Welsh Railways: Full Steam Ahead BBC TV 4 Part Series (28/01/13).

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Hi All

Starting next week (in the time slot just after Great British Train Journeys), is a new 4 part mini-series about the re-building of the Welsh Highland Rly.

Starts 19.00 - 19.30 on Monday 28th Jan. 2013.

Sadly not well advertised by the BEEB, so I thought that I would help out by Posting here

Enjoy!

ATB

CME

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Hi

I may be talking myself here, yet I just watched the first of these programmes and very enjoyable it was too

A few recognisable faces on the prog. and some nice flash-backs to the 1990's and the start of the line's rebuild - there was even a couple from Swindon Wilts. working on the line. The producers even gave some air-time to the protesters and their views (which ranged from slightly fearful <understandably> to the down-right ridiculous, no value judgements and no railway based bias on my part).

I love the NGG16 Garratts - almost a standard gauge loco running on the narrow way

Prince is a cracking little loco too.

Ah fond memories of North Wales and steam

CME

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Hello, hello, hello???....<echo, echo, echo...>

No replies? - oh well still on me' own then

Last night's episode was interesting with some more known, to me at least, faces, including, (known to us all) Pete Waterman, who formally opened the WHR, and liked riding on the NGG16 Garratt so much that he bought one of his own!

BTW I loved the NGG16 in the snow - superb!

Sad that one farmer now has to phaff about with un-gated crossings on his land thus requiring 5 people to help him get sheep across the line at one point - come on WHR, help him out!

Shame the real Welsh Highland Heritage Railway wasnt mentioned either, I understand <waits to be shot down> that WHHR helped the WHR a lot and then the WHR did the on them after they had gotten what they wanted - all sounds very sad to me

Tonight's programme focuses on the Beaching cuts and reinstatement of such lines - perhaps Llangollen Rly et al??...so dont blame me if you miss out some quality TV re standard gauge railways in Wales

Looks like the programmes were first shown on the Welsh channels in 2011....

ATVB

CME

 

[Osgood]

Thanks to your heads up, CME&BW, I did watch the first one and found it very interesting. Am I being too optimistic in hoping for an appearance tonight by this fine engine?

 

[westernfan]

If anybody missed it, just go to BBC iplayer to watch it. There is some footage of trains running along the Afan Valley which coincidentally I recently posted images of in the gallery section .

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Hi Fellas,

Thanks for the replies and glad that you enjoyed the programmes and interesting little series.

BTW I have amended Post #3 with a few more comments, some positive and some not so.

It was nice to hear of the myriad of standard gauge lines - and see some unseen footage - that existed prior to Beaching.

IMHHO whilst a cull of sorts was needed using Pareto's 80/20 theory was, shall we say, lacking any grown-up thinking - too simplistic. The surveys for such were, in some (perhaps many?) instances 'rigged' ie inspectors would turn up on site, well knowing that such and such station was on it's quietest day of the year, thus the baby was often thrown out with the bath water. Now of course many want various lines reopened and agreed Beaching didn't have a crystal ball, yet railway infrastructure is expensive to build and many lines have been built over, such a shame, that even if services were halted, the lines in question weren't moth-balled for a few years - giving people time to appeal/make their case etc. . All seems to me like a traditional BR 'force-fitted' strategy from the top down! Beaching was, at that time, the highest paid consultant/railwayman, his right-hand man, gave up his position in the Road Haulage Association (I having a feeling that 'shares' were passed on to his wife) so as to help out! - Pearce and Crump in charge of BR anyone

We have been really lucky with the amount of railway stuff on the Beeb of late, yet none of it was 'advertised' as such, with the exception of one or two for Dan Snow's prog.

ATVB

CME

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

The final programme finished off the standard gauge segment.

Some cracking footage of industrial and coal lines in Wales.

One sequence was of an 0-4-0 with the Engine brakes full on and still being pushed by it's unfitted coal train.

There were several tails of runaways.

A nice story about a shunter who was built like the proverbial 'outhouse' and how he would pin the brakes down by siting on the brake lever, laughing as he did so, as he knew that others would find it hard to get the brakes back off at the bottom of the hump/yard!

Some nice interviews with old railwaymen

Lots of footage of Langollen too

ATVB

CME

 

[Phill Dyson]

I have watched parts one & two so far.....very good, I particularly liked part two (keep posting those pics Westernfan), I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series too ........thanks for making us aware of the series CME

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

I have watched parts one & two so far.....very good, I particularly liked part two (keep posting those pics Westernfan), I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series too ........thanks for making us aware of the series CME

Hi Phill,

You are very welcome.

Glad I caught sight of it, as it wasnt well publicised

ATVB

CME

 

[Phill Dyson]

Now upto date & looking forward to part 4

 

[Osgood]

Just watched the Welsh Valleys coal episode on iplayer. Very evocative listening to the old crews describing their experiences. Some wonderful footage for gleaning weathering ideas.

Fascinating watching it all, but leaves you with a slightly down feeling of 'where did we go wrong?'.........

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Just watched the Welsh Valleys coal episode on iplayer. Very evocative listening to the old crews describing their experiences. Some wonderful footage for gleaning weathering ideas.

Fascinating watching it all, but leaves you with a slightly down feeling of 'where did we go wrong?'.........

Hi

My thoughts to a tee

ATVB

CME

 

[taliesin]

Just watched part 2 for the second time on i player, for my money the best railway program for years, well done Beeb. The Crumlin viaduct is something else and its great listening to the old crews. Seeing the Bala Lake Railway was a bonus as i have volunteered there for many years now. Hopefully this series will be released on DVD, cheers Rob

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Just watched part 2 for the second time on i player, for my money the best railway program for years, well done Beeb. The Crumlin viaduct is something else and its great listening to the old crews. Seeing the Bala Lake Railway was a bonus as i have volunteered there for many years now. Hopefully this series will be released on DVD, cheers Rob

Glad that you enjoyed it

I have visited Bala Lake Rly a few times with those lovely little locos 'Holy War' et al. I have called in a few times on the off chance and found it to be closed - twice

Yes I hope that it will be on DVD to as I could only record it to a RAM Disc

ATVB

CME

 

[westernfan]

Just watched part 2 for the second time on i player, for my money the best railway program for years, well done Beeb. The Crumlin viaduct is something else and its great listening to the old crews. Seeing the Bala Lake Railway was a bonus as i have volunteered there for many years now. Hopefully this series will be released on DVD, cheers Rob

Most of the footage is taken from the B&R video productions Vol.78 Along GWR lines part 2 Oxford to Cardiff . This dvd also includes footage of the last trains on the Fairford branch and Chalford amongst others

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Most of the footage is taken from the B&R video productions Vol.78 Along GWR lines part 2 Oxford to Cardiff . This dvd also includes footage of the last trains on the Fairford branch and Chalford amongst others

Hi WF,

Thanks for the tip-off

As I have mentioned before, I had a relative that worked on the Fairford Branch

The Chalford Flier - I issued some works contracts and orders for that part of the world too

I will have a look at Vol 78 - so many DVD's so little budget

Thanks again.

ATVB

CME

 

[taliesin]

Most of the footage is taken from the B&R video productions Vol.78 Along GWR lines part 2 Oxford to Cardiff . This dvd also includes footage of the last trains on the Fairford branch and Chalford amongst others

Is the Crumlin viaduct and the "slipping" engine on this DVD? cheers Rob

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

Is the Crumlin viaduct and the "slipping" engine on this DVD? cheers Rob

Good call - I forgot to ask

I think that the DVD's retail - direct - at £19.95 (BTW I tried to post a link yet Firefox wouldnt allow it, may have another go 2moz with Google Chrome)..................

.......my dad got all excited when I told him about the Fairford branch, he enjoyed the BBC mini-series too

 

[daifly]

I bought one of these via eBay for less than a tenner a couple of months ago. It's worth keeping an eye out.

 

[CME & Bottlewasher]

I bought one of these via eBay for less than a tender a couple of months ago. It's worth keeping an eye out.

Hi

I had a quick scout about yesterday, yet to no avail (second-hand), great idea though - lucky you

ATVB

CME