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Great movie ❤

BR had a not dissimilar proposal, around the same time, to close the Hull to Doncaster direct route citing the Ouse Swing Bridge and shipping hitting it causing damage that was too expensive to repair. Closure was proposed between Staddlethorpe Jctn and Goole, with Goole station moved west of Boothferry Road and the line from Doncaster becoming a spur to Goole. Hull to Doncaster services were to be routed via Selby. Thankfully that didn't happen. I'm too young to know the reasons why but in their attempts at closure BR I recall listening to an idious BR placeman forwarding the ahem benefits of closure. Now London services run via Selby but there are 2tph, usually Sheffield to Scarborough semi fast and Doncaster to Hull stopper.

Brilliant piece of amateur documentary film. A truly valuable archive.

What a marvellous film, thank you so much for sharing it.

Hope every passenger travelling over the S&C appreciates the people that built it, and we that fought to keep it. Best route in the country. Ex Railwayman .

Wonderful video! Oh for a time machine!

It's so good to see films like this stunning production on RUclips thanks for uploading..

Michael Portillo had nothing to do with it. The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle demonstrated that BR had been neglecting maintenance and inflating the repair costs, the publicity increased passenger traffic and made the line profitable on passenger traffic alone, the Commons Transport Committee recommended that BR's request to close the line be rejected and Portillo's deputy signed that off.

You see a 70MPH sign!....60MPH in 2024 and this was a fast main line.

Proud to have worked on the S & C on the P/Way. I'll always remember Derek Soames & Arthur Ashton from Settle Jct with great fondness. In October 1989 British Rail set about the task of waterproofing Ribblehead Viaduct which required closing the line down for several days. For me it was a chance to finally get to work on this famous structure. Six months earlier I had joined the railways, my first position was with the Clitheroe permanent way gang, and I was now coming to the end of my probationary period, and determined not to let myself down. Little did I know that this shift was going to prove to be a tough & memorable one. It was the Sunday afternoon of October 29th and having picked up the gang at Clitheroe it was off to Ribblehead station. On arrival things seemed to be going well, getting out of the crew bus we were required to walk the last stretch to the viaduct, the track had been lifted so there was no shuttle service of any kind! When we reached the site the ballast was being levelled and we were instructed that the crane being propelled by a Class 47 was to bring the 60ft track panels to our location, we would then bar the panels into position and plate them up. By now it was starting to go dark with the rain getting harder and the wind getting stronger. I was instructed to go to Skipton to pick up a driver and guard to relieve the current crew on the Class 47. So it was back over the mostly darkened viaduct, the temporary strip lights on the parapet walls made the trudge back a little easier. Coming with me back to Skipton were the crew off the Class 47. I remember the guard had to catch a train from Skipton back to Healey Mills, telling me to put my foot down and step on it. Always obey the last order!! I can still see his face as he left the crew bus outside the front of Skipton station. His hat was at a funny angle and he seemed to be walking sideways, a bit like Norman Wisdom, his comments to me were very colourful! With the replacement crew on the bus it was now a steady run back to Ribblehead, with the wind getting up and the rain lashing against the windscreen. Not the best of roads to be driving on. Back at Ribblehead I donned my wet weather gear, which was clearly not up to the job demanded of it. The rain gear which was not easy to move in consisted of a heavy long plastic orange coat and a sou'wester hat. Walking down the track from the station to the viaduct I could feel the wind blowing me about, definately rough weather. The strip lights on the parapet walls were visible, highlighting the rain blowing over the walls as it hit the viaduct from the west. It was like looking at a wind tunnel although when I got onto the viaduct I couldn't feel any wind or rain. Now I've heard the tales on the Settle & Carlisle about a man falling off the viaduct only for the wind to blow him back on the other side, and of the turntable at Garsdale when the wind got hold of an engine which was being turned, the spinning locomotive only being stopped by the shovelling ballast into the turntable pit. I was now beginning to wonder whether there was any truth in these stories as this was a damn rough night. Continuing through the wind & rain the distant orange glow of the brake van on the back of the ballast train came into view. To anyone who has ever seen a brake van and thought they were basic and uninviting, well trust me this one was a very welcome sight. The gale force wind assisted me in climbing on board the brake van. Opening the door I was greeted by the lads who had got the stove going and were keeping warm between sharing shifts of dropping the ballast. The biggest surprise however was to be greeted by a dog curled up in front of the stove keeping warm. A quick cup of tea, and then it was out onto the back of the ballast wagon to drop some stone. Somehow the parapet of the viaduct had minimised the full force of the wind & rain but climbing up onto the ballast wagon brought me into the full fury of this stormy night. The wind and rain was really lashing at my face as I rode up and down the track turning the wheel on the hoppers to let the ballast out, the ploughs on the brake van were used to level the ballast. The job was running late and by the time we got back to Ribblehead station it was 00.30 on the Monday morning, three hours behind schedule. The Ribblehead gang were based in the then decrepit Ribblehead station and the last I saw of that dog was when one of the Ribblehead gang lads put it in the station building and locked the door behind it and said "We'll see it tomorrow morning and find its owners." I still don't know to this day what happened to that dog so if any of the then Ribblehead gang reading this or anyone else who knows then please let me know! As for me I passed my six months probationary period with flying colours - I earned my stripes that night, and have worked on the railways for nearly 18 years, now working on the former Midland Railway at Chinley. I feel honoured and privileged to have been able to spend five years of my career working on the Settle & Carlisle line.

Ahhh Steam Days probably the best Steam Enthusiast programs ever made. Probably the only better were those older live shows in the last days of Steam with the lost audio Railway Roundabout.

What a lovely video about a much beloved line as it was, really enjoyed it. 🎉

Brilliant reprise of how this astonishing rail route was built, views of the people who operate it and that common sense prevailed and the route is still with us.

I remember watching this in 1985, the programme received an airing right across the ITV network via their First Tuesday documentary strand. IIRC Jonathan Dimbleby ended the broadcast by highlighting that 'End of the Line' was still a question. I don't think that I've ever come across a better use of the magnificent Nimrod to accompany the footage of the line.

11 coach trains and 80 trains a day! Must have been before the "let's get as much traffic as we can off the route so we can claim it's not used" days.

Most enjoyable documentary. Haven't seen it before. Glib Ron Cotton of BR personifies so much of what was wrong with the railways then, and to some extent now. I find it ironic that the railway route was saved, but Yorkshire Television, one of Britain's finest television companies has since lost its identity and been absorbed into the generic ITV brand. Progress?

David Joy, interviewed next to Ribblehead, came to our school to give a talk on the S&C. As a schoolboy I did my bit to fight closure.😊

0:39 This LNER Gresley A4 Streamlined Pacific Express Steam Locomotive Mallard Is A Bit Like Flying Scotsman. Thanks Mate. X❤

Excellent video

Great video.

It was great to see this , Thank you very much!

Captain!...What Exactly the p People finally got the point!.

Me and my dad and his work mate did work on Ribblehead viaduct in 1988.

This has all the characteristics of being an episode [secondary title, mention of 'next week' at end titles, etc]. Does anyone know if this is part of a series, and where the rest might be hiding?

This was a good companion piece to Thomas the Tank Engine when I was little.

Thank you for sharing this ! I have never seen it before and thoroughly enjoyed watching it ! Thank god the line was saved thanks mainly to people power - I first started visiting this line in the early 80's so seeing some of the stations as they were then in such a run down state brought back lots of memories for me ..... Excellent short documentary ....

instead of focusing on balance sheets, the main focus should be on whats good for the people who live and work in the area,by keeping the line open it brings others from outside the local area, to see the glorious sites of the beautiful landscape and spend their cash.which can be put back into the local community and go towards maintaining the line and the lovely structures that support the line. its seems like in those days BR was run by acountants and not railwaymen and women.

Thanks John for the restoration and upload. Good to see the correct attribution to the creators, the Halifax Cine Club.

The Railway That Refused To Die'

Thanks for posting. I remember the attempted closure but I never saw this documentary. Thank goodness people power means we have this fabulous line today. Ribblehead viaduct intact. Respect to all the navvies that gave so much to connect communities and deliver goods.

Thank you for posting this. It just shows that you can beat the system!

When is a goods train not a goods train when it's a freight train according the man in this video?

Beautiful loco!

0:43 Where's the Benny Hill theme song when you need it? Great seeing this on RUclips.