Marsden Rail 33 Dvd: East Coast Main Line Steam, York to Newcastle

Description

This programme continues the northward journey of Marsden Rail No.32 from London’s King’s Cross Station and features the East Coast Main Line, in addition to several branch and secondary lines that served the York to Newcastle route.

The first location is York, with film taken between 1945 and 1965 illustrating why the city held such an attraction for railway enthusiasts.

Even in the early 1960s, an immense variety of motive power could be found with expresses headed by ex-LNER ‘Pacifics’, along with numerous steam-operated freight workings.

Early diesel types also contribute to the mix of traffic that gave the city’s railways their unique appeal.

Thirty miles from York is Northallerton where the branch to Hawes left the main line at Castle Hill Junction and many parts of the branch, including Hawes, are featured in the 1960s.

At Eryholme Junction, eight further miles north, the branch to Richmond and Catterick left the main line and is shown just before closure.

Next is Darlington, with its two stations, locomotive works and steam depot reflecting the town’s importance as a major rail centre, which was still evident in film taken in the 1960s.

A journey on board a DMU from Darlington to Bishop Auckland in 1965 is followed by journeys to Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle and Kirkby Stephen over the long lost Stainmore Route.

Continuing north, scenes at Shincliffe on the Leamside Line are followed by film taken at Durham in 1962, with a variety of ‘Pacifics’ and Type 4 diesels competing for ECML workings.

After scenes at Low Fell and Bensham on the approach to Newcastle, Central Station, Gateshead Depot, Manors and Heaton Junction feature – together with trolley buses in the city centre.

Once again, film taken in the 1960s shows steam in charge of most workings, from J72 and V3 tank locomotives on empty stock workings to V2s, A1, A3 and A4 ‘Pacifics’ on main line workings.

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.