Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Firstly many, many thanks for the Christmas and New Year wishes received over the festive season! It does mean a lot, especially after a cold wet day waiting at the lineside for something exceptional to share with you.
Its been a fun year with all manner of trains especially at Carlisle but also on my odd trips away from the station - as far as Colorado this year with some fantastic trains! I'm hoping with all the talk of new excursion and charter routes from and through Carlisle I'll be able to share even more variety in 2025.
And finally a summary of how the channel has been doing in 2024. Well, the channel has received almost 900,000 views, bringing the total to 2.5 million! You and many others have now sat and watched 144,000 hours worth of videos on the channel leading to an extra 1,600 subscribers, with the total hovering around 6270 (its frustrating when it hovers)! There are over 580 videos out now and especialy if the festive season cut back your youtube viewing, check out what I've shared during December.
So a Happy New Year and thanks for watching the channel
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Hi, I've been reminded that today is the SEVENTH anniversary of my joining Youtube!. In fact it was another two years before I plucked up the courage to post a video and in fact only two years ago before the channel started to take off. It can take quite a bot of persistence, this YouTube lark! So many thanks to all my subscribers! Another little fact, I'm 22 subs off 6000!!! Many thanks to everyone who has subscribed!
As many of you will have realised I was on holiday for most 3 weeks in October. I was in Colorado, USA, for the first time in twenty years! Obviously I was keen to see some railroad action as well as visiting a couple of museums. Videos were taken at three heritage lines (narrow gauge steam) as well as on the modern railroad. On those steam roads the trains can really thrash, going up gradients steeper than 1 in 50 for many miles!!!
I realise many of you might dismiss the American videos, but do give them a look, if only for curiosity, You may be surprised at the comparison to the British railway scene. I'd really appreciate it too! Perhaps you have friends who would be interested!
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Up at Kirkby Stephen waiting to watch Tangmere being rescued, after failing yesterday with it's charter from London Euston.
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Its getting chilly again but nothing is stopping the variety opf trains at Carlisle. In my latest video we have Three Class 70s beside the usual 66s, 68s and 88 plus 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley on the Fellsman. Watch through to the end where we see 60007 in magnificent evening light crossing Ribblehead Viaduct!
From a channel point of view, I've achieved 2.2million views and now have 5,800 subscribers! Many thanls to you all!
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Its not often I do daft things when I'm publishing videos on YouTube but I think I did with the last one! Many 'experts' at this sort of thing say try not letting your subscribers know what you are publishing and you may be surprised with the results. We I did and was sorely disappointed!
So if you didn't get notified I put a shortish video up recorded on Monday and Tuesday 19th and 20th including a Black 5 heading to Scotland among other things.
Have a look, and of, course enjoy!
https://youtu.be/1AfRLtPqjgY
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It was great to see so many channel supporters and subscribers at the DRS Charity Open Day at Kingmoor Depot today and in the last couple of days on Citadel Station. I really hope that you had an enjoyable day - did anyone put in a winning bid for a nameplate? A video is in preparation!
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Well, what can I say - I've now published over 500 videos and they've received over Two MILLION views!
Subscribers are around 5,500, growing slowly there at the moment.
Somebody must be liking my channel! I know that you are but I'm sure more people are missing out on my regular content. If you have any ideas how I can get more views then please let me know (serious ideas please!). Recommending the channel to your friends would be a great help!
This year, so far, has been something of a conundrum - lots of steam trains into Carlisle - but largely behind the same loco. The same with the diesel charters - the Midland Pullman HST is so popular on runs to and from wildest Scotland and over the Settle & Carlisle line.
Its good that it and more steam charters are planned to go around the beautiful Cumbrian Coast in 2024. If you haven't ridden that line then do! You get the views as the line skirts the Irish Sea south of Maryport and further on goes along the edge of Morecambe Bay between Ulverston and Arnside with two long viaducts over the rivers running into the bay.
Again, thanks for watching and tell your friends about the channel!
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Its been a while since I last did a Community Post so here goes!
After months of miserable weather the warm days have returned and the winds don't seem a strong. We've even had some blue skies in Carlisle!
The problems hitting the local railways seem to be resolved. The Coast line is back open, with the breach at Grange over Sands repaired. We can start to see charters via that route. The frequency of Tangmere at Carlisle has been a little tedious, with West Coast having few locos with Air Brakes. However Locomotive Services have started charters this far north. A shame about Britannia but Braunton was a welcome visitor.
In my upcoming video you'll see - well the images give a clue! It records a warm wet afternoon at the Citadel where I seemed to nice trains in pairs: two locos hading a favourite train, two yellow test trains, two separate companies having Diversity-liveried units in the station simultaneously and then Avanti has a second colourful unit appear.
On the channel superlatives - we've exceeded 1.9 million views in the lifetime of the channel - yes, I know, I should be hitting that for each video but that's YouTube for you. We've also got over 5.3k subscribers and more are always welcome! And 480 videos have now been published - if you haven't seen them all go look at my playlists! It will actually help the channel!
Thanks everybody!
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A big thank you to all my new subscribers and to those who have been with me through my YouTube journey!
I woke up this morning to find I've now over 5000 subscribers! That is something I honestly never expected only a few years ago!
Not quite a celebratory giveaway, but I have copies of one of my books available for a modest donation, but only if you approach me on Carlisle station and ask for one! Honestly the postage is prohibitive now. The book is an album of photos taken in the 40s through to the late 60s around Lancaster, Morecambe, Carnforth and across to Settle Junction. There's even a photo of the Fell diesel heading up the WCML in it! The donations will go the The Cumbrian Railways Association who published it some years ago now.
I'm glad you are enjoying my channel with both the programmes both from Carlisle and from places further afield. Manchester and Stockport made a great day out and I hope to have further trips to busy spots in the north and Scotland in the coming months. I'm also still seeking out lineside locations for more scenic views - with another trip up the WCML into Scotland imminent.
That Short I posted did rather well - not that I approve of the pollution but but it did look spectacular. I'm not sure I'll be doing too many in that format but we shall see.
For those of you who like my n scale model railway videos, I know that some are well overdue. I have a model of a rather unique train to show you.
And don't forget to recommend my channel to your friends!
Les
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A Very Merry Christmas to my Subscribers, old and new, and everyone who has supported my YouTube channel through 2023. I'm looking forward to a great year of recording in 2024 and welcoming a larger audience!
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Hi, I'm Les Gilpin.
I'm a lifelong railway enthusiast now based in Carlisle and a railway historian. I'm spending more and more time recording videos in Carlisle and on the lines radiating from there. Diesel, Electric or Steam - if it looks good I'll record it!
I'm also a keen railway modeller. I'm currently modelling Canadian and US railroads freelance in 1:160 n scale: a new version of my Canuck Union lines. You'll find videos of some of the smaller model railway exhibitions I've attended and occasionally of my own layout.
My railway history interests are mostly the railways of Cumbria (UK) for which I've written 4 books. I'm also interested in the history of railways in Canada and the USA including for some of the more obscure places I've visited. I record hours of video for YouTube when I go,
Please subscribe to my channel and press the Bell and select All to be notified of my new videos!