Marsden Rail 32 Dvd: East Coast Main Line Steam, Kings Cross to York

Description

The programme opens at King’s Cross Station in the early 1960s, with ex-LNER ‘Pacifics’ still working mainline services.

Views in the station are complemented by fascinating film taken between 1944 and 1963 at King’s Cross Depot, before London is left behind on board the ‘London-North Eastern Flyer’ enthusiasts’ special, headed by Class A3 60106 ‘Flying Fox’.

Heading north, Hitchin, Biggleswade and Sandy are shown before arrival at Peterborough, with film taken between 1948 and 1964 showing an immense range of steam classes at the North Station.

The ECML is temporarily left behind as the once-direct route from Cleethorpes to Peterborough via Alford, Firsby, Boston and Warrington Junction is featured in 1962, with ‘Britannia’ Pacifics in charge of these services.

A second short detour from the ECML features a journey on board a railtour that arrived at Peterborough in October 1962 behind the last ex-GCR ‘J11’ in service.

Heading north from Peterborough, 1960s ECML traction is shown at Essendine, Newark, Peascliffe Tunnel and Great Ponton, with various ‘Pacific’ classes, V2s, B1s and o1s at work.

These scenes are followed by film taken at Grantham, with steam and early diesel traction filmed in both the station and locomotive depot.

North from Grantham is Doncaster, where film taken between 1945 and 1965 in the station, locomotive depot and works reflects the town’s importance as a major railway centre throughout much of the 20th century.

A wide variety of traffic is shown and film taken within the locomotive works in 1945 shows Gresley’s ‘Great Northern’ in the final stages of its rebuilding into a Class A1/1.

Continuing north, we join a service from Goole to Selby at Barlow, followed by film at Church Fenton and Ulleskelf on the route from Leeds that joined the ECML just south of York.

Arrival at York finds steam traction much in evidence, with unique film taken in the station and locomotive depot between 1931 and 1967 highlighting the changes  in motive power over the years and these sequences bring the programme to a close.

Between 1959 and 1968, railway enthusiast and cine-cameraman, Michael Marsden, recorded views and sounds of the rapidly changing face of Britain’s rail network.

For over twenty-five years after steam ended, he captivated audiences throughout the country with his unique film collection that captured steams’ last decade and the full emergence of the diesel locomotive.

The blending of this film and that of other cameramen with true sounds of the era, plus an informative narrative, has resulted in the creation of a superb range of railway programmes detailing the last decade of British mainline steam operations.

Approx. 70 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 – Marsden Rail 2004.