I've just seen that 4 people disliked this film - they must be bonkers. This is a valuable document recording a lost route, extinct locos and archaic working practices. Anyone with an interest in railway history owes Alan and Heather a debt of gratitude for making it available.
What an absolute gem this is! I travelled this route from Manchester to Sheffield one Sunday afternoon late 1979/early 1980. They were doing some work on the Hope Valley line so the train was diverted along the disused Woodhead route. When we arrived in Sheffield, the line didn’t go directly into the Midland Station, and to get on to the right track, it had to first pull into the old disused Victoria Station, which had been closed for about 10 years at that time. It was really eerie, like it had just been suddenly abandoned, there were still old posters up from when it was in use, but surprisingly it looked in a fairly decent condition.
I did a similar trip at the same time, maybe we were on the same train! I had a pint of Bass in the Midland Station buffet, and then went back to Manchester again.
I worked as a student civil engineer on the Manchester District and installed level pegs on the left side of the lines approaching Manchester London Road as it was then called.
Yeh, I can remember back then very well, as a schoolboy back in the late 50s, I used to rush over to London Road to watch the 16.30 semi or Princess Coronation class arriving from Crewe most days, yeh good memories.
The countless times I've traveled this route in the 50's to the early 60's from being a young boy into my early teens on route to and from to my grandparents in Oldham via Guide Bridge..... I even remember the steam hauled days in the 50's......thanks for the memories
Boy does this bring back lovely memories. Me and 3 lads from Cudworth nr Barnsley caught the train in 1964 from Penistone to Crewe via Manchester on a trainspotting day out. Never forget keeping my head out of the window going through Woodhead tunnel with all the lights shining on the walls. Thank you for showing this video.
The fastest route between Sheffield and Manchester - and it was closed! A brand new double line tunnel built - and it was closed 30 years later. Just crazy. Thanks for the great video ( please use miles, not horrid kilometers!!)
THANK YOU An invaluable history. I travelled on this route by steam and electric as a boy; how vast Guide Bridge was, how high Dinting viaduct was, and in retrospect - how long M/c Central CLC via Levenshulme South was...great though. On return we'd get the electric into London Road/Piccadilly as my Dad said it was much quicker.
A fantastic record. Thank you very much for uploading. I caught a train from Penistone to Woodhead (and return) on the last day of passenger services in 1970. What a terrible, terrible waste of what could have been now a extremely useful rail link.
I knew the line well, travelling from Sheffield to Manchester on a daily basis ( to school ). Smoke filled carriages when going through the Woodhead tunnel is, something that I can clearly remember to this very day.
Wonderful videos Alan and Heather! So grateful you took the time and effort to record these long lost lines and haven't left them tucked away. The films really stand as a important social and historical record of the period. Love the channel!! H
I am old enough to remember when the line was electrified after the War. To celebrate this special trains were run from various Eastern Region stations. A group of us cycled to Essendine (of Mallard fame) to catch one such special to Manchester via Woodhead. It is a long time ago now but I think we used our battered Shed Directory, which I still have, to visit as many Manchester loco sheds as we could before catching the train back. Years later, when I was a postgraduate student in Sheffield and living in Manchester, I sometimes used to cycle over Woodhead to the university and cycle back over the Snake. The reason - back wind over exposed Woodhead and more protection from the headwind over the Snake. I paid a farewell trip over the line with my daughter in its last days in a DMU. It was wrong at the time and even more wrong today that we allowed our railways to be butchered by politicians and those who should have spoken up for them but preferred to keep their silence. The role of both railway management and the rail unions was completely negative at this time.
I'm from a railway family, and it both disgusts and saddens me that our wonderful railway system has been trashed, dismantled, and destroyed the way it has been. It is a well known fact that this country would have been on its knees and defeated in both the 1st and 2nd world wars if we hadn't had such an extensive and complete railway system, which was essential for moving so much material, and people (troops etc.) around, and so many dedicated employees to work the lines & associated services, and yet so many successive governments have allowed/caused the railways to be run down. And it's not just the steel rails and the infrastructure, it's also the social aspect of it too. Every time a station (goods or passenger), or a line is closed, or a train service is cut, people loose their jobs, people are put out of work. And on a national basis, that's many thousands of people shoved out onto the dole (and against their will too). It's also false economy, because closing all those lines, stations etc. might save a bit of money, but not when all those previously employed people are then having to be payed unemployment benefit instead (for doing what?), and then not only, but also, what about all the tax (governmental income) which the government is now not getting because all those people who were previously working, and paying tax, are now paying none. (And all this is quite aside from any environmental concerns including more cars, lorries, & busses (and traffic jams/holdups) because more people have been forced to use the roads.
Great comment Phil, yeh my memories are synonymous with yours, memories of cycling over the snake pass and also watching these lovely locos trudging away over the pennines and the old Reddish sub shed back in 1958 known as 9H and regards your old battered shed directory, I still have a combined volume of British Railways locos from 1955 and I am now 78 years old, some mementos are well worth cherishing.
When you come out of Thurgoland tunnels Heather & Alan the level crossing is Blackmoor , the siding that goes off to the right through the gate goes into Blackmoor fuel terminal ( conoco ) at Oxspring i worked there, now sadly closed .The line should have never been closed a stupid decision for sure , really enjoyed watching the film Alan & Heather .
Ain't it typical of the stupid way things are handled by those who are "in power" in this country, that in typical fashion, huge sums of money were spent on modernisation (electrification) of this line (including major and expensive work to bore a new tunnel), only for it to be trashed and obliterated a few years later.
wow just came across this film,what a walk down memory lane for me,in 1960, 61, 62, i along with friends used to use this route to go spotting at Crewe, early morning start from Barnsley on DMU to Sheff midland,then a run up to Victoria to get the train to piccadilly,transfer to the new blue electrics to Crewe,the trains were all brand new and in those days stopped at Crewe.Then a glorious day watching the last great days of steam i still remember the thrill of seeing my first Stanier pacific coming of Crewe North.I am 74 now where did it all go,but the memories still burn bright of those great days when a lot of engines were still well kept,before the rot set in,thanks again for such a great film and the memories.
Wonderful video. Thanks for posting. I've travelled the Glossop to Manchester Piccadilly route so many times. The train still pulls into platform 1 (or 2) as on this film. Gosh the embankments are so clean in this film. All very overgrown now!
Britains first all electric main line in the space of a few years came the transition from a national showcase to a unwanted liability such a shame. Thanks for posting your fine movies
UNDERPANTS _ no the first electric main was between Shildon and Erimus Yard, Newport. This was electrified in 1916 and de-electrified in the 1930s, when the original equipment needed to be replaced as worn out, and as the cost of electricity was too high compared to the price of coal the LNER decided to revert back to steam haulage. The NER was going to electrify the mainline from York to Newcastle and the Shildon-Erimus Yard was the prototype for the plans, but WW1 prevented this happening. The Shildon-Erimus Yard line was also electrified to 1500V DC.
Government interference in the Grouping from 123 to four Railway Companies did not help. More buggering about by Monopolists. The NER could have triggered an electrification boom. Even the laggard LNWR would have had to respond.
No, it's not. There was a huge slump in traffic and the obsolete locos and electrification equipment needed replacing. BR couldn't justify the expense and a few years later all the coal traffic the line carried had gone anyway.
We need a direct route to Sheffield and we cannot continue opening lorry pistes. Well we could but we'll spend a bomb maintaining them as the juggernauts crush them provided gratis by the state. Trucking gets a free ride!
How can anyone dislike this ? What a stunning piece of film capturing a fascinating glimpse of a Britain sadly long gone.We would travel up from Derby to sit on the then closed Sheffield Victoria to see the charismatic EM1 Bo-Bo's.
A wonderful video of this amazing line, before the de-industrialization of Britain began in earnest. I certainly hope a copy finds its way into the NRM archives. An invaluable resource. Thanks for uploading this for all to see.
What a fascinating time capsule from 1965 - it was amazing to see how an area can change in just over 50 years. Interesting to see how the approached to Manchester Piccadilly have changed. I walked across the line at Crowden in 1974 when walking the Pennine Way, then walked the Longdendale Trail (Hadfield to the Woodhead tunnels) from 1992 as the long-distance path was being created on the abandoned formation. Thanks - and compliments to the voice-over talent.
Thanks Mike. The "talent" just happens to be my wife - and YES she DOES have a talent for speaking clearly - to the kids in the class she was teaching.😊
Only just stumbled upon this brilliant cine record. Thank you. Fortunately I was able to travel this route on a diverted Pancras to Piccadilly train on a Sunday in 1980. Unfortunately, it was Class 47-hauled throughout without a 76 taking over at Victoria. The mix of moorland scenery and northern industrial was amazing to a young southerner like me!
True. Prehaps most of the 76s would have too. Nederlandse Spoorwegen wanted to buy 32 Class 76s for goods trains in the Netherlands linked to the Maasvlakte electrification
And 2 of them returned to GB after 1986, when the locos ended their life in NL. One got a make-over in the BR livery and was one of the many guests during the celebration of 150 years of railways in NL in 1989. The other one is, in Dutch livery, in the Greater Museum of Science in Manchester.
Thank you very much, I was about to go to bed and tuck myself in for the night, then I found this video, what a treat, so the kettle went on, the biscuits were broken into, the maps came out, the video was stopped, started so many time my cat called it a night and headed upstairs, this was truly a treat, I inched my way through the entire route, being an ex driver for 25 years but having been away from the railway for over 10 years my overriding distraction for quarter of a century was looking for the railways of yesteryear, this video and perfect narration was both a treat and an educational journey, thanks again.
Fascinating film of a now very different countryside I know well from walking with my brother and his wife, who live in Mellor near Marple Bridge. Typical gloomy weather, but I don’t think it would look right if it was sunny. Also, super commentary from Heather, her voice is definitely a treasure!
i remember years ago my mum and dad took me on the train to manchester and we went via the woodhead tunnel it was asteam loco. regarding the comment about the drivers calling it a hell hole i clearly remember the smoke coming in to the carriage at about 5 years old it was frightening then my dad jumped up and closed the window
What a fantastic document! This really shows the extent of the network in the Northern Powerhouse and it’s such a great shame we didn’t keep more of it. I can’t get over the number of crossovers we saw, emphasising how many different routes there were. Well done Heather and Alan for a great job.
I really enjoyed my trips from Piccadilly to Sheffield Victoria before the line closed. Many thanks for posting as well as to your wife for narrating, I promptly subscribed.
The best record of what the much-missed Woodhead Line was like in its last busy years - when there was still steam and the 1500v electric passenger service. The first of the passenger trains in the eastbound direction is the 'North Country Continental' to Harwich via Sheffield, Lincoln and Ely at 5:24 . It is composed of modern BR Mk1 coaches (and the fifth coach looks to be a buffet car). The following train is a Manchester-Sheffield service calling at intermediate stations such as Guide Bridge and Penistone. It is short and has ex-LMS stock.
Thanks a lot Alan andHeather for a great bit of nostalgia.. I never saw the EM2's. I lived in Hampshire [still do] . So i couldn't afford to make the trip.A missed opportunity.
WOW! This took me back to the 50s when we took the train to Manchester then on to Liverpool for our summers in Ireland. I wrote about the trips a few years ago for an Irish website.
I remember seeing one of the electric freight locos going through Hadfield in the mid 1970's. We were visiting family in the area and travelled to Manchester a few times on the EMU's. 🚂👍
Well the Woodhead line is another example of the short-sightedness that began with Dr 'Axeman' Beeching and continued for some time after his departure. It's closure was as ludicrous as the closure of the Edinburgh - Carlisle 'Waverley' route 11 years previously. Edited to add....Sorry Alan I omitted to express my appreciation for such a wonderful upload. A real video time capsule of a bygone railway era. Thank you so much for sharing.
Why do people always blame Beeching? As regards Woodhead his Beeching Report earmarked the Hope Valley line for closure to passenger services instead but Wilson decided Woodhead services would be withdrawn 6 months before he was kicked out. And lets remember it was Blair in 2007 who approved the full use of the larger tunnel for National grid to route all their cables and this was completed in 2012 thus making it very costly to ever be re-used for railways. Beeching never closed one tunnel, lifted a foot of track or knocked down one station. What he did do was show BR how to reduce the cost of operations to the taxpayer and create key services still in use today like InterCity and Freightliner. The blame for the civil engineering vandalism of thousands of miles of track and tunnels (thus losing all rights) was the Labour Party of Harold Wilson and Barbara Castle in particular. It was only Portillo's bravery that avoided the destruction of the Settle and Carlisle line. The tragedy is it cost more to employ thousands of track gangs and hundreds of trains to lift the old tracks than it would have to run a weedkiller train every year. We would still have the GCR (lost forever) and the Varsity line that is costing billions to re-open.
You are aware that all railway companies closed uneconomic lines long before Beeching had been born let along become Chairman of BR? And why did this line close? Well let's see. There was recession which caused a drop in traffic and the remaining traffic could be accommodated on other lines. When you then add in the operational costs that required for, the Fiddler's Ferry MGR trains as an example, 3 locomotives and crews (a diesel at the pit end, and another at the powerstation end plus the DC electric in the middle). And then there was the power supply equipment that was non-standard and coming up for replacement. When you add it all up there was nothing BR could do except close the line as their hands were tied by the politicians.
@@1chish sorry but the Varsity Line was never that useful with only one train doing the full run each day. It was faster and more convenient to go via London.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 Well as a past Project Officer on EWR I would argue the premise of your argument about the Varsity Line but typically BR would give a crap service, drive passengers into their cars and then say its not viable. Or they would fabricate a monstrous repair or maintenance cost on old infrastructure (like the S & C) for the same objective. My point remains that the tracks should never have been lifted as that lost all railway rights. As to your comments on Woodhead again my simple point is that by all means stop the services if they are not viable but just maintain the tracks and routes at a minimalist level and not spend millions for navvies and engineers trains to rip them all up. THAT was just vandalism.
@@1chish I was looking at the October 1950 timetable which shows one through train from Oxford to Cambridge but no corresponding return service. You could make the journey in both ways on other trains but as it had been in the days if the LNWR you had to change at Bletchley. Now as this time table was only 6 months after the end petrol rationing I doubt that BR would have been reducing the timetable to drive passengers off the roads and into cars. Your comment is another example of the unthought through comments of the Beeching haters and unworthy of you. After all the Varsity Line wasn't on Beeching's hit list and was as part of the Modernisation Plan going to be a key link in the London Oribital Freight line for which the flyover at Bletchley was originally built and for which a new marshalling yard to be created. Thankfully the marshalling yard at Swanborne was never started. As for mothballjng, it hasn't stopped the Bramley Line from being impossible to use. Today that line hasn't seen a train for almost 2 decades and all of its level crossings have been removed and trees have been allowed to grow in the trackbed. Although there are calls to reopen the line there is little hope of it reaching Wisbech until funding for a bridge for the A47 can be realised. And taking the bridge at King's Dyke taking 40 years to be completed, I won't be holding my breathe on that reopening. However, mothballing costs money and the railways, like all public sector organisations have to show value for money and that the money they have been allocated from the public purse has to be seen to be spent sensibly. It's as true today as it was in 1981. The bramley line is mothballed but has been allowed to fall in unusability by the lack of money for maintenance. But the big question mothballed can't answer is how long must a line be retained before it can be considered of no further use? They all claim that the closure of this line of that line was short sighted, but can't give me the next 6 numbers on the National Lottery (as I write this it's just over 24 hours away not 5 years away). When Dr Beeching was given the Chairmanship of BR he was tasked with controlling the deficit, as we all know, but most people ignore the fact that the government had prevented BR from raising prices at a time when costs were going up, one commentator put it as BR was created with 1941 prices and 1948 costs. The deficit was caused by the ignorance of the political masters of the BTC. Now when the 1sr Beeching Report came out who could have predicted that in little over a year that the UK's economy was about to tank due to political incompetence over the preceding 12 years? Pretty short sighted for those in charge. Or do we have to keep an unused line until the day it might be needed again? If so, the country would have been bankrupted by the mid-1970s. We don't retain worked out mines do we? Or coal mines that can't be worked economically? So, why should we keep an uneconomic railway? The taxpayers have never accept such arguments.
Thanks Martin, my rail & waterways viewers will be keen to see your unique & insightful channel ruclips.net/user/MartinZero like me rediscovering transport treasures ... always nice to cross promote too
Excellent !.. good memories,. thanks for the upload,. I remember all the stations names - and used to travel this route every day as a 16 year old..in 1962.. to Manchester Piccadilly then walk to 'Deansgate' ,. I think almost all loco's were steam.,
Why have 21 people disliked this film? It's some rare footage of the first electric mainline railway, and one of the most loved (and missed) routes in the country. It's a valuable historical record. I hope the original film footage still exists! If it does, please ensure it is bequeathed to somewhere like the Lancashire Archives where it can be stored archivally and digitally copied. I could watch this all day. I remember seeing 76s going over the viaduct at Glossop as a kid in the early and mid 70s. I regret not going back when I was older to see them properly before they left for good in 1981.
You mean the first main line electrified for passenger AND FREIGHT. London to Brighton was electrified in the early 1930s, but freight remained lergely steam hauled.
I used to be a secondman at Guide Bridge a driver once asked me to take a 350 shunter to Dewsnap the only time I was ever on the main line alone it was a frightening responsibility drivers really earn their money the knowledge they have of each route is extraordinary I soon realised the job and the hours didn’t really suit me a shame because I met some real characters and loved the Woodhead route.
What a wonderful find on RUclips. I'm building a model of Sheffield Victoria in the 1950's and colour footage of this kind is invaluable. Thank you. Anyone with colour photo's of the area around the station and track should be encouraged to publish them.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us - the filming and commentary are very interesting indeed, particularly to someone like me who was not alive at the time to experience it first hand. I recently walked along part of the route of the Woodhead line up to Hadfield and then took the train on what remains of the route from there to Manchester - even pulling in to platform one as back in 1965. It is sad to think how much of our railway network was lost in those days.
It is a crying shame that the route closed before video cameras became cheap enough to film the entire route without a) having to spend a fortune on 8 mm film, and b) without having to change the film every few minutes. If only there had been a predecessor of Don Coffey to record the whole route, with informative captions. I can remember my parents taking me from Leeds to Marple to visit a great aunt in the mid 1970s, and we drove via the Penistone - Dunford Bridge route. Dad stopped at Dunford Bridge and we watched a coal train hurtle out of the tunnel, and then another one speed into the tunnel. I knew the line was closed (probably irreversibly) to passengers, but I thought the coal trains would always be there. Fast forward to the early 80s when I was on a train back to university and I saw a placard at Reading Station (of all places) announcing the imminent closure of the line altogether. In the late 80s I was going to see a friend in Liverpool and went via the Woodhead route to see what remained of the line. There were lots of relics of signalboxes, level crossings and lengths of track still in place - this was before the trackbed was cleared and levelled to make it into a cycle track.
Excellent Alan. I am an author and wrote THE WOODHEAD DIARIES. I also digitise cine films and am a social historian. There is loads of my stuff on YOU TUBE. I have just put on THE HIDDEN COAL MINES OF BARNSLEY. 3 months work. A minor error -it was the SOUTH YORKSHIRE COALFIELD not WEST. There was a very important merry go round branch from Penistone to Wath via the notorious Worsbrough incline-which took the coal westwards. You are right-I do a lot of these films and its getting over the stroboscopic flashing when the cine film changes scene. A tip--clip the flash on the pc-and it goes. All the best to you--keep up the good work-Dave Cherry.
It's heartbreaking watching this. Used to love this line, Reddish and Guide Bridge, so many great memories. Now there's nothing to make me want to go back there.
I travelled on this line in the late50s when i was in the army 830pm to Manchester and then on to Rhyll north Wales it seemed very fast compared to steam at thar time just a correction Oughtibridge
What a valuable piece of social history this film is!! SUPERB. Not a lot of fun in social isolation due to the virus ,but some bright moments can’t understand the dislikes.
From Derby visited Sheffield Victoria to trainspot these strange and wonderful beasts on several occasions in the same year as this film. Thanks for posting this very rare footage .
A high speed Manchester to Sheffield line is being spoken about as part of HS3. Well here you are here it is apart from it was ripped up!! It was even electrified as well, Crazy! Now where's my DeLorean so I can go back in time to bang the penny pincher's heads together. Cracking bit of film by the way
Sadly we in Sheffield didn't even get a HS2, or anything in fact ! We only got the Hope Valley line double tracked again this year. Can you imagine, the only railway between cities the size of Sheffield & Manchester, single tracked through Dore & Totley station for about 20 years? Incedible!
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I've just seen that 4 people disliked this film - they must be bonkers. This is a valuable document recording a lost route, extinct locos and archaic working practices. Anyone with an interest in railway history owes Alan and Heather a debt of gratitude for making it available.
I'm with you there, cant understand how anyone would give a thumbs down.
I agree. This film is a national gem.
I agree
Totally agree.
@Wayne Walls I am certain of that
Absolutely priceless footage of a lost treasure. Thank you.
Right------
A gem. God bless those that filmed it .
*Hazlehead not Hazelhurst
Stocksbridge not Stocksfield... (mayve been mentioned))
What an absolute gem this is!
I travelled this route from Manchester to Sheffield one Sunday afternoon late 1979/early 1980. They were doing some work on the Hope Valley line so the train was diverted along the disused Woodhead route.
When we arrived in Sheffield, the line didn’t go directly into the Midland Station, and to get on to the right track, it had to first pull into the old disused Victoria Station, which had been closed for about 10 years at that time.
It was really eerie, like it had just been suddenly abandoned, there were still old posters up from when it was in use, but surprisingly it looked in a fairly decent condition.
I did a similar trip at the same time, maybe we were on the same train! I had a pint of Bass in the Midland Station buffet, and then went back to Manchester again.
I did that too when I heard about the diversion :-)
This film is an absolute gem!
I worked as a student civil engineer on the Manchester District and installed level pegs on the left side of the lines approaching Manchester London Road as it was then called.
Yeh, I can remember back then very well, as a schoolboy back in the late 50s, I used to rush over to London Road to watch the 16.30 semi or Princess Coronation class arriving from Crewe most days, yeh good memories.
The countless times I've traveled this route in the 50's to the early 60's from being a young boy into my early teens on route to and from to my grandparents in Oldham via Guide Bridge..... I even remember the steam hauled days in the 50's......thanks for the memories
I am 68,, the more of these old films I see the more I miss those early days. Not because sentiment but because people were civil to each other then.
I am 60. I miss these times
Boy does this bring back lovely memories. Me and 3 lads from Cudworth nr Barnsley caught the train in 1964 from Penistone to Crewe via Manchester on a trainspotting day out.
Never forget keeping my head out of the window going through Woodhead tunnel with all the lights shining on the walls.
Thank you for showing this video.
The fastest route between Sheffield and Manchester - and it was closed! A brand new double line tunnel built - and it was closed 30 years later. Just crazy. Thanks for the great video ( please use miles, not horrid kilometers!!)
THANK YOU An invaluable history. I travelled on this route by steam and electric as a boy; how vast Guide Bridge was, how high Dinting viaduct was, and in retrospect - how long M/c Central CLC via Levenshulme South was...great though. On return we'd get the electric into London Road/Piccadilly as my Dad said it was much quicker.
A fantastic record. Thank you very much for uploading.
I caught a train from Penistone to Woodhead (and return) on the last day of passenger services in 1970.
What a terrible, terrible waste of what could have been now a extremely useful rail link.
The price we all pay for a globally stupid political elite who will hand this country over to foreign rule
I knew the line well, travelling from Sheffield to Manchester on a daily basis ( to school ). Smoke filled carriages when going through the Woodhead tunnel is,
something that I can clearly remember to this very day.
Wonderful videos Alan and Heather! So grateful you took the time and effort to record these long lost lines and haven't left them tucked away. The films really stand as a important social and historical record of the period. Love the channel!!
H
How great to be appreciated!
Great Irish & US rail featured on your channel that my viewers will enjoy ruclips.net/user/no4472videos - nice to cross promote!
@@AlanSnowdonArchive I second this! Important historical records. Alan and Heather deserve a Gong!!
@@AlanSnowdonArchive Your Archives are a National Asset! That is all from me.
I am old enough to remember when the line was electrified after the War. To celebrate this special trains were run from various Eastern Region stations. A group of us cycled to Essendine (of Mallard fame) to catch one such special to Manchester via Woodhead. It is a long time ago now but I think we used our battered Shed Directory, which I still have, to visit as many Manchester loco sheds as we could before catching the train back.
Years later, when I was a postgraduate student in Sheffield and living in Manchester, I sometimes used to cycle over Woodhead to the university and cycle back over the Snake. The reason - back wind over exposed Woodhead and more protection from the headwind over the Snake.
I paid a farewell trip over the line with my daughter in its last days in a DMU.
It was wrong at the time and even more wrong today that we allowed our railways to be butchered by politicians and those who should have spoken up for them but preferred to keep their silence.
The role of both railway management and the rail unions was completely negative at this time.
Key people were probably corrupted. So called "Elites" have been playing this game since immoral brains formed:-(
I'm from a railway family, and it both disgusts and saddens me that our wonderful railway system has been trashed, dismantled, and destroyed the way it has been. It is a well known fact that this country would have been on its knees and defeated in both the 1st and 2nd world wars if we hadn't had such an extensive and complete railway system, which was essential for moving so much material, and people (troops etc.) around, and so many dedicated employees to work the lines & associated services, and yet so many successive governments have allowed/caused the railways to be run down. And it's not just the steel rails and the infrastructure, it's also the social aspect of it too. Every time a station (goods or passenger), or a line is closed, or a train service is cut, people loose their jobs, people are put out of work. And on a national basis, that's many thousands of people shoved out onto the dole (and against their will too). It's also false economy, because closing all those lines, stations etc. might save a bit of money, but not when all those previously employed people are then having to be payed unemployment benefit instead (for doing what?), and then not only, but also, what about all the tax (governmental income) which the government is now not getting because all those people who were previously working, and paying tax, are now paying none. (And all this is quite aside from any environmental concerns including more cars, lorries, & busses (and traffic jams/holdups) because more people have been forced to use the roads.
Great comment Phil, yeh my memories are synonymous with yours, memories of cycling over the snake pass and also watching these lovely locos trudging away over the pennines and the old Reddish sub shed back in 1958 known as 9H and regards your old battered shed directory, I still have a combined volume of British Railways locos from 1955 and I am now 78 years old, some mementos are well worth cherishing.
@@martinsims1273 That is Homo Corruptus in action sadly. Politicians who are career criminals really
When you come out of Thurgoland tunnels Heather & Alan the level crossing is Blackmoor , the siding that goes off to the right through the gate goes into Blackmoor fuel terminal ( conoco ) at Oxspring i worked there, now sadly closed .The line should have never been closed a stupid decision for sure , really enjoyed watching the film Alan & Heather .
Ain't it typical of the stupid way things are handled by those who are "in power" in this country, that in typical fashion, huge sums of money were spent on modernisation (electrification) of this line (including major and expensive work to bore a new tunnel), only for it to be trashed and obliterated a few years later.
wow just came across this film,what a walk down memory lane for me,in 1960, 61, 62, i along with friends used to use this route to go spotting at Crewe, early morning start from Barnsley on DMU to Sheff midland,then a run up to Victoria to get the train to piccadilly,transfer to the new blue electrics to Crewe,the trains were all brand new and in those days stopped at Crewe.Then a glorious day watching the last great days of steam i still remember the thrill of seeing my first Stanier pacific coming of Crewe North.I am 74 now where did it all go,but the memories still burn bright of those great days when a lot of engines were still well kept,before the rot set in,thanks again for such a great film and the memories.
Wonderful video. Thanks for posting. I've travelled the Glossop to Manchester Piccadilly route so many times. The train still pulls into platform 1 (or 2) as on this film.
Gosh the embankments are so clean in this film. All very overgrown now!
Great videos. Love watching them. And a great presentation voice. Calm yet professional and only speaking when needed.
Britains first all electric main line in the space of a few years came the transition from a national showcase to a unwanted liability such a shame. Thanks for posting your fine movies
It is now an East West link we no longer have
UNDERPANTS _ no the first electric main was between Shildon and Erimus Yard, Newport. This was electrified in 1916 and de-electrified in the 1930s, when the original equipment needed to be replaced as worn out, and as the cost of electricity was too high compared to the price of coal the LNER decided to revert back to steam haulage. The NER was going to electrify the mainline from York to Newcastle and the Shildon-Erimus Yard was the prototype for the plans, but WW1 prevented this happening. The Shildon-Erimus Yard line was also electrified to 1500V DC.
Government interference in the Grouping from 123 to four Railway Companies did not help. More buggering about by Monopolists. The NER could have triggered an electrification boom. Even the laggard LNWR would have had to respond.
@@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819 I think the 1923 grouping was more of an obstacle. More Government interference sadly!
The LNW did - eventually - with the electrification of the WCML LOL. Took 'em a few years and Nationalisation to get round to it though...
A fantastic and enjoyable look back to our industrial past. Hard to believe now that all this valuable railway infrastructure has been scrapped.
Criminal that this line was closed.
That is the profile of many politicians. We all should be aware and be ready to Push Back against Corruption.
I concur. Please view my comments on The Great Central Railway (youtube).
We need to lobby for this railway's reopening. It was buzzing in the '60s and it should be now. Passenger and Freight we need it.
No, it's not. There was a huge slump in traffic and the obsolete locos and electrification equipment needed replacing. BR couldn't justify the expense and a few years later all the coal traffic the line carried had gone anyway.
We need a direct route to Sheffield and we cannot continue opening lorry pistes. Well we could but we'll spend a bomb maintaining them as the juggernauts crush them provided gratis by the state. Trucking gets a free ride!
Bloody good nostalgia to the days when Great Britain was truly still great in true economic terms
How can anyone dislike this ? What a stunning piece of film capturing a fascinating glimpse of a Britain sadly long gone.We would travel up from Derby to sit on the then closed Sheffield Victoria to see the charismatic EM1 Bo-Bo's.
I'm from Glossop! We cycled the trail as kids.. it's a cracking day out Thanks for this. It was lovely
The year I was born, I remember it well. Thanks for uploading and such high quality not often seen at this age.
I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone could NOT like this fantastic archive film which must be of outstanding historical importance!
Great archive footage. Gives perspectives on the line, buildings and surroundings that you just cannot get from stills.
A wonderful video of this amazing line, before the de-industrialization of Britain began in earnest. I certainly hope a copy finds its way into the NRM archives. An invaluable resource. Thanks for uploading this for all to see.
Deindustrialisation of Britain . The Morgenthau Plan:-(
Hopefully with Brexit we can Re-Industrialise
i hope we can reverse this with Brexit.
Have no idea how I've not seen this before !! A stunning time capsule of a much loved and sadly lost line. Many thanks for sharing this film.
THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! It's a pity that archive film footage of a line BEFORE it closed was not mandatory.
Thank you for this fantastic footage of a line that evokes many memories from my schoolboy trainspotting days.
What a fascinating time capsule from 1965 - it was amazing to see how an area can change in just over 50 years. Interesting to see how the approached to Manchester Piccadilly have changed. I walked across the line at Crowden in 1974 when walking the Pennine Way, then walked the Longdendale Trail (Hadfield to the Woodhead tunnels) from 1992 as the long-distance path was being created on the abandoned formation. Thanks - and compliments to the voice-over talent.
Thanks Mike. The "talent" just happens to be my wife - and YES she DOES have a talent for speaking clearly - to the kids in the class she was teaching.😊
Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing this valuable historic moment.
Such beautiful footage. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe x
Only just stumbled upon this brilliant cine record. Thank you.
Fortunately I was able to travel this route on a diverted Pancras to Piccadilly train on a Sunday in 1980. Unfortunately, it was Class 47-hauled throughout without a 76 taking over at Victoria. The mix of moorland scenery and northern industrial was amazing to a young southerner like me!
At least some of the locos had a second life on Dutch railways. Good vid.
True. Prehaps most of the 76s would have too. Nederlandse Spoorwegen wanted to buy 32 Class 76s for goods trains in the Netherlands linked to the Maasvlakte electrification
@@G0IMB I didn't realise that, do your know why they were not sold.?
And 2 of them returned to GB after 1986, when the locos ended their life in NL. One got a make-over in the BR livery and was one of the many guests during the celebration of 150 years of railways in NL in 1989. The other one is, in Dutch livery, in the Greater Museum of Science in Manchester.
Thank you very much, I was about to go to bed and tuck myself in for the night, then I found this video, what a treat, so the kettle went on, the biscuits were broken into, the maps came out, the video was stopped, started so many time my cat called it a night and headed upstairs, this was truly a treat, I inched my way through the entire route, being an ex driver for 25 years but having been away from the railway for over 10 years my overriding distraction for quarter of a century was looking for the railways of yesteryear, this video and perfect narration was both a treat and an educational journey, thanks again.
Fascinating film of a now very different countryside I know well from walking with my brother and his wife, who live in Mellor near Marple Bridge. Typical gloomy weather, but I don’t think it would look right if it was sunny.
Also, super commentary from Heather, her voice is definitely a treasure!
Yes, my wife Heather certainly IS a TREASURE, and after nearly 52 years of being married SHE STILL IS !! (Not only for her voice - either).
What a nice vintage film, I love the charme of the old BR and the variety of locomotives. Great video, thanks for sharing :)
i remember years ago my mum and dad took me on the train to manchester and we went via the woodhead tunnel it was asteam loco. regarding the comment about the drivers calling it a hell hole i clearly remember the smoke coming in to the carriage at about 5 years old it was frightening then my dad jumped up and closed the window
Wonderful bit of film, thank you Alan and Heather!
Wonderful film. Thanks for sharing
I used to work at Ashburys box (very fond memories). Also worked on every station from Hadfield to Gorton, and even worked one day at Ardwick station.
What a fantastic document! This really shows the extent of the network in the Northern Powerhouse and it’s such a great shame we didn’t keep more of it. I can’t get over the number of crossovers we saw, emphasising how many different routes there were. Well done Heather and Alan for a great job.
I really enjoyed my trips from Piccadilly to Sheffield Victoria before the line closed. Many thanks for posting as well as to your wife for narrating, I promptly subscribed.
Excellent filming Alan on a line long lamented. Many thanks for sharing
Fantastic footage - superb colour too, and very well narrated Ma'am! Thanks for putting this on.
Wow absolutely brilliant footage from the locomotive cab absolutely priceless footage
The best record of what the much-missed Woodhead Line was like in its last busy years - when there was still steam and the 1500v electric passenger service.
The first of the passenger trains in the eastbound direction is the 'North Country Continental' to Harwich via Sheffield, Lincoln and Ely at 5:24 . It is composed of modern BR Mk1 coaches (and the fifth coach looks to be a buffet car). The following train is a Manchester-Sheffield service calling at intermediate stations such as Guide Bridge and Penistone. It is short and has ex-LMS stock.
As always, a superb piece of film. Thank you not for this, but also your excellent channel. Much appreciated from Germany.
Thanks a lot Alan andHeather for a great bit of nostalgia.. I never saw the EM2's. I lived in Hampshire [still do] . So i couldn't afford to make the trip.A missed opportunity.
I've never heard of, or seen, 'catch points' before. Thankyou, i just learned something new.
Fascinating, especially when compared with Don Coffey's videos of the railways around Manchester now. Love this historical documentary.
WOW! This took me back to the 50s when we took the train to Manchester then on to Liverpool for our summers in Ireland. I wrote about the trips a few years ago for an Irish website.
Very clear narration, a pleasant voice to accompany a pleasant trip from sheffield. Such nostalgia !
Memories of getting a steam engine from Guide Bridge to Sheffield on monthly visits to my grandparents. Great footage of an amazing railway network.
I remember seeing one of the electric freight locos going through Hadfield in the mid 1970's. We were visiting family in the area and travelled to Manchester a few times on the EMU's.
🚂👍
Well the Woodhead line is another example of the short-sightedness that began with Dr 'Axeman' Beeching and continued for some time after his departure. It's closure was as ludicrous as the closure of the Edinburgh - Carlisle 'Waverley' route 11 years previously.
Edited to add....Sorry Alan I omitted to express my appreciation for such a wonderful upload. A real video time capsule of a bygone railway era. Thank you so much for sharing.
Why do people always blame Beeching?
As regards Woodhead his Beeching Report earmarked the Hope Valley line for closure to passenger services instead but Wilson decided Woodhead services would be withdrawn 6 months before he was kicked out. And lets remember it was Blair in 2007 who approved the full use of the larger tunnel for National grid to route all their cables and this was completed in 2012 thus making it very costly to ever be re-used for railways.
Beeching never closed one tunnel, lifted a foot of track or knocked down one station. What he did do was show BR how to reduce the cost of operations to the taxpayer and create key services still in use today like InterCity and Freightliner.
The blame for the civil engineering vandalism of thousands of miles of track and tunnels (thus losing all rights) was the Labour Party of Harold Wilson and Barbara Castle in particular. It was only Portillo's bravery that avoided the destruction of the Settle and Carlisle line.
The tragedy is it cost more to employ thousands of track gangs and hundreds of trains to lift the old tracks than it would have to run a weedkiller train every year. We would still have the GCR (lost forever) and the Varsity line that is costing billions to re-open.
You are aware that all railway companies closed uneconomic lines long before Beeching had been born let along become Chairman of BR? And why did this line close? Well let's see. There was recession which caused a drop in traffic and the remaining traffic could be accommodated on other lines. When you then add in the operational costs that required for, the Fiddler's Ferry MGR trains as an example, 3 locomotives and crews (a diesel at the pit end, and another at the powerstation end plus the DC electric in the middle). And then there was the power supply equipment that was non-standard and coming up for replacement. When you add it all up there was nothing BR could do except close the line as their hands were tied by the politicians.
@@1chish sorry but the Varsity Line was never that useful with only one train doing the full run each day. It was faster and more convenient to go via London.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 Well as a past Project Officer on EWR I would argue the premise of your argument about the Varsity Line but typically BR would give a crap service, drive passengers into their cars and then say its not viable. Or they would fabricate a monstrous repair or maintenance cost on old infrastructure (like the S & C) for the same objective. My point remains that the tracks should never have been lifted as that lost all railway rights.
As to your comments on Woodhead again my simple point is that by all means stop the services if they are not viable but just maintain the tracks and routes at a minimalist level and not spend millions for navvies and engineers trains to rip them all up.
THAT was just vandalism.
@@1chish I was looking at the October 1950 timetable which shows one through train from Oxford to Cambridge but no corresponding return service. You could make the journey in both ways on other trains but as it had been in the days if the LNWR you had to change at Bletchley. Now as this time table was only 6 months after the end petrol rationing I doubt that BR would have been reducing the timetable to drive passengers off the roads and into cars. Your comment is another example of the unthought through comments of the Beeching haters and unworthy of you. After all the Varsity Line wasn't on Beeching's hit list and was as part of the Modernisation Plan going to be a key link in the London Oribital Freight line for which the flyover at Bletchley was originally built and for which a new marshalling yard to be created. Thankfully the marshalling yard at Swanborne was never started.
As for mothballjng, it hasn't stopped the Bramley Line from being impossible to use. Today that line hasn't seen a train for almost 2 decades and all of its level crossings have been removed and trees have been allowed to grow in the trackbed. Although there are calls to reopen the line there is little hope of it reaching Wisbech until funding for a bridge for the A47 can be realised. And taking the bridge at King's Dyke taking 40 years to be completed, I won't be holding my breathe on that reopening. However, mothballing costs money and the railways, like all public sector organisations have to show value for money and that the money they have been allocated from the public purse has to be seen to be spent sensibly. It's as true today as it was in 1981. The bramley line is mothballed but has been allowed to fall in unusability by the lack of money for maintenance. But the big question mothballed can't answer is how long must a line be retained before it can be considered of no further use? They all claim that the closure of this line of that line was short sighted, but can't give me the next 6 numbers on the National Lottery (as I write this it's just over 24 hours away not 5 years away). When Dr Beeching was given the Chairmanship of BR he was tasked with controlling the deficit, as we all know, but most people ignore the fact that the government had prevented BR from raising prices at a time when costs were going up, one commentator put it as BR was created with 1941 prices and 1948 costs. The deficit was caused by the ignorance of the political masters of the BTC. Now when the 1sr Beeching Report came out who could have predicted that in little over a year that the UK's economy was about to tank due to political incompetence over the preceding 12 years? Pretty short sighted for those in charge. Or do we have to keep an unused line until the day it might be needed again? If so, the country would have been bankrupted by the mid-1970s. We don't retain worked out mines do we? Or coal mines that can't be worked economically? So, why should we keep an uneconomic railway? The taxpayers have never accept such arguments.
Great bit of film, it might be an idea to send a copy to the rail museum at York.
A very rare video over the Woodhead from Sheffield Victoria, thanks for posting
Thanks this is wonderful
Thanks Martin, my rail & waterways viewers will be keen to see your unique & insightful channel ruclips.net/user/MartinZero like me rediscovering transport treasures ... always nice to cross promote too
Excellent archive footage and a very clear commentary. Almost unbelievable that the line was closed.
An excellent video of the Woodhead route. Many thanks.
Excellent !.. good memories,. thanks for the upload,. I remember all the stations names - and used to travel this route every day as a 16 year old..in 1962.. to Manchester Piccadilly then walk to 'Deansgate' ,. I think almost all loco's were steam.,
Why have 21 people disliked this film? It's some rare footage of the first electric mainline railway, and one of the most loved (and missed) routes in the country. It's a valuable historical record. I hope the original film footage still exists! If it does, please ensure it is bequeathed to somewhere like the Lancashire Archives where it can be stored archivally and digitally copied.
I could watch this all day. I remember seeing 76s going over the viaduct at Glossop as a kid in the early and mid 70s. I regret not going back when I was older to see them properly before they left for good in 1981.
You mean the first main line electrified for passenger AND FREIGHT. London to Brighton was electrified in the early 1930s, but freight remained lergely steam hauled.
@@AlanSnowdonArchive Yes, I should have said _all_ electric mainline, sorry.
Thanks for sharing this fascinating clip! It is a much appreciated glimpse into bygone days!
Lovely video from the good old days.Brilliant !!
Great film! Enjoyed it. Rode Guide Bridge to Mcr many, many times
Used to spot at Guide Bridge and also the depot at Reddish South, gone now unfortunately :(
Stocksfield is actually Stocksbridge, stocksfield is in Newcastle, but interesting to see how it used to look
Priceless history, thank you for taking the time and sharing.
Thank you very much for taking the time & trouble to upload this-just when I was thinking I'd seen every inch of Woodhead footage!!
I used to be a secondman at Guide Bridge a driver once asked me to take a 350 shunter to Dewsnap the only time I was ever on the main line alone it was a frightening responsibility drivers really earn their money the knowledge they have of each route is extraordinary I soon realised the job and the hours didn’t really suit me a shame because I met some real characters and loved the Woodhead route.
Wonderful piece of filming!
A truly wonderful film, great historical document!
What a wonderful find on RUclips. I'm building a model of Sheffield Victoria in the 1950's and colour footage of this kind is invaluable. Thank you. Anyone with colour photo's of the area around the station and track should be encouraged to publish them.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us - the filming and commentary are very interesting indeed, particularly to someone like me who was not alive at the time to experience it first hand. I recently walked along part of the route of the Woodhead line up to Hadfield and then took the train on what remains of the route from there to Manchester - even pulling in to platform one as back in 1965. It is sad to think how much of our railway network was lost in those days.
Thanks for preserving history.
I remember traveling on a passenger special, last train over the Woodhead route powered by class 76 back in 1981.Still have the ticket.
Wonderfull film. Thank you for sharing it with everybody.
Oh yes what a great video, thanks for putting this on site.
Wonderful film, thank you for uploading.
It is a crying shame that the route closed before video cameras became cheap enough to film the entire route without a) having to spend a fortune on 8 mm film, and b) without having to change the film every few minutes. If only there had been a predecessor of Don Coffey to record the whole route, with informative captions.
I can remember my parents taking me from Leeds to Marple to visit a great aunt in the mid 1970s, and we drove via the Penistone - Dunford Bridge route. Dad stopped at Dunford Bridge and we watched a coal train hurtle out of the tunnel, and then another one speed into the tunnel. I knew the line was closed (probably irreversibly) to passengers, but I thought the coal trains would always be there. Fast forward to the early 80s when I was on a train back to university and I saw a placard at Reading Station (of all places) announcing the imminent closure of the line altogether. In the late 80s I was going to see a friend in Liverpool and went via the Woodhead route to see what remained of the line. There were lots of relics of signalboxes, level crossings and lengths of track still in place - this was before the trackbed was cleared and levelled to make it into a cycle track.
I've driven this route playing TrainSimulator2017. So nice to see a film of how it was in real life!! Great shame it was closed though.
Very good, again. My compliments to Heather.
Very informative and concise video thanks.
Well done to Heather for the narration!
Excellent Alan. I am an author and wrote THE WOODHEAD DIARIES. I also digitise cine films and am a social historian. There is loads of my stuff on YOU TUBE. I have just put on THE HIDDEN COAL MINES OF BARNSLEY. 3 months work. A minor error -it was the SOUTH YORKSHIRE COALFIELD not WEST. There was a very important merry go round branch from Penistone to Wath via the notorious Worsbrough incline-which took the coal westwards. You are right-I do a lot of these films and its getting over the stroboscopic flashing when the cine film changes scene. A tip--clip the flash on the pc-and it goes. All the best to you--keep up the good work-Dave Cherry.
It's on Alan-More Penistone Railway Accidents by Dave Cherry ruclips.net/video/q3EvOFKN3uI/видео.htmlsi=PjrtBc1pPJsAz00P via
It's heartbreaking watching this. Used to love this line, Reddish and Guide Bridge, so many great memories. Now there's nothing to make me want to go back there.
Fantastic video ! Thankyou for sharing.
This truly is beautiful, love it.
I travelled on this line in the late50s when i was in the army 830pm to Manchester and then on to Rhyll north Wales it seemed very fast compared to steam at thar time just a correction Oughtibridge
I bet it would with electrics climbing steep grades effortlessly compared to steam
and Stocksfield is Stocksbridge
What a valuable piece of social history this film is!! SUPERB. Not a lot of fun in social isolation due to the virus ,but some bright moments can’t understand the dislikes.
From Derby visited Sheffield Victoria to trainspot these strange and wonderful beasts on several occasions in the same year as this film. Thanks for posting this very rare footage .
Absolutely love your video, fantastic!!!!😊👍
The signalbox at 8:11 is called Blackmoor Crossing. The station after Penistone captioned Hazelhurst Bridge is actually Hazlehead Bridge.
Hugely enjoyable footage. One of the daftest post-Beeching closures.
A high speed Manchester to Sheffield line is being spoken about as part of HS3. Well here you are here it is apart from it was ripped up!! It was even electrified as well, Crazy! Now where's my DeLorean so I can go back in time to bang the penny pincher's heads together. Cracking bit of film by the way
Nice one:-)
A Tardis would blend in better though to be fair :)
Not sure if line would be classified as high speed. It looks pretty bendy from the excellent footage.
Sadly we in Sheffield didn't even get a HS2, or anything in fact ! We only got the Hope Valley line double tracked again this year. Can you imagine, the only railway between cities the size of Sheffield & Manchester, single tracked through Dore & Totley station for about 20 years? Incedible!
"Incredible."
Lovely view of the line. THanks very much.
Nice one, enjoyed that used to live in Penistone as a kid