East Yorkshire Steam Dvd

Description

In 1954, Frank Dean, a young signal engineer in the North Eastern Region of British Railways, was instructed to take part in the production of a training film being made by a British Transport film crew, which inspired a life-long interest in filming.

His later rise to the higher levels in British Railways allowed him not only access to locations barred to the public, but also prior knowledge of closures.

This enabled him to record routes and stations before they vanished forever.

The programme, which also includes the work of other amateur cameraman, begins at York in 1964 before heading east to the market town of Malton where a line led to Gilling, Ampleforth and Coxwold.

A journey on the branch’s pick-up goods gives a fascinating reminder of BR’s rural freight operations in the 1960s.

Following this journey, the footplate crew of a Class B1 locomotive is joined on a regular passenger working from Malton to Pickering and Whitby.

En-route, the camera recorded scenes across the picturesque North Yorkshire Moors to Grosmont where the line from Middlesbrough via Battersby joined the Whitby route.

From Grosmont, the line passed through Sleights and Ruswarp before arrival at one of the most famous ports on the Yorkshire coast – Whitby.

Here, the B1 is left behind and a DMU is boarded for the journey to Scarborough via the scenic coast line.

The now-closed route through Robin Hood’s Bay and Ravenscar is traced before arrival at Scarborough, where, even in 1965, much of the holiday excursion traffic was steam-hauled.

This meant Scarborough’s locomotive depot was still busy, and a variety of steam classes are featured in and around the resort.

The last months of the coast route between Scarborough and Whitby witnessed several enthusiasts’ specials.

Of these, perhaps the most poignant was a humble Class ’03’ diesel shunter at the head of a pair of brakevans giving demolition contractors a ‘tour’ of the route after its closure – the prelude to the lifting of the line.

The Archive Series of railway videos features the United Kingdom’s rail network from the 1920s to the 1980s with the primary emphasis on the steam era, although contemporary film of early diesel classes is often included where this compliments the theme of the programme.

Approx. 67 mins.

Region 0/Region free. NTSC versions are available on request.

This dvd is being sold on behalf and with full permission of the copyright holder – Cinerail 2004.