A passenger who monitors the speed of trains and reports them... What an interesting fellow.

Who the hell complains about a train being too fast??

As a train driver it becomes second nature to drive at line speed, so much so that I’m the same when I’m driving my car, I automatically drive at dead on the speed limit (sorry if it annoys a following driver, it’s virtually impossible to break the habit). The white diamond means that you don’t have to contact the signaller if stopped at this signal, he knows that you are there from his track circuits or another detection method.

I have just subscribed to your channel because I have just found my love for trains,thanks Richard and thankyou making these brilliant videos.X

Hey Richard. Thanks for this video, it was quite interesting. As someone who makes training/route learning videos for Train Simulator, I’m always looking to drive as realistically as possible. So it’s always great to hear from real train drivers. Keep up the good work! :)

I had a punter going nuts saying there was something wrong with the brakes. He didn't know about W.S.P.

As a retired Train Driver over 30 years, cutting my teeth on slow goods, then fast freight, going to passenger, then suburban passenger, I can categoricly state, ALL train drivers employed during my period, all exceeded the laid down speed limit at one time or another. The Holy Grail during my service was BEING ON TIME. So how could any driver catch up time spent shunting, or passengers dawdling before getting on train? We also had major issues with East-West trains as well. Trains leaving Sydney were expected to maintain time tables, allowing proper sharing of perway and crossings. However, in reality, times were lost for various reasons. Drivers were ENCOURAGED, (and rewarded with monthly bonus's) if they managed to make up time and brought their train back into the time table as laid down. YES ! Locos today have speed recorders, but with PRIVATISATION companies rarely take out the log, after all, if things went O.K. why stir the pot ? Given all the above, there was an incident wherein such a train had made up more than 3/4's of an hour and the driver was very reluctant to slow down when approaching CAUTION signal, advising him the next would be STOP, at the crossing loop ahead. The driver believed the train he was crossing would be clear in the loop when he got there, thus he did not reduce his speed. Coming around the bend, he saw a STOP signal facing him, meaning the opposing train was till hanging out on the main at the rear. He applied a minimum reduction to his 100 wagon length, which turned out to be insufficient to slow his train in time. He passed the signal at STOP, and collided with the last four wagons still on the main. These wagons contained petroleum and diesel. His two locos derailed, fell on their sides and ruptured the tankers. TWO innocent people died as a direct result of his actions. His Co Driver and a 14 year old boy who was promised the trip as a birthday present. Two locos were written off after burning for two days. Inquiry found excessive speeding and inappropiate operation of train was the cause of the fatality. So, NO ! don't tell me train drivers don't speed. Another time a passenger rail car was running late, the driver decided to make up time by SPEEDING. Unfortunately, the public saw what was happening and reported it, as did passengers who were being thrown from left to right as the prepared to disembark on arrival. The Driver was asked to explain, his responsewas, "was my train on time on arrival or was it late ? He received no punishment whatever, he was three weeks short of retiring. So NO, don't tell me Drivers don't speed. They most certainly do when it's appropiate.

Although model railways are interesting I'm glad you are talking about train driving as that is a much rarer subject.

When i was driving networkers had only just come about and i learnt on 51 s, 57 s,63 s and 455/6 and the whole depot had to learn 465/6 s and we just set the speedset to top allowed speed.

Whenever I'm on a Charing Cross service that started at Hastings I always wonder if you're driving :D Great videos btw

I got my drivers key in 1993, but left network south eastern in 2005, so all routes that i drove on have changed. Thought that the vlog about london bridge would actually show what chan0ges have been made to platforms and routes. Are any of the route learning videos still available?

Quick question. Did anyone question the passengers app or smart phone and more specifically if it was calibrated? ps keep your videos coming, they fantastic!

Good video, you learn somthing new everyday. I think the symbol is something to do with denoting the start or end of a block section. But don't quote me on that! 😁 Keith

South Croydon station, You can see east croydon station but the trains seem to accelerate so hard that they blow you away from the platform, Dad rail, I have a challenge, Go to a station like south croydon or a station with many trains an hour and try to get as many honks from the trains as you can in 1 hour :)

Hi, I though it was something to do with telephones. Since it is blank, I guess that there isn't a phone provided. Those with marking or letters, need some kind of action or warning when using the phone.

Brilliant video as always! Was at Celcon near Sevenoaks today watching the trains go past the factory as I was waiting for my lorry to be loaded, wonder if one of them was you!

It's funny how your brain gets used to knowing what speed the train is doing. I called my guard one day and asked what the speedo was doing in the back cab because it didn't feel right. He said 95 (line speed at that time 90). Mine was showing 90 so I had registered the difference even though it was only 5mph. Carried on though because I was driving to what was shown on my speedo and reported it later. It's also funny how some of our 159s are faster in one direction than the other (depot don't believe us).

Hi Richard. Late to the party, but a great channel. I've applied recently to ScotRail for a trainee driver position. I'm a retired airline pilot, and found the discussion on speed interesting. Particularly that the speed is a limit, and you can drive within that limit depending on energy management etc. My thought was how does this impact on flow along the section of track and delays, is there a minimum speed you must drive? As an airline pilot, air traffic control would assign us speeds to fly for separation, if we flew "free speed" it could create or reduce gaps. I appreciate the railway is a block release system, but if you're driving a 70 section at 50, does this slow trains behind you? Cheers. Martin

Thank you for shouting for you my channel I will put a shout when I film my next Travel Jack Journeys

Is it something to do with rule 55? A white diamond sign on a signal post means that the driver is not required to contact the signaller because a telephone is not provided, but the presence of the train or shunting movement is indicated to the signaller by detection. ( I cheated - I used Wiki). I just love trains and have both the main train sims (Auran & the Steam). Love messing about making routes and driving a steam engine pulling up to 2000 tons of coal - plenty of wheelslip and at 70 mph takes about a mile and a half to stop! Love the videos and I did drive a real deltic on a heritage railway as a present from my wife.

Love the video's, want to become a train driver as soon as im old enough! (For now ill have to stick to signalling)

The white diamond indicated that the driver should not use the line side signal post telephone as there is insufficient space to do so safely. Great video again :)

I once momentarily clocked a FGW HST at 129.3 mph near Slough (using a Satmap 20 gps) ...... then came the running brake test!

Watching this on Christmas eve for some reason

Are you required to check the accuracy of the speedometer? Here we have certain mile posts which are test miles. They have been verified to be exactly 5280’ apart. We have other places where mile posts are not exactly a mile long, due to line changes over the years.

Diamond sign: No signal post telephone provided at this signal but the presence of the train is indicated for the signaller. Also can you please explain the various level crossing signs on the lineside?

When you were saying about delays and speeding, My train from Windsor was half hour late (Fuck you SWR) and it changed into a FAST train only calling at Wimbledon and Clapham Junction (I was not affected by the fast service because I got off at Twickenham.

There was a story in the news not so long back of a TPE 802 doing 140mph on the ECML apparently he reported himself.

Here's a question for you. What does two vertical lines on a blue plate indicate? Often seen in the London area. I've got many people with this one including trainers up the school.

I was watching one of Geoff Marshall Videos Watford to Harrow-on-the-hill and I noticed a single white aspect signal, would you know what that signal means buddy ? I've liked & subscribed

Here's an idea: why don't they put speed humps on the rails?

I wonder if anyone can help me understand. I know that when the speed limit is increasing, the train can begin accelerating once the rear of the train has passed the sign. However, when the limit is decreasing, the train must be at the signposted speed by the time the front of the train reaches the sign. But how does the driver know in advance about the change in speed so that he can slow down? Is there a pre-warning? Or does the driver need to be able to memorize the route and all its changes? Thanks.

That sign looks like a costing board.

Do you get to choose which depot you're based at within the TOC ? And what trains are you licensed to drive?

so if you are going down hill, and you are at 70, the train slips over to 71 but you brake so correct it, do you still get in trouble?

Did your boss really call you to the carpet edge based on hearsay? Why hadn't he checked the recording beforehand? In a case like that I would suppose there was another reason why he wanted to see me.

That sign does it mean its a wong way running signal

For Indian Railways the rule is that LPs cannot go 5 kmph beyond the max allowed sectional speed limit. Like if my speed limit is 120 kmph you can do 120-125 kmph and not beyond 125 kmph. If you DO overspeed beyond this, the pilot is suspended and a lot of enquiries are there.

Judging by what he said, it sounds like he drives a class 375 with southeastern Railway. Am I right? ☺

The passenger complained publicly about their driver speeding but they were the one illegally monitoring the speed.

You say drivers never speed...you’ve obviously never experienced a Leeds driver! Same drivers every time will take the unit (on the line I work on at least) way beyond the 60mph speed limit to anything up to 75/80mph!! Then they coast it down to around 45mph before accelerating again, just so we don’t arrive early at stations. May sound ridiculous and unbelievable I know but when you spend so long trundling along at 60, you know what it feels like and what the engine pitch should sound like which makes it rather easy to tell if going above 65.

Good drivers:Oh the speed limit is 90mph let's keep that Me: FULL SPEEEEEEEED

Certainly not like the old days! I'm an American living in Chicago, but British railways have been a interest of mine for many years! If I had a dime for every old British Rail driver I heard bragging of excessive speeds!

There is a thing on high speed trains called atp

Thank you, for highlight ' how speeding is subjective sense. Forgive for mentioning it, not everything you say is very important, have you tried ti gentle your voice down, then raise to highlight a remarkable point. Allowing us to your life is really good, and dispelling your traveller's ignorance is very welcomed. Thank you, Patrick, Northamptonshire

103 in a 100? Seems like the type of person who would sue a company if his armrest was broken

Would you recommend a career in locomotive engineering or train driving

Great vid

That symbol means Tekashi69 is getting on board at the next station

I love when drivers go fast and stop hard in stations make me feel like the trains being used to the best of its ability !!! I just love fast rides lol, fast 465, fast 377 and 375s ..wish the 465s went 100mph too but oh well.

I suppose thats why Southern Rail always seems to be braking soooo hard at east croydon, and why they do this wierd ACCELERATE TO THE SPEED LIMIT then brake straight away. Its quite annoying because your leaning back because of physics, then you suddenly lurch forward... Ouch...

Personally I think coasting is a bad idea, I would just accelerate the train and keep it there applying the brake when needed Edit: Actually I don't know what I'm talking about, please disregard the above comment.

😂 what idiot would think a phone records speed the same as a train does 😂 😂 Probably the same type of idiot that would actually try and catch a driver out for speeding and go to the bother of reporting them for going 3 over 😅

They reported it for 103? Jeez

Wow, I can’t believe someone would complain about what they believed was a 3mph infringement - I mean, if they thought you were substantially over then fair enough but 3mph is petty! I hope someone from Southeastern wrote back to tell him he was wrong and worded it in a way that made it clear how sad he was 😂