Trains in the 1980s - Thatcham, West Drayton & Reading Stations - Autumn 1987

This is one of the first videos in my collection, shot on my father-in-law's VHS Panasonic video camera, which was a separate recorder and camera design if I remember correctly, and the quality is therefore not quite as good as my other uploads, which were taken on a Sony Video 8 Camcorder. Its quite amazing how enthusiast home video developed so quickly in the later half of the 1980s.

The first clip is from Thatcham station and was really to just try out camera technique. It shows a Class 37 on freight and a regional DMU unit stopping to pick up passengers.

The second section is from a visit to West Drayton specifically to capture double 50s passing through on a rail tour to Newquay. The weather was misty and given the early hour (08:40am) in October not really the best conditions for video.

The 50s were: 034 Furious and 035 Ark Royal. I do not know who ran the tour (British Rail?), or what it was called, so if any viewers know, please let me know in the comments.

The final section provides an interesting record of what it was possible to see on a Saturday at Reading in the late 1980s.
Class 50s featured include: 016 Barham, 042 Triumph, 029 Renown and 031 Hood.
There are also a quite a few Class 56 freight workings and the odd HST captured as well.


[Note: some of this content was posted to the channel previously but has been re-edited and converted from 4:3 aspect to 16:9].


00:00 Thatcham 3rd Sept
02:39 West Drayton 4th Oct
10:16 Reading 7th Nov