt for young me in the 80s (thanks to my parents for taking me there!) - very nostalgic!

[@OldOakTrains]

Yes a great location. Spent many happy hours there in the 80s with both still camera and camcorder. 😊👍

[@chrisredding6673]

As a child, I used to leave my bedroom window open at night to hear these being hammered through Warrington. Sad to think that their birthplace - Vulcan Works - is now an anonymous housing estate.

[@D.C.009.]

Soundtrack to my school days in the mid 80s, the Gwml right at the foot of the sports fields.

[@markcf83]

Same here too.

[@stephenspinks6486]

Reminds me of days window hanging and catching the backdraft in my hair, while listening to the distinctive sounds the hoovers made.

[@OldOakTrains]

Glad it brought back memories, that's the main reason I'm sharing these old clips.😊👍

[@stephenspinks6486]

@OldOakTrains carry on the videos living on the western region @ Highbridge and burnham, The 50s did bring back memories.

[@steveturner609]

Something absolutely hypnotic about the wonderful Drone of those Diesel Locomotives!!

[@formidable38]

I used to live near Goring & Streatley in those days. Regularly went down to the station to watch these beasts thunder through at the ton! Still remember going there after dark and seeing those 3 distinctive lights come round the curve making it unmistakable as a 50. Happy memories, thanks for uploading this, fantastic!!!

[@OldOakTrains]

Thanks for sharing, always good to hear what memories these old clips of mine bring back. 👍😊

[@bombadilian]

As someone born in the 1980s I was too young to appreciate these magnificent beasts in their prime... but they do hold the distinction of being the first loco I ever drove on a train Sim... 50015 Valiant on MSTS. 😂 Thanks for sharing this, great stuff!

[@OldOakTrains]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Have you caught up with my individual Class 50 uploads yet ? If not, this one in particular might interest you, given your SIM experience 😊👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4KWY42Fgc6rbpI

[@tristacker]

Loved these when visiting my grandmother's house in Upperby Carlisle in the early 70's. They rattled the windows as they powered southbound out of Carlisle past Upperby sheds especially when double headed. They disappeared overnight when the AC electrics replaced them in 74-75.

[@OldOakTrains]

Thanks for the comment. Great hearing anecdotes from the “golden age” of diesel loco haulage. 👍😊

[@stevewoodcock6352]

When I was in Reading 79/81, I used to go and sit on an embankment near Theale late evening, pitch dark, with my flask and timetable and wait in anticipation. You could tell it was a 50 approaching from a good mile away, that distinctive sound - nothing else was quite like it. Then the fantastic suspense, louder and louder, then it would pound through with its rake, probably doing the ton on its way to Plymouth or Penzance. There was something about them.

[@OldOakTrains]

Hi Steve; Thanks for sharing! There was something about the Class 50s - wasn't there? Glad so many have been preserved. You might want to check out my next upload - includes double 50s at Carlisle last Saturday. Cheers, Geoff.

[@stephenpowell5912]

Long live the Class 50 Hoovers since 1967 ,57 years on Beautiful sounding Locomotive power ❤

[@OldOakTrains]

Saw and heard 015 Valiant at the East Lancs last weekend - much like you, I never get bored of the noise they make 👍😊

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Today some of the 50s are still out there on the mainline including 50044 50007 50049 50050 50017 50031 and 50008

[@OldOakTrains]

Yes, amazing how many were preserved isn’t it?

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

@@OldOakTrainsyeah indeed and you can still see the 50s still working not only on the mainline but also on heritage lines like the Severn valley railway

[@norbertnedsworth7172]

Superb!

[@OldOakTrains]

Thanks a lot! 👍😊

[@EErail26]

Hellfire my lords etc etc!!

[@Ashfaq1999]

Great video.

[@OldOakTrains]

Thanks for the visit 👍😊

[@leeoffill1605]

Didcot was my local station remember these well

[@OldOakTrains]

Hi, Lee, I remember trips to Didcot fondly. Both to the GWR centre and the power station (to get Class 56s on MGRs!). However, for some unknown reason I never took the camcorder there. Wish I had now, but there you go 🤷🏻‍♂️. Thanks for commenting and watching. Geoff 👍😊

[@gbtrains]

Still the best sounding loco for my money - Controversially I think they sound even better than Deltics or '37's.

[@OldOakTrains]

An interesting viewpoint. And I know what you mean, they are very distinctive, and always bring back happy memories of Paddington when I hear one at a preserved railway (50 015, I’m thinking of you!). But on a wider point I see it as the same as the difference between a Les Paul and a Strat - which sounds ‘better”? Well, it depends…. 🤷🏻‍♂️😊 Thanks for commenting.

[@frazbee1]

The sound is rubbish. 😓