2006
EN
Aberdeen to Inverness
The railway between Aberdeen and Inverness was built by the Great North of Scotland Railway, the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction and the Inverness and Nairn, the former two companies meeting end on at Keith. Of the 50 stations that have come and gone over the years, ten remain open. In little over a hundred miles we encounter 16 existing, or former, rail junctions - on average one every seven miles - a remarkable testament to the commercial rivalry and duplicity of lines between the Highland and GNSR companies in the latter half of the 19th Century. Today the route is operated by First Scotrail class 158 "Express Sprinters". The route is mostly of single line and features tokenless block and electric key token sections controlled from manual signal boxes with semaphore signals. This scenic route was filmed in sunny or good weather from the cab, from the trackside and from the air. Much of the fascinating history is to be found in the narration, expertly delivered by Sally Magnusson.
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HST West - Driver's Eye View
We see virtually the whole of Brunel’s route from Exeter St David’s to Newton Abbot including the notorious seaside section at Dawlish. From there we head inland to Totnes, over the infamous banks at Dainton and Rattery, through Ivybridge on the very edge of Dartmoor and into Plymouth itself. We finish with a driver’s eye view of the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. Filmed in 1986 just weeks before the semaphore signals were abolished for ever.
1066 DC
At the Southern end of the line, the three stations around St Leonards are separated by two long tunnels. Emerging at Bopeep Junction our "4-CEP" EMU - in the much lamented "Jaffa cake" colour scheme - turns north through the East Sussex countryside through Battle to Tunbridge Wells. The character of the line changes at Tonbridge as we join the main artery from Ashford, Dover and Folkestone. The Hastings line became infamous for its tunnels. Many had been constructed by a rogue contractor who saved thousands of pounds by only lining the tunnel with one row of bricks instead of the specified two. In danger of collapse, when the scam was realised a second layer had to be built inside, reducing the overall width. Following this, special narrow bodied trains had to be specially constructed. Since the scrapping of these and in order to allow the passage of standard width stock at the time of the 1980's electrification, many of the tunnels had to be singled.
The Far North (Driver's Eye View)
Dingwall to Wick and Thurso
Ffestiniog & Conwy
The 13 .5 mile narrow gauge line was originally built to carry slate and for many years was worked by gravity. We travel aboard one of the famous double Fairlie steam engines - "Merddin Emrys" for a ride that is typically rocky in places. The terrain changes from the wide open "Cob" at Porthmadog, to the fertile wooded valley in the vale of Ffestiniog and the Snowdonia National Park, to the slate capital of Wales itself, Blaenau Ffestiniog. Within the first mile of the former LNWR line, on board a class 101 DMU, we pass amongst the old mine and quarry workings and enter the 2¼ mile long Ffestiniog tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is the wild and remote Lledr valley. After Betws-y-coed the line levels out and we dash along the Conwy Valley to Llandudno Junction, on the Holyhead main line. Finally, we traverse the three mile long double track branch to Llandudno, in 1991 still block-worked with semaphore signals. Filmed in 1992
Central
This is the original Driver's eye view filmed in 1992 from 1962 stock trains, still operating with crews of two, one of the very last years of train guards on the Underground. It was also one of the last years of the Ongar branch.
Metropolitan Main Line
The Metropolitan main line is now the exclusive domain of S8 stock trains introduced between 2010 and 2012. The iconic “A” stock trains plied the route for over 50 years, firstly in unpainted aluminium finish and later in refurbished blue, red and white Underground colours. Filmed in 1995, here you can see both incarnations of the A stock at work – a tastefully refurbished train running on the main line, with unpainted stock (with the inevitable graffiti) running on the branches.
Connex Express
This film represents great value for money. It actually begins at Wolverton with a brief look at the class 319 EMUs’ metamorphosis. Then to Brighton for the start of the 50 minute journey, seen virtually in real time. At the time of filming in 1998, Connex Expresses ran between the south coast and the capital with just one intermediate stop at East Croydon. The trains then ran non-stop through Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport and even Clapham Junction! There is a great deal of history crammed into our journey such as the tragic accident in Clayton Tunnel, the tunnel with a house above the castellated portal. In 1998, Connex held two of the former Southern region franchises but today they have none. Relive the yellow days of Connex here.
Northern Line (City) - Driver's Eye View
Edgware to Morden via Bank Northern Line City branch runs from Edgware to Morden via Bank. There is so much to see from the driver's cab. The overground section through the 3 platform station at Golders Green and into tunnel. The "Crewe" of the Northern line at Camden Town. The extra wide platforms created with the building of the Victoria line. We also run over the first section of tube railway in the world, the City and South London, whose carriages were nicknamed 'padded cells'.
Northern Line (West End) - Driver's Eye View
Kennington to High Barnet via Charing Cross Finchley Central to Mill Hill East The Northern West End branch starts with our train heading south around the Kennington reversing loop. When we say you will see all of the Northern line on this one DVD that is what we mean. Running through the West End via Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road, we see Camden Town once more but from a different perspective. Running into the open at East Finchley - a classic design of 1930s underground architecture we arrive at the terminus on the edge of Hertfordshire, High Barnet. Finally, you will see the Mill Hill East branch starting from Finchley Central, nowadays the only single line tube branch on the entire underground. All lines were filmed aboard brand new 1995 stock trains in bright weather using the latest digital cameras.
Jubilee Driver's eye view
This video begins at Stanmore, having been opened by the Metropolitan Railway but subsequently taken over by the Bakerloo. After four stations, we join the multiple tracks of the Metropolitan and Chiltern Lines. At Finchley Road the old cast iron Bakerloo tunnel section begins and with additional lighting you will see the tunnels in the best possible light. At Baker Street, the Jubilee proper starts, with the original opening to Charing Cross as recently as 1979. As this is a Video 125 production we couldn't avoid the temptation of seeing what has become of the old Jubilee terminus, now abandoned but still retained in the event of an emergency. Our train then diverges at Green Park and takes the new Jubilee line extension through Waterloo and Docklands.
Piccadilly Driver's Eye View
Our 1973 stock train, takes you right through the centre of the capital and out into the North London suburbs. Emerging from tunnel at Arnos Grove our train continues to Cockfosters in Hertfordshire. The section between Acton Town and Hammersmith is unique in being the only 'tube' line to feature express running - leaving the parallel District line to provide the stopping service. We then return to Acton Town and board another 1973 stock train for a drivers's eye view of the Heathrow Airport branch, running via Terminal 4 to end at Terminals 1, 2 & 3. This line, much of which was built by the District Railway, has another unique feature for a tube line, a quadruple track section from Acton Town to Northfields. As well as seeing four closed stations from the driver's cab we also pay a visit to Aldwych, the terminus of the short branch which ran from Holborn but closed in 1994.
Eurostar: Paris to London Waterloo
Since 2007, Eurostar high-speed passenger trains have been running over HS1 into London St Pancras International. All services transferred there with the completion of High Speed One - the UK’s first high-speed railway line (running between the Channel Tunnel and London). Prior to that, from 1994 to 2007 Eurostar trains ran over the former Southern Railway lines into Waterloo International. In 2004, Video 125 produced a Driver’s eye view of the route from Paris Gare du Nord via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and the first section of HS1 but running into London Waterloo International via Fawkham Junction. As Video 125 produced a NEW Driver’s eye view in 2007 showing the current line into St Pancras International (from Brussels Midi) we withdrew the Waterloo production from sale.
East London and District
The East London Line was filmed just a couple of years before its closure and total metamorhosis. Nowadays, forming part of the London Overground, here we can see the old Metropolitan stock as many of us remember them running on the East London Line. Services alternated between the two southern termini of New Cross and New Cross Gate. Our journey on board an ‘A’ stock train begins at the former and takes us through the very oldest part of civil engineering on the underground network, Marc Brunel’s 1843 tunnel under the Thames. Peak services continued to Shoreditch, which is where our journey ends.
Aberdeen to Inverness
The railway between Aberdeen and Inverness was built by the Great North of Scotland Railway, the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction and the Inverness and Nairn, the former two companies meeting end on at Keith. Of the 50 stations that have come and gone over the years, ten remain open. In little over a hundred miles we encounter 16 existing, or former, rail junctions - on average one every seven miles - a remarkable testament to the commercial rivalry and duplicity of lines between the Highland and GNSR companies in the latter half of the 19th Century. Today the route is operated by First Scotrail class 158 "Express Sprinters". The route is mostly of single line and features tokenless block and electric key token sections controlled from manual signal boxes with semaphore signals. This scenic route was filmed in sunny or good weather from the cab, from the trackside and from the air. Much of the fascinating history is to be found in the narration, expertly delivered by Sally Magnusson.
Enterprise - Dublin to Belfast
The Dublin to Belfast route is 113½ miles long. Our journey begins at Dublin’s Connolly Station. For the first few miles we proceed through the rapidly re-generating suburbs under the wires of the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit). This is a route of great interest with double line throughout. Our 90 mile an hour express was filmed mostly in sunshine. Much of the history of this interesting and scenic route is related by TV personality Henry Kelly.
The North London Line
The North London Line was unique in being the only Network Rail route to be consistently featured on the London Underground map. 2006 was the last year of operation into North Woolwich by the class 313 EMUs. To record this for posterity,the train operator at the time, Silverlink Trains, allowed Video 125 cameras unrestricted access to train cab and stations along the route. The route was electrified at 25KV overhead to allow vital freight movements around the capital. One of the most unusual stations is that at Willesden Junction, the platforms being positioned above the West Coast Main Line and the affiliated “DC lines” from Euston to Watford. The history of the route is complex but totally fascinating, details of which are related en route by Rob Curling.
Bakerloo & City Driver's Eye View
The Bakerloo Line is one of London Underground's main arteries, connecting four of the capital's main line railway stations with the heart of London's West End. The southern terminus at Elephant and Castle consists of just two platforms, requiring fast turnarounds to provide the 3 minute service interval. Just under half the 14½ mile line is in tube tunnel, The 1972 stock trains (amongst the oldest running on the network) surface at Queen's Park. Roughly one in three continues to Harrow and Wealdstone alongside the West Coast Main Line. As well as seeing the entire route in real time from the driver's cab, we also peek inside the Bakerloo Line's signalling and control centre at Baker Street. The Waterloo and City line is LUL's smallest self-contained operation, running for just over 1½ miles between Waterloo and Bank.
Eurostar: Brussels to London St Pancras
Unprecedented cooperation from Eurostar enabled Video 125 cameras to film a high speed journey from the Capital of Belgium to the Capital of England via the Channel Tunnel. Riding with the driver at speeds of up to 300 kilometres an hour, or 186 miles an hour, is an exhilarating experience. Just click on the preview to see what we mean. The entire route is shown in virtual real time.* As well as calling at Lille Europe and Ebbsfleet International, we follow our class 373's progress from the five control centres which are responsible for our train as it passes through Belgium, France, the Channel Tunnel and England. There are two bonus features: Temple Mills Depot, opened in time for the start of services into St Pancras. Comings and goings at Brussels Midi. While our cameras were set up on the platform we filmed a dozen or more trains to show the diversity of traction and rolling stock.
Victoria Line (Driver's eye view)
The Victoria Line is London’s busiest underground line. 15 out of the 16 stations provide interchange with other underground lines or Network Rail. The 1967 stock trains were filmed in their last few years of service in 2009. These were the first fully automatic trains in London running on the Victoria line which was opened in stages from Walthamstow in East London. The whole line is seen in virtually real time from the operator’s cab with the aid of additional lighting. This is more than a Driver’s eye view, for we also follow the progress of our southbound train on the track diagrams of the service control centre, we see inside all the stations with their famous tiled murals, the exteriors of many and of course the operator himself.
Isle of Wight - Driver's Eye View Documentary
SHANKLIN TO RYDE PIER HEAD (electric) SMALLBROOK JUNCTION TO WOOTTON (steam) Filmed in 2010
Central Line
Much requested by our customers, we have taken the opportunity of filming the Woodford branch through the Roding Valley to Hainault and on to Leytonstone on board a 1992 stock train. We then switch our attention to the main Central Line that runs through the very heart of London.
Hammersmith & Circle
There is no overview for this season.
The Tyne Valley Line - Driver's Eye View
The Newcastle & Carlisle dates right back to 1825, one of the earliest railway schemes in Britain. It opened in stages from 1834 initially to carry minerals. The railway roughly follows the course of Hadrian's Wall, marking the northernmost border of the Roman Empire in 122 AD. The railway has become an important link between the East and West Coast main lines.
Chiltern Mainline - Driver's Eye View
Diesel loco-hauled expresses have made a comeback… For this Driver’s eye view we travel in the cab of a class 68 hauling a rake of refurbished Mk 111 carriages marketed by Chiltern Railways as ‘Silver Trains’
The Old Gotthard Tunnel Route - Driver's Eye View
The original Gotthard railway tunnel through the Swiss Alps, took ten years to build and cost 147 lives. It was a mammoth undertaking and required the construction of long ramps on either side totalling 85 miles. Dozens of tunnels, viaducts and bridges were necessary. The ruling gradient of 1 in 37 was deemed to be just about the maximum that the original steam locomotives could handle, even then, trains were usually double-headed and even had banking engines attached at the rear! In order even to keep to this severe gradient, the engineers had to construct a number of additional spiral tunnels to gain height, hewn out of solid rock…
Pendolino - Driver's Eye View
Experience the thrill of riding in the cab of an iconic Pendolino tilting train, travelling over the West Coast Main Line, the UK’s busiest. We travel on board the 1220 Virgin Trains’ London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly service running via Stoke on Trent. It’s quite amazing to see the degree of tilt from the driver’s viewpoint and how easily the class 390 takes the curves at speeds of up to 125 mph!
Edinburgh & Glasgow Driver's eye view
Filmed from the Driver's cab of a class 385 EMU we travel on a ScotRail express from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley via Falkirk High, then from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central via Shotts.
The Berks & Hants Driver's eye view
Driver's eye view of the GWR from Exeter St Davids to London Paddington from the cab of a brand new class 802 Intercity Express Train.
East Coastway & Marshlink
The hourly Southern service to Ashford (Kent) nowadays starts at Brighton, running fast to Eastbourne stopping only at Lewes and Polegate. At Eastbourne the 2 –car class 171 diesel multiple unit reverses before proceeding along the coast to Hastings calling at Bexhill and St Leonards Warrior Square. Our train then continues beneath the semaphore signals towards Ore where the third rail runs out. From here we run fast along the single line to the ancient town of Rye. Now we head across Romney Marsh, the flat landscape giving the line its name. After the unstaffed halt at Appledore, situated roughly one mile from the village, our train calls at one of the staggered platforms of Ham Street Station followed by the terminus at Ashford International.
Exeter to Basingstoke
The West of England line was the Southern Railway's arterial route to the West Country and as such was at one time very busy with express trains to Salisbury, Exeter and Plymouth. It was also the route of the ACE, the Atlantic Coast Express which ran from Waterloo all the way to Padstow on the North Cornish coast. Run down and rationalised in the 1960s, the West of England line became a mere shadow of its former self. Today, with privatisation, train services and passenger numbers are on the up and we can see the line from the cab of a class 159 DMU, in its recently resignalled form along with recent redoubled sections of line to improve capacity and flexibility. As well as the ride in the cab, we also see inside the signal boxes. Filmed in the summer of 2014 in association with the South West Trains / Network Rail alliance.
Fawley Hill
BBC Bargain Hunt's Charlie Ross takes a detailed look around the Late Sir William McAlpine's full-size railway and museum, built in his own back yard. Having been acquired over five decades, Sir William's collection is truly massive. The film starts at the beginning of the year when the ex-BR class 03 diesel shunter is started up. There's a lot of steam action too, with the resident 0-6-0 saddle tank engine, seen charging up and down the incredible 1 in 14 gradient of the hill line on training and public open days. Charlie takes a look around the extensive museum, containing a myriad of railway artefacts. He's shown inside the two royal coaches, the signal boxes, the O gauge model railways and the main station building, re-erected here from Somersham in Cambridgeshire. Sir William's widow, Lady Judy McAlpine tells us about her late husband's insatiable enthusiasm. There's so much to see and appreciate in this unique private railway.
Heart of Wales
The normal four hour journey has been condensed into a video of just one and a half hours of the most interesting and scenic sections. These include the departure from Swansea, the 1 in 52 climb up to Cockett tunnel and the reversal at Llanelli. Nowadays the route is signalled entirely from Pantyffynnon Box, and here we see the line's last remaining semaphores. Our single car class 153 unit then tackles the famous bank up to Sugar Loaf tunnel.
SkyeTrain
Shot in the middle of summer, the Kyle of Lochalsh line is seen at its most spectacular! To many it is the most scenic line in Britain. From Inverness to Dingwall we travel alongside the Beauly Firth and witness some of the last remaining Highland Railway semaphores still in operation at the time but long-since abolished. How many people realise that there was once a signal box at Lentran? We actually filmed inside it and recorded the sound in stereo. At Dingwall we turn due west for the Highlands proper and traverse the summits at Raven Rock, Corriemoillie and Luib (the highest at 646ft) and stations such as Garve, Achnasheen and Strathcarron set amidst the beautiful Highland scenery. Finally, the most spectacular section, Stromeferry to Kyle of Lochalsh along the shores of Loch Carron.
The Cambrian Coast: Machynlleth to Barmouth
Driver's Eye View: Machynlleth to Barmouth Narrated by Dafydd Hywel This driver's eye view manages to convey the sleepy backwater that the Cambrian Coast line is nowadays. Our class 150 "Sprinter" makes an unscheduled stop at Dovey Junction to pick up a couple of passengers deposited on this out-of-the-way station with no road access. Out onto the coast we encounter the most notorious section on the whole line - the narrowest of ledges cut into the sheer rockface of the Friog cliffs and the site of two disasters. Finally, there is the half-mile long timber trestle bridge at Barmouth, still standing in splendid isolation across the Mawddach estuary. Two other railways are featured en route, the Talyllyn narrow gauge railway at Tywyn and the Fairbourne and Barmouth Steam railway. Filmed in 1988.
HST Far West
This starts at the Royal Albert Bridge. The 75 miles from Saltash to Penzance contains the greatest number of viaducts per mile on any British Railway and such exaggerated curvature that there is only one dead straight mile of track throughout. Once again, virtually the whole route is shown including the many single line sections. There are dozens of aerial views taken from a helicopter on both of the above productions. Features include the Atmospheric Railway pump house at Starcross, Dobwalls miniature railroad and the Bodmin Steam Railway.
HST Great West
The magnificent engineering of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's original Great Western Railway is best appreciated from the driver's cab, in this case an InterCity 125 High Speed Train. Filmed in 1993, we proceed through the outskirts of London at an exhilarating 125mph, over the Wharncliffe viaduct at Brent (where construction of the GWR actually began in 1835) across the Thames at Maidenhead (the bridge that was expected to fall down) through the expansive Sonning Cutting to arrive at the "hub" station of Reading. Next stop is Swindon, followed by a non-stop run to Bath through the famous Box Tunnel (the last section to be opened, well behind schedule) before arriving at Bristol Temple Meads. Here we see inside Brunel's original terminus, with its wooden overall roof, an amazing survivor through sheer quirk of fate.
Learning to Steam
Arfon spent a week on the Great Central Railway finding out everything a trainee footplate member needs to know. Starting at the bottom, just as a real trainee would have done on BR, Arfon first becomes a cleaner then gradually progresses up the ladder with ex-Fireman Ray Martin teaching him the art of firing. Ex-BR Driver Bill Gwilt then takes over to explain how to oil and prepare the loco followed by how to drive. Arfon then takes the controls of Clun Castle in charge of a seven coach “express” running from Loughborough Central to Rothley. If you have ever wondered how a steam engine works or how they are maintained or driven, this best selling video is for you.
Wessex - Weymouth to Waterloo
This Driver's eye view begins with a brief look at the unique street-running Weymouth quay "tramway" from a class 73 Electro-Diesel Locomotive. It is unlikely that this line will ever see a train again so it is also included on the DVD as a menu driven bonus. Our main line train is a class 442 Wessex electric still in Network SouthEast colours. We head out of Weymouth and climb up towards Dorchester South, the 5 coach train taking all the power available from the third rail. Turning east the train calls at the intermediate stations as far as Poole and Bournemouth, with their classic causeway approaches. Speeding up, we call at Brockenhurst (for connection with the Lymington branch) and pass through the delightful stretch of unspoilt New Forest to Southampton. We then run non-stop at up to 100 mph along the former LSWR quadruple track main line via Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction into Waterloo. Filmed in 1994
InterCity Norwich
With a top speed of 100 mph, the hourly InterCity trains normally cover the 115 miles between the capital of East Anglia and London's Liverpool Street Station in well under 2 hours. One feature of note is the single line swing bridge built at the time of electrification to Norwich in 1987. It is one of only a handful of operational swing bridges in the world provided with overhead line equipment. Our InterCity express calls at Diss, Stowmarket and Ipswich. South of Ipswich, Anglia trains are joined by those of GER, and at Colchester by Clacton services - all squeezed onto just two tracks signalled for bi-directional working. Relief comes at Shenfield where the Southend lines provide an additional pair of tracks. With freight traffic to Felixstowe and Harwich a wide variety of trains rush past.
The Cumbrian Coast
One of the least well-known areas of Britain, we travel to the Cumbrian Coast by means of two different trains. Firstly, we board a North West Regional Railways Express (class 156) which traverses the former Furness Railway via Grange-over-Sands and Ulvertston to Barrow-in-Furness. There we change to a class 153 for the most scenic section of the route along the coast from Bootle to Maryport, filmed in what can only be described as 100% perfect weather - not a cloud in the sky! Apparently you only get one day a year like that along the coast and we were there! As signalling expert David Allen says in his script; "this line is a mecca for semaphore signalling enthusiasts". Filmed in 1997.
The Flying Scotsman
One of Britain's premier expresses, The Flying Scotsman completed the 393 miles from King's Cross to Edinburgh in just over four hours - an average speed of 94.3 miles an hour! Highlights Part One includes the exit from King's Cross with the various tunnels, the infamous Welwyn bottleneck, which brings the ECML down to just two tracks, the Newark flat crossing, (the last in the UK) the Selby new line, and Stoke bank, where "Mallard" achieved the world speed record for steam traction. We even take a look inside the A4 engine housed within the National Railway Museum at York. Part Two covers the second leg from York to Edinburgh calling only at Newcastle. Highlights include: Darlington Bank Top avoiding line, the approach to Newcastle - crossing the mighty River Tyne, the notorious curve at Morpeth, the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick, the scenic coastal sections and the approach to Edinburgh Waverley itself.
Midland Mainline
Filmed from the cab of a High Speed Train, St Pancras station was filmed just before the major rebuilding of the terminus to handle Eurostar international trains in 2007. This is St Pancras as we remember it, complete with the famous gasometers which have since been removed.
Transpenninexpress
The main rail line over the Pennines via Huddersfield, sees four Transpenninexpresses plying the route every hour. The line climbs or falls almost continuously for 43 miles, the only level section being inside Standedge Tunnel, the major engineering feature of the line. The tunnel is the fourth longest on the national network at 3 miles 66 yards. Both it and the other major tunnel at Morley are seen (and heard) from the driver's cab with the aid of additional lighting. Today's route incorporates the lines of various pre-grouping companies with no less than ten significant junctions being traversed between Manchester and Leeds. Our class 158 Express then continues to York over another three - the last of which brings us onto the East Coast Main Line. As well as gradients, junctions and tunnels, the route also features track circuit block signalling. Last, but not least Yorkshire ITV's Geoff Druett tells of the fascinating history.
Highland Main Line
This Driver's eye view puts you in the cab of a brand new Scotrail Turbostar class 170 for the 118 mile trip over the Highland main line. Perth is the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland and still boasts a large imposing station. The main line features stretches of double and single track with semaphore block signalling predominating to Aviemore.There are stiff climbs to the two summits at Druimuachdar and Slochd, the latter forming the summit of the Inverness cut-off line. This direct line from Aviemore to Inverness was a major feat of civil engineering forced upon the Highland Railway company by the threat of competition. It was completed in 1898 having taken 14 years to build. The two largest structures spanning the rivers Findhorn and Nairn are seen, like the rest of the route, not just from the cab but from a helicopter flying overhead!
The Down Fishguard
The direct line from Swindon, via Bristol Parkway, was built to reduce the journey time from South Wales in conjunction with the Severn Tunnel. In 2002, one service a day continued to Fishguard in connection with the ferry to the Emerald Isle. These are now history but Video 125 cameras managed to ride aboard a First Great Western 125 High Speed Train (HST) before the through services were abandoned. For most of our journey in the cab, we are travelling through Wales on the country's major main line - the South Wales. Engineered by I.K.Brunel, it was the last main line to be built to the 7ft broad gauge. The double line eventually gives way to a single track at Clarbeston Road. The 3/4 mile Fishguard branch is worked by electric token. The train calls at Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot, Neath, Swansea, and Whitland.
The Uckfield Thumper
These unique trains have long been called Thumpers due to the distinctive sound of their single on board diesel engines. Now, after the units' well earned retirement, this record of their unmistakeable sound (from trackside and on board) lives on in stereo. Surprisingly, the Uckfield branch is fascinating in itself. It is the stub of a former through route from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes. Nowadays the route features both single and double track sections. Following the fatal head on collision at Cowden in 1994, strict new operating procedures were put into place including the provision of SPAD signals at strategic points.
Lickey Voyager
We join an Exeter to Newcastle service formed of a five car Virgin Super Voyager at Bristol Temple Meads station. The limited stop service calls next at Bristol Parkway before branching off the Great Western onto the former Bristol and Gloucester Railway. By-passing Gloucester by means of the south loop, the next stop is Cheltenham Spa. Now we run non-stop all the way to Birmingham New Street via Bromsgrove and the notorious Lickey Incline. This is the two mile long ascent of the Lickey Hills at a gradient of 1 in 37 ¾, the steepest bank on any main line in Great Britain. From Birmingham New Street our class 221 takes the former Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway running non-stop at up to 125 miles an hour through Tamworth and Burton on Trent to reach the county town of Derbyshire. Much of the fascinating history of the route is related by Alan Hardwick, long-time anchor of Yorkshire ITV’s evening news programme Calendar.
Marseille to Paris
Completed in June 2001, the LGV Méditerranée joined up with the LGV Rhône Alpes and the original Paris/Lyon TGV line completing the link between Marseille and Paris. Now is your chance to see this truly amazing feat of engineering from the cab of a Duplex (double deck) TGV. The Ligne a Grande Vitesse (LGV) features dozens of massive viaducts, tunnels and earthworks cutting a swathe through the French countryside (with no expense spared) to allow for very high speed running.
The Golden Valley - Swindon to Gloucester
Skirting the edge of the Cotswolds the line from Swindon to Gloucester runs through the valley of the River Frome – enchantingly known as the Golden Valley. The viewing platform for our 36¾ mile journey is a 2-car class 143 Pacer operated by Wessex Trains. Some of the delights of any journey over this route are the classic GWR stations at Kemble and Stroud, little changed over time. As well as the usual shots of the driver at work, trackside runpasts and station sequences, there are aerial shots taken from a helicopter.
Kent Coast
Ramsgate has been on the railway map since 1846. Eventually two rival companies served the town for over fifty years until the Southern Railway built a connecting line between the two. At the time of filming there were two main routes into the town, one via Ashford from Charing Cross and the route we are taking via Chatham into London Victoria. This Driver's eye view was filmed before the introduction of SouthEastern's high speed Javellin services into St Pancras. It therefore shows our 4 coach class 375 Electrostar starting off as the hourly fast service calling at selected stations to Faversham. Here we join up with a similar 4 car set from Dover. We then call at Sittingbourne and the Medway Towns of Rainham, Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester. Once over the Medway itself, our 8 coach train runs fast to Victoria calling only at Bromley South.
Liverpool & Manchester
Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street We travel aboard a Northern Rail class 156 Sprinter for an exceptionally smooth ride. This limited-stop service shows us the whole Airport Branch, the Stockport-avoiding line built as recently as 1909 and the approach and through platforms at Manchester Piccadilly followed by the elevated section through Oxford Road. We then join the very original route surveyed and built by none other than George Stephenson. The stone block permanent way has long since gone but the history is still there to be told by former Calendar anchor Alan Hardwick.
Manchester to Cleethorpes
The Hope Valley line seen from a class 185 DMU from Manchester Piccadilly on one of the hourly Transpenninexpress services to Cleethorpes, running via Stockport and the scenic Hope Valley route over the Pennines to Sheffield. From Sheffield the landscape changes from one of hills and heavy industry to the rural flatlands of North Lincolnshire. One of the highlights of this journey of contrasts, is the much photographed array of semaphore signals at Wrawby Junction, viewed from the Driver's cab just weeks before abolition. Threading our way through the back streets of Grimsby Town on a single line, we finish our journey at the popular seaside town of Cleethorpes. Filmed in the summer of 2015. Narrated by Alan Hardwick. Written by Peter Middleton.
Norfolk Branches
Just the thought of riding on the Norfolk byways conjures up the holiday mood. The fact that the branches were filmed in typical summer sunshine undeniably adds to that feeling. When filmed, the branch lines still featured traditional semaphore signals and wooden level crossing gates - opened and shut by hand. We see Cromer Beech signal box and the handling of single line tokens - now history! .Still very much in use are the swing bridges at Reedham and Somerleyton. We visit the former to find out how the mechanism works. What with these bridges, the unique marsh landscape and the long forgotten line side telephone poles and wires still in use, the railways of Norfolk offer a variety all of their own.
The Royal Scot
Originally filmed and released in two parts on video cassette, we can now see virtually the whole of the WCML on the one DVD. Part one covers the leg from Euston to Preston, scheduled to run non-stop at a maximum speed of 110 mph behind a classic class 87 electric loco - now nearly all consigned to the scrap heap. The former LNWR main line takes us via Watford Junction, Milton Keynes, Rugby, Stafford and Crewe. Due to a broken rail the train takes an unscheduled diversion onto the slow line for a few miles north of Watford. Part two covers the second leg of the 401 mile journey to Glasgow Central, running via Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, and Carstairs. Our class 87 manages to maintain a speed of 90 mph over the legendary 1 in 75 banks up to Shap and Beattock summits - an achievement that would have been unimaginable in steam days. Filmed in 1995/1996
Welsh Marches
The term Welsh Marches refers to the border area between Wales and England. The railway diverging from the South Wales Main Line at Newport closely follows the border through Abergavenny, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Nantwich. We join a 3-car class 175 Coradia DMU en route from Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly on the approach to Newport, the area having only recently been re-signalled to the South Wales Control Centre. From the SWCC, signalling passes to a 1960’s panel signal box at Little Mill and then to traditional mechanical signalling at Abergavenny. Cameras inside all three signal boxes vividly show this technological progression. Dozens of former and existing junctions coupled with some magnificent scenery make this a fascinating route, filmed in mid-summer sunshine all the way to Crewe. Dozens of mechanical signal boxes control our progress, including Europe’s largest at Shrewsbury.
Reading to Waterloo
This Driver's eye view is the South West Trains service for London Waterloo. Calling at Earley, Winnersh Triangle, Winnersh, Wokingham, Bracknell, Martins Heron, Ascot, Sunningdale, Virginia Water, Egham, Staines, Feltham, Twickenham, Richmond, Clapham Junction and London Waterloo. This is the service from Reading. This train is formed of eight coaches. This busy commuter line has a minimum half hourly service throughout the day including Sundays. Almost all the trains are formed of Alstom Junipers and we follow ours from three signal boxes. Surprisingly, Wokingham signal box is still operated from a traditional lever frame. Our train is then passed to Feltham power 'box. From Richmond, control passes to Wimbledon PSB which takes our train all the way into Waterloo. This Driver's eye view was filmed in the summer sunshine of 2013.
Welsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland narrow gauge steam railway runs from coast to coast through the mountains of the Snowdonia National Park, and what better way of seeing it than from one of the Beyer Garratt steam engines. This is more than just a Driver's eye view. With cameras mounted on the buffer beam and around the cab, we can see the line and the scenery even better than the driver does. Our ride begins at Caernarfon close to the famous castle, venue of the investiture of Charles the Prince of Wales. We not only see the railway from the locomotive, but also from the stations, the trackside, the carriages and even from the air. The 25 miles of scenic line was only reopened throughout in 2011 and Arfon Haines Davies's narration gives all the fascinating facts and chequered history of the line. This is your chance to see this magnificent route as never before.
North Wales Coast
The 21st century incarnation of the traditional Irish Boat Train running from London to Holyhead, nowadays takes the form of a handful of daily services run by Virgin Trains. We join one such service at Crewe for a trip along the North Wales Coast. Our train is formed of a 5 car class 221 Super Voyager. The 1049 is the fastest service of the day. Our first stop is the City of Chester, after which we run non-stop to the popular seaside resort of Rhyl. Running along the scenic coastline via Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction we get some fabulous views, not least of which the Iconic Conwy Castle and the castellated bridge over the river.
Settle and Carlisle
The Settle and Carlisle was built to provide the Midland Railway with its own route to Scotland. It was a magnificent engineering feat, making a smooth path through difficult terrain that was fit for nothing less than steam express trains. The best way of appreciating it is from the drving cab, little changed in over a hundred years. We join a 2 car Sprinter at Skipton. This fast service takes us through the restored junction station at Hellifield complete with semaphore signalling. We join the famous long drag at Settle Junction - 15 miles of almost continuous climb up to Blea Moor. The 24 arch Ribblehead viaduct is seen from the air as well as from the driver’s cab. Our sprinter disappears into the long tunnels at Blea Moor and Rise Hill while we fly over the top for a surprising view! The Long Drag is shown almost in real time with Appleby to Carlisle discretely condensed into half an hour. This is as much a Bird's eye view as a Driver's eye view.
Thames Branches
This is an opportunity to see four of the GWR Thames Valley branch lines from the driver’s cab. We start at Paddington for a run along the Greenford branch taking us over the Great Western main line via Ealing Broadway, the line terminating at Greenford sandwiched between the tracks of LUL’s Central Line. We then travel over the Windsor branch from Slough into the one-time showpiece Royal station facing Windsor Castle. Unusually we return part of the way to show the junction arrangement at Slough. The Marlow branch is the fascinating legacy of the one-time through route to High Wycombe requiring a reversal at the constricted junction at Bourne End. Finally, we travel over the line to Henley on Thames. All trains on the four branch lines consist of 2-car class 165 Turbo DMUs. Filmed in the summer sunshine of 2015.
The Chiltern Bubble Cars
The 19th May 2017 was the last day that first-generation DMUs ran in regular passenger service on Network Rail. These were the two class 121 Bubble cars owned by Chiltern Railways that were used on the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury branch. To record and commemorate the event, Video 125 cameras followed the single units (affectionately dubbed Bubble Cars) in the weeks prior to their withdrawal. The idea for this film came from the former Managing Director of Chiltern Trains Holidays, Tony Parkins, who has been closely associated with Chiltern Railways ever since his involvement with the writing of our Driver's eye view Chiltern Take Two. It was Tony's idea to produce this film and as such has not only co-written and researched the information but actually presents it to camera.
The Northern Lights
An InterCity 125 HST is our viewing platform for this superb journey up the east coast of Scotland. The stereo sound of the original Paxman Valenta engines is a joy to the ears.
The West Highland
The fascinating history of the West Highland Railway is told by Paul Coia as we make our way from the hustle and bustle of Scotland's largest conurbation up into the Highlands and through Britain's remotest outposts. Filmed in 1993
The Wirral Line
The City of Liverpool is served by Merseyrail, a suburban rail network unique in many ways and subdivided into two main routes: The Northern Line and the Wirral Line. We travel over the latter on board third rail class 507 and 508 electric multiple units. While the Northern Line serves the Liverpool side of the Mersey, the Wirral Line runs beneath the wide river separating Liverpool from Birkenhead and the Wirral Peninsula. The Wirral Line consists of two main routes with four branches covering a route mileage of 33 miles. We see all four branches from the Driver's cab in virtual real time: Highlights include the 19th century river tunnel with its 1 in 27 gradients which we see in both directions along with the 20th century single loop line. The majority of the Wirral Line is signalled from the IECC signalling centre at Sandhills and Video 125 cameras were there to follow our trains from a signallers point of view.