Archive Series

Ref: LP376D

Price:£19.90

Today's rail freight scene is very different from that of 25 years ago. Block trains are the mainstay of the current scene - a far cry from the vast amount of waggon load traffic carried by Speedlink and, more recently, Enterprise services.

But it's not only the traffic that has changed - so has the traction. This - the first of two volumes - looks back on happier times at freight trains that no longer run and features many branch lines and terminals that no longer exist. Here we cover Scotland, Wales, Northern England, Yorkshire and Humberside.

Among the many nostalgic items featured are: Hunterston to Ravenscraig iron ore, Chivas Regal whiisky, Larbert to Oakleigh ICI tanks, Clitheroe to Gunnie cement, Scottish coal from Knockshinnoch and Westerfield, Dundee and Inverness Speedlinks, grain to Roseisle on the Burghhead branch, coal to Georgemas Junction, Oban fuel tanks, Taynuilt timber, Welsh coal from Pontycymer, Marine and Point of Ayr, Trawsfynydd flasks, Maentwrog Road explosives, Holyhead Freightliners, surplus coal being removed from Padiham power station, Ellesmire Port to Amlwch chemicals, Burry Port to Coedbach coal, Stanlow to Aberystwyth fuel tanks, domestic coal to Preston Deepdale and Llandudno Junction, Ebbw Vale steel, Ripple Lane to Kilnhurst tanks, Eastgate cement, Redmire limestone, salt from Middlewich, coal trains leaving Wearmouth, Westloe and Easington Ccollieries, Corkicle ICI chemical tanks, Freightliner's Lynemouth to Pengam aluminium ingots, North-East coal trains arriving at Blyth Staithes and Bates export terminal, coal from Bickershaw colliery and the Selby Drift Mine, coal traffic on the Sunderland South Dock branch, Grimsby Tioxide to Roxby gypsum waste, Broughtom Moor MoD... and many more...

Also featured are the last rites at Ashington colliery along with Blyth Cambois and Sunderland South Dock stabling points, plus some fascinating views of some of the closed branch lines and freight terminals as they were in 2010.

Locomotive classes featured are diesel classes 03, 08, 20, 25, 26, 31, 37, 45, 47, 56, 59, 60 and electric classes 85, 86 and 87.

The material in this programme was filmed during the 1980s and 1990s and covers the latter years of British Rail from Speedlink, Railfreight Distribution and Trainload Freight to the subsequent shadow franchises and into the early years of privatisation with EWS. It was a period when freight trains offered a constant variety in terms of commodities, traction and wagons. Sadly most of it is now history.

Availability: AVAILABLE

Cover photo: Paul Furtek
Narrated by: David Maxey
First published on DVD: 2010
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R

Running Time: 100-mins (1hr 40min) , Colour
.

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Ref: LP373D

Price:£19.90

Gone are the days when vast amounts of wagonload traffic were carried by Speedlink and, more recently, EWS Enterprise services. Also gone are the days when there was a vast array of locomotive classes to haul countless freight services, many of which have long ceased running. This second (and final) programme looks back on happier times at freight trains that no longer run and features many branch lines and terminals that no longer exist. Here we cover Central and Southern England, London, East Anglia, the South East and the South West.

Among the many long-lost traffic flows from the 1980s and 1990s that feature in this nostalgia-packed volume are: Bardon Hill bitumen; Oakamoor sand; Caldon Low limestone; Lackenby-Corby BSC coils; Tunstead-Margam limestone; Langley Green chemicals; Long Eaton tanks; Swindon-Longbridge Rover parts; Willington power station coal; Etruria steel; Fletton flyash; coal traffic on the Silverhill, Silverdale, Denby & Bentinck colliery branches; Wisbech pet food and tin plate; Kings Lynn-Ketton coal; East Anglian Speedlinks; Fen Drayton sand; Brandon timber; coal for Claydon cement works; GATX West Thurrock oil terminal; Park Royal Guinness traffic; Marylebone fuel tanks; Akeman Street UKF fertiliser; coal to Chinnor cement works; Little Barford flyash; Immingham-Ripple Lane newsprint; Salfords sand; tank traffic to Micheldever, Littlemore, Slough Estates & Langley; Speedlink coal services to Chessington South, Aylesbury, West Drayton and Exmouth Junction; domestic heating oil trains to High Brooms, Staines West, Portfield and Horsham; coal to Falmouth Docks coal; Moorswater china clay; Burngullow-Irvine china clay; Heathfield tanks; Northfleet cement; Chatham Docks waste; Kent coal traffic; Northfleet gypsum and cement; the Dover Train Ferry and the ‘Linkspan’ operation; Newhaven aggregates; Paddock Wood goods; Furzebrook-Hallen Marsh LPG; Hamworthy cement; Lavant-Chichester aggregates; Quidhampton tanks; Frome bitumen; Exeter-Dollands Moor china clay and automotive traffic to Southampton Western Docks.

We also feature the domestic heating oil and Speedlink coal services that once served the southern half of Britain and include some fascinating views of some of the closed lines and freight terminals as they were in 2010.

Locomotive classes seen are diesel claases 08/20/25/31/33/37/47/45/50/56/58/60 and electro-diesel class 73.

Availability: AVAILABLE

Cover photo: Paul Furtek, David Hird and Len Walton.
Narrated by: David Maxey
First published on DVD: 2011
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R

Running Time: 110-mins (1hr 50min) , Colour
.

To tell a friend about this item, click to Share or send an Email: