- 8 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00I
00:30I'm Francis Bourgeois and I love trains
00:36I've roped in my petrol head pal Chris Harris for an epic project. That's impressive rescuing a dilapidated locomotive
00:44This isn't a quick fix
00:48Francis hooked me with engineering that is the coolest phenomena ever fit into a machine look at that then blew
00:54me away with weapons-grade enthusiasm
01:01And I'm all-in for a restoration race against time
01:04She just rolled beautifully. Yeah, seven times
01:07We've just six months to fix this loco to replace her failing sister
01:13We have to get this locomotive ready for when she needs to come off. It's a race against time
01:22My dream is to see her back on the railway feel like an infant reattaching to its mother's teeth mine
01:29I can live vicariously through you is to witness that moment
01:35Brilliant absolutely
01:49It's a huge moment in our restoration with the wheels finally fixed and back at the depot
01:55It's bogey assembly day
02:03It's bogey assembly day
02:05As 37-025's bogeys are so ginormous a much easier way to visualize their functionality is to see them in
02:13miniature
02:22It's 37 heaven here
02:24These people know their shizzle
02:28These people know their shizzle
02:29Are these all yours guys?
02:30Yeah, I'm not club locals yet
02:32Lovely to meet you
02:33Chris, Cliff and Colin run the biggest little attraction at Bowness
02:39Their stunning o-gauge model railway even has a 37-025 with sound
02:50I thought that was the loco doing some horns then, but it was actually Chris
02:54I want one of these
02:57This model railway was actually subject to quite a significant bout of vandalism
03:02It was a break-in and then they set fires in this part here
03:06It just seems so disheartening that they want to take out their anger on such a lovely hobby
03:14We had a brilliant public response to that
03:17An online campaign raised 35 grand
03:21And unlike our restoration, this revival is almost complete
03:26So how did you all get into the model railway?
03:29Just rekindling some memories from your childhood really
03:32Yeah
03:32You guys might have actually seen these in their heyday
03:35We did, that's it
03:36I met some of the youth group here
03:39Yeah
03:40The memories they're making with diesel locomotives are in a heritage sense
03:44They've just existed in a different timescale in someone else's lifelong enthusiasm
03:49You see it in the present, but actually you see the equivalently aged human being
03:54And they're all wrinkly
03:57Oi
03:58I know
03:59Look around you
04:00They're here like me
04:01I'm back close to the bone
04:04I could talk about the longevity of 37s all day
04:08But we are here to discuss bogies
04:11We have our wheel sets
04:14But then on the flip side is where the traction motors would be situated
04:18Yeah
04:19And you have your brake blocks here
04:22And these are the little brake cylinders
04:24Brake cylinders
04:25When you're hearing the chhhhh
04:27That's that pressure thing
04:28Yeah
04:29And then it's articulated by this central point
04:33But yes, this is wonderfully detailed
04:35It's very compact, isn't it?
04:37It's a cassette
04:38Mm-hmm
04:38And it contains
04:40All of the components
04:41And then it bolts into the train
04:43Back in the day
04:44They wouldn't be stripping it apart
04:45And rebuilding it
04:47They've got a set of bogies ready to go
04:48The local would come in
04:49Disconnect it
04:50Lift it up
04:51Lift it off
04:51New bogies in
04:53And out the door
04:54Like a pit stop
04:55Basically a pit stop
04:56Yeah, a Formula One pit stop
04:57But maybe slightly longer
05:00I can tell Chris's fascination is developing
05:03He's drawing similarities from his world to mine
05:06I can see the merits in both
05:08I love it
05:09I can't wait to see its face when you get some 37.025
05:12And hear the noise
05:14That's going to be quite some
05:17With our little hors d'oeuvre out the way
05:20It's time for our main course of giant engineering
05:24Hi Stuart
05:25Hiya
05:26So this is the big day
05:28The day of bogie assembly
05:29Yep
05:30Stuart, aka God
05:32Is all-knowing when it comes to bogies
05:35So we've got this frame lifted up
05:37Put the crane in place
05:38Onto the three wheelsets
05:40Before we can put the wheelsets under
05:42We need to assemble the equalising beams
05:43That go between each wheelset
05:45And put the springs on top of the beams
05:46And then the whole lot
05:48Rolls under here
05:49And we have to get
05:50The six axle boxes
05:52Into the six guides
05:53All at the same time
05:54Did you capture that?
05:56Sort of
05:57Come on, where do we start?
05:59Our first job is to install equalising beams
06:02Between the wheelsets
06:04Swing it right across
06:06That's pleasing
06:07That is pleasing
06:11Leave that suspended
06:12Yeah
06:12And roll this wheel down
06:14Have you ever done this before?
06:16No
06:16This is like me building a Ferrari V12
06:18I'm not saying it isn't meaningful for me
06:19But for you this is life-affirming stuff
06:23The multi-stage assembly starts with us guiding the beams
06:27Into the hangers on the axle boxes
06:32Down a bit more
06:35In she goes
06:36Oh
06:36Right, perfect
06:37Oh
06:38It's just Meccano
06:40With really heavy bits
06:42Isn't it?
06:423D jigsaw
06:43You can see why
06:44Everyone comes here after a long working week
06:47It is just a bit of kind of play in a way
06:51The next rolling component is the wheelset
06:55That caused us so much trouble in Devon
06:57Right
06:58Right
06:59There you go
07:00Our two wheeled problem child holds the other end of the respective beams
07:06That needs to be half way there because the other equalising beam is going to meet it in the middle
07:10Yes
07:13You're showing off now Francis
07:15I'm loving this
07:16I'm loving this
07:17What is actually the purpose of the equalising beam?
07:20The weight gets transferred from the bogey to the wheel sets across the four springs
07:24Yeah
07:25Spreads the weight from the four springs across the six wheels
07:28It means you don't have to have a spring mounted where the axle is as well
07:31Yeah
07:31There's a spring per axle on class 56s
07:34Which is another way of doing it
07:35Yeah
07:35That's why they look so pornographic
07:38That's
07:39Yeah
07:39Come on
07:40Well what's your favourite bogey?
07:42It's definitely not a 56 bogey
07:43Definitely not?
07:44No
07:44Don't you just love how it kind of sounds like metallic maracas?
07:48No
07:50There must be a middle ground that we can come to in the depot about favourite bogeys
07:55Anyone?
07:56Finished
07:57I think that means get on with it
08:00Right come on Francis
08:01We didn't really reach a bogey consensus
08:03Maybe next time
08:06We'll get the other wheel up
08:07You got it
08:09There she goes
08:15Now look at that
08:16That starts to look like a locomotive now
08:18Next stage
08:19Fit four spring carriers for 16 suspension springs to sit on
08:27Are we in?
08:28Spot on
08:29It's a model kit isn't it?
08:30It's a model kit
08:31Now the springs
08:33Now put the biggie on top
08:34Yep
08:36Crikey
08:40Look at that
08:42Look at that
08:44It's much easier than a car
08:45Suspension
08:46Done
08:49Next job
08:50Get this up in the air
08:54We'll get the wheels rolled underneath
08:55That is a proper crane Stuart
09:00Yeah that's a big old piece of kit
09:01That's massive
09:02Yep
09:03I wouldn't fancy being in control of that beast when we lower four tons onto some springs
09:09But I know a man who would
09:10But I know a man who would
09:11Go on crane man
09:13Up down
09:14Great left
09:19That echo sound is a bit like when they're in the compactor in Star Wars
09:24I can't say I know that one
09:26You don't know Star Wars
09:27Well I do but I don't know what you're referencing
09:29You know when they're in the compactor and the walls are coming together
09:33And there's that massive worm thing that's trying to eat them
09:37Oh my god
09:38Stuart help me here
09:39I don't remember
09:40Oh come on
09:42Different field of interest
09:44How old is that lift?
09:46No idea we bought that off eBay
09:50No
09:51There's a guy selling a load of them
09:53Right shall we push the wheels under
09:54Yes please
09:55Ready
09:56Okay
09:59Oh look at that
10:02She just rolls beautifully
10:06Yeah
10:06This just exemplifies why the railway is just so efficient
10:11This weight with this little friction is amazing
10:14Yeah
10:14About five tons
10:16Six or seven
10:17Six or seven tons
10:18And we're just rolling it
10:19I know
10:20That was beautiful
10:21And now for something completely different
10:23All right
10:26The only thing that holds these suspension springs in place
10:29Is a frame that weighs four tons
10:32Bring it there
10:33Lower it too fast
10:35Damaging the springs
10:36And we're in big trouble
10:37Over to you Francis
10:40Crikey okay
10:42Right
10:43Right
10:57Coming down
10:59I'm lowering a four ton frame towards our bogey's suspension springs
11:04Okay with that
11:05Lining it up perfectly is a delicate operation
11:11Stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop stop
11:17How far out is that?
11:19There's nowhere near
11:21Yeah
11:21It's like the way that Stuart basically roams around with a massive iron bar
11:27Clear to come down?
11:28Yeah
11:28Yeah
11:29Coming down
11:32Bloody hell
11:33Right
11:34Take it up slightly
11:35Yeah
11:37The sensitivity of the buttons is
11:40Is
11:40I'm very glad that you're doing this lift work not me
11:43Right
11:44Okay
11:44You press it up once it just drops
11:46Wheel problems set our restoration back weeks
11:50If this drops too fast I could set us back months
11:54Everyone clear?
11:55Yes
11:57Like it
11:59Look at that
12:00Woo
12:00A bit more
12:02Yep
12:03Yep
12:05Yes
12:07Hallelujah
12:09Honestly when I did the bit too much
12:11I saw so many faces
12:13Looking at me in a way that I didn't want to see
12:16That was a risky move
12:18You look as if you've seen a ghost
12:21That was fine
12:22It's fine, it was all right
12:23That was fine
12:23But we're not finished
12:25Get all this packing plates in
12:27Job done
12:30The springs assembly isn't complete
12:32Until metal packing plates have been installed
12:35Which means someone has to lift the frame again
12:39Do you want to do the controls next?
12:42I would absolutely rather go outside
12:44Take my boot off, my sock off and kick a wall
12:49I think that's a no
12:51Maybe not then
12:52Fine
12:55Let's get in there
12:57You can just use that to line it up, can't you?
12:59And then just drop it down
13:00Anywhere you are?
13:03Here we go again
13:08Job done
13:09Whew
13:10Well done boys and girls
13:11Well done chap
13:11Well done
13:12Amazing
13:13No bolts
13:14No fittings
13:15Just four tonnes of frame holding everything in place
13:18Very clever design
13:21A class 37 sits on two bogeys
13:26While Chris and I were wrangling wheels and raising funds
13:30Team Bowness were busy completing bogey one
13:36Bogey two is well behind schedule
13:38So to come so far in a morning is a blessed relief
13:43Let's get a group picture
13:46Bogeys
13:47One, two, three
13:49Bogeys
13:51In three months our loco's sister engine 37403 comes off the rails
13:57We're playing catch-up to finish its replacement
14:01What does that weigh all in now?
14:0311 or 12 tonnes
14:0412 tonnes
14:05So far
14:06So far?
14:07Still got the motors to go in
14:08Traction motors
14:09The spider
14:10Yeah
14:11Yeah
14:12And then brakes
14:13The brakes
14:14Yeah
14:14They're quite handy
14:17And brakes are the one aspect of bogey assembly that I can't wrap my head around
14:23If only I knew someone with a whiteboard and a penchant for long winded lectures about railways
14:30I'm especially excited about this one because braking doesn't make sense to me in this train
14:35Okay
14:36In heavy goods vehicles and buses the default position for the brakes is that the caliper is locked against the
14:42wheel
14:42Yes
14:42When you hear all that hissing that's actually trying to keep the caliper off the brake disc
14:46And if anything fails everything just automatically returns to a default lock position
14:50I would have thought this would mirror a heavy goods vehicle system by being constantly on and requiring pressure to
14:57release
14:58But that's not the case
14:59No
14:59Whilst vacuum braking has been used on the railway
15:03A pressurised air brake system is more responsive
15:06Applies greater braking force
15:08And maintains the fail-safe of the brakes applying if there are pressure issues
15:13When we have started 37403 for example before
15:17One of the noises that you hear straight away is
15:23That's the compressor
15:24This is what compresses the air obviously
15:27It feeds in
15:29To
15:33The main
15:35Air
15:37Res
15:39Air
15:40Air
15:41Air
15:41Air
15:48Air
15:50Air
15:50Air
15:50Air
15:50Air
15:50Air
15:50Air
15:50Air
15:53Air
15:56Air
16:13one. So this feeds down into a control valve here. Before that there's an
16:21aux air tank. This is crucially the control valve and this is the brake valve.
16:39Now the control valve regulates the pressure on one side and equates it
16:45proportionally to the amount of braking force required to go into the brake
16:53cylinder. And very simply this is attached to a little thing here and then
17:00the shoe that is in contact with the edge of the wheel. This is easily your most
17:06succinct piece of teaching so far. But this is all very complicated. Well with a
17:12load of pulverized chickpea fuel I know a way to physically demonstrate how the
17:17brakes work.
17:22That was a third of a tub in one mouthful.
17:27So good. Very good. What's left of it. A practical brake demo is out of the question in the depot.
17:40Where are we going? Right. Outside on the other hand. I present to you.
17:55This is We Inver.
18:05We Inver.
18:08We Inver. I like it. I'm hoping it's a static object. No. This moves. Yes. Is the expectation
18:17that I'll be moving with it? Yes. So I know I've explained how the braking system works on a whiteboard.
18:25Yeah. But we can see it here in practice. There's no substitute for seeing things move.
18:30Exactly. Come on let's see it. So just like the real Class 37 we have a compressor.
18:36Yeah. That feeds air into a main air reservoir. And when actuated.
18:48It's really good this. That's. I mean that. That piston coming out like that is just.
18:56Everyone. Every young kid needs to see this. So they understand how it works.
19:01Yeah. Shall we have a go? How quickly will it stop?
19:03Well. That's what we're here to find out.
19:07Are you okay being on second man duties?
19:10Yes. You tell me what I have to do.
19:11Chris. Please may you check the tail lamp for me?
19:20Tail lamp flashing.
19:22Do you mind checking the headlights as well for me please?
19:29Headlight on but not impressive.
19:32Okay.
19:34Can you just check the horn's working as well please?
19:40Yep.
19:41Now we've done all the testing we can get this puppy fired up.
19:48I could I can do this but okay.
19:50I'm going to turn the feed to the bit of the fuel.
19:53Have you driven it before?
19:55Er no I haven't.
19:57Okay.
19:58You've not had a little go at practice?
20:01Nope.
20:03Have you ever started it before?
20:14Let's turn the compressor on.
20:20Jump to a horn.
20:24Woo!
20:34Bloody hell that's quite lively.
20:36Ha ha ha ha ha.
20:40Ha ha ha ha.
20:42Ha ha ha ha.
20:45Ha ha ha ha.
20:51Woo!
20:53That's plenty fast enough for me.
20:56Oh my god.
21:00Woo hoo hoo hoo.
21:02Woo hoo hoo hoo.
21:05Right.
21:11I've brought us to a halt at this location as there's a home signal.
21:17And if the home signal is displaying a stop aspect, we would need to guide our rail vehicle
21:25to a halt before the signal.
21:27I think it would be fun to maybe imagine that we have a red or a stop aspect here and
21:34we need to bring our vehicle to a stationary position as close to the signal as possible.
21:40Okay.
21:48Brake.
21:49Brake.
21:50Brake.
21:51Brake.
21:56Okay.
21:57Four.
21:58Five.
21:59Six.
22:00Seven.
22:00Eight.
22:01Nine.
22:02Nine sleepers from the signal.
22:05Happy with that?
22:06Happy.
22:07Yeah.
22:07Good.
22:07Now it's your turn.
22:08Let's go.
22:10Somehow, this is more nerve-wracking
22:12than stopping a Valkyrie AMR Pro from 200 miles per hour.
22:17It's metal on metal.
22:27Eight, nine, ten, eleven.
22:32Eleven!
22:33Nine, ten, eleven.
22:35It's the same on this side as well.
22:40Anyway, Chris.
22:41Fine, I may have overcompensated for the total absence of rubber.
22:46If you're going to beat me at anything,
22:47a braking challenge is the one to be beaten out.
22:50I'll take that.
22:51Not quite supercar stopping,
22:53but 12 miles per hour to zero in six seconds
22:56is a world best in the crazy railway go-kart category.
23:02I've enjoyed that.
23:03Yeah.
23:04Now what?
23:05We can reverse back to the depot, maybe.
23:07We have to reverse all the way back.
23:09Can't we turn it round up there?
23:10Er, no.
23:12What?
23:17I can't see.
23:36It'll take many hands a week to assemble the brakes in bogey, too.
23:40And we're mucking in, stripping brake lines for repainting.
23:46With around six metres of steel brake lines in each bogey,
23:51we have a lot of old paint and rust to grind before reaching bare metal.
23:56But it's therapeutic work.
23:58But it's therapeutic work.
23:58Let's have a look.
24:00Let's have a look.
24:00That looks not bad.
24:02Ah, you can come again, lads.
24:05We can then turn it over and get the underside done.
24:09We're looking at 45 minutes of noisy graft to get these lines ready for primer and paint.
24:15And I'm aiming to be top of the podium for coverage.
24:22So I would say in the grand prix of grinding, I think you've actually come first.
24:27Ah, you see?
24:29At the end of the day, it's a team effort.
24:31It certainly is.
24:32Every grind counts.
24:33Yes.
24:34And crucially, our effort means these pipes are ready to paint.
24:39Get some primer on that.
24:40In colour-coded white.
24:43So white is air.
24:45Yep.
24:45Orange is electricity.
24:48Yep.
24:48Blue is...
24:49Water.
24:49Oh, water.
24:51Pipes, hoses and cables are colour-coded to speed up maintenance, fault-finding and safety checks.
24:58Speaking of which, our next job is a brake test on bogey one.
25:03So white means air?
25:04Yeah.
25:05Where we'll be willing support for Isla and Stuart.
25:09So we get it up to the maximum pressure, plug in the pressure gauge and see if it's holding pressure.
25:17You're only allowed a certain amount of pressure drop.
25:20This started at 72, it's now at 63 psi.
25:23There's a leak somewhere.
25:25Finding an air leak in all this pipe needs specialist tools.
25:29Did you ever know that that existed?
25:31Leak detection spray.
25:32OK.
25:33What is it exactly?
25:34It's soapy water.
25:35Is it really?
25:36That's all it is, yes.
25:38Armed with soapy water, sorry, leak detection spray, the hunt is on.
25:43Anything with a nut, we test.
25:47Nope, nothing there.
25:48We're looking for soap bubbles caused by escaping air.
25:52Nope.
25:53Nope.
25:54You can see the thread on this one, I wonder.
25:56Ooh.
26:00There.
26:00Look, the bubble underneath.
26:01Ooh!
26:01There you go.
26:04Span up.
26:05Go on, give it a crank.
26:06Yep, that's definitely a bit loose.
26:11Right.
26:12Let's check numbers.
26:13It's a lot slower.
26:14It's a lot slower, but it's still leaking.
26:15It's still leaking, yeah.
26:16There's another one somewhere.
26:19Is there a chance it's one of the inside mountains?
26:22Could be.
26:23When not volunteering here, Isla is at uni studying mechanical engineering with aeronautics.
26:29You're going to have to see if this bubbles.
26:32Which might prove handy.
26:35Anything on that one?
26:36I don't see anything there.
26:39Ooh, there we go.
26:41There we go.
26:42Oh, big bubble.
26:42Bingo.
26:43How do you tighten that up?
26:44Righty tighty, lefty loosey.
26:46There could still be multiple leaks, so we don't want to risk over-talking individual
26:51nuts and damaging pipes.
26:5684, 80, it's going slower.
27:00Which means an ongoing game of gauge checking.
27:04It's slowing down.
27:05And bubble hunting.
27:07Ooh.
27:08Ooh.
27:09And careful tightening.
27:10Do you want a bigger spanner that's got more leverage on it?
27:13Er, yeah.
27:14A leak could cause the brakes to lock on, so the tolerance is tiny.
27:18One psi in 15 minutes.
27:21I drop more than one psi in 15 minutes, and it fails.
27:2615 minutes?
27:28Ooh.
27:29Oh, that's miles off.
27:31We're dropping 4.5.
27:33If we can't fix that today, it'll be a week before enough volunteers are available to try again.
27:38Is there a way we can isolate this?
27:42No.
27:43We need to know if this is the last leak.
27:48We could maybe calculate the volume of the bubble.
27:52Go for it.
27:55Try and measure the diameter, 4 pi r squared.
27:58No, 4 pi r cubed, is it?
28:004 over 3 pi r cubed, I feel.
28:024 over 3 pi r cubed.
28:04Anyone else know?
28:06But I think you're correct.
28:07I graduated from my degree three years ago.
28:11For you, it's a little fresher in the mind, I suppose.
28:13Just a little bit.
28:15Calculate bubble volume, work out flow rate, confirm this against our measured pressure change, and determine if this is our
28:22last leak.
28:24We've got to close this off. Are you going to start measuring bubbles now?
28:27Yup, he is.
28:28Right, but I need to time the moment from the bubbles' inception.
28:34That was 15 seconds of a bubble, and we're looking at...
28:392 centimetres.
28:402.5 centimetres.
28:42So, 2.5 centimetres in diameter, in 15 seconds.
28:53Whilst the bubble whisperer is over there doing his maths homework, you're actually getting this done. I like this.
28:59Go on. Go on, go!
29:02Now that's moved.
29:04How are you getting on bubbles?
29:05So I've worked out the flow rate of the bubble leak.
29:11OK.
29:12Is 5.45 times 10 to the minus 7 metres cubed per second.
29:19OK.
29:19But then how do we go from pressure change to flow rate?
29:23Mass equals density, speed, area.
29:28Are you two related?
29:30Because you actually sound like him.
29:33I'm going to say that as a compliment.
29:35Oh, you've actually got your calculations, you've done your work as well.
29:38And I've done my assumption at the top as well.
29:39Assumption bubble is an...
29:42It's an intruded sphere.
29:44Yeah.
29:45OK.
29:46But I've worked out the flow rate of the leak.
29:51Which is 5.45 times 10 to the minus 7 metres cubed per second.
29:58What does that mean to you?
30:02It means it's still leaking, isn't it?
30:06Big spanner.
30:07The data points towards this being our last and only leak.
30:12Right.
30:14There's literally no more bubbles under here.
30:16Good.
30:18OK.
30:18The moment of truth.
30:20Are we below max tolerance of 1 psi drop every 15 minutes?
30:25OK.
30:26Calculations.
30:27So, 0.05 psi in one minute.
30:31So...
30:320.75 every 15 minutes.
30:40Do you want me to go in and get that?
30:42No, let's just relish in the moment.
30:46I'm really sorry.
30:47Well done.
30:48Thank you very much.
30:49You too.
30:51What an end to the day.
30:52Bogie 2, ready for the rails.
30:55It's just a shame that I launched Francis' phone into it.
30:59Was it already cracked like that?
31:03Oh!
31:06It smashed quite badly.
31:08Can you see these slightly ferrous filings?
31:12It's got Class 37 DNA embedded in it now,
31:16so is it more valuable to you now?
31:17I think it has another story, another chink in its armour.
31:21So, thank you, Chris.
31:22Such positivity, I like it.
31:24Yeah.
31:27I've got something else planned that Chris should like.
31:30A treat that's perfect for lovers of road and rail.
31:35Right.
31:36I'd recommend getting to bed soonish.
31:38I know you don't like surprises, but I've got something arranged for us tomorrow morning.
31:42OK.
31:44It won't be a tickle fight.
31:46Again.
31:47Night, Francis.
32:02I've chased trains to some wonderfully picturesque locations.
32:10The emus are making a racket.
32:12As are the 97s.
32:19And to celebrate a successful bogie assembly and brake test, this morning I'm taking Chris to one of the most
32:26stunning locations of all.
32:28Right.
32:32So, welcome to Loch Il.
32:35Looks like the set of deliverance to me at the moment, mate.
32:37I have to say.
32:39Well, it's about to get better as we're putting on high vis.
32:44I used to have a man deliver me sushi to Dunfolds at the Top Gear Test Truck.
32:49I'm now lacing up a safety steel toe cap boot clearly bought at a service station last night by the
32:57crew on the passenger seat of a Renault van.
33:01Hashtag fallen.
33:04Do you notice I'm not even asking what we're going to be doing today, because it's going to be something
33:07so random.
33:08The reason why I thought this experience would function better as a surprise is that, you know, we've involved ourselves
33:14so much in my sort of vehicle.
33:18Oh.
33:18I thought that we'd go more into your kind of vehicle.
33:24Oh, now we're talking.
33:24OK.
33:25You've got me.
33:26Yeah.
33:26I'm thinking something Scottish, an Argyle GT Turbo, a Raptor, maybe a cute little Hillman Imp.
33:39Chris.
33:40What?
33:42Ta-da.
33:44Good Lord.
33:46This is an Isuzu network rail response unit.
33:50Well, consider me underwhelmed.
33:53You can barely see what's underneath it. There's an Isuzu under there somewhere, isn't there?
33:57And inside it is our driver.
34:00Hey, mate, I'm Chris.
34:01Hey, Chris. Gary.
34:02What on earth are we doing?
34:10All right, so, a real network rail vehicle.
34:16So, we're going to go off-roading and look at a rail head.
34:20Well, I think you're on the right track in saying we're going off-road.
34:28Is this normal?
34:32We're about to drive on the railway.
34:34Have you done this before?
34:35Never.
34:37This is cool.
34:38This is cool as.
34:44Go on, Gary.
34:49Oh, he locks his steering wheel off.
34:51Oh, this is ridiculous.
34:53Steeringless.
34:53Elon Musk eats your heart out.
34:55Is your name bound to be north?
34:56Gary Maxx, no deal.
34:57No on track.
35:02I have done most things in a car, but I've never done this.
35:11Oh, this is wild.
35:14This is wild.
35:16This is making me have a mental misfire at the minute.
35:20Wow.
35:22Network Rail has hundreds of road rail vehicles.
35:25Most are propelled by the tyres directly touching the track.
35:29The tyres are only just in contact with the rail.
35:33Enough friction to drive and enough friction to brake.
35:36So the braking is still done through the road wheels.
35:38They're still in contact with the rail head.
35:40So you still brake and accelerate like a normal car.
35:42But obviously the rail wheels guide you along the tracks,
35:45so you're just maintaining the speed maximum is 20.
35:47You don't want to go any more than 20, do you?
35:49No.
35:50No, you really don't.
35:5220 is plenty.
35:53Yeah.
35:56I've never seen one of these driving on the tracks from a car.
36:01This type of vehicle I've only seen operate in the Highlands.
36:05The West Highland Line, there's a lot of where the track goes,
36:08there's no road access.
36:09We can access incidents far easier.
36:12And we also use it for patrolling, so after like a storm,
36:15we'll go out with chainsaws, clear the line of any trees that have fallen.
36:18To keep trains running in tough terrain areas like the Highlands,
36:24Network Rail's road rail vehicles include excavators, cranes and mobile platforms.
36:30I've chased many Class 37s down this way.
36:34A bit high.
36:35Yeah.
36:36There's one kick in the boat, did he?
36:38Ooh!
36:40He's happy now.
36:42That makes two of us.
36:44Oh, this is beautiful.
36:45Look how old that is.
36:48Fabulous.
36:49This is a very, very, very special treat.
36:53Well, I feel very, very spoiled.
36:57Oh!
37:00Look at that.
37:02Oh, wow.
37:04So you may know this bridge, Chris, from Harry Potter.
37:17This is stunning.
37:19But even the boy wizard didn't get to walk on it.
37:23This is absolutely mag-bloody-mificent.
37:27Well done, you.
37:28Oh, thank you.
37:30One day, I'll have to reciprocate and take you on a car journey,
37:32which will never match this.
37:34Best spot I've ever been to for a selfie in my life.
37:37It's not too bad idea.
37:40Isn't this just bonkers?
37:43I've done some things in my time.
37:45I've been so lucky.
37:46But this is right up there.
37:49Look at it down there!
37:54See those people up there?
37:56They've come to see the Glen Fennan Viaduct
37:58due to its feature in the Harry Potter films.
38:02And they've got a double whammy
38:03because they're also seeing a networked rail response unit.
38:07Or are we just ruining their photograph?
38:09No!
38:09You sure?
38:10Yeah, yeah.
38:12Hello!
38:15Look at this, Francis.
38:17Look at that view down there, down the loch.
38:20Oh, this is just stunning.
38:23Now, let's have a look up close at these railheads.
38:27So that's for your expansion and contraction when the weather.
38:30Yeah.
38:30And each one has that gap.
38:33How do they keep it so accurate?
38:34It's just the distance.
38:361,435 millimetres between here and here.
38:43That's a standard gauge.
38:441,4,5 is a significant number for you, isn't it?
38:48Absolutely.
38:48Is it like pi for you?
38:50Yeah.
38:51Now you've got me going.
38:573,41592653589793238462.
38:59That's as much as I can remember.
39:07Okay, that's, I need to retire now.
39:10He's just, he's just recited pi to about 13 decimal places and then did an accidental blow off and walked
39:18away because he knew he'd done it.
39:19So, I guarantee no one has ever done that on gun.
39:23No, no one's ever done that before.
39:24An accidental flabby woof woof after, how many, how many decimal points was it?
39:2921.
39:2921.
39:32Quick.
39:33Change the subject.
39:34No one noticed.
39:37I've stood there numerous times waiting to see 37409, 37676 and 45407.
39:47Those are the occasions that I've seen locomotives pass over here.
39:51Would you rather see a class 37 or a steam engine come over here?
39:55A class 37.
39:57Would you?
39:57The tourists want to see the steam engine, I want to see the 37.
40:02I thought I'm going to repay you for all this.
40:04The last few months have been back to back special moments.
40:10Well, that's the thing Chris, it's, this is a, you know, it's a bit of fun really for us.
40:17Because we've been working hard, you know.
40:21I finally understand Francis' love of the railway.
40:25I've fallen for it too.
40:28Extraordinary.
40:35You're distracted by the fact there is one lurking, isn't there?
40:38Yeah.
40:40We're on our way back to Bowness, but the boy wonder can't get over a possible class 37 in the
40:46wild.
40:47And an undercover 37 at that.
40:50The fact that it's on a VSTP path, which needs very short term planning.
40:56As soon as it runs out onto the line on line proving duties, it doesn't go on a publicly advertised
41:02head code.
41:03Ah.
41:03Called in last minute to test the line after snow, this loco is for eagle eyes only.
41:09If this particular class 37 was in a Bourne movie, would it have gone dark?
41:14Yeah.
41:15It's flying below 50 feet.
41:16Is it?
41:17A dark 37.
41:19No intel.
41:21What hope is there?
41:22Thankfully I'm sitting behind a gentleman called Gary who works for Network Rail.
41:27Good point, Agent Orange.
41:30He does.
41:31Gary knows.
41:35Gary gave up everything under interrogation.
41:38Activate the asset.
41:40I like this game.
41:42I hear it.
41:44Do you?
41:45Yeah.
41:47How far away is it?
41:48Half a mile.
41:49I can't hear a thing.
41:57Yeah.
42:01Here it comes.
42:02Here it comes.
42:03Here it comes.
42:10Oh, yes.
42:19Freshly painted as well.
42:21Come on, give it a bit of welling.
42:34Yeah.
42:36Lovely colours.
42:44Well that was very, very lovely.
42:46It's on a line proving run, in anticipation of poor weather.
42:50The Class 37s are perfect for working highland routes like these.
42:55The treacherous conditions, the trees, the slippery rails.
42:59It's what the Class 37s are built to overcome.
43:02For the first time since we started this project, that's the first time I've seen one working.
43:07Yeah.
43:08On the main line.
43:09Because that's a working train now, wasn't it?
43:11Yeah, yeah, yeah.
43:12Network Rail have paid for that locomotive to go on the main line and to just prove, make sure that
43:20the line is safe to run.
43:21025 might well be in that position in the future.
43:25Precisely.
43:27That's it.
43:38Yeah.
43:41That's it.
43:42No.
43:42No.
43:43No.
43:44No.
43:45No.
43:46No.
43:46No.
43:47No.
43:48No.
Comments