Secrets of The Motorway - M606 

I love how this video is longer than the amount of time it actually takes to drive down this motorway

I'm glad you found out about the founding of the foundry.

I like this, particularly the small image of shaft.

Michael Portillo: "I'm so good I can make railways seem interesting" John: "Hold my beer"

"It's also very well known because crime." Sounds accurate.

I'm in India at the moment and it's been a real pleasure to sit and watch traffic moving along the motorway in your video without the total chaos that I witness everyday on my journey into work.

Love that picture of John Shaft!

Love the Richard Rowntree reference .... perfect

maybe the reason i love this series is how incredibly mundane the subject is contrasts with its actually decent entertainment value just funny

Loved the insert of "Shaft (John Shaft)" near the end there.

Nothing beats finishing a 12hr shift on the railway to find one of your videos waiting for me

Another fine choice of location. I remember the 606 opening when I was a nipper. In hindsight demolishing a swathe of 1960s/70s Bradford to link it to the A650 would have been an excellent idea given what it’s like these days!!

such an interesting way of researching and presenting that I'm now watching stuff relating to motorways I've never even heard of

I'm a Bradfordian so thanks for this edition of SoTM!

did laugh out loud at the Shaft! :)

Thx as always 'My name is John'; loved the Shaft reference 😆 my Sunday is complete!

Being from Bradford, that intro was spot on

Wicked video, I love how the council never cleans up all the litter and sh*t at the top of the motor way, gets you ready for whats to come.

Back in the early eighties, my dad bought a Mark 2 Escort RS Mexico in Bolton, brought it back along the M62, then up the M606.. It was just past Junction 2 where it seized and destroyed it's engine. Previous owner hadn't told him it had a hole in the oil sump. Not a good story, but M606 related. On a side note, I never use this motorway, I find it easier to drive up Cleckheaton Road where the church is.

0:48 I see what you did there..."forks off"...

I hadn't even noticed the tunnel on the train between Bradford and Halifax! I went both ways on Monday so have been under this motorway twice now. 😊

I remember many years ago in Sheffield, when they were building the motorway, they demolished a very popular pub, when they finished that section everybody realised that the pub was nowhere near the motorway and there was no need for demolition. Harsh words were spoken.

Cool vid. I am from Oakenshaw. During ww1 there was a munitions factory in low moor (about halfway up m606) that caught fire and exploded causing one if the largest explosions during ww1. 40 firefighters died. 5 streets of houses were completely destroyed and later rebuilt and creatively named 1st street to 5th street. There is a memorial at victoria park, where there used to be a train station that was also destroyed. The surrounding villages are all old mining villages to support the former low moor iron works. The iron ore found in the area was amongst the best in the world and products were exported all over. I was in havana last year and found 2 old cannons on display that had low moor ironworks on them. Pretty cool to find. …..also the chemical works there uses a genuine WW2 air raid siren that goes off when there is a leak. Sounds awesome. So make sure you next visit when there is a chlorine leak. Also make sure you lock your car.

The M606 Northbound is a car killer. For me it claimed a Mk1 MR2 head gasket, a vauxhall nova cambelt and a Mk2 golf coolant pipe. Plus Someone crashed into the back of me at the traffic lights too. Apparently the top of it is a huge hot spot for AA/RAC breakdowns.

I love how this channel has become part of my Sunday routine

Brilliant, you need a slot on Sunday morning TV.

"some details I've found is that their foundry was founded.." Nice play of words there John, very good 👏

I still can't believe I watch a RU-vid series about Motorways

Someone from TV should snap you up! You have a wonderful presentation manner that just makes people sit there and watch. 👍👍👍👍

Just watched this all the way to the end. No idea why. Great video

"It's also very well known 'because crime'". I busted out laughing at that one.

I remember the end of that motorway just being coned off. So weird!

It took me a second to get your Shaft joke. Well played.

Thanks Jon. It reminded me of how terrible it is to drive in and out of Bradford, I try to avoid at all costs.

I drive the whole stretch every day. its wonderous. Thank you for making this video.

J3 is my favourite in the world, the number of times I've missed junctions in the past, but not J3 on M606. I've allways wandered what the ventilatiin shaft was for. Thanks John for another great video.

Wicked, sweet, awesome. One of the joys of the motorway numbering system is that there's M 606, but the M 404 is not found.

Thanks for this video. I’m a lorry driver and i’m in this country for 6 years. I’m interested in geography and i have all the time in the world to stair around when i’m stuck in traffic. I remember this motorway, last year i was 3-4 times at M&S Bradford and for no reason google maps didn’t want me to take the roundabout. Without historical background for a foreigner some things make no sense. It’s not like my life changed now because i know some things about a motorway but make my job more entertaining. Thanks for making this videos. 🤗🤗

Don’t know if John knew but the take me home country roads is often sung at valley parade, home of Bradford City, so nice one.

You're very talented at finding beautiful shots.

Found, foundry, founded, very impressive!

Born and raised in Antigonish County Nova Scotia, Canada (Home of a reallllllly shitty university. It was home to (at the time) the ONLY lights on the Trans Canada Highway, the joke was (“joke”) was how do you get to Antigonish from Alberta? Get on the highway headed east and take a left at the first set of lights. LOVE the video! Between you and Jago I am very informed on transport in the UK :)

I like the reason 'was to relive congestion so they changed it to relive congestion'. They are creating congestion here in AKL NZ by converting traffic lanes into bus lanes only. They don't want us to drive at all. Busses are always empty.

Ah the M606 - just down the road from where I grew up. I have fond memories of trips to B&Q at junction 2 with my Dad when I were a lad.

The Shaft reference made me chuckle! Funny Fu**er. Thanks as always John boy! Very informative. Keep up the good work

Excellent. Thank you John. Roll on Sunday for the next edition.

Nice touch with the outtro music!

Wicked sweet awesome. Well done Jon - I love the research you do for your videos. Very interesting and educational ... and I see how much work you put into them from your documentary a few weeks ago.

Unique-ish. The M602 has Traffic lights at the end too.

Like the M606 Jon has forked off to the north

I see Auto Shenanigans upload = I click.

not far from where I grew up, thanks for the memory walk

Long I've dreamed of the day when our local motorway would be featured! great job as ever! I remember in 2016 when it topped the charts as the slowest motorway in the UK with an average speed of 24.6mph. What halcyon days they were...

I like the way the M606 “forks off” to the North from the Chainbar Interchange….

You did well to get out of West Yorkshire alive never mind with your car still in one piece, no joke! This used to be my neck of the woods, travelled around there many times. I seem to remember using that slip road onto the M62 on my motorbike, could skip past the slow moving lanes of traffic on the M62 until after a mile or so it dumped you back into the stand still traffic. From what I remember, when they changed the M62 to a smart motorway is when the car sharing restrictions of that slip road changed. From then anyone could use it but it was massively shortened and put you back onto the M62 almost straightaway. All what happens now is everyone goes through the traffic lights to join the M62 but as soon as they get a whiff of the lights changing to red its a mad kamikaze swerving manoeuvre as they all dive to the left and try to use the slip road instead.

Thanks! Midland Road take me home! You are a delight to watch, Jon. Starts my week of "wickedly well," thank you. Here's for a cupper ;-)

Very excellent John

My favourite motorway. I live north of Bradford. Come off the M62 Eastbound on the loop and then floor it up the hill towards junction 2 + 3. Good drone footage and clearly you have been very recently as the new sheds have only just gone up. Also talk of an Amazon shed nearby but as their closing others perhaps not. You dint mention the M&S warehouse up by junction 3. Said to be the longest warehouse in uk when it opened. 5*

Not me watching a channel about roads in the Great Britain while not living there. The delivery is great and visuals are on point. I see this (I mean roads and intersections as a whole topic) as my niche interest.

Excellent! Requested this one the other week and here we are! Being a Bradfordian, this motorway is one I've driven a lot. Fun times. I remember the days when the carriageway continued to nowhere and was just coned off. M62 next? I look forward to hearing what you have to say about the farm! Keep up the good work

I recall the M321 in Bristol had traffic lights before joining the M4

Thank you for answering a few questions I've had about the M606 when we visit my wife's family near that part of the world.

Haha. Forks off to the North!

love the shaft mention

On the A44 motorway in Holland between Leiden and Amsterdam there is a bridge over a canal which lifts up when a tall boat passes. Traffic is stopped by red lights until the bridge is lowered again. Beat that!

only driven into Bradford once ,and it was along this road ....i can honestly say i've never witnessed such crazy driving and never felt so scared (and i've driven for years!!) as i did that day ....thanks for bringing those memories back...lol

Johnners, can't believe how interesting this subject is. Well produced and great delivery. Good luck in Yorkshire!

I’m going to guess that fetching jacket was a lovely christmas gift John, you lucky lad.

This is the best video I've ever seen about anything

another info packed episode john good one.

Never used the 606 … never needed to go to Bradford - thankfully! But you touched on the M62 … 👍

Love this series very much. The M180 has traffic lights as it's meets the M18 for traffic going North. Another unfinished UK motorway

Hi John, love the series. I was for my sins a van driver on "local deliveries" so your little gems brighten the gloom. One thing I'd question; did Bradford run the last service trolley bus? Only Wolverhampton claimed the # 58 Dudley Via Sedgley was the last trolley service in the country. What price pollution and the years of disruption to put down Metro tracks . All for now, keep up the good work and stay cheerful John

Great video, with some old maps which I haven't seen before. Once upon a time, National Highway's predecessors wanted to build a more comprehensive free-flow junction with the eastbound M62, rather than the widened slip road we have today. Plans were also once mooted to build a free-flow connection between the westbound M62 with the northbound M606. I believe this would have involved tunneling under the motorway in some capacity? The Yorkshire Building Society HQ and the M&S distribution depot were both built withing easy reach of the motorway. Finally, Bierley Woods and Ponds, a local beauty spot just off Junction 2 is also worth a mention.

Many thanks Jon, and thank you for putting the railwayania references in, I especially like the vent for the railway tunnel, as always big congratulations on your presenting style and also your bold cutaway to your office / studio for the required edit. Keep up the good work buddy - Mike

Got to be M62 next! 😍 By far the most interesting and scenic (over Pennines) motorway in the UK.

I used to live in Hunsworth just off the Chain Bar. My parents ran a Post Office there for a few years. It has changed a lot and the PO has gone. Great video - thanks.

I really don't know why I watch these videos. I don't live in the UK and I only know some of the roads mentioned. I think I just like the matter-of-fact style and disarming honesty of the presentation. It is weirdly interesting and I wish someone would do something similiar for the German Autobahn.

Brilliant as always. Don't forget to let me know when you do our woeful M60 'ring road' that is not a ring road. Would love to show you motoring the Faux Pas around Greater Manchester :)

A lot of history for such a short motorway. Thank you for braving the Yorkshire weather 😀

I used to live in Bradford and that high occupancy slip road was SUCH a great idea! That curve at the end is wicked, sweet, awesome. There’s a speed limit down there and a lovely slope to accelerate up, which makes driving onto the M62 an absolute delight… 😅 And that Junction 3 is… wow… something else! And don’t get me started on the stupid “Ring Road” in Bradford. Not only was it never finished properly and joined up, the main roads which do have the misfortune to cross it have the most illogical traffic management system since Mr Spock said, “That’s bonkers, Captain!” I spent all my 20 years in Bradford getting stuck in traffic and getting in the wrong lane. Always! And, while I’m here, those cycle lanes on Manchester Road! What? Let’s have a cycle Lane, but… not. Let’s want a few cones near the pavement and hope for the best.

Wonderful prose as always Jon, really enjoyed found/foundry/founded.

This guys going places. Spot on video as always 👌

Another cracking vlog. Xx

Thumb: "Traffic lights on a motorway" Many years ago, the directions to get to Cape Breton from anywhere in Canada were to 1) head east, 2) turn left at the lights.

The opening and closing of your videos are top shelf.

I love the 'random' places you shoot your piece to camera shots.

I’ve really missed watching your channel in recent months, but I’m back now and enjoying all your new content. As ever, thank you for being great at what you do. 🎉

3:41 oh bravo sir

If you want a really good food van, there's one that plots up at B&Q at Euroways, guy that runs it is really friendly and the food is great, would recommend it

I sent Jon a ‘Super Thanks’ on here and I get my name in the credits! I love that thank you Jon. You’re videos are powering ahead, well done.

The Traffic Lights are there to control the flow of Rhubarb down the Bradford Spur slip road and ensure it is all proper and above board

I'm fine. Its been a great week. Thanks for the fab content

I agree with you about the M606 motorway that should of extend right into Bradford City Centre making it lot more easier to get from the M62 interchange to Bradford. The M606 is still a odd motorway. And a new slip road to be built for traffic coming from the M62 westbound to the M606.

Its funny, I was looking on your channel for an M606 video a couple of days ago, and now here it is :D

The M271 has both a roundabout and traffic lights at a junction, rather than at its end!

Some part of this made me chuckle, Only in Britain.

Yorkshire won’t let you leave! You were lucky to be allowed in 🤣 The M606 is one of those odd motorways; there are a few odd ones in Lancashire too… Looking forward to the next episode already 👍

This channel is going to blow up fast

Lovely. Looking forward to the M62 now 😜