- 11 hours ago
Francis Bourgeois & Chris Harris: We Saved A Train - Season 1 Episode 5 - 12 Tonne Jigsaw
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Short filmTranscript
00:10This is a dream of a sad...
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 good on the to ever fit into a machine look at
00:53that then blew me away with weapons-grade enthusiasm
01:01And I'm all in for a restoration race against time. She just rolled beautifully. Yeah seven times
01:08We'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 thing
01:22My dream is to see her back on the railway feel like an infant
01:26Reattaching to its mother's teeth mine. I can live vicariously through you is to witness that moment
01:35Brilliant absolutely
01:49brilliant
01:50It's a huge moment in our restoration with the wheels finally fixed and back at the depot
01:56It'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
02:14miniature
02:23It's 37 heaven here. These people know their shizzle
02:28Are these all yours guys? Yeah, I'm club locals yet. Lovely to meet you
02:33Chris cliff and Colin run the biggest little attraction at bonus
02:38Their stunning o-gauge model railway even has a 37-025 with sound
02:50I thought that was the loco doing some horns that was actually Chris. I want one of these
02:57This model railway was actually subject to quite a significant bout of vandalism
03:02It was it was a break-in and then they set fires in this part here
03:07It 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
03:18An online campaign raised 35 grand and unlike our restoration
03:23This 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, you guys might have actually seen these in their heyday
03:35We did, that's it
03:37I met some of the youth group here
03:40The memories they're making with diesel locomotives are in a heritage sense
03:45They'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 and they're all wrinkly
03:57Oi
03:58I know
03:59Look around you here
04:00Look around you here
04:01Look around you here
04:05I could talk about the longevity of 37s all day
04:08But we are here to discuss bogies
04:11We have our wheel sets
04:14We have our wheel sets
04:14But then on the flip side is where the traction motors would be situated
04:19Yeah
04:20And you have your brake blocks here
04:22And these are the little brake cylinders
04:24Brake cylinders
04:25When you're hearing the
04:27That's that pressure
04:28That's this yeah
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 and it contains all of the components
04:41And then it bolts into the train
04:44Back in the day they wouldn't be stripping it apart and rebuilding it
04:47They've got a set of bogies ready to go
04:49The local would come in, disconnect it
04:51Lift it up
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
05:09I love it
05:10I can't wait to see his 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
05:30Yep
05:30Stuart, aka God
05:32Is all-knowing when it comes to bogies
05:35So we've got to get this frame lifted up
05:37Put the crane in place
05:39Onto 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 rolls under here
05:49And we have to get the 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
06:13And 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
06:20But 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
06:37Right, they reflect
06:38Oh
06:38It's just Meccano
06:40With really heavy bits isn't it?
06:423D jigsaw
06:43You can see why everyone comes here after a long working week
06:48It is just a bit of kind of play in a way
06:52The next rolling component is the wheelset
06:55That caused us so much trouble in Devon
06:58Right
06:58Right
06:59There you go
07:00Our two-wheeled problem child
07:02Holds the other end of the respective beams
07:06That needs to be halfway there
07:08Because 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
07:17What is actually the purpose of the equalising beam?
07:20The weight gets transferred from the bogey
07:22To the wheel sets
07:23Across the four springs
07:24Yeah
07:25Spreads the weight from the four springs
07:27Across the six wheels
07:28Right
07:28It means you don't have to have a spring
07:29Mounted 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
07:39That's...
07:39Yeah
07:40Come 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
07:56Anyone?
07:57Finished bogey
07:58I think that means get on with it
08:00Right
08:01Come on Francis
08:02We didn't really reach a bogey consensus
08:03Maybe next time
08:06We'll get the other wheel up
08:07You got it
08:08Yep
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
08:24Are 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
08:35Yep
08:35Oh, crikey
08:40Look at that
08:44Much 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
09:10Go on crane man
09:13Up, down
09:15Right, left
09:19That echo sound
09:21That echo sound
09:21Is 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?
09:28Well, I do
09:28But I don't know what you're referencing
09:29You know when they're in a 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
09:43Different field of interest
09:44How old is that lift?
09:46I have no idea
09:47We bought that off eBay
09:50No
09:52There's a guy selling a load of them
09:53Right, shall we push the wheels under?
09:55Yes, please
09:55Ready
09:56Okay
09:59Oh, look at that
10:02She just rolls beautifully
10:04Yeah
10:07This just exemplifies why the railway is just so efficient
10:11This weight with this little friction is amazing
10:14Yeah
10:15About 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
10:24Great
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
10:57Right
10:57Coming down
10:59I'm lowering a four ton frame towards our bogies 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
11:17How far out is that?
11:19There's no doubt
11:19in here. It's like the way that Stuart basically roams around with a massive iron bar.
11:27Clear to come down? Yeah. Yeah. Coming down. Bloody hell. Right. Take it up slightly. Yeah.
11:38The sensitivity of the buttons is... I'm very glad that you're doing this lift work,
11:43not me. Right. Okay. You press it up once, it just drops.
11:46Wheel problems set our restoration back weeks. If this drops too fast, I could set us back months.
11:54Everyone clear? Yeah. Yep. Like it. Look at that. Woo! A bit more. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yes. Hallelujah. Honestly,
12:10when I did the bit too much, I saw so many faces looking at me in a way that I
12:15didn't want to see.
12:16That was a risky move. You look as if you've seen a ghost.
12:21It was fine. It's fine. It was all right. It was fine.
12:24But we're not finished. Get all those packing plates in. Job done.
12:30The springs assembly isn't complete until 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?
12:41I would absolutely rather go outside, take my boot off, my sock off and kick a wall.
12:50I think that's a no. Maybe not then.
12:53Fine.
12:55Let's get in there.
12:57You can just use that to line it up, can't you, and then just drop it down.
13:00Here we go again.
13:08Job done.
13:09Whew.
13:10Well done, boys and girls.
13:11Well done, chaps.
13:12Happy days.
13:13Amazing.
13:14No bolts, no fittings, just 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?
14:0411 or 12 tonnes.
14:0512 tonnes.
14:06So far.
14:07So far?
14:07Still got the motors to go on.
14:09Traction motors.
14:10The Spyder?
14:11Yeah, over there.
14:12And then...
14:13Brakes.
14:14Brakes, yes.
14:15They'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.
14:35OK.
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.
14:43When you hear all that hissing, that's actually trying to keep the caliper off the brake disc.
14:46Mm-mm.
14:46And if anything fails, everything just automatically returns to a default lock position.
14:51I would have thought this would mirror a heavy goods vehicle system by being constantly on and requiring pressure to
14:58release, but that's not the case.
14:59No.
15:00Whilst vacuum braking has been used on the railway, a pressurised air brake system is more responsive,
15:06applies greater braking force, and maintains the fail-safe of the brakes applying if there are pressure issues.
15:13When we have started 37403, for example, before, one of the noises that you hear straight away is...
15:23That's the compressor.
15:25This is what compresses the air, obviously.
15:28It feeds in to the main air.
15:38Yeah.
15:38Res...
15:40Er...
15:42Er...
15:42Er...
15:43Voir.
15:43Yeah.
15:44French?
15:45Potentially.
15:46Not unlike your name.
15:48Reservoir.
15:49Yeah.
15:49Reservoir bourgeois.
15:51Then this feeds into where the driver applies the brake.
15:58Right, so that's...
15:59OK, that's actually...
16:00He's on the throttle lever there.
16:02Yeah.
16:03Nice seat.
16:04Pedestal.
16:04Yeah, I like it.
16:05So, the driver is applying the brake here, which is ultimately controlling the pressure in the main air reservoir.
16:13So this feeds down into a control valve here.
16:18Before that, there's a...
16:21An aux...
16:25Er...
16:26Tank.
16:26This is, crucially, the control valve, and this is the brake valve.
16:40Now the control valve regulates the pressure on one side, and equates it proportionally to the amount of braking force
16:48required to go into the brake cylinder.
16:55And very simply, this is attached to a little thing here, and then the shoe that is in contact with
17:03the edge of the wheel.
17:05Well, this is easily your most succinct piece of teaching so far, but this is all very complicated.
17:11Well, with a load of pulverised chickpea fuel, I know a way to physically demonstrate how the brakes work.
17:22That was a third of a tub and one mouthful.
17:27It's so good!
17:28Very good.
17:30What's left of it.
17:34A practical brake demo is out of the question in the depot.
17:40Where are we going?
17:42Right.
17:43Outside, on the other hand...
17:45I present to you...
17:56This is...
17:58We Inver.
18:05We Inver.
18:07We Inver.
18:08Because it's Inver.
18:09Nest, TMD, but we.
18:11We Inver.
18:11I like it.
18:12I'm hoping it's a static object.
18:15No.
18:15This moves.
18:16Yes.
18:17Is the expectation that I'll be moving with it?
18:19Er, yes.
18:20So, I know I've explained how the braking system works on a whiteboard.
18:25Yeah.
18:25But we can see it here in practice.
18:28There's no substitute for seeing things move.
18:30Exactly.
18:31Come on, let's see it.
18:32So, just like the real Class 37, we have a compressor...
18:36Yep.
18:37...that feeds air into a main air reservoir.
18:40And when actuated...
18:48It's really good, this.
18:51That's...
18:51I mean, that...
18:52That piston coming out like that is just...
18:56Everyone, every young kid needs to see this
18:59so they understand how it works.
19:01Yeah.
19:02Shall we have a go?
19:02How quickly will it stop?
19:04That's what we're here to find out.
19:08Are you okay with being on second man duties?
19:10Yes.
19:10You 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.
19:34Er...
19:35Can you just check the horn's working as well, please?
19:40Yep.
19:42Now we've done all the testing,
19:43we can get this puppy fired up.
19:48I could... I can do this, but...
19:50I'm going to turn the feed to the...
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?
20:14Just turn the compressor on.
20:20Do you want us to do a horn?
20:22Do you want us to do a horn?
20:24Woo!
20:34Lucky hell, that's quite lively.
20:36This thing!
20:53That's...
20:53That's...
20:54That's...
20:55plenty fast enough for me.
20:56Oh my god.
20:59Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
21:02Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
21:11I've brought us to a halt at this location as there's a home signal and if the home
21:19signal is displaying a stop aspect we would need to guide our rail vehicle to a halt before
21:27the signal I think it would be fun to maybe imagine that we have a red or a stop aspect
21:33here and we need to bring our vehicle to a stationary position as close to the signal as possible
21:49right right right right right right
21:56okay four five six seven eight nine nine sleepers from the signal happy with that happy yeah good
22:07now it's your turn let's go somehow this is more nerve-wracking stopping a Valkyrie AMR Pro
22:14from 200 miles per hour it's metal on metal
22:28eight nine ten eleven eleven nine ten eleven it's the same on this side as well
22:40anyway Chris fine I may have overcompensated for the total absence of rubber if you're going to beat
22:47me anything a braking challenge is the one to be beaten I'll take that not quite supercar stopping
22:53but 12 miles per hour to zero in six seconds is a world best in the crazy railway go-kart
22:59category
23:02I've enjoyed that yeah now what uh we can reverse back to the depot maybe let's reverse all the
23:09way back can't we turn it around up there uh no what
23:36it'll take many hands a week to assemble the brakes and bogey too and we're mucking in
23:42stripping brake lines for repainting
23:47with around six meters of steel brake lines in each bogey we have a lot of old paint and rust
23:53to grind before reaching bare metal but it's therapeutic work now it's not bad now you can come
24:03again lads we can then turn it over and get the underside done we're looking at 45 minutes of
24:11noisy graft to get these lines ready for primer and paint and I'm aiming to be top of the podium
24:17for
24:17coverage
24:22so I would say in the grand prix of grinding I think you've actually come first
24:27oh you see at the end of the day it's a team effort certainly is every grain coats and crucially
24:35our
24:35effort means these pipes are ready to paint get some primer on that in color-coded white so white is
24:44air yeah orange is electricity yep blue is water oh water pipes hoses and cables are color-coded to speed
24:55up maintenance fault finding and safety checks
24:58yes
24:59speaking of which our next job is a break test on bogey one white means air yeah where we'll be
25:06willing support for isla and stuart so so we get it up to the maximum pressure plug in the pressure
25:14gauge and see if it's holding pressure
25:17you're only allowed a certain amount of pressure drop this started at 72 it's now at 63 psi there's a
25:24leak somewhere
25:25finding an air leak in all this pipe needs specialist tools did you ever know that that existed leak detection
25:32spray
25:32what is it exactly it's soapy water is it really that's all it is yes
25:38armed with soapy water sorry leak detection spray the hunt is on anything with a nut we test
25:47nope nothing there we're looking for soap bubbles caused by escaping air
25:53nope you can see the thread on this one I wonder
25:59oh
26:00there look look underneath there you go
26:04span up go on give it a crank yep that's definitely a bit loose
26:11right let's check numbers it's a lot slower it's a lot slower but it's still leaking it's still leaking yeah
26:16there's another one somewhere
26:20is there a chance it's one of the inside numbers
26:21could be
26:23we're not volunteering here
26:25Isla is at uni studying mechanical engineering with aeronautics
26:29you're gonna have to see if this bubbles
26:32which might prove handy
26:35anything on that one
26:36can't see anything there
26:39oh
26:40there we go
26:40there we go
26:41oh big bubble
26:42bingo
26:43how do you tighten that up
26:44righty tighty lefty loosey
26:46there could still be multiple leaks
26:49so we don't want to risk over talking individual nuts and damaging pipes
26:5684 it's going slower
27:00which means an ongoing game of gauge checking
27:04it's slowing down
27:05it's slowing down
27:06and bubble hunting
27:07oh
27:07oh
27:09and careful tightening
27:10do you want a bigger spanner that's got more leverage on it
27:13er
27:13yeah
27:14a leak could cause the brakes to lock on so the tolerance is tiny
27:181 psi in 15 minutes
27:21i dropped more than 1 psi in 15 minutes and it fails
27:2615 minutes
27:28oh
27:29oh that's miles off
27:30we're dropping 4.5
27:33if we can't fix that today
27:35it'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
27:53go for it
27:55try and measure the diameter
27:564 pi r squared
27:58no 4 pi r cubed is it
28:004 over 3 pi r cubed
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
28:16work out flow rate
28:18confirm this against our measured pressure change
28:20and determine if this is our last leak
28:24we've got to close this off
28:25are you going to start measuring bubbles now
28:27yup
28:27yes
28:28right but i need to time the moment from the bubbles
28:32um
28:32inception
28:33that was 15 seconds of a bubble
28:36and we're looking at
28:37two centimeters
28:402.5 centimeters
28:42so
28:432.5 centimeters
28:46in diameter
28:48um
28:49with
28:50in 15 seconds
28:52whilst the bubble whisperer is over there doing his maths homework
28:56you're actually getting this done i like this
28:59go on
28:59go on girl
29:00oh
29:02now that's moved
29:04i get on bubbles
29:05so i've worked out the flow rate
29:07okay
29:08of the uh
29:09uh
29:10of the bubble leak
29:11okay
29:12is
29:135.45 times 10 to the minus 7 meters cubed per second
29:18okay
29:19but then how do we go from pressure change to flow rate
29:23we
29:24mass equals density
29:26speed
29:27area
29:28are you two related
29:30because you actually sound like him
29:32i'm going to say that as a compliment
29:35um
29:35oh you've actually got your calculations
29:37you've done your work as well
29:38and i've done my assumption at the top as well
29:40the assumption bubble is um
29:42is an
29:43an intruded sphere
29:44yeah
29:45okay
29:45but i've worked out the flow rate
29:48of
29:48the leak
29:52which is
29:525.45 times 10 to the minus 7 meters cubed per second
29:57great
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
30:17okay
30:18the moment of truth
30:19are we below max tolerance of one psi drop every 15 minutes?
30:25okay
30:25calculations
30:26so
30:270.05 psi in one minute
30:30so
30:320.75
30:33every 15 minutes
30:40do you want me to go in and get that?
30:42no
30:42no
30:42let's just relish in the moment
30:46i'm really sorry
30:47well done
30:48thank you very much
30:49well done
30:50you too
30:51what an end to the day
30:52bogey 2 ready for the rails
30:54it'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
31:19another trink in its armour
31:20so thank you chris
31:22such positivity i like that
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
31:42okay
31:43erm
31:44it won't be a tickle fight
31:46again
31:47night francis
31:48yeah
31:52tickle fight
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 bogey assembly and brake test
32:23this morning i'm taking chris to one of the most stunning locations of all
32:28right
32:31so welcome to loch il
32:35looks like the set of deliverance to me at the moment mate
32:37i have to say
32:38well er it's about to get better as we're putting on high vis
32:44we used to have a man deliver me sushi
32:47to dunfold to the top gear test track i'm now lacing up
32:52a safety steel toe cap boot clearly bought at a service station last night by the crew
32:58on 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
33:13you know we've involved ourselves so much in my sort of vehicle
33:17oh
33:18i thought that we'd
33:19um
33:21go more into your kind of vehicle
33:24now we're talking
33:24okay you've got me
33:26you've got me
33:26yeah
33:27i'm thinking something scottish
33:29an argyle
33:30gt turbo
33:31a raptor
33:31maybe a cute little hillman imp
33:40Chris
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
34:00i'm chris
34:01hi chris
34:02gary
34:02what on earth are we doing
34:10all right so
34:12a real network rail vehicle
34:16so we're going to go off-roading and look at a look at a rail head
34:20uh well
34:21i think you're you're on the right track and 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
34:38this is cool
34:38this is cool as
34:44go on gary
34:49how many locks his steering wheel off
34:51oh this is ridiculous
34:53steeringless
34:53elon musk eats your heart out
34:55is your name
34:56bannery north gay max
34:57no deal
34:57no on track
35:01i have done most things in a car but i've never done this
35:11oh this is wild
35:14this is wild
35:15this 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 tires directly touching the track
35:28the tires are only just in contact with the rail
35:33enough friction to drive and enough friction to brake
35:36the braking is still done through the road wheels
35:38they're still in contact with the rail head
35:39so you still brake and accelerate like a normal car
35:42but obviously the rail wheels guide you along the track
35:45you'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
35:50you 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
36:05this type of vehicle i've only seen operate in the highlands
36:06west highland line there's a lot of where the track goes there's no road access
36:09we can access incidents far easier and 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
36:19to keep trains running in tough terrain areas like the highlands
36:23network rails road rail vehicles include excavators cranes and mobile platforms
36:30i've chased many class 37s down this way
36:34a bit aye
36:35yeah
36:36there's one kicking the boat with it
36:38oooh
36:40he's happy now
36:42that makes two of us
36:44oh this is beautiful
36:46look how old that is
36:49fabulous
36:49this is a very very very special treat
36:52well i feel very very spoilt
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 magnificent
37:27well done you
37:28oh thank you
37:29one day i'll have to reciprocate and take you on a car journey which will never match this
37:35best spot i've ever been to for a selfie in my life
37:38it's not too bad here
37:40isn't this just bonkers
37:43i've done some things in my time i've been so lucky but this is right up there
37:49look at it down there
37:54see those people up there
37:55they've come to see the glenfinnan viaduct due to its feature in the harry potter films
38:01and they've got a double whammy because they're also seeing a network rail response unit
38:07or are we just ruining their photograph
38:09no
38:09you sure
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
38:25at these rail heads
38:27so that's for your expansion and contraction when the weather
38:30we see that each one has that gap
38:33how do they keep it so accurate
38:35it's just the distance
38:37one thousand four hundred and thirty five millimeters between
38:40here
38:42and here
38:43okay
38:43standard gauge
38:44one four five
38:45is a significant number for you isn't it
38:47is it like pi for you
38:49oh yeah
38:50now you've got me going
38:52three point one four one five nine two six five three five eight nine seven nine three two three eight
38:58four six two
38:58that's as much as i can remember
39:07okay that's
39:08i need to retire now he's just he's just recited pi to about thirteen decimal places and then did an
39:16accidental blow off and walked away because he knew he'd done it
39:19so i guarantee no one has ever done that on game for no one's ever done that before an accidental
39:25flabby woof woof after how many decimal points was it?
39:29twenty one
39:29twenty twenty twenty one
39:32quick
39:32change the subject
39:34no one noticed
39:37i've stood there
39:39numerous times
39:41waiting to see
39:42thirty seven four or nine thirty seven six seven six and four five four or seven
39:47those are the occasions where that i've seen locomotors pass over here
39:51would you rather see a class thirty seven or a steam engine come over here
39:55a class thirty seven
39:56would you?
39:57the tourists want to see the steam engine i want to see the thirty seven
40:02i thought i'm going to repay you for all this the last few months have been
40:07back to back special moments
40:10well that's the thing chris it's
40:11this is a
40:13you know it's a bit of a bit of fun really for us
40:17because we've been working hard you know
40:21i finally understand francis's 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
40:42but the boy wonder can't get over a possible class thirty seven in the wild
40:47and an undercover thirty seven of that
40:50the fact that it's on a vstp path which needs very short term planning
40:55as soon as it runs out onto the line on line proving duties
40:59it doesn't go on a publicly advertised head code
41:03called in last minute to test the line after snow
41:06this loco is for eagle eyes only
41:09if this particular class thirty seven was in a born movie would it have gone dark?
41:15yeah it's flying below fifty feet
41:16is it?
41:18a dark thirty seven no intel
41:20what 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
41:39i like this game
41:42i hear it
41:44do you?
41:45yeah
41:47how far away is it?
41:49half 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 welly
42:34yeah
42:36lovely colours
42:43well that was very very lovely
42:46it's on a line proving run
42:49in anticipation of poor weather
42:50the class thirty sevens are perfect
42:52for working highland routes like these
42:55the treacherous conditions
42:56the trees
42:57the slippery rails
42:59it's what the class thirty sevens are built to overcome
43:02for the first time since we started this project
43:04that's the first time i've seen one working
43:07yeah
43:08on the main line
43:09yeah
43:09network rail have paid
43:13for that locomotive
43:15to go on the main line
43:17and to just
43:18prove
43:19make sure that the line
43:20is safe to run
43:21zero two five
43:22might well be in that position in the future
43:25precise
43:25in the future
43:27the
43:33the
43:34the
43:35the
43:37the
43:38the
43:41the
43:41the
43:45the
43:47the
43:47the
43:47the
43:51the
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