This brings back so many memories from my spotting days between 1977 and 1990. I am from Derby originally. I could cycle from my house, in Alvaston, to Toton on my Raleigh Grifter right on to the depot on a Sunday and walk around unhindered. Those were the days. On a recent trip there I see it's more like Fort Knox. Halcyon days mate. Depot bashing by car in the 90's I once saw all 50 class 58s in a single day. We never realized how good we had it and never thought it would end. I also remember Toton open day in 1979 when the large logo 56036 was unveiled. Brilliant video.
I wasn't keen on the 58 but my friend loved them we saw most of them coming out the works at Derby before they were launched All stabled up at Derby Depot and the Technical Center opposite...
This is magic, probably the best yt train vid i have seen so far! Captures everything from a shunter taking a leak, to water chucked outta the cab window! Coal sector locos everywhere. This is coal-dust! Many thanks for filming and uploading. In tears here.
Superb vid! Wish we had a variety of locos like this now! I was to young back then to appreciate them! Now im older, i admire this era of rail 50/60/70/80/90s/etc
Back when coal was king. A golden age but few of us realised. Thank you for being one of the few to record it. Fossil fuels, fossil HAAs and fossil traction.
Wow. Such a diversity of Diesel's and movement. What a great video. I'm in the process of making a Depot layout in 00 gauge. This has given me food for thought.
You can't beat the sound of choppers in the yard whistling away and i miss the old locos these 66s 67s 68s are ok but they haven't got any sound to them when being thrashed! The 37s generators used to growl!!!
Great Vid! I used to live about 4 miles away from Toton and me and my brother would walk there on a Sunday morning for a mooch round the shed, never anyone there security wise but a couple of drivers on shift who were mostly friendly. I remember one morning in particular, my brother couldn't go for some reason so I went on my own. Got talking to one of the drivers and ended up helping him move some loco's (I actually drove them, under supervision of course!) Started off with a shunter (I can't remember the number but it will be in my books somewhere) and then a peak class 44 D6 Whernside, and then coupled whistlers as we called class 20's, D8176 & D8195. My brother was soooo jealous! Happy days!
Who'd of thought 30 year's from then that we would be in this dire strait situation....and just a thought... How come there isn't any 37s there at Toton? Never saw any on the film looks like they certainly stayed away from Toton on that day ..lol....or 31s for that matter
Awesome video! Just shows how much industry and rail freight traffic this country has lost over the decades... And when all combustion engines become illegal, we will loose these awesome sounding powerhouses for good :(
Great watching. We used to drive up from North London to spend the day going round the East Midlands/South Yorkshire depots and SP’s in the late 80’s. Leicester, Coalville, Toton, Shirebrook, Tinsley. Usually had no bother just walking around.
Absolutely STUNNING video. Thoroughly enjoyed it. What a variety of loco's. From 08's to the superb 56's & 58's. As mentioned earlier, coal sector everywhere, brilliant. Loved the Thornaby 20's at the end. Amazing quality and sound. Any more where this came from ??? Thanks.
Travelled down from Newcastle in mid 70s on Saturdays. There was endless lines of loco's, no where ever got near to Toton for the shear volume of loco's and especially those Peaks. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Been to Toton today, 22/08/19, absolute dead zone, nothing moving, occasional engine move from workshop but thats it. Overgrown sidings and redundant locos and wagons everywhere, quite depressing really.
Memorial times at Toton in the early 90s. the choppers are awesome, but why always double? Even when with short stock? Any 20s on the Skeg line ? Awesome days 👍🏼
According to wikipedia - ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_20 ) ... It was common however to find Class 20s paired together at the nose, with their cabs at opposite ends, ensuring that the driver could quite clearly see the road ahead.
Class 20s had a driver's view issue traveling nose-end first that would have surely disqualified them from being commissioned if anything better had been on offer. The attempt to come up with a type 1 with all-round vision in the form of the Clayton Class 17 was an unmitigated disaster, so it was back to the choppers....☹️
