London’s Lost Transport Dvd

Description

This programme takes a look at the city’s buses, boats, trains and trams as well as London aerodromes.

Features shown include Second World War with work and leisure time.

It starts firstly with the early horse drawn buses of Edwardian period and moves through time with motor cars, scenic railway plus the many differing periods of fashion.

Open topped buses from 1910 as well as the variety of London taxis.

Also ships in the London docks during 1935 including floating cranes, steam tugs and paddle steamers.

In 1910 the buses and trams, 1935 LNER steam trails and the railways in which they ran plus Metropolitan line of Underground.

Other footage includes London markets at Billingsgate, road repairs and other assorted selling in the streets.

Just under an hour of non-stop archive footage of the past times.

This programme is not a rivet-counting story of the various authorities who have run London’s transport, but a casual look at some of the buses, trams, trains, boats and London’s aerodromes, that have served the city well.

It is also a study of Londoners as seen at work, play and during the Second World War.

Edwardian horse buses feature first.

It is odd how so many film makers start with feed the pigeons in Trafalgar Square.

Also seen here is a working site of the many Tube railways springing up all over the City.

Superb scenes of more horse buses and Hansom Cabs in Parliament Square follow.

Piccadilly Circus has early motor cars trundling around and the first motor buses appear.

Underground railways did not attract pioneer film makers so we have some excellent drawings by W. Lucker Jnr adding to film of the Metropolitans extensions into the country.

When Tower Bridge opens up, the quaint signalling system is seen in action as a ship approaches.

Nearby a paddle steamer departs to Southend where Edwardian ladies wet their ankles in the sea.

The LCC holds a ceremony in 1903 to welcome in their first electric tram route.

In 1908 the Franco-British Exhibition is held at White City and a fashion show revels what the ladies were wearing.

Remarkable scenes follow in East London, early trams and buses in Whitechapel, East Ham and Stepney.

Trams in Barnet follow.

The LUT scrap old trams and introduce the famous ‘Feltham’ advanced luxury tramcar.

On the Underground ‘Standard’ stock is seen being built and variations are seen running in West London.

The Metropolitan are running ‘T’ stock trains and electric locos.

London’s first electric trolleybus the ‘Diddler’ is seen at Kingston, dodging around the trams there.

In 1933 all transport concerns, except the main line railway companies, came to be run as one organisation – the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB).

This far reaching body inherited a vast collection of old and new buses, trams, trains, etc.

We take a look at some of these.

‘General’ buses, LCC trams and tube trains of the Underground Company.

Trams still trundled through the Kingsway Subway and emerged under the foundations of Waterloo Bridge being re-built above them.

Rare colour film of 1934 shows ‘General’ buses, Green Line coaches and the many fine cars and taxis of the period.

A tour of London Docks in 1935 reminds us of the days of sailing wherries, steam tugs, floating cranes and ships of many nations.

Fish was still delivered by boats at Billingsgate Market.

London street workers repair roads, chairs, sell flowers and tom Barrel organs.

Whilst ‘posh’ children went to the park with their nannies.

Cinema posters are pasted up and we go to Leytonstone High Road in 1936 where (in colour) trams and buses pass the Academy Cinema.

Londoners get off ‘Standard’ stock tube trains at Hendon Central and head for Hendon Aerodrome to see an Air Pageant take place.

Or board a Southern Electric train for London Airport – then at Croydon.

Imperial Airways fly those magnificent machines – huge bi-plane airliners.

The LPTB started its 1935 ‘New Works’ plan amongst which LNER steam worked, branches would be taken over by tube trains, such as the Ongar Line.

Standard stock trains are seen in colour and new 1938 tube trains were put into service.

The Second World War sees Londoners sheltering in tube stations once again.

Air raids took its toll on the Boards buses and trams.

1945 – The end of the War welcomed by crowds in Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square (colour film).

The tram replacement programme was resumed.

Trams terminate at Victoria Station for the last time and buses take over, but many remain in service in South London.

The ‘RT’ bus was put into full production after the pre-war versions are seen.

In 1951 London hosted the ‘Festival of Britain’ exhibition on the South Bank.

Many special buses were put on to cope with the crowds.

In Battersea Park Rowland Emmett’s wonderful ‘Far Tottering and Oyster Creek’ railway is seen in service.

Old buses still lumbered on and the Board was forced to hire in many provincial buses to cope.

They are seen going past the many bombed sites still littering the City.

St. Paul’s Cathedral was still surrounded by ruined buildings.

STL buses were being used on the famous ‘Skid Patch’ at Chiswick works.

Colour films of the last days of the London tram comes next and their sad demise by being burnt to scrap is filmed at Penhall Road Yard in 1952.

1956 sees the new aluminium bodied tube stock being launched at Acton station.

Also at Acton the little shuttle to South Acton stops running.

Standard stock tube trains are seen running to Leytonstone in the resumption of the pre-war plan.

A prototype Routemaster appears on show.

The production models would be used to replace the trolleybuses.

Scenes then follow showing the ‘Trolleys’ still in service in North London, the scrapping programme starting behind Colindale depot.

Finally (in colour) magnificent shots on a snowy day of trolleybuses at Barnet Church in 1962.

Produced 2004.

Approx. 60 minutes.

This dvd is being sold on behalf of and with full permission of Online Video.