 Hello, thank you for joining me this morning. I'm at Stoke-on-Trent station. I've just got myself a coffee for the journey ahead We're not going too far today But I just thought we'd start the video here at Stoke-on-Trent because I've always liked this station and just thought it'd be nice to include it on a video. It was opened in 1848 by North Staffordshire Railway It's said you've got two through platforms and over there there's a bay platform Whenever I come here, what do if I'm traveling sort of in the morning or sort of around lunchtime? I go in this place, get a coffee. If I'm traveling later on in the day as in sort of around dinner time or fancier pine Go in that place there. It's called Bodge. It's really very small pub, but it's quite nice and it's got lots of different beers It's owned by the Titanic Brewery, so I'm not going to go in there now, but I do frequent there It's a really nice little pub. It's kind of got a little bit of a Berlin wall down the middle because one side is This side is inside the ticket bar is the other side is outside the ticket bar is Because this station does have ticket barriers personally. I think it shouldn't because it's not a metro station We're now going to go over the bridge So if you're in Stoke-on-Trent do go to Bodge for a pint and they do these really nice giant sausage rolls for dinner Now most people crossing to the other side. We use the underpods Which doesn't have any stairs So I thought we'd go that way for a bit of fun Doors closing I think this was probably originally like a luggage or a cargo bridge Originally, but it's now become the disabled access to the other side of the platform, which is Good use of a bridge and it gives us a nice view of the station When the doors open which they are slowly doing here we are so we're now kind of up in the girders of the station you can see the station down there Got about five minutes into my train to crew We shall walk down to the end of the platform and have a look at the Now just got wait for the lift to come to get us down. So it's a bit weird this bridge in the fact There is no stairs at all bridge now that mysterious door over there. I'm not sure where that goes But it's not public. So let's now Go down to platform doors opening So I've said we're going to crew today indeed we are and this is an episode of miniature row in Britain and I know yet we haven't found the miniature railway because We're just at Stoke on train station We did do the miniature row in this area of Newcastle underline a few weeks ago today. We're going to And that crew There is Crew heritage center which has quite a nice little miniature railway and it's also an interesting heritage center So that's why I thought we would go there today now And I said we'll go down to the other end of platform But first I just wanted to quickly show you something down this end of the platform If my train suddenly pulls in I will have to run, but I don't think it's due just yet I think I've got about three more minutes. So It's a bit bit rushed, but you know plenty of time. There's something a bit weird up here. So let's go and have a look If anyone knows why it's here Then you know do comment and tell me look. There's a giant hand And look just to show how big it is it's bigger. It's taller than me It's this huge hand with like a statue of what looks to be like half a lion half human in the middle of it, so No idea what that's about but if you know You know do comment and tell me It's a bit windy out here. Let's get back under the cover of The overall roof I do like stations of overall roofs. It makes them. There's just something nice About them. It kind of conjures up that you know sense of long-distance travel To an age, you know where railways traveling, you know It was a real adventure now people just jump on trains and they're not too bothered about what type of trainer on or What to look out the window? They just want to get from A to B So yeah, it's very trapped building. I can't show you it because it's on the other side But across the road from the station is the North Suffolkshire Hotel, which would have been built around the same time That's probably ticket barriers. I can't just run in and out the station to show you which is a bit annoying So that's odd That's why I've got my coffee. So There the two I recommend. Let's just go down the other end of platform What's quite interesting is see that arch. That's the main entrance next to the base. It's actually a wall memorial It says in memory of the men of the North Staffordshire Railway who fell in a great war between 1914 and 1918 So I wonder how many regular commuters Notice that I'm just coming down to the other end of the platform I've got a bit longer than I thought I've got five minutes to my trains due so Probably just to point out this end platform then I'll stop filming till I get to Cribs. So Here's a class 323. I like these units are quite cool. I like the sound they make when they pull off It's not about to go so we can't film it going but the other thing I do like about them I don't know if I can show you. It's you particularly easily but The seats are all properly lined up with the windows Good thing what I sometimes do fun travelling say to crew and this is going first I'll get on this to kidsgrove and then get on the 350 kidsgrove, but I can't do that today So I'm now gonna wait for my train to arrive So we are on the train now and We're just on the approaches to crew now all those things exciting coming into crew Whichever way you come in you always see something exciting This out the window in a minute when the trains finish I don't know what I'm gonna see but no doubt there'll be something there usually brand new trains sometimes older trains All exciting class 68 025 and something you transpine mark 5 Behind them. There's a break of x virgin and 1x anglia mark 3 coaches. So That's what I mean. You never quite know what you're gonna get to see coming into crew. It's an O8 shelter as well I see that and just see it from the trees Now there's an O808 6 8 Sorry 8 6 8 We are now approaching crew our final station Thank you for traveling with London, Northwestern Railway Please remember to take all of your personal belongings with you when you leave the train Please mind the gap when leaving the train and step onto the platform Before removing heavy luggage and push chair 92 if you see something that doesn't look right speak to staff or text the British Transport Police If you can make it we'll sort it see it say it Do not leave your belongings unattended. Please. They may be removed without notice and tell me thank you for traveling with London Northwestern Railway And also So I'm now walking from crew railway station to the heritage center now, it's hard to believe but this car park over there Residential houses there is a big tower block which is hiding behind those trees a residential tower block all of this Was once railway land Just so much a crew, you know, it seems like there's a lot today, but it must have been amazing in its heyday There were just railways everywhere not just standard gauge railways. There was 18 inch gauge tramway all round crew works That wouldn't qualify that because that was an hour gauge not a miniature railway So we wouldn't make a series on it if it's the existed, but Probably would do a video, but just not under the means row of Britain series. So as I continue to walk through this Housing estate, which as I said is all former Railway areas. I think Dutch specifics of sat here where we walk today And It's just strange really that this is how things change, but have a look at an old map of crew and you and You know, you'll be surprised just how much of Crew was railway works anyway. I'm gonna carry on walking so I get to the heritage center So as I walk between Tesco supermarket and Tesco's petrol station They have an unusual approach to a miniature railway, but I know we are almost there Crew heritage center. You see they've got a them for thing. I think the miniature railway. It's just on the other side of this palisade fence So It's Livia. We're tired. We need to get across. There's a zebra crossing up there. I think I shall get across here Let's run across the road and we should get our first glimpse of the miniature railway. You can just see that through the fence so what we need to do now is Go and pay to get in and Have a ride look that's exciting as a tunnel Let's go in. I'm excited now It's a bit of an unusual shape this site. It's like a v-shaped site around two sides of Tesco That's what I like about miniature railways. It's always so different. You never get to you know the same I know we can get a better view of it. The nice of a train came along and of course that's the main line just over there so here's the The miniature railway. There's visitor to parking here. So I I chose not to drive here I thought it'd be more fun to come by train, but I could have driven here So if you do ever drive there is somewhere to park. I wasn't actually sure if there would be or not. So That's why I came on the train Okay, I'm gonna go and pay to go in Just paid my entrance fee. Here's one end of the miniature railway. I know what it does So it's like a v-shaped it kind of goes right up there behind the APT Station down there. So I'm not sure whether we're going to get on at this end or the other end Whichever way we'll have a trip from at least one end to the other and Possibly back again, but let's let's just kind of wander over here We'll do I want to do the railway first. That's like I think I'm most excited about but then after we've done the railway We'll go and have a look in the APT Because that looks exciting have been in it before came here about 10 years ago on the way back from a holiday in North Wales. I can just see the miniature trains just departing. So I think we've missed that one But let's if we go over there quick enough. We can watch it go past so I'm just sort of blanking out everything around because I want to get over to where the train is But we will have a look at everything because there's quite a lot to see. So let's just watch the Miniature train pass and then we'll go to the other end This actual length is about 600 yards, I think but from one end to another isn't so far So it goes right down there. So anyway, I'm gonna go to the other station and have a ride I don't think that's gonna happen for a while I'm just gonna get inside the APT to finish the video. It's quite fun going on the miniature railway It's quite unusual shape so it's sort of V-shaped as it goes to the end of the APT and that way But then the site of Crew Heritage Interest V-shaped that way around the Tesco So it's quite unusual place. The only other miniature railway I've found I think of this layout was the one next to Chadwell Heath station Which we'll have to go to again at some point. So what I'm gonna do as soon as we're in the APT I think I should definitely make a video, but it'll be a separate one I'll do another video of the Heritage Center. So have a look out for that in a couple of days time I'll leave you with the Barbies and Ken enjoying a trip on the APT