What good quality a lot of the footage is for 8mm. The snow scenes bring back my memories of winter 1962/3 in Lincolnshire behind smart new diesels but with frozen train heating boilers and freezing carriages. No problems like that on the electrics I presume. Now UK media, that was our last real winter and things kept going, my school never closed. Not like now, a dusting of snow is reported as the end of the world.
This is absolutely fantastic. I love that he filmed everything and didn't turn his nose up at units, or had a liking for the AM10's. A very good photographer too.
I know the feeling way too much health and safety safe guarding and Political correctness all gone way tooo far and over the top I am all for consciousness evolution but somethings go too far now the UK is almost in danger of becoming a communist country no free speech no free will free choice free will etc freedom of expression sometimes seems like Orwell and Huxley were right their books 1984 (Orwell) and Brave New World and The Doors of Perception are to some extent based on fact they somehow predicted the future trains were built to last back then some steam locos lasted 60 years while many diesels lasted only 40 years remember Orwell and Huxley weren't the first to accidently predict the future Morgan Robertson who wrote Futility the wreck of the Titan predicted the Titanic disaster twenty years before it happened and I think todays trains wont last 30-60 years like old school diesels and electrics and even steam did todays second generation multiple units and locos probababy wont make 30-50 years like the old school first generation multiple units and locos did although sadly some old ones were short lived lived classes 41 42 35 52 deisel hydraulics are an example and class 23 baby deltics class 55 deltics class 50 as well blue pullman express units primitive express dmus of the 60s and 70s class 40s was another some was due to so loco being relatively few in number like deltics class 50s 41s baby deltics compared to classes 31 37 and class 47 that totaled over 300 class 47 around 500 built cl;asses 31 and 37 around 300 built the more were built the more chance of lasting many generations as the fewer of a class of loco or multiple units u have the less chance there is of lasting many decades due to the fact if u have 500 class 47s spares can be borrowed from stored class 47s to keep others running while u wait for more parts to be ordered in addition if you manufacture over 500 locos its worth wile making extra spares to keep in storage for breakdowns and accidents if u only make ten-20 locos its more expensive and not worthwhile making extra spares so life time expectancy of locos and multiple units with only few in number are more limited interestingly English Electric locos like deltic 20s 37s 40s 50s and 55s were according to some rail enthsiasts and train staff more reliable than Brush and Sullzer that made 31s Peak class diesels class 47 and HSTs (class 43 formally class 250 I think) class 31s although great locos to watch were known to be unreliable and failures and breakdowns were not uncommon while by comparison class 37s were very reliable and great mixed traffic locos great for freight and some express and semi surburban trains and cross country expresses and although 37s were converted to electric train heat class 37/4s they mostly worked expresses and cross country trains in Wales and Scotland while the resr were converted to freight use only but class 31s were widely used in the midlands and north england scotland and wales for passenger use class 31/4 they were frequently used on expresses such as cross country express on the Birmingham-Norwich rout but breakdowns were common in comparison class 37 breakdowns were less common
Superb collection! AM10s were my daily commute for college then work when i lived near Hemel. Can just about remember Watford shed building before demolition and the old Abbey Flyer platform layout.
Always loved to see the Guards Van at the back, used to look out for it but sadly you just don't seem to see them anymore. Sad to see the engine shed being demolished and the track beds and turntable already gone. Video shot before they electrified the Abbey Line, if they had not done this I think it would have closed by now. Brilliant bit of filming.
Many thanks! An excellent look back at the earlier days of the WCML electrification. I was quite surprised to see how many freight and parcel trains were electrically hauled then...a bit different to the situation today. A very enjoyable video from excellent original cine film. Rob.
BR policy " No diesels under the wires". There were a few such as the cement train to Cheddngton sidings. It ment a lt of lchanges were the wires ran out.
Very nostalgic. I remember the excitement when the Manchester electric service started. Although I lived in Oxford I went for a ride on it shortly after it started. The fare for a day return was £2. 17s! And I had lunch on the train, which I think cost 7s 6d.
I think 18th April 1966 - the date the West Coast Electrics started, and without a hitch too, is a much understated date in 1960's BR Modernisation. I remember that Euston-Manchester day return fare, and used it for a journey in June66.
Didn't those AL6s look the business when they were new! Impressive to think there are still a few in mainline operation in their 6th decade of use!! Grea
AC electric locos were worthy successors to Duchesses and Scots. The same could not be said for 'Long Pong' EE Type Fours and a bunch of outright dud diesel designs. They might have stuck to Riddles' plan and converted the WCML directly from steam to electric power, keeping front rank steam locos until each section was electrified.... perhaps modifying steamers to have 'gas producer' fireboxes, drop grates, multiple blast pipes and Caprotti gear. Pipe-dreaming here ;-)
Yes indeed, their numb Euro-aesthetics and humming, indolent banality were so wonderfully exhilarating. Indeed, so successful that the banality was copied across the network, giving us the stirring banalfest we have today
what a shame the earlier old ciny cameras did not always have sound recording like some more advanced sophisticated video equipment does now I used to love the sound of the older school diesels and electrics and the sounds of mark 1 and 2 carrages but sadly the cost back then for sound recording equipment was too expensive for most people sound recording back then was probably expensive and much harder to obtain for non professionals and even some professionals who did record videos or ciny films etc had to cut costs and make do etc I still have some photos of old trains I took in the 1980s with old style cameras with 35 ml films no digital back then I took some great photos of old school diesels and electrics back in the late 80s even last ever class 40 loco to leave liverpool street street station in london in 1988 and some I took @ Stratford maintenance depot in the late 80s sadly I believe stratford maintenance depot is probably closed down now many years ago
Talking of the sound of the Mk2 coaches - the B4/5 bogies on all the Mk2 variants made an unmistakeable "whirr" which meant you could always identify that stock by sound alone.
Not impressed by the lack of health and safety for the workers at Euston - On the running line without any high-viz... Right next to a Class 86 (Was it a Class 86 back then though or was that Class still in the future?) on the move... Guess H&S was a lot different too back then,
yep, the railways, ships, canals are all dying as road takes the lot. in my county Suffolk we have, apart from Felixstowe port business, two originating freight traffic by rail and that is a very sporadic sand train from Griffin wharf in Ipswich. I am not even sure if that runs now?? and a very sporadic freight train from Sizewell nuclear. The railways, waterways and Sea Transport are finished. Such a shame. Who would bother to be an rail or sea transport enthusiast in this century.
Love both steam and older diesels and electrics, ANYTHING but Pendolinos! If I do travel from Euston anywhere I'd even rather do a Desiro 350 than a Pendo.
Fascinating & great memories of proper trains run by real railway men on a correctly Nationalised & well integrated network.
What good quality a lot of the footage is for 8mm. The snow scenes bring back my memories of winter 1962/3 in Lincolnshire behind smart new diesels but with frozen train heating boilers and freezing carriages. No problems like that on the electrics I presume. Now UK media, that was our last real winter and things kept going, my school never closed. Not like now, a dusting of snow is reported as the end of the world.
This is absolutely fantastic. I love that he filmed everything and didn't turn his nose up at units, or had a liking for the AM10's. A very good photographer too.
Fantastic these videos. Now retired and reside in Watford. Childhood spent in Hemel. Thank you very much for sharing.
Best wishes to you,
Hugh.
A great film.
Look further, the heavy snowfall, the trains are running, I guess the schools are open and things just carry on.
How times change.
I know the feeling way too much health and safety safe guarding and Political correctness all gone way tooo far and over the top I am all for consciousness evolution but somethings go too far now the UK is almost in danger of becoming a communist country no free speech no free will free choice free will etc freedom of expression sometimes seems like Orwell and Huxley were right their books 1984 (Orwell) and Brave New World and The Doors of Perception are to some extent based on fact they somehow predicted the future trains were built to last back then some steam locos lasted 60 years while many diesels lasted only 40 years remember Orwell and Huxley weren't the first to accidently predict the future Morgan Robertson who wrote Futility the wreck of the Titan predicted the Titanic disaster twenty years before it happened and I think todays trains wont last 30-60 years like old school diesels and electrics and even steam did todays second generation multiple units and locos probababy wont make 30-50 years like the old school first generation multiple units and locos did although sadly some old ones were short lived lived classes 41 42 35 52 deisel hydraulics are an example and class 23 baby deltics class 55 deltics class 50 as well blue pullman express units primitive express dmus of the 60s and 70s class 40s was another some was due to so loco being relatively few in number like deltics class 50s 41s baby deltics compared to classes 31 37 and class 47 that totaled over 300 class 47 around 500 built cl;asses 31 and 37 around 300 built the more were built the more chance of lasting many generations as the fewer of a class of loco or multiple units u have the less chance there is of lasting many decades due to the fact if u have 500 class 47s spares can be borrowed from stored class 47s to keep others running while u wait for more parts to be ordered in addition if you manufacture over 500 locos its worth wile making extra spares to keep in storage for breakdowns and accidents if u only make ten-20 locos its more expensive and not worthwhile making extra spares so life time expectancy of locos and multiple units with only few in number are more limited interestingly English Electric locos like deltic 20s 37s 40s 50s and 55s were according to some rail enthsiasts and train staff more reliable than Brush and Sullzer that made 31s Peak class diesels class 47 and HSTs (class 43 formally class 250 I think) class 31s although great locos to watch were known to be unreliable and failures and breakdowns were not uncommon while by comparison class 37s were very reliable and great mixed traffic locos great for freight and some express and semi surburban trains and cross country expresses and although 37s were converted to electric train heat class 37/4s they mostly worked expresses and cross country trains in Wales and Scotland while the resr were converted to freight use only but class 31s were widely used in the midlands and north england scotland and wales for passenger use class 31/4 they were frequently used on expresses such as cross country express on the Birmingham-Norwich rout but breakdowns were common in comparison class 37 breakdowns were less common
WOW amazing footage
Thanks. Great shots of Berkhamsted station and a glimpse of the old gas works on Billet Lane
Superb collection! AM10s were my daily commute for college then work when i lived near Hemel. Can just about remember Watford shed building before demolition and the old Abbey Flyer platform layout.
Always loved to see the Guards Van at the back, used to look out for it but sadly you just don't seem to see them anymore. Sad to see the engine shed being demolished and the track beds and turntable already gone. Video shot before they electrified the Abbey Line, if they had not done this I think it would have closed by now. Brilliant bit of filming.
Many thanks! An excellent look back at the earlier days of the WCML electrification. I was quite surprised to see how many freight and parcel trains were electrically hauled then...a bit different to the situation today. A very enjoyable video from excellent original cine film. Rob.
BR policy " No diesels under the wires". There were a few such as the cement train to Cheddngton sidings. It ment a lt of lchanges were the wires ran out.
Brilliant film. I was born Watford 1955 and spent ages on Watford station and at Bushey troughs. Sad footage of the shed 1C going.
British Railways did a good job with this electrification scheme. Even the French with their long experience were impressed.
Very nostalgic. I remember the excitement when the Manchester electric service started. Although I lived in Oxford I went for a ride on it shortly after it started. The fare for a day return was £2. 17s! And I had lunch on the train, which I think cost 7s 6d.
I think 18th April 1966 - the date the West Coast Electrics started, and without a hitch too, is a much understated date in 1960's BR Modernisation. I remember that Euston-Manchester day return fare, and used it for a journey in June66.
Theres still remnants and bits of the Cheddington branch to Aylesbury
Didn't those AL6s look the business when they were new!
Impressive to think there are still a few in mainline operation in their 6th decade of use!!
Grea
fantastic film...thanks for uploading it.
Seems very unexpected to see Class 20s at Euston and Cravens DMUs on the Watford - St Albans branch
Absolute GOLD!!!!!
Many thanks!
Wow I’ve just seen film of 1C Watford MPD hard shed to do BR Jobsworths always kicked us trainspotters out.
Watching this makes you realise how boring the wcml is today in comparison, so much variety to spot.
3 years after posting your comment it's just Pendolino units, 350 emu class 90 and 66 on freight 710 in London and a few "odds and ends"
3.40 That kid can't wait to score that Cravens DMU!! Better than a Sprinter!
Immaculate infrastructure and no buddleia.
A holdover from the steam age, without the flying sparks from the chimney it wasn’t necessary to keep the flammable vegetation at bay
How things have changed in the last 50 years and not for the better.
Shame no sound but great footage of the WCML AC heyday ! Thanks
AC electric locos were worthy successors to Duchesses and Scots. The same could not be said for 'Long Pong' EE Type Fours and a bunch of outright dud diesel designs. They might have stuck to Riddles' plan and converted the WCML directly from steam to electric power, keeping front rank steam locos until each section was electrified.... perhaps modifying steamers to have 'gas producer' fireboxes, drop grates, multiple blast pipes and Caprotti gear.
Pipe-dreaming here ;-)
Yes indeed, their numb Euro-aesthetics and humming, indolent banality were so wonderfully exhilarating. Indeed, so successful that the banality was copied across the network, giving us the stirring banalfest we have today
Cheddington --- where they drove the train to after Great Train Robbery 8/8/63
At 1:00 the electric loco is pulling carriages with a white livery. Whose livery was it?
It is in Electric Pullman livery. Sets of new Mark 2 Pullman coaches were produced for the new Manchester and Liverpool Pullman service.
what a shame the earlier old ciny cameras did not always have sound recording like some more advanced sophisticated video equipment does now I used to love the sound of the older school diesels and electrics and the sounds of mark 1 and 2 carrages but sadly the cost back then for sound recording equipment was too expensive for most people sound recording back then was probably expensive and much harder to obtain for non professionals and even some professionals who did record videos or ciny films etc had to cut costs and make do etc I still have some photos of old trains I took in the 1980s with old style cameras with 35 ml films no digital back then I took some great photos of old school diesels and electrics back in the late 80s even last ever class 40 loco to leave liverpool street street station in london in 1988 and some I took @ Stratford maintenance depot in the late 80s sadly I believe stratford maintenance depot is probably closed down now many years ago
Talking of the sound of the Mk2 coaches - the B4/5 bogies on all the Mk2 variants made an unmistakeable "whirr" which meant you could always identify that stock by sound alone.
Berkhamsted is My Local. It looks so different. I prefer it like that. Maybe add the coffee shop in then it is perfect
2A86 gets about a bit!
Not impressed by the lack of health and safety for the workers at Euston - On the running line without any high-viz... Right next to a Class 86 (Was it a Class 86 back then though or was that Class still in the future?) on the move...
Guess H&S was a lot different too back then,
It is a class 86, before TOPS numbering it was AL6
Guess railway staff had brains back then and they knew standing in front of a moving train would hurt
Without the irritating Pathe voiceover that dominated 60s BR films.
yep, the railways, ships, canals are all dying as road takes the lot. in my county Suffolk we have, apart from Felixstowe port business, two originating freight traffic by rail and that is a very sporadic sand train from Griffin wharf in Ipswich. I am not even sure if that runs now?? and a very sporadic freight train from Sizewell nuclear. The railways, waterways and Sea Transport are finished. Such a shame. Who would bother to be an rail or sea transport enthusiast in this century.
A golden era. Now all there is is those horrible Pendo units.
***** That is a good point and yes I have to say that you are right!
Love both steam and older diesels and electrics, ANYTHING but Pendolinos! If I do travel from Euston anywhere I'd even rather do a Desiro 350 than a Pendo.