Video YouTube
282 views Published 14 Apr 2026 Open on YouTube 👍 Log in to like

BR Class 50 Locomotives in the Pre Digital Age Vol BR50 01

Channel: spompeytransportvideo
Player
Description
BRITISH RAILWAYS VINTAGE TRACTION
BR Class 50 Locomotives in the Pre-Digital Age
(1986-1998)
Volume BR50-01
Another feature in this new series of Vintage Traction from the pre digital era, from the mid 1980's to the turn of the Millenium, when the digital age started to put an end to analogue video...
This feature focuses on the English Electric Type 4 Locomotive Class 50, built at Vulcan Foundry in Newton-Le-Willows between 1967 and 1968, and employed by the LMS/WCML running on express services between London and Glasgow, usually double headed. After electrification of the West Coast and as AC Locomotives were introduced the Class 50 were renegaded to the Western Region and were soon employed on West of England services between Paddington and Exeter , Plymouth, Paignton and Penzance. They were also seen on South Wales services used on both Passenger and Postal trains. The class ended their careers on the mainlines between London and Oxford/Newbury and Birmingham trains and then on the London Waterloo to Salisbury/Exeter route, before fading out as the Class 47/7 took charge and the DMU Class 159's and 'Turbo's' on the Western. The class gained the Nickname 'Hoovers' due to the sound of the fans in their roofs, (Other Hoover brands available !).
This feature covers the period from around 1986 to 1998 filmed in glorious antique VHS format, later Super VHS, a far cry from today's 4K and Stereo surround sound. I do hope you enjoy the feature and please comment and like, if you feel the video was of some enjoyment and nostalgia to watch.
AI summary Generated from Fishplate metadata

This video features footage of BR Class 50 locomotives during the pre-digital era, from the mid-1980s to the turn of the millennium. The locomotives were originally built at Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows and operated on express services between London and Glasgow before being reassigned to Western Region routes, including services between Paddington and Exeter, Plymouth, Paignton, and Penzance. They also appeared on South Wales passenger and postal trains. The footage includes multiple Class 50 locomotives, though specific operators are not detailed in the metadata.

This summary is generated from structured Fishplate data and may need human review.
Unlock the full video breakdown

Fishplate has identified 14 locomotives in this video. We’ve also matched 5 operators . Create a free account to see where they appear, unlock timestamps and locations, and view the full breakdown.

History
Details
  • Platform ID -uhTe1cSfA4
  • Views 282
  • Date published 14 Apr 2026 20:00
  • Date added 16 Apr 2026 02:00
  • Recorded 24 May 1992
  • Locomotives 14
  • Headcodes 0
Quick links
Log in to open the linked headcodes, operators, and vehicles detected for this video.
Location
Log in to view filming locations, route context, and the map for this video.
Recording date
Log in to view and help verify the recording date for this upload.
Thumbnails YouTube
Tip: right-click the player for stats, or open on YouTube for comments.