B&R .29 Dvd: Steam Around the Midland

Description

Steam around the Midland is a nostalgic look back at scenes on the Midland Railway centred on Luton and its many branches north, south, east and west.

Much of this film was shot in 1959 when dieselisation of the Midland main line was just beginning and steam still had charge of the majority of traffic.

Jubilee’s still had express workings supplemented by Royal Scots, Black 5s and the odd Britannia.

Fowler and Stanier tanks had local workings and 4F and 8F worked freights alongside the newly introduced 9Fs.

Typical Midland doubled-heading is seen and some very interesting special workings in connection with Luton Town Football Club and some quite special headboards bring back the flavour of the steam worked Midland main line.

Other specials for enthusiasts in the area will bring back memories of long gone Midland branches with 4F, 2P and Fowler tank haulage.

Not forgetting the first railtours utilising Captain Smith’s GNR tank No. 1247 traversing the branch to Welwyn and Hertford from Luton.

More locations feature such as: Leighton Buzzard, Wolverton, Northampton Bridge Street to Bedford via Olney, Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers, Derby Works and Stavely Ironworks for the Midland 1F tanks.

Film from Brian Lockey of Luton who recorded so many of the events around the Midland Main Line from 1958 onwards.

The accent was on Luton Midland and Bute Street, from Napsbury to Sharnbrook before steam finished on this busy route into the capital.

Early railtours over closed branches and secondary lines are included, with sometimes quite unusual motive power, such as both tours with J52 No. 1247 in the early sixties to Hertford and over the Hatfield to Luton line.

A journey around Midland and London and North-Western lines centred on Luton is the main theme of this DVD.

Included are all the usual LMS types associated with the area such as Jubilee, Royal Scot, 4F, 2P, Fowler and Stanier tanks, 9F, Black 5, Super D, 8F and Standards, Northampton-Olney-Bedford locals, Wellingborough and excursion traffic at Luton (just look at those headboards).

The Hemel Hempstead and Higham Ferrers branches preclude a visit to Derby Works.

The “Farewell to Midland” steam tour of June 1968 with “Oliver Cromwell” from Derby to Manchester brings to an end another fascinating insight into a long vanished scene.

Overall this is wonderful coverage of Midland Railway working with no modern day scenes, just an hour of pure nostalgia of the steam age around the Midland Railway.

Approx. 60 minutes.

This dvd is being sold on behalf of and with full permission of the copyright owner – B&R Video Productions.