I grew up in Basingstoke and spent many many childhood hours in and around the railway, the station and on the trains there before being based there as train crew from 1997 until retirement a few years ago. I remember these units so clearly, ticking over in the bay platform for hours between tips to Reading and back. These days I live in Bramley so it was good to see the station and compare the film footage with the current layout. Most of the MOD infrastructure has vanished to become another housing estate but there is some still there if you know where to look and most of the old exchange sidings have become a birchwood that is much treasured by the local population! Thank you for posting this, a thoroughly enjoyable watch! Great respect to you friend Nick and my condolences for your loss. I've lost a lot of people in my life so I know how you might feel. 🕊

Ahh the old Network Southeast train! I used to live in Reading and went to carboot sales near Basingstoke. Now under GWR and these lines are electrified. RIP Nick 😢

Just brilliant mark thank you for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻

Another interesting southern video from my old stomping ground. I did a few exercises at Bramley MOD during my green time, an amazing place, a full size train set to play with! There is a good book out early this year called 'The Secret Railway in the Woods' by Christopher Hegg and Laurance Bindly. There was also a railtour with a film on KZfaq called the 'Bramley Bunker'. They used 2 3H DEMUs that just about negotiated the sidings complex. During its later use the complex was operated by the Americans and used underground coaches as staff transport. The whole place was shrouded in secrecy.

Thanks for that great video. I used to travel from Andover to Reading on one of those (known as a Thumper I think), I loved the sound. I’m guessing this was filmed from the other end as I couldn’t hear the engine. I travelled in 1971, I seem to remember they where green in those days and started from Salisbury.

Cracking video mate. Look forward to seeing more in the future. Have subscribed :)

Great thanks 👍

‘Good old days’

Salisbury stalwart 1133 often buzzed this way in the 80s.

Departing Basingstoke rather, nice run precious times wish I’d travelled that route now could of gone around in a big circle back to London from Reading or Basingstoke.

Very well produced. Small query - at 28 seconds the subtitle 'Departing Reading' appears. Should that read 'Departing Basingstoke'?

used to love the offset platform at reading , sit on the edge ......... and see the thumpers coming in

Great video but you got the departing station wrong you said "Departing Reading" then you mention "L & SW Mainline and Basingstoke Signal Box" as the class 205 DEMU departs for Reading. Cheers David

oof! I don't remember any Basingstoke skyline during the Seventies

HAMPSHIRES, BERKSHIRES, MID SUSSEX'S & TADPOLES - THEY WERE ALL DIFFERENT !!! So who knows the difference between a Hampshire & a Berkshire unit. And the difference between a Berkshire Phase 1 unit & a Berkshire Phase 2 unit ? Or for that matter what was unusual about the Mid Sussex units, or the five oddball Tadpoles. For example who realised that these Southern Diesel Electric sets didn't have a single centre buffer & chain link between the intermediate trailers, like the similar 4EPB EMU's. But had Buckeye couplings, with Pullman Rubbing bars throughout !!! Indeed what is a Pullman Rubbing bar for, as clearly seen between the normally RETRACTED buffers on the cab fronts !!! Or really esoteric, how many Foxhounds did unit 1118 mow down of the Eridge Hunt near Ashurst station in the summer of 1978 ? Or why did unit 1309 nearly fall off Riddlesdown Viaduct one Saturday lunchtime in 1977. Or even earlier how many Hampshire units can a BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T push up the hill from Sanderstead to Oxted through the snow drifts during the terrible winter of 1962-63 !! There are lots of strange stories behind this small group of very heavily used units, during their fairly long careers from 1957 to 2004.

I thought the Thumpers stayed on the Reading - Basingstoke until 1993 I read a few years back it was the 17th November 1993 when the Turbos finally took over.

Good to see the “new” speed signage for the new “boil in the bag” drivers of the day 😮

Bloody drivers do love to nag a lot, mostly talk alot of rubbish