B&R .40 Dvd: Setting the Standards

Description

A programme of British Railways Standard Classes of locomotives introduced onto the main lines of Britain in 1951.

The Standard Class locomotives on British Railways were supposed to be the answer to post-war steam traction problems in a world far removed from pre-Nationalisation days.

Some designs from those days were perpetuated into the 1950s but the programme of standardisation began in 1949 with the first locomotive delivered from BR workshops in 1951.

By 1960, when 9F 92220 ‘Evening Star’ emerged from Swindon Works, there were a total of 999 engines in twelve classes of six different wheel arrangements.

From an extensive archive collection of film we have been able to tell the story of these locomotives in great detail using only film from pre-1968 days, except in the case of 71000, even though we do portray her at Crewe in the early 1960s.

With this one exception, all the classes shown cover the varieties and workings of the locomotives within their class and after extensive research, we believe we have found most of them!

This is the story of those engines using archive film from the 1960s.

They are seen in all their working modes, some clean and ex-works, others in weekday grime as steam traction came to an end on British Railways.

Some classes were almost unnecessary in their construction, being overtaken by events in modernisation and cut backs after Beeching.

Others like the 9Fs were a new concept on British Railways tracks as a class of 2-10-0 in any great numbers.

Unfortunately most had a very short life.

Each class is looked at in details with their associated workings throughout the country.

Most modifications within a class is illustrated, tender types, double chimneys, the 9Fs had six alterations within the class.

The Standards worked on all regions with varying amounts of success.

From liveries to modifications and tender types you will find them in this programme.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that we cover the country from Scotland to Weymouth and West Wales to Tyne Dock since these locomotives were meant to traverse, within their limitations, the majority of lines on the BR network.

Over ninety different engines appear in many locations, at work in Scotland, Wales, the South of England, the North and the Midlands.

Locations are too numerous to mention, but scenes on main lines, branch lines and motive power depots all feature.

They run fast and slow, attack gradients and shunt in scenes never to be repeated in preservation.

Good quality 8mm and 16mm film has been used in what is a completely different kind of programme from our normal ‘area’ type of film story.

Some views have been seen in earlier releases and some will be used in future productions, but here we see them in a completely new context, the real story of Standard Steam.

Approx. 60 minutes.

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