If you are a millennial, the chances are that Thomas The Tank Engine had a huge impact on your childhood. Steam engines are simply as cool as it gets, and Mike Fernie gets behind the controls of a beautiful engine on the oldest running heritage railway in the world, The Talyllyn. The question is, are trains becoming less cool to kids these days?
A massive thank you to the volunteers at Talyllyn for having us, check out their awesome little railway here: https://www.talyllyn.co.uk/
Music ID: MB01AOQNF4L7GM9
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Great video Mike and beautifully photographed. I bet you loved every second of it!
A great episode, but Ime a heritage railways fan , so I am biased 😬
It was appropriate he was on the Tom Rolt- as it was he who in 1950, inspired the movement that preserved the railway.
“Fantastic” just had me thinking of Jeremy’s review of “Country File”
Me and my 6 year old son enjoyed it.
I'll be honest: I'm not a big fan of Mike when he talks about cars. But this was TIP TOP.
Wow, driving the "Tom Rolt"… lucky boy! He was an important man in the story of 'industrial archaeology'.
😊👍
I remember going the when I was around 8 ☺️ I loved it, need to go again
Getting hyped over Thomas the Train.
As Jim Carrey would say: Allllllllllllrighty then.
Are trains becoming less cool….
Jeez, i dunno. We can fly, can't we? So why waste time on tracks?
We can go to the moon. We did it 6 times already. Still waiting for us to go back again, but….. we can go to the moon.
So nah.
Trains are exciting.
A huge piece of metal sliding down a long thin metal track, exciting.
Cool.
Until they break down right at a junction, where you need to cross the tracks.
And the only way around that junction is diverting 100 miles.
Then it becomes less cool.
Especially in hot summer.
Went back there recently for the first time in about 15 years and brought all the memories back! This place is also the birth place of the original Thomas stories, all of their engines are in the original books. The engine you were playing with is Ivo Hughs in the books
Realistic chuffing sound!
Absolutely amazing, what a way to start my morning. Truly a gift for the eyes and ears.
(audible chuffing)
"I'm in an episode of Thomas The Tank Engine – and I'm f'ing loving it"
Really enjoyed this. Often I find Mike's presenting a little too saccharin and sychophantic, but in this case the passion felt very genuine. And I do enjoy a heritage railway…
I see Mike's wearing a garment from the James May Boiler Suit collection. 'Ery noice.
I completely agree with Mike's analysis on kids' TV. I was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine as a kid and as such I have an interest in steam engines. Kids nowadays do not have the same outlets or influences. Its a real shame
This is a very excellent video.
Wonderful video
Here in Colorado we have a narrow gauge rail line from Durango to Silverton, every summer as a kid when we went to our land in Durango I would haunt the station and take the train back and forth at least once every summer trip. Once I grew up, I took the Amtrak across country several times over the years and have never tired of it. Something magical and "old timey" about being on a train, it's slow enough that you can see the world around you passing by, and the journey becomes an actual part of the trip, unlike with planes or cars. I've met some great people on the trains, it's a different breed of folk who prefer that mode of travel.
That was awesome. Thanks Mike & team!
I wonder if anyone has made an electric steam train?
Yeh but also we've had mass immigration and a big shift in demographics, the people replacing the British who aren't having enough kids to stop their population declining, do not care about British history, they think it's all racist….. despite coming here which is weird.
Trains like this are so cool.
Should make a visit to Tanfield Railway, one of oldest railways in the world. Who have done some amazing redevelopment work recently, again all ran by volenteers
It's got to be such a great feeling for them when someone with the same love and enthusiasm comes along for a tour.
I hope Locos become big with kids again, When i pass i will have a huge estate of over 150 engines and countless freight and passenger cars
Now I love steam trains ugh lol soo cool
id love to see the trio around steam railways
The majority of the locomotives are entirely electrical with artificial steam for effect.
Since he is a TTTE fan, I sincerely hope he knows that this railway is the basis of the Skarloey Railway
Every holiday we go on, we find a heritage railway of some sort to visit!
Superb, loving the variety you're bringing here.
Absolutely fell in love with this place many years ago.
Always love going back to the Talyllyn!
16:11 Have a OO gauge and OO9 gauge* layout! They're huge fun! (Speaking from experience!)
*OO9 = 9mm gauge. Same scale as OO (mainline) – 1:76 – but narrow gauge, like Talyllyn; the 2-6-2T Mike bought is OO9 gauge.
I would absolutely LOVE to visit the Talyllyn one day, my problem is i have a gigantic puddle in between me and the railway and I genuinely don't like heights (much like James May), so flying is absolutely out of the question. Maybe some day I'll manage to go, but only time will tell.
P.S. Not gonna lie, it would be SO cool if Richard Hammond built his own model railway in his own little man cave! Even though James always seemed like HE is more the model railway buff than Hammond.
Because this popped up to my recommended page while i was watching videos mobile it said this old steam railway is more important than you
Fun fact the skarloey railway in Thomas and Friends is based on the Talyllyn Railway
Finally, a video from "I'm Mike" that can be enjoyed rather than endured. Nicely done!
(And I just gotta say it:
Not a single mention of James' Gin, and not even a plea – grudging, ironical, or otherwise – to "Like, comment, subscribe", so … YAY for that!!)
This was a fantastic watch. Would love to see you with a GWR Castle someday in the future for the channel.
Build the layout and take us along the journey.
I love how even the top gear/grand tour lads recognise that the cgi Is the downfall of thomas and other kids television. I think need to male the shows intelligent again aswell . We weren't treated like the scarecrow from OZ when I was a kid
More steam engines! I love them.
This was your best episode yet.
Man what an epic video. I was never into trains myself but now I'm feeling a real love for steam locomotives. Beautifully made, amazing landscapes, and Mike's passion is ever contagious. Keep up the great work!
Hammond and James literally make your channel. Stop trying to be relevant.