Class 50's at Exeter 1991

[@DaveInBridport]

That really is a huge incline. Even more apparent when you stand on the platform at Central and see the line fall away.

[@pacerchaser9434]

Wow!! What a truly amazing video, showing just what BR was like in the early 90s... slightly unkempt but full of character and interest and just getting on with the job. I was never massively into 50s (awaits lightning bolt!!) because I'm a northerner and never really saw them, but videos like this show me what I missed. Great work 👍

[@jameshodgson5644]

I remember as a kid traveling on the class 50 hauled Cornish Riviera express non stop from Exeter to Paddington - loved that final 100mph section from Reading into London- great days, modern trains are all a bit boring - underfloor engined multiple units, no more big diesels 😥

[@markclifton14]

Great video I remember the class 50s use to travel on them every day back in 88,89. From Banbury to Oxford . I worked on the Pway then. Use to go down to Reading and London Paddington on my days off. Did venture down to Exeter but that was on a HST. Still on the Railway now but rarely travel on trains. All these multiple units they are just plan old boring. Bring back the Loco hauled trains 👍👍👍👍

[@stevewatts9834]

Loved the incline behind a Class 50. Full power over the brow thinking you wasn't gonna stop at Central, did it many a time without a ticket. An amazing video, thanks for sharing. Only Exeter West & semaphores missing

[@jhclausen]

I like the DMU footage. Full blast in second gear all the way up.

[@thescrapline4905]

What a great video. Glad I was pointed in the direction of this video.. Some very useful shots to help me re-create a well detailed model railway that'll be based around this time period. Cheers!

[@jeromemaxim3922]

instablaster.

[@edwardbarnes2702]

Great video, love the shots from Exeter, first time of doing up the bank from the cab, Sounds are great 👍

[@dieseldave3879]

23:00 The class 50 mobile smoke-machine, also moves trains too, lol. 🚂👍

[@edwardbarnes2702]

Brilliant filming, going into tunnel must have been like steam days! You’re captured pics and movements form a different angle from that day. Gone for ever.🙁

[@EJC-vr5ie]

What a great video...last days of the 50's perfectly captured 😊

[@marcconyard5024]

Loved the Paxman passing the 16CSVT? British quality at work.

[@scopex2749]

The wonderful PURRRR of a Hoover! How i miss the big diesel hauled era 😢😢 Being drowned out by a screaming Valenta.......however.....I now miss them as well now they are all but gone 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@aCivilServant]

Nice video. Lots of clag like I remember, especially from what looks like the Class 37 at 15:12. Must have been a cold start.

[@mister_M.]

Nice bit if track at 8:07 on the right

[@sirjohnbuoy8159]

That bit of track off at 13.46. Anyone know what that’s for?

[@paulbaker916]

That's the run-off for the sprung catch point. If a train accidentally runs out of the station and down the hill on the wrong line it is diverted into this siding automatically rather than running (possibly out of control) down the gradient. The points are held by spring force to always route an errant train into the Siding. Trains running up the hill just push the points closed as they pass over. It's analogous to an electrical diode. The triangular signs with the 'S' in them are on the approaches.

[@DaveInBridport]

Just before dmu enters Central there's a line enters from left. Is that just a runaway into sand trap?

[@user-cz1tp6vf4i]

6:31 arrow in the wrong position?

[@kruiskop1]

You did well to record the daily life of the class 50 at Exeter. What surprises me is the amount of smoke given off, by both the DMUs and in the last scene, several of the idling engines in the mpd. Is there are reason for that?

[@marcelomenendez1971]

hi probably wasted piston rings, wasted crankshaft, these were the final years of operation of the class 50, and their maintenance , were poor, fuel, water, oil , some filters, and not much more, ths is a common practice worldwide, when a locomotive class is reaching its final days

[@m18tankdestroyer43]

Great footage, I wonder if the centre roads will ever get put back in at Exe central?

[@Thunderer0872]

Nope... why would they. no portions from Bude or Ilfracombe no cement for the flats at Central no coal for Exmouth yard... no reason ever it's gone and that's that.

[@brianeynon5406]

The southern lines will return i feel as the dawlish sea wall is a liability now should never have singled the waterloo line .

[@EErail26]

Not a successful exchange of the newspapers, having at least two copies run over by the train!!😅

[@rearspeaker6364]

6:31--driver runs thru switch??

[@oddities-whatnot]

rear speaker what do you mean ? Sorry, I dont know much about rail stuff

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@oddities-whatnot at 6 minutes 31 seconds the train is approaching a switch ,and the switch is open, the points are aligned for the siding,not the main track the train is on.

[@stevekelly5485]

@@rearspeaker6364 That was a trap point - held in that position by a spring. If you look, you can see it leads to sand/dirt and not a siding. It was there because of the gradient. Any loose wagons rolling away would be literally thrown into the dirt. Otherwise they would run out of control downhill towards Exeter St Davids. That point is no longer there. In the 'old' days, not every freight wagon was fitted with brakes. Today they are.

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@stevekelly5485 Thank you for replying.

[@stevekelly5485]

@@rearspeaker6364 No problem. I've worked on the region since 1981. If you look on Google Earth, then go through time, you can see it disappear. Even I'm learning stuff through questions such as yours.

[@bobf3598]

When railways WERE railways, not the foreign crap now running on them now.