B&R 237 DVD: London Midland Steam Miscellany, Part 9

Description

The ninth volume in our popular ‘Miscellany’ series to cover London Midland steam compiled from mostly unseen footage from a variety of different cameramen and in the order the film runs off the original cine reels.

The John Ryan Collections.

The ninth volume in our popular ‘Miscellany’ series to cover London Midland steam. This time it is compiled entirely from cine film taken by John Ryan from the Wirral and assembled in the running order of the original cine film. There is coverage across England, Scotland, and Wales and we include previously unused footage from the B & R archives with the emphasis on London Midland material.

There is some excellent film across the Wirral which includes 9Fs hauling ore trains from the dock at Bidston via Storeton, Heswall Hills, and Burton Point to the John Summers works at Shotton – the heaviest regular unfitted mineral workings on the whole of BR. The line from Birkenhead Woodside to Chester is covered in detail, such as Birkenhead shed, Rock Ferry, Bebbington & New Ferry, Spital, Hooton, Capenhurst, and Upton-by-Chester. We then move to Gresford bank, Wrexham, the Brymbo branch, Ruabon, Cefn viaduct, Chirk, Chirk viaduct Gobowen, and Shrewsbury.

The North-West of England is another area well-photographed by John at locations such as Preston, Layton, Poulton-Ie-Fylde, Kirkham & Wesham, Croston, Ormskirk, Town Green & Aughton, Maghull, Aintree Sefton Arms, Wigan Wallgate, Hindley North, Clifton Junction, Bradshaw Brook viaduct, Southport, Banks, Hoole, Penwortharn (Cop Lane), the Horwich to Blackrod and Chorley push-pull, Royton, Manchester, Ashburys for Belle Vue, Guide Bridge, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Didsbury, Meir, Pleasington, Rose Grove shed, Hest Bank water troughs, and Whalley viaduct.

There is more film in Wales at Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Rhyl, Gwersyllt, Gowerton South, Swansea Victoria, and Bynea Halt. Other locations visited include London Marylebone, Camden, the Newport Pagnell branch push-pull the ‘Newport Nobby’, Rugby, Alston, Lanarkshire, Gleneagles, Carlisle, Alston, Stanley Bridge Halt, Bristol, Berkeley Road, Gloucester, Fenn’s Bank, Birmingham, the Kingsbury branch & Baddesley colliery.

The time period for this film is through the 1960s up to 1968. Motive power includes ex-GWR 56xx, ex-LMS Stanier Class 3 2-6-2Ts, 1Fs, Class 4 2-6-4Ts, Crabs, 4Fs, Jinties, 8Fs, Ivatt Class 4 & 2 2-6-0s, Black 5s (including experimental types), Jubilees, Coronation Pacifics, Super Ds, BR Standard Britannias, Class 5 (including Caprotti examples) and 4 4-6-0s, Class 4 2-6-0s, Class 3 77000 2-6-0s and 82000 2-6-2Ts, Class 2 2-6-0s & 2-6-2Ts and 9F 2-10-0s.

An authentic sound track has been added along with an informative commentary to complement this further nostalgic look at the last years of London Midland steam.

Colour & B/W.

Approx. 96 minutes.

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