Top Gear on the GCR shown July 17, BBC2

[flymo]

The Top Gear episode filmed on the GCR recently is on BBC2 this Sunday July 17 at 8pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012qrz1

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May attempt to make train travel cheaper, faster and more interesting by replacing the conventional carriages and locomotive with a series of caravans attached to a specially modified car.


Edit : Press release from GCR

Something tells me it will be a hoot....

 

[Heinz57]

I'm looking forward to it.

Sounds like its going to be a good laugh. I seen a advert for it on BBC1 yesterday, looks pretty funny.

Not only do we have the boys making trains, but the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car this week is Rowan Atkinson!

I'm realy looking forward to this weeks TG now!

 

[GearJammer]

It was a bloody good laugh. Was good to see everyone getting involved and and into the spirit of things, fair play to the owners of the peak for letting it be used to smash up a caravan.

 

[Tracked]

liked it, just hoping that whoever makes the choice about a Pacer replacement wasn't watching it

 

[43106]

"Scum Class"? I just remember outside toilets in the early 1960's, BUT ON A TRAIN??? :roll:

 

[ainsworth74]

Brilliant episode this week enjoyed both their alternative 'train' designs but also the section with Rowan Atkinson. Also didn't see that collision between the Peak and the caravan coming, but also what is it about Peaks and colliding with things at speed? First a nuclear flask now a caravan!

 

[trentside]

It was certainly a good laugh, though the minute I saw Hammond with a bottle of cooking oil I could see the fate of the Buffet car. Also, in Standard Class the seat to window alignment was worse than on a Voyager!

Great episode, great to see Rowan Atkinson on as a guest finally!

 

[boing_uk]

The ride quality on the TGV12 however looked smoother and less draughty than a 142/3/4

 

[mralexn]

The ride quality on the TGV12 however looked smoother and less draughty than a 142/3/4

i just love how he managed to get it to do over 80MPH!! i mean, thats faster than a pacer :P

 

[networkrail1]

I bet the driver was happy smashing through a caravan

 

[LE Greys]

i just love how he managed to get it to do over 80MPH!! i mean, thats faster than a pacer :P

It may have been speeded up. The GCR speed limit is supposed to be 25, and it seems unlikely that they would be allowed to go over it. If he had reached that speed, he would probably have ended up in the canal. I saw a few slightly dodgy bits of editing, with them crossing Swithland Viaduct several times despite it only supposed to be a single trip.

Funny thing is, the idea of cars on rails has been used as a serious means of transport. There was a line in Paraguay called the Autovia that had dilapidated Ford 8s as its rolling stock. 2ft gauge, I believe, and apparently not very well maintained, but the old cars would bucket along at remarkable speeds. My only source of information on it is a Gerald Durrell book - he travelled along the line a few times on one of his collecting trips. It was apparently a nerve-wracking experience.

 

[theblackwatch]

The GCR speed limit is actually 75 mph in a lot of sections.

Knowing one of the passengers in the 'TGV12', he did tell me a couple of days after the event that it certainly was not a smooth ride!

 

[LE Greys]

When Clarkson produced the picture of that broad gauge locomotive (designed by Gooch, not Brunel, Brunel's engines were not good runners) he might not have realised that it was a Rover class. Mind you, these weren't much like the products of Longbridge, they weighed 70-odd tons and could thunder along the GWR at 70 or 80 mph. That's a challenge for the people who built North Star if ever I thought of one.

 

[BrummyBoy]

liked it, just hoping that whoever makes the choice about a Pacer replacement wasn't watching it

Agreed, mind you, could be worse and place a Dennis Dart bus on the rails.

 

[BlythPower]

I bet those nutters in Harrogate have been getting ideas...

 

[185]

Harrogates? James May could bid for the entire TPE franchise and win it with that.

After all, they only had just the one fire on the Caravan Pullman.

 

[Class172]

After all, they only had just the one fire on the Caravan Pullman.

And no mechanical failiures

How about mounting a valenta in a Land Rover disco!?

 

[Minilad]

And no mechanical failiures

How about mounting a valenta in a Land Rover disco!?

Don't go giving Kernowfem ideas !!

 

[Kernowfem]

Don't go giving Kernowfem ideas !!

Too late........Oh dear.......

Id be more than likely to use the Defender, it's pulling/towing performance is much better

Having said that i'd like to add that i don't go around "mounting" anything normally....

 

[Crossover]

Just watched this today - as funny as ever from the TG team!
Hammond should have left May to most of the announcements...he was catering manager so it was up to May to announce station calls etc...good old bit of DOO :P
Overall, the end results were no worse than a Pacer....(TGV12 was vastly quicker), no more draughty, no more bouncy, had the same number of wheels per carriage, had a loo without retention tank, had better catering provision, didn't drop its engine or gearbox assembly and was overtaken by quicker trains

 

[Lrd]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure the "TGV12"'s carriage only had one axle with 2 wheels in the middle. This is what the last few shots looked like.

 

[Yank 119]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure the "TGV12"'s carriage only had one axle with 2 wheels in the middle. This is what the last few shots looked like.

Looking at it now, it certainly appears that way.

 

[Wyvern]

It was the caravan train that had two axles per carriage which is what he meant

 

[Lrd]

The caravan's were modified to have "a wheel in each corner" according to Hammond and we were shown this. The TGV12 carriage only had 2 wheels, in the centre.

Edit:
Sorry, I know where your coming from now, it was me who mis-read the post! Whoops

 

[Hydro]

The caravans had the splittable P-way trolleys bolted underneath them, one half at each end

 

[DarloRich]

I thought it was a very funny show - just the right amount of childish humour!

The worrying thing is that Northern will get that stock cascaded to them - and it will still be better than a pacer!

 

[passmore]

I thought it was excellent, a positive 'two finger salute' to the health & safety bureaucracy we have in this country. Clarkson is my hero as some of you may have gathered. A man who cuts through the arid sterility of PC like a knife through butter.

They really don't like caravans much, do they?

 

[DarloRich]

I thought it was excellent, a positive 'two finger salute' to the health & safety bureaucracy we have in this country. Clarkson is my hero as some of you may have gathered. A man who cuts through the arid sterility of PC like a knife through butter.

They really don't like caravans much, do they?

but that is all an act! He isnt really like that:roll:

 

[Desiro360]

I thought it was entertaining and very funny. One of the best Top Gear episodes I have watched.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

This episode definitely goes up with the best of then - Botswana, Middle East etc.