Iskra Railway Videos

I had a fantastic day out yesterday seeing many Classic Diesels over in the North West. Highlights were undoubtedly 37669 and D413 / 40013 Andania. My video from the day is out on the channel now! Also included are a couple of luxury trains I caught last weekend, that weren’t quite worth doing a full video over. Enjoy!

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 82

Iskra Railway Videos

This weekend gone wasn’t just about Tulyar at the Great Central, I was also lucky enough to catch a plethora of classic (and noisy) Class 37 diesel locomotives at Derby. My footage of the Class 37’s will be out on the channel this weekend!

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1 month ago | [YT] | 53

Iskra Railway Videos

I had a fantastic day out yesterday at the ‪@GCRofficial‬ Great Central Railway for the long awaited return to service of ‪@DelticPreservationSociety‬ D9015 / 55015 ‘Tulyar,’ which looked (and sounded) sublime. Well done to all involved in the restoration! It wasn’t just about the Deltic though, there were also 2 Steam Locomotives and a Classic DMU in service- something for everyone on Britain’s only heritage railway with a double track ‘mainline’ section.

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1 month ago | [YT] | 512

Iskra Railway Videos

This weekend has been all about the HST (High Speed Train), with 3 passes of interesting Powercars through my local area, you can see them on the Channel now, as well as a very excitable Northern Sprinter driver!

While you’re here - a bit of a public service announcement to give you fair warning: the pace and length of videos on the channel is going to be reduced for the next few weeks as I’ll be working away from home, although this is just temporary so normal service will resume in the future.

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1 month ago | [YT] | 34

Iskra Railway Videos

It’s been another fantastic week out on the UK railway network and I’ve seen some fantastic sights which you can watch in my weekly review video now. There is now a mainline steam ban in place (apart from in the Highlands of Scotland), so I headed to the ‪@KwvrUkRailway‬ for my steam fix, which did not disappoint. Full video and a few Shorts are out on the channel already with more to come!

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1 month ago | [YT] | 50

Iskra Railway Videos

It’s been a brilliant week on the railway, so many fantastic locomotives, interesting workings and an abundance of Class 37 thrash. My weekly railway review video will be out today (Monday) at 6pm UK time 🙏 If you can’t wait or you’re in a rush, check out my latest YouTube shorts for a preview!

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2 months ago | [YT] | 84

Iskra Railway Videos

Something that comes up quite frequently in the comments section on the channel, is why diesel locomotives are needed on steam railtours and locomotive movements? There are a number of potential reasons for this, so I thought I would do an explainer:

- Shunting & Reversals. Turntables and triangle junctions are pretty rare on the modern network, so diesels can assist by simplifying shunting movements for reversals at junctions or terminus stations.
- Resilience. If the steam locomotive develops a fault, or struggles with track adhesion or a steep gradient- the diesel is already on hand to assist. Equally, if the train runs late; diesel assistance can help make the time back up to avoid financial delay penalties.
- Brake translation to ensure compatibility with the coaching stock.
- Fire risk. In dry conditions the diesel will provide most of the power so that the steam locomotive produces fewer sparks that could set dry lineside vegetation alight. This is the only way that steam railtours are viable in dry conditions.
- Driver route knowledge. Sometimes a steam locomotive requires moving over a line, but the steam driver doesn’t have the required knowledge of the route. In this scenario a diesel may lead, with a driver that knows the route.
- Fuel/water economy. The logistics of keeping steam locomotives supplied with coal and water are complex on the modern railway, with limited places where steam locomotives can be serviced. A diesel may therefore provide power on a long run so that the steam locomotive consumes less coal/water on the journey and therefore its operational range is extended.
- 'Hotel Power,' this is when a diesel is switched-on, but not necessarily powering the train but instead providing electrical power for the carriages for things like lighting, heating and catering equipment.

One common myth on this subject is that when the Flying Scotsman steam locomotive is moved around the network, that it must have a diesel with it. This is not always the case, and you can find footage of it running solo on the channel.

I hope this is helpful and informative!

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2 months ago | [YT] | 41

Iskra Railway Videos

I was lucky enough to catch resplendent 7029 Clun Castle, a GWR Castle Class locomotive yesterday. It was working Vintage Trains White Rose Express from Birmingham to Scarborough and return. A brief video and a couple of Shorts are available on my channel now!

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2 months ago | [YT] | 61

Iskra Railway Videos

Who has the friendliest drivers on the rails? 🤔🚆

We want to know which of these crews is best at spotting enthusiasts and spreading some cheer? Vote now and tell us about your best encounters in the comments! 👇 This can either be based on your own experiences or what you see on my channel. If there’s another operator that you think deserves a mention, let me know!

2 months ago | [YT] | 5

Iskra Railway Videos

After a quiet week due to the intense heat, the British Railway is back with a vengeance delivering some interesting moves! I even made a couple of new friends along the way! Some shorts out now, with more on the way and there will be a full video of all the weeks highlights for you in time! Enjoy!

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2 months ago | [YT] | 35