The last steam locomotives to run on the line were late on the Sunday evening when 1 engine in steam towed 2 dead engines to Bornemouth for disposal ! I rode on the footplate of one of the dead engines from Sillingstone to Blandford Forum. The movement is recorded in Tim Deacons book S&D - aftermath of the beechings axe. Thank you for this record of those last days.
Remember being in 41307 and 80138 from Evercreech Junction to Midford to photograph Bude and Biggin Hill heading south. Finished off with a ride behind 48760 to Green Park. What a day! Love the last footage of Okehampton and Biggin Hill in the dark.
Thanks Michael, Fortunately, synching the Sound took "only" a year - good of you to appreciate location sound backing up the visuals. Editing those, covering the whole system in the final 4 months, had already taken two years of evenings and weekends. The views we took of Midsomer Norton signal box became a helpful reference for it's reconstruction. Best Wishes, Philip
Many thanks Don. I did try to give an idea of what things might have been like had the line not closed in: ruclips.net/video/LjaImKH2IBQ/видео.html I was privileged to have the run of some great model layouts to make it. Best Wishes, Philip
Hello Hugh. I feel a bit apologetic bringing a tear to your eye. Hope you recovered quickly. Seriously, my late friend Ken Barter set great store by his 8mm Bolex, and every bit of detail possible on the Kodachrome film has been wrung out of the footage by professional teleciné processing several years ago, so I think he would have been pleased by your kind comments. Best Wishes, Philip
Thanks @@philipfowler5280 but I do not hold you responsible. Rather a notorious Dr B. and certain myopic politicians of the 1960s! It pains me to see how these wonderful pieces of Victorian craftsmanship were trashed in the name of economic 'progress'.
Another sad yet fantastic film. Some great footage! I've got a few questions if you don't mind me asking: Was there ever diesel traction or DMUs on the S&D? What was the maximum speed on the S&D? Also, what was the maximum speed on the Mangotsfield to Bath line? On that note, yesterday, I was lucky enough to travel along the Avon valley by rail again aboard a volunteers test train. This was in preparation for starting public operation today. Thank you for taking your time to answer my questions
Pleased to hear AVR are back in business, McMetro. Getting back to Bath ASAP would be immensely popular. I have just today found my footage of the late David St John Thomas's - founder of David & Charles books - trip he organised from Bath to Bitton, ending up with him on the footplate, which I hope to upload in the not too distant future. Dmus appeared once or twice on special trips - others can no doubt give you more info. Pines Express magazine also covered the topic not too long ago, I believe. Hymeks worked from Highbridge to Bason Bridge after closure; see 16 minutes into my: ruclips.net/video/fhrS_jR3U3o/видео.html The late Dr Peter Cattermole also kindly drove a peat train for me on this video. (wow!) Jeffery Grayer 's "Sabotaged & Defeated - Last Rites on the S & D" book about demolition workings is surprisingly excellent. A good person to ask about working practices on the S & D and Bath to Mangotsfield would, I'm sure, be Alan Hireson at AVR. If you wish, I could email Alan for permission to pass his email address to you. Finally - a glimpse of S & D diesel traction today?: ruclips.net/video/LjaImKH2IBQ/видео.html Please let me know if I can help further, hope this helps, and thanks for watching, Philip
@@philipfowler5280 Hello Philip, I apologise for the delayed response. Yes, the AVR really would benefit from getting back to Bath, especially with heritage railways providing towards the tourist economy and the government's plea to get it back to normal again - a good argument for the AVR there!) I have heard that they have enough track to get to the site of the new Kelston station (I believe it is the same location as original) for many years, however obviously it is not as simple as that. Personally, I am excited for the reinstatment of Bitton signal box, hopefully in the next few years. Should provide much more operational enjoyment and another great role to fulfill. I am very much looking forward to this footage of Bath to Bristol, must of been fantastic on the footplate! Very interesting about the odd DMU and the hymeks working Bason Bridge - some great footage you have there. You must have loved the Peat train action, looks fantastic! I think I will have to check out Jeffery Grayer's S&D demolition work book at some point, sounds a very interesting and fascinating read. If you wouldn't mind asking Alan if you could pass his email address onto me, that would be great - as you know I'm a big fan of the S&D and even more the Mangotsfield & Bath line so that would be fantastic. I do love that model railway S&D video, I'm a modeller myself, modelling modern day GWR traction (HSTs, DMUs). There is a fantastic model of Mangotsfield station in OO gauge and an outstanding model of Bath to Midford in the larger O Gauge - The size and workings are immense. I would include links, unfortunately my comments don't always go through when I include them - I think RUclips can sometimes recognise them as spam or bots so remove them. Thank you for taking the time to write this fantastic and detailed response - I really do appreciate it (As writing this, just passed Severn Valley Railway)
Thanks McMetro. Yes, there was some editing. Can you please advise your email address so that I can pass on Alan's when I have it? Mine is lanternfilms@hotmail.co.uk. Yeah, I sure admire modellers. Amazing work. Re the peat train, I felt privileged for my time filming with Dr Peter Cattermole. I believe he could ruffle some feathers in his time - someone please correct me if i,m wrong! I think I have viewed the Bath to Midford layout. I had been hoping to film on the Shepton Mallet Group's N gauge Midford viaduct for "S & D Day Out"...the idea of filming all those layouts was inspired by a fascinating demo at Swindon in O gauge with a wireless camera some years back, but wireless turned out to be dodgy as forecast by one Chris Challis; Bruce Piggott's camtrucks recording to a micro SD card turned out to be the way to go in the end. Best Wishes, Philip
@@philipfowler5280 Hello Philip, I apologise for the delayed response.... Again! I'll send you an email from my email so you can pass Alan's email on - I really appreciate that. I have found some videos on RUclips of Shepton Mallet Group's N gauge midford layout: it looks fantastic, you really can model so much in a smaller space in N gauge. Yes, I see what you mean about recording S&D day out, I have personally recorded my own layout using a GoPro camera which goes to an SD card. Thanks again. : )
0:10 Every now and then You Tube mamages to actually give some modicum of delight instead of its usual annoyances. Here is one such example: The sub - par subtitles translate Biggin Hill as Begin and then to my schoolboy's sense of humour's joy, the steam locomotive Bude passes through the mangle and is spewed back out aa Spewed. If only!
@@philipfowler5280 Shame it went, I lived at Gillingham, I could have done day trips to Bournemouth much easier than via Salisbury and Southampton. if only the double more of it post war or there wasn't a second world war that crippled the railways. Anyway hope the preserved lines can expand some more and have portions re-open again?
Thanks Aidan. I made and sold many copies, first on VHS, then DVD, and finally DVD from a teleciné transcription. The Signal Box in Leicester were the original distributors. From time to time it pops up on EBay. A re-edit for RUclips seemed a good way of perpetuating this historic material. There are some other later works also drifting around! All sound was recorded on location, inspired by the pioneering work of professional sound recordist Peter Handford: blog.railwaymuseum.org.uk/peter-handford-a-pioneer-of-sound/ Kind Regards, Philip
Hi again Aidan. Hope you had a good Christmas. Another work - not steam! - was a Bradford Barton book "Dmus Countrywide", where I attempted to bring dmus to life using more than the traditional views used for most steam pictures. Appears on several websites e.g. www.amazon.co.uk/Diesel-Multiple-Units-Countrywide-Fowler/dp/0851532381 Also worked with other publishers and contributed to a number of books and magazines. Best wishes for 2022, Philip
@@philipfowler5280 Hi Phillip, thanks for the kind wishes. I'll have to say I'm more of a steam bloke than a diesel one. I appreciate them but they're just not as interesting to me. I'll keep an eye out for your S&D work however. It's unique to have the real sound synced up to the video rather than sounds from an archive. Makes it feel a lot more real. Have a nice new year, mate 👍
@@aidanstrand4864 Many Thanks Aidan! I absolutely understand of course! My channel has nearly 50 videos. You may like to sift through it at: ruclips.net/channel/UC7YuD1LQu9pbIhFFPm1V5HAvideos There's often quite a story behind a video. For example, filming Patrick Moore was fascinating, but only 84 hits! Next to it on my screen, S&D to Bournemouth - 9k. You can also contact me directly at lanternfilms@hotmail.co.uk Kind Regards, Philip
Hi Chris. No way Chris. I daresay the great Ivo would have loved to possess a sound camera. Did great work without it, but his 16mm camera did not have sound recording. Even in 8mm I had to record "wild" and post-synchronise. Best Wishes, Philip
@@a11csc That's alright, Chris! Hope I haven't offended you either! I'm sure that there are a lot of folk out there who do not appreciate that archive sound effects are added to old silent film of trains. It is done so skillfully that it is not obvious. What can't be added is interviews for example - unless it was professional news footage, say, made on a 16 mm sound camera, or even 35 mm. I was fascinated by sound as a kid, and longed for the day when "ordinary" people could record it, even outdoors...for me that came around 1960..... See 11 minutes into: ruclips.net/video/inOaFptCAG8/видео.html or 30 seconds into:ruclips.net/video/ZfsXZavEAuk/видео.html I also used the mighty Brenell mains recorder. Not to be confused with Brunel! Thanks for your interest! Philip
Наука
The last steam locomotives to run on the line were late on the Sunday evening when 1 engine in steam towed 2 dead engines to Bornemouth for disposal ! I rode on the footplate of one of the dead engines from Sillingstone to Blandford Forum. The movement is recorded in Tim Deacons book S&D - aftermath of the beechings axe. Thank you for this record of those last days.
Nice archive, thanks for sharing.
Many Thanks,
Best Wishes,
Philip
Remember being in 41307 and 80138 from Evercreech Junction to Midford to photograph Bude and Biggin Hill heading south. Finished off with a ride behind 48760 to Green Park. What a day! Love the last footage of Okehampton and Biggin Hill in the dark.
Good to know 53808 reminded everyone of times lost when she stood proud at Bath in 2006.
That ending is so sad. Amazing film though and made all the better with having the actual sound recorded at the time.
Thanks Michael,
Fortunately, synching the Sound took "only" a year - good of you to appreciate location sound backing up the visuals. Editing those, covering the whole system in the final 4 months, had already taken two years of evenings and weekends.
The views we took of Midsomer Norton signal box became a helpful reference for it's reconstruction.
Best Wishes,
Philip
Never forgave the Western Region for shutting down the S&D. What a superb tourist line it would make today.
Thank you for sharing although sad to see the final trains running on the line.
Many thanks Don.
I did try to give an idea of what things might have been like had the line not closed in: ruclips.net/video/LjaImKH2IBQ/видео.html
I was privileged to have the run of some great model layouts to make it.
Best Wishes,
Philip
Looks like schoolchildren were riding in the cabs ,of various engines on the last few days Those were the 😊days
Some lovely footage, brings a tear to my eye.
Hello Hugh.
I feel a bit apologetic bringing a tear to your eye. Hope you recovered quickly. Seriously, my late friend Ken Barter set great store by his 8mm Bolex, and every bit of detail possible on the Kodachrome film has been wrung out of the footage by professional teleciné processing several years ago, so I think he would have been pleased by your kind comments.
Best Wishes,
Philip
Thanks @@philipfowler5280 but I do not hold you responsible. Rather a notorious Dr B. and certain myopic politicians of the 1960s! It pains me to see how these wonderful pieces of Victorian craftsmanship were trashed in the name of economic 'progress'.
@@HughTerry69 Thanks Hugh.
Even local politicians. My pet hate is the blind spot to rail in my home town, Bristol.
Regards,
Philip
The 2 tanks was that for climbing out of Bath Green Park Station.
Another sad yet fantastic film. Some great footage! I've got a few questions if you don't mind me asking:
Was there ever diesel traction or DMUs on the S&D?
What was the maximum speed on the S&D?
Also, what was the maximum speed on the Mangotsfield to Bath line?
On that note, yesterday, I was lucky enough to travel along the Avon valley by rail again aboard a volunteers test train. This was in preparation for starting public operation today.
Thank you for taking your time to answer my questions
Pleased to hear AVR are back in business, McMetro. Getting back to Bath ASAP would be immensely popular. I have just today found my footage of the late David St John Thomas's - founder of David & Charles books - trip he organised from Bath to Bitton, ending up with him on the footplate, which I hope to upload in the not too distant future.
Dmus appeared once or twice on special trips - others can no doubt give you more info. Pines Express magazine also covered the topic not too long ago, I believe.
Hymeks worked from Highbridge to Bason Bridge after closure; see 16 minutes into my: ruclips.net/video/fhrS_jR3U3o/видео.html
The late Dr Peter Cattermole also kindly drove a peat train for me on this video. (wow!)
Jeffery Grayer 's "Sabotaged & Defeated - Last Rites on the S & D" book about demolition workings is surprisingly excellent.
A good person to ask about working practices on the S & D and Bath to Mangotsfield would, I'm sure, be Alan Hireson at AVR. If you wish, I could email Alan for permission to pass his email address to you.
Finally - a glimpse of S & D diesel traction today?:
ruclips.net/video/LjaImKH2IBQ/видео.html
Please let me know if I can help further, hope this helps, and thanks for watching,
Philip
@@philipfowler5280 Hello Philip,
I apologise for the delayed response.
Yes, the AVR really would benefit from getting back to Bath, especially with heritage railways providing towards the tourist economy and the government's plea to get it back to normal again - a good argument for the AVR there!) I have heard that they have enough track to get to the site of the new Kelston station (I believe it is the same location as original) for many years, however obviously it is not as simple as that. Personally, I am excited for the reinstatment of Bitton signal box, hopefully in the next few years. Should provide much more operational enjoyment and another great role to fulfill.
I am very much looking forward to this footage of Bath to Bristol, must of been fantastic on the footplate!
Very interesting about the odd DMU and the hymeks working Bason Bridge - some great footage you have there.
You must have loved the Peat train action, looks fantastic!
I think I will have to check out Jeffery Grayer's S&D demolition work book at some point, sounds a very interesting and fascinating read.
If you wouldn't mind asking Alan if you could pass his email address onto me, that would be great - as you know I'm a big fan of the S&D and even more the Mangotsfield & Bath line so that would be fantastic.
I do love that model railway S&D video, I'm a modeller myself, modelling modern day GWR traction (HSTs, DMUs). There is a fantastic model of Mangotsfield station in OO gauge and an outstanding model of Bath to Midford in the larger O Gauge - The size and workings are immense.
I would include links, unfortunately my comments don't always go through when I include them - I think RUclips can sometimes recognise them as spam or bots so remove them.
Thank you for taking the time to write this fantastic and detailed response - I really do appreciate it
(As writing this, just passed Severn Valley Railway)
Thanks McMetro.
Yes, there was some editing.
Can you please advise your email address so that I can pass on Alan's when I have it? Mine is lanternfilms@hotmail.co.uk.
Yeah, I sure admire modellers. Amazing work.
Re the peat train, I felt privileged for my time filming with Dr Peter Cattermole. I believe he could ruffle some feathers in his time - someone please correct me if i,m wrong!
I think I have viewed the Bath to Midford layout. I had been hoping to film on the Shepton Mallet Group's N gauge Midford viaduct for "S & D Day Out"...the idea of filming all those layouts was inspired by a fascinating demo at Swindon in O gauge with a wireless camera some years back, but wireless turned out to be dodgy as forecast by one Chris Challis; Bruce Piggott's camtrucks recording to a micro SD card turned out to be the way to go in the end.
Best Wishes,
Philip
Hi - I have permission from Alan Hireson - timetable expert etc - to give you his email address...
Regards,
Philip
@@philipfowler5280 Hello Philip,
I apologise for the delayed response.... Again!
I'll send you an email from my email so you can pass Alan's email on - I really appreciate that.
I have found some videos on RUclips of Shepton Mallet Group's N gauge midford layout: it looks fantastic, you really can model so much in a smaller space in N gauge.
Yes, I see what you mean about recording S&D day out, I have personally recorded my own layout using a GoPro camera which goes to an SD card.
Thanks again. : )
0:10 Every now and then You Tube mamages to actually give some modicum of delight instead of its usual annoyances.
Here is one such example:
The sub - par subtitles translate Biggin Hill as Begin and then to my schoolboy's sense of humour's joy, the steam locomotive Bude passes through the mangle and is spewed back out aa Spewed. If only!
I wonder if anyone has the log book and pen still? hope it was saved. shame the box wasn't intact with those artefacts for posterity.
What a shame that the beautiful line was abandoned and now hardly noticeable....
Quite. One author has suggested a good substitute would be Bristol to Weymouth, particularly the single line after Castle Cary.
@@philipfowler5280 Shame it went, I lived at Gillingham, I could have done day trips to Bournemouth much easier than via Salisbury and Southampton. if only the double more of it post war or there wasn't a second world war that crippled the railways. Anyway hope the preserved lines can expand some more and have portions re-open again?
Hi Phillip. Has Puffed out ever been released on DVD? If so, do you know where I could buy it and possibly other works of yours?
Thanks Aidan. I made and sold many copies, first on VHS, then DVD, and finally DVD from a teleciné transcription. The Signal Box in Leicester were the original distributors. From time to time it pops up on EBay.
A re-edit for RUclips seemed a good way of perpetuating this historic material. There are some other later works also drifting around!
All sound was recorded on location, inspired by the pioneering work of professional sound recordist Peter Handford: blog.railwaymuseum.org.uk/peter-handford-a-pioneer-of-sound/
Kind Regards,
Philip
Hi again Aidan. Hope you had a good Christmas.
Another work - not steam! - was a Bradford Barton book "Dmus Countrywide", where I attempted to bring dmus to life using more than the traditional views used for most steam pictures. Appears on several websites e.g. www.amazon.co.uk/Diesel-Multiple-Units-Countrywide-Fowler/dp/0851532381
Also worked with other publishers and contributed to a number of books and magazines.
Best wishes for 2022,
Philip
@@philipfowler5280 Hi Phillip, thanks for the kind wishes. I'll have to say I'm more of a steam bloke than a diesel one. I appreciate them but they're just not as interesting to me.
I'll keep an eye out for your S&D work however. It's unique to have the real sound synced up to the video rather than sounds from an archive. Makes it feel a lot more real.
Have a nice new year, mate 👍
@@aidanstrand4864
Many Thanks Aidan!
I absolutely understand of course! My channel has nearly 50 videos. You may like to sift through it at: ruclips.net/channel/UC7YuD1LQu9pbIhFFPm1V5HAvideos
There's often quite a story behind a video. For example, filming Patrick Moore was fascinating, but only 84 hits! Next to it on my screen, S&D to Bournemouth - 9k.
You can also contact me directly at lanternfilms@hotmail.co.uk
Kind Regards,
Philip
😭😭😭😭😭
is this ivo footage
Hi Chris.
No way Chris.
I daresay the great Ivo would have loved to possess a sound camera. Did great work without it, but his 16mm camera did not have sound recording. Even in 8mm I had to record "wild" and post-synchronise.
Best Wishes,
Philip
never realised sorry hope i have not offended you@@philipfowler5280
@@a11csc
That's alright, Chris! Hope I haven't offended you either!
I'm sure that there are a lot of folk out there who do not appreciate that archive sound effects are added to old silent film of trains. It is done so skillfully that it is not obvious. What can't be added is interviews for example - unless it was professional news footage, say, made on a 16 mm sound camera, or even 35 mm.
I was fascinated by sound as a kid, and longed for the day when "ordinary" people could record it, even outdoors...for me that came around 1960.....
See 11 minutes into: ruclips.net/video/inOaFptCAG8/видео.html
or 30 seconds into:ruclips.net/video/ZfsXZavEAuk/видео.html
I also used the mighty Brenell mains recorder. Not to be confused with Brunel!
Thanks for your interest!
Philip
Where were all these people before? Same thing happened all over the country. A Crying shame
I b from zummer zet.. Oh r
n I b frum Brissel mate. or isit squire?
@@philipfowler5280 in shit and smell it, It be... What ever you want!! Oh r