Since i'm a kid i've always loved the old British arquitecture, i don't live in england, i'm from mexico, Thomas and friends was part of my childhood and man it is beautifiul to see all these things in real life, and seeing them abandoned, forgotten, lost... they just give me a warm feeling inside.
8:39 Oh lovely camera work!!!!! 8:57 Damn Martin you've done it again!! Another 2 seconds of air time would've made for perfection. EDIT Made me wait 👍👍
some info here also edenviaducts.org.uk/ but no mention of the now missing Belah viaduct, Must admit I thought you was looking for a stone viaduct .... Would love to be able to visit the many places you visit but very difficult when I am on the other side of the world, cheers, Garry from Down-Under
I liked your comment because I hope you read this response before it's removed. I'd like to know why your government is even having a lockdown. Considering that they downgraded this virus on March 19, 2020. I know because I've seen the notification by going to your government's official HCID government website. And your government never even notified the public just yet on acting like they considered it a pandemic. EDIT: I had to take screenshots of it it because I couldn't download it without allowing cookies to be installed in my phone so they could track my internet searches!
Everything looks totally out of place. Ghostly even. Lives lived, lives lost, blood sweat and tears poured into this project names now lost to history. Thank you for this.
Fascinating as always. It’s a great shame that so much history has either gone or is left to crumble. The engineering, especially given the tools available at the time, was simply phenomenal.
All that infrastructure cast aside in an instant. New infrastructure being built to save 20 minutes travel time for £100 billion......... isn't life strange?
oh please.. did you not hear that the viaduct was getting too weak to support the double loco trains. hence it was no longer fit for purpose. Progress happens and things get old and outlive their use .. guess you still yearn for everybody to drive model T's with all the NON safety aspects that would entail.. BUT of course they are old so it worth the risk and modern vehicles are simply the devils spawn in a technically progressive world. You can have your model T .. I will stick with my Astra .
@@kittyhawk9707 Or you could be open-minded enough to see the value of both your new car and a Model T, And that model T is going to be on the road long after you your new car is long gone.
You do all the hard work so we don’t have too and we are all very grateful for that Martin . Still around till 1963 , that’s amazing ! And seeing those other 2 beautiful viaducts makes me proud to be a bricklayer 👌🏼🧱👍🏼
14:30 "The two stone abutments are now forced to stare at each other across the valley. Like banished lovers that once held cast iron hands, they call to each other, forever longing." A magical line. You are a wordsmith!
Like yourself and many others here I am in awe at the endeavours of the engineers and builders of bygone eras in creating these structures and I share your romantic notions in the sheer beauty of these incredible buildings. As you say there is something quite poetic in the appearance on the natural surrounding landscape quite apart from the vision of group of workman turning up with some pretty primitive tools in the middle of nowhere to create these structures. Thanks so much for sharing your continuing relentless pursuits, I seem to have been following your exploits forever and absolutely love your enthusiasm, keep it up Martin and well done.
Simply stunning photography and a reminder of how great this country was to engineer such structures. Just subscribed and will go through all your other work. Thanks for your efforts to bring this history alive.
Thank you! Your best so far! I used to see the Stainmore Railway and the summit from the A66 when I traveled up and back to Scotland each week. I was fascinated so bought some books then took a vacation walking the old line all the way to Tebay. To me it is a very special place. So much so that I have my house in Kent on the market and as soon as it is sold I will be moving up to the moors and Dales so I can spend my days walking the line, drinking in the spirit of those pioneers who built the line. It is truly amazing and a monument to the ordinary folk who toiled and built it.
Martin, thank you for another of your wonderful atmospheric videos. I am trying to picture the sheer effort and difficulty in building that line before modern construction equipment and the bleakness of the existence of the signalmen at Belah box in all weathers. Your passion for the subject stands out like a beacon that we don’t see on mainstream TV channels.
exquisite melancholy mysterious beauty hammered on the backs of working men - no doubt Irish - Thankyou for taking the time for such a lovely presentation
Gary sounds like the kind of friend you need if you're determined to go see these things: mad enough to go with you but sensible enough to know when to say enough is enough.👍
Once again, brilliant! I used to have to drive 44 tonners up to Kirby Thore across that terrain across from Scotch Corner on the A1 in all weathers and can testify to the wildness !
Before 2000, there was a scheme to re-build the Kirkby-Stephen East - Stainmore Summit section of this line as an extension of the embryonic Eden Valley Railway heritage line, which is intending to re-open the Appleby East - Warcop - Kirkby-Stephen section as a preserved line. This would have involved re-building Belah viaduct in modern steel to the original design, re-building the dynamited Mousegill Viaduct and Skenrith bridge, which took the line over the River Eden East of Kirkby Stephen East station. But it failed at the time due to the Millennium Commission rejecting their bid for funding. I have no idea if the idea is still being entertained by the Stainmore Railway company, which is restoring Kirkby-Stephen East station as part of the Eden Valley Railway project, but what a preserved line this would make.........! Steam trains climbing up the side of the Eden Valley, over a succession of spectacular viaducts, with a dramatic view over the valley for most of the journey to Stainmore Summit........
I've just read in a railway magazine, an up to date one as of October 2020, that Network Rail and Grand Central were looking into connecting Blackpool with the ECML again but have binned it due to the turn-down in traffic because of the CoVid 19 Virus, staycationning aside. It was also possibly due to the enormity of the task. I will, re-read the article and put a link in if possible to the details. Strange reading that then seeing this video. No way could Martin have known about the proposals, now binned.
Oh the value of coal. I certainly miss mining it! No-one would dream of build viaducts/structures like Belah and Podgill "by hand" today. Rapidly advancing technology seems to be forcing us backwards in some respects. I too wonder who first said: "Why don't we", "What if we" and "stick your shovel there to start". Loved the bit about the abutments that are like "Banished lovers, that once held cast iron hands and calling to each other, forever longing", nice words Martin. Well done yet again Sir!
I thought it was great too, beautifully eerie and poetical romantic- I could imagine spending hours there and like how beautiful to like camp even, to wake to the view of Belah one.
I am a 3rd generation Native Born American with English/British Heritage. My ancetors Emigrated to the US around 1850ish? I greatly enjoy learning about Great Britain and the UK. I found your channel days ago and am thoroughly enjoying your excellent work. Truly Professional Quality and Cinematography. Looking forward to future videos.
Noticed that Cow down below, looking up at that crazy Human, thinking, "what is that doing up there!". Well done. We do appreciate your efforts on every production. My Dad was a Plate layer (50s & 60s), I have it as his occupation on my Birth Certificate! So proud.
Martin, you romantic townie, that was bloody brilliant. Thanks for making the effort to go back, that was a beautiful vid, moving music and one of your best factual history lessons👍🏻❤
Loved this video Martin, something very atmospheric about the Cumbrian countryside and the old relics left behind, especially the viaduct towers as silent guardians of a long forgotten past. Brilliant documentary as always :-).
Your fascination for the way things used to be is infectious! You really communicate it so well - it strikes deep. I only just discovered your amazing channel. Thanks, Martin!
J0hNF_UK - it would have been used for the failing U.K. car industry almost certainly, as most of our scrapped battleships where used for at the same time. These cars where so poor they also found themselves scrapped very rapidly, and most of the metal was shipped overseas to the east to go in to products we bought back.
PLEASE!! .. use your head.. The viaduct was no long fit for purpose, out lived it's usefulness .. what do you expect .. spending vast amounts to keep it maintained just so you can go all weepy over it in 2020, when all that steel could have been used for other things. Same with the Battleships and Tanks etc after ww2 - what is the point in having all that raw material sat there doing nothing , when industry sorely needed it . You really think given our current climate/resource problems NOW.. that fields and fields of rotted, rusty ww2 aircraft, Tanks etc would make an impressive sight in 2020- all those resources just left to rot away .. just because you get all weepy that they had the nerve to get rid of an old iron viaduct... please. Thankfully more resourceful people then you made the decision to recycle all that steel/rubber etc after the war - rather then park them all up "cos it is historic innit"
@@kittyhawk9707 Sounds like you came here with the sole intention of giving folks a hard time. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion, as are they, but ramming your vitriol down folks throats is un-necessary and rude. A bit of common courtesy, coupled with a reasoned arguement, shouldn't be too much to ask.
Belah viaduct, and the similar Deepdale viaduct East of Stainmore summit, were both designed by Thomas Bouch, who also designed the famous, or infamous original Tay bridge in Scotland. His career was ruined by the collapse of that bridge in a storm in 1879, which was unfair in ways as the contractors were also to blame for the Tay bridge's collapse. Cement was poured wet into the cast iron support columns, which then cracked as it hardened..... Much of Bouch's Tay bridge is still in use, as most of the girders (but not the central 'high girder' section which collapsed into the river) were re-used in the present Tay bridge. The foundations of the old bridge are still visible beside the new bridge as well.
Yes the iron work imperfect castings were filled with bees wax and painted over by the contractors. Imperfect design (no wind bracing) but poorly executed too. Yes a lot of Bouch's work was good so its a pity he's mainly remembered for the Tay Bridge.
There was also a design-flaw in the 'construction strength' calculations on his part ........ which, at the time, might've possibly been overlooked. 'Maximum permissible forces' on the entire structure included extra-heavy trains (incl. double-heading, lengthy freights, etc.) AND included the pressure of extreme wind-shear (coming in at all angles), where flat, upright surfaces would create MOST resistance to the winds' strength and be the MOST dangerous. This was all fine and accounted for ........ but for one fatal missing calculation, namely that of the ADDITIONAL RESISTANCE at the height of the storm, with the worst possible wind WHILST A TRAIN WAS CROSSING, i.e. the train's flat sides ADDED to the overall resistance. This seems to've been the straw that broke the bridge's back.
is that that bridge where that train (i think only a mere 10 feet off the water) crashed into the frigid water and alot of people drowned and there were like onlookers on land who tried to help with boats but the water was so cold most didn't make it? :( i watched a program on history channel bout that, it said alot of the bad publicity had to do with so many bodies that ended up floating and washing ashore, which pictures of, made for sweeping headlines in the newspapers. It left the public shocked and disgusted, an a public cry for someone's head to roll demanding who to blame
a beatuful country with a lot of history,it was Always a pleasure crossing the channel with my lorry(Household goods)and i enjoyed every trip over there,from southampton to Newcastle and a lot of city's between!belgian greetings!
Loved the pic of the men at work extending the viaduct..the area is truly stunning, It is hard to imagine that structure was once there.. thanks again for showing places that I wouldn't get to see unless I went myself..
Martin, you nailed the romanticism !!! Also the reality of the area and the challenges the builder faced. I so enjoy your adventures and the beauty you share with us.
There is a branch of civil engineering called soil mechanics.... The engineers would have taken core samples at different depths of the ground, and subjected them to stress analysis.. They would have known the weight of the stone bridge, and designed the foundations with sufficient depth and area to carry the load, which includes rail traffic and safety factors as well... Nowadays, soil mechanics us a device called a triaxial cell.... The cylindrical sample is placed within a membrane sleeve surrounded by pressurised water (called pore pressure) Then load is measured & applied from above until the sample fails.. They then know the load bearing capacity of the ground they plan to build the bridge..
When I was studying Civil Engineering at Wigan Tech many years ago we used to do that test in the soils lab in the basement of the Library Street building. Great fun plotting the results.
Hi, John if I've understood you correctly, does that mean they can ultimately place foundations in earth with confidence, and not have to go all the way down until they find rock? Thanks :)
@@hamster-wh3ws Sorry for delay - Yes that is correct, in the same way our houses are built onto footings, usual only a few feet deep, without having to reach bedrock... Obviously, the load from the average house is nowhere near the same as a structural mass of a bridge with a fully laden engine & wagons, not forgetting an additional factor of safe working load.... Another set of criteria they have to take into consideration, is the stress that the stonework can carry... i.e. If you had some granite blocks 100cm cubed, you can only pile so many one on top of another before the ones at the bottom fail spectacularly... Nowadays, most bridges are made from concrete. When mixing the concrete, they test pour samples into cube moulds either 100mm or 150mm. When cured, the concrete cubes are crushed to destruction and readings taken... This is why I have so much respect for people like Isambard Kingdom Brunel who was designing & building things in the 19th century..
For those interested in the line watch a marvellous BTC film called "Snow Drift at Bleath Gill" circa 1954, it's on youtube. Also I was on the last train over the Stainmoor to and from Darlington. Believe it or not the engines (double headed) ran out of steam on the return leg, so we arrived home around midnight. Ian Dixon.
One of the volunteers at Locomotion [Shildon] a few years ago had a connection. His father worked on clearing the drift in the film. Away for three weeks, no phoning home. Such events were not rare . . .
Had a feeling it might be somewhere up around Kirby Stephen from the clues. A great area to social distance on a bicycle up around Barras , Tan Hill etc #bleak
@@MartinZero just looked on a map. Had no idea the old railway from tebay went that way . I did think that the stone walls where you turn up to the tan hill at Barras looked railway-like when I went through recently . When I race time trials on my bike in Yorkshire or around Kirby Stephen way , quite a few of the landmarks I use to break the course up in my mind are railway related. viaducts in the hills, , bridges , old stations.
@@MartinZero from just along the way past Barnard Castle you look like Southern chaps. Locals would be in t-shirts and flipflop mate. Still it was an enjoyable video. One day you will be drawn back.;0)
Another outstanding video Martin, I keep saying this but thanks so much for making the effort to visit these places - twice! If only some of these structures could talk, what stories they could tell...
If you want to avoid the reflections as you had inside the cabin, buy/use a circular polarizing filter (CPL). That would give you the opportunity to get rid of those reflections. It's also a great tool by filming/photography at a water side or near/towards buildings with a lot of glass.
18:15 The Old Signalbox, fascinating to see this structure still stands albeit in a derelict state. I worked the remote Reedham and Somerleyton Swing Bridges in East Anglia from 1990 until 2011 as a signalman and I can tell you it was a very lonely job working in the middle of nowhere. Great vid once again.👍👍👍
Sehr imposante Überreste. Der Stress hatte sich doch gelohnt. War sehr interessant. Thank you. Schön das Darren auch dabei war. Ich habe euch lange nicht mehr gemeinsam gesehen. Thank you Martin
I used to watch your channel just because of the Manchester history videos .now I'm enjoying everything else ,I never thought I would watch videos of bridges etc keep up good work.
hahaha, try the northwoods of Maine, we got 17 million acres of rugged forest and swamp. Only 1 hi-way. Cumbria is nice unless you go off track and then its like walking through rat traps....if theres an early snow it would be dicey, miserable at least. England is small , civilized and cozy, looks like you could walk most of it, until you try walking it.
Wow! Wonderful stuff Martin and so poignant. The bleakness of the landscape and the determination of the men to push the railway through, just incredible. A great video, thanks so much.
I'd never have the pleasure of seeing this area of the world if it weren't for you Martin, Thank you for trekking up there and taking these wonderful videos! It's much appreciated.
Stunning work there fellas! The music is very evocative, lending itself to the absolutely beautiful, but bleak terrain. Our forefathers who designed & built these railways & structures will always hold a great fascination for me, no computers just pencil & paper ..... Sad that today they lie idle. Cheers John B👍😷
Took the words right out of my mouth !!! Couldnt agree more. Stunning vid and interesting background info as always thanks Martin your vids just get better and better. Amazing thanks Roj
Love all your adventures and videos! I'm in USA and came across your feed on RUclips. I've always loved history and historical places. I'm now 63 yrs old, and do hope someday to make it to your great country. Thank you for all your efforts and historical insight. And by the way, my name is Martin also! HA! Cheers!!
I know you drove around 400 mile for this one Martin, what an excellent video, I love it. I started watching your channel from the beginning just over 2 1/2 week ago, ( I’m around 190 videos in) I find your videos of Manchester history fascinating, your research is amazing Thank you for some excellent viewing.
A wonderfully evocative video, which captures the splendid isolation of this former engineering iconl. Like the canal navvies before them, the railway navvies moved mountains (of earth) to achieve the seemingly impossible. Your reading of the poem (hidden in the steelwork), was the icing on the cake! Well done Martin!
Fantastic lads. It's great to see images of when it was in operation and what it looked like. And the bit of history also. Anyone could show an abandoned building, but to go the extra mile with history and images. Hats off to you.
Great effort and beautiful scenery. What a fantastic sight the old viaduct. Thank you for showing the old card pictures too. Even the retaining wall was well made.
I agree - this is a marvellous location! In 1972, over the course of 2-3 days, three of us walked from Darlington to Kirkby Stephen along the trackbed of the railway as much as possible. We crossed the river at Belah viaduct, so it could be done then. But I don't know what 50 years worth of tree growth, erosion, climate change etc. have done since. That same year, we also crossed Merrygill viaduct in a brake van attached to one of the few trains still running to serve the stone quarry at Merrygill which survived 12 years after the rest of the line closed. I for one, would like to return to the site of Belah viaduct. Thanks for the informative video, Martin.
Another great Video Martin me and the wife have binged watched all your videos over the last few weeks. Thanks for bringing a bit of light in to our lives at this crazy time. Signed a very happy Geordie. Take Care Martin and stay safe
Martin your anesthetic taste always take us to the most swanky places ... always. To the sacred engineering cathedrals shared through the grace of God, and Martin Zero... Thanks Man.
well martin what a wonderful trip we went on that was so beautiful we thank you so much for showing it to us all the best from trev and Chris down south
Brilliant as always Martin. When you consider that nearly all the infrastructure that trains are still running on today is what the victorians built and laid 150 yrs plus ago it speaks volumes about their engineering prowess. I wonder how much of anything that’s been built recently will still be standing or serving in a 150 yrs. They could certainly build those guys.
One of the reasons is they massively over-engineered structures as they didn't have the detailed technical knowledge etc to design "just enough". Hence so much still stands
@@Spookieham never thought of it that way but now you’ve brought it to light that would make sense. Not only did they as you say over engineer things but they took such pride in what they built or manufactured it really is hats off to the Victorian engineers probably our greatest generation as regards building the foundations of what we have today. Cheers
Brilliant! I like a bit of bleak... Thoroughly utilitarian, but utterly beautiful, all of those viaducts. Cracking video, Martin, and a great start to Sunday night. Cheers!
Thanks Martin, another brilliant video. As you said and I agree with you, the work and effort that went into the stonework alone is mind bending and in an age when they didn't have the machinery we have today. You have to admire the people of a time long gone.
Since i'm a kid i've always loved the old British arquitecture, i don't live in england, i'm from mexico, Thomas and friends was part of my childhood and man it is beautifiul to see all these things in real life, and seeing them abandoned, forgotten, lost... they just give me a warm feeling inside.
Wow, i felt so related to this, thomas the tank engine is my childhood and watching this video reminds me of that.
Thanks to www.forgottenrelics.co.uk for most of the info for this video. The drone amzn.to/3erGuII The camera used amzn.to/34Qz8v9
The elevation change is deceptive.
This might be of interest, from about five minutes in ruclips.net/video/KXObLbUn2gc/видео.html
8:39 Oh lovely camera work!!!!!
8:57 Damn Martin you've done it again!!
Another 2 seconds of air time would've made for perfection.
EDIT
Made me wait 👍👍
some info here also edenviaducts.org.uk/
but no mention of the now missing Belah viaduct,
Must admit I thought you was looking for a stone viaduct ....
Would love to be able to visit the many places you visit but very difficult when I am on the other side of the world, cheers, Garry from Down-Under
Excellent stuff, you do know,Patrick Dickinson would have ran over that terrain, cooked a three course meal and stayed the night 😂
Keep filming through the new Lockdown, Martin. Sunday evenings wouldn't be as enjoyable without your videos.
Do my best
@@MartinZero I mean technically walking is exercise so you aren't doing any wrong 🤔
This can also be classed as ‘your job’, and one you can’t do from home.
He is essential to a lot of people! 🙂
I liked your comment because I hope you read this response before it's removed. I'd like to know why your government is even having a lockdown. Considering that they downgraded this virus on March 19, 2020. I know because I've seen the notification by going to your government's official HCID government website. And your government never even notified the public just yet on acting like they considered it a pandemic.
EDIT: I had to take screenshots of it it because I couldn't download it without allowing cookies to be installed in my phone so they could track my internet searches!
Everything looks totally out of place. Ghostly even. Lives lived, lives lost, blood sweat and tears poured into this project names now lost to history. Thank you for this.
Life’s circle.
I think it should be preserved
Fascinating as always. It’s a great shame that so much history has either gone or is left to crumble.
The engineering, especially given the tools available at the time, was simply phenomenal.
Yes they must have used a few plumbobs
@@MartinZero I expect several labourers were called Bob! 😉😆
All that infrastructure cast aside in an instant. New infrastructure being built to save 20 minutes travel time for £100 billion......... isn't life strange?
oh please.. did you not hear that the viaduct was getting too weak to support the double loco trains. hence it was no longer fit for purpose. Progress happens and things get old and outlive their use .. guess you still yearn for everybody to drive model T's with all the NON safety aspects that would entail.. BUT of course they are old so it worth the risk and modern vehicles are simply the devils spawn in a technically progressive world. You can have your model T .. I will stick with my Astra .
@@kittyhawk9707
Or you could be open-minded enough to see the value of both your new car and a Model T,
And that model T is going to be on the road long after you your new car is long gone.
You do all the hard work so we don’t have too and we are all very grateful for that Martin . Still around till 1963 , that’s amazing ! And seeing those other 2 beautiful viaducts makes me proud to be a bricklayer 👌🏼🧱👍🏼
If the belah viaduct had been built of stone as well, it would probably still be standing.
@@simontay4851 Definitely 👌🏼🧱👍🏽
Yeah deffo, what a place
@@MartinZero 👌🏼🧱👍🏽
14:30 "The two stone abutments are now forced to stare at each other across the valley. Like banished lovers that once held cast iron hands, they call to each other, forever longing."
A magical line. You are a wordsmith!
Like yourself and many others here I am in awe at the endeavours of the engineers and builders of bygone eras in creating these structures and I share your romantic notions in the sheer beauty of these incredible buildings. As you say there is something quite poetic in the appearance on the natural surrounding landscape quite apart from the vision of group of workman turning up with some pretty primitive tools in the middle of nowhere to create these structures. Thanks so much for sharing your continuing relentless pursuits, I seem to have been following your exploits forever and absolutely love your enthusiasm, keep it up Martin and well done.
Simply stunning photography and a reminder of how great this country was to engineer such structures. Just subscribed and will go through all your other work. Thanks for your efforts to bring this history alive.
Thank you! Your best so far! I used to see the Stainmore Railway and the summit from the A66 when I traveled up and back to Scotland each week. I was fascinated so bought some books then took a vacation walking the old line all the way to Tebay. To me it is a very special place. So much so that I have my house in Kent on the market and as soon as it is sold I will be moving up to the moors and Dales so I can spend my days walking the line, drinking in the spirit of those pioneers who built the line. It is truly amazing and a monument to the ordinary folk who toiled and built it.
Martin, thank you for another of your wonderful atmospheric videos. I am trying to picture the sheer effort and difficulty in building that line before modern construction equipment and the bleakness of the existence of the signalmen at Belah box in all weathers. Your passion for the subject stands out like a beacon that we don’t see on mainstream TV channels.
exquisite melancholy mysterious beauty hammered on the backs of working men - no doubt Irish - Thankyou for taking the time for such a lovely presentation
Gary sounds like the kind of friend you need if you're determined to go see these things: mad enough to go with you but sensible enough to know when to say enough is enough.👍
Yep, I dont think he was impressed
Once again, brilliant! I used to have to drive 44 tonners up to Kirby Thore across that terrain across from Scotch Corner on the A1 in all weathers and can testify to the wildness !
Thanks Martin, such a welcome tonic. Your hard earned efforts are much appreciated.
Thank you.
Thanks very much Ian
Before 2000, there was a scheme to re-build the Kirkby-Stephen East - Stainmore Summit section of this line as an extension of the embryonic Eden Valley Railway heritage line, which is intending to re-open the Appleby East - Warcop - Kirkby-Stephen section as a preserved line. This would have involved re-building Belah viaduct in modern steel to the original design, re-building the dynamited Mousegill Viaduct and Skenrith bridge, which took the line over the River Eden East of Kirkby Stephen East station. But it failed at the time due to the Millennium Commission rejecting their bid for funding. I have no idea if the idea is still being entertained by the Stainmore Railway company, which is restoring Kirkby-Stephen East station as part of the Eden Valley Railway project, but what a preserved line this would make.........! Steam trains climbing up the side of the Eden Valley, over a succession of spectacular viaducts, with a dramatic view over the valley for most of the journey to Stainmore Summit........
Sounds great but a massive undertaking
I've just read in a railway magazine, an up to date one as of October 2020, that Network Rail and Grand Central were looking into connecting Blackpool with the ECML again but have binned it due to the turn-down in traffic because of the CoVid 19 Virus, staycationning aside. It was also possibly due to the enormity of the task. I will, re-read the article and put a link in if possible to the details. Strange reading that then seeing this video. No way could Martin have known about the proposals, now binned.
Unbelievable. Had the Belah viaduct not have been demolished, it would now be in use even as just a walking/cycling route.
What this country had, and let vanish so easily......
@@simontay4851 the maintenance costs of the viaduct were the primary cause for the closure of this line almost 60 years ago.
Oh the value of coal. I certainly miss mining it!
No-one would dream of build viaducts/structures like Belah and Podgill "by hand" today.
Rapidly advancing technology seems to be forcing us backwards in some respects.
I too wonder who first said: "Why don't we", "What if we" and "stick your shovel there to start".
Loved the bit about the abutments that are like "Banished lovers, that once held cast iron hands and calling to each other, forever longing", nice words Martin.
Well done yet again Sir!
Thanks very much Joe
Excellent video & commentary well done martin
Thank you Terry
I don’t want to sound soppy but I love the romanticism of this video. Hope you’re able to keep making your videos during lockdown. Take care.
You dont sound soppy Julia I thought the romanticism of the place was wonderful
I thought it was great too, beautifully eerie and poetical romantic- I could imagine spending hours there and like how beautiful to like camp even, to wake to the view of Belah one.
YES IT IS MAYBE MARTINS BEST EVER FILM IN MY VIEW
@@rayindahay ‘of
I am a 3rd generation Native Born American with English/British Heritage. My ancetors Emigrated to the US around 1850ish? I greatly enjoy learning about Great Britain and the UK. I found your channel days ago and am thoroughly enjoying your excellent work. Truly Professional Quality and Cinematography. Looking forward to future videos.
Noticed that Cow down below, looking up at that crazy Human, thinking, "what is that doing up there!". Well done. We do appreciate your efforts on every production. My Dad was a Plate layer (50s & 60s), I have it as his occupation on my Birth Certificate! So proud.
Martin, you romantic townie, that was bloody brilliant. Thanks for making the effort to go back, that was a beautiful vid, moving music and one of your best factual history lessons👍🏻❤
Thanks very much Bob
Loved this video Martin, something very atmospheric about the Cumbrian countryside and the old relics left behind, especially the viaduct towers as silent guardians of a long forgotten past. Brilliant documentary as always :-).
Thanks Steve, yes silent guardians, I like it
Your fascination for the way things used to be is infectious! You really communicate it so well - it strikes deep. I only just discovered your amazing channel. Thanks, Martin!
Thanks very much Mark
It’s a stunning part of the world and a great location. So tragic that the viaduct was destroyed with so much haste.
Yeah imagine it still standing 👌
The iron used would have been sold off and made a tidy sum, no doubt.
J0hNF_UK - it would have been used for the failing U.K. car industry almost certainly, as most of our scrapped battleships where used for at the same time. These cars where so poor they also found themselves scrapped very rapidly, and most of the metal was shipped overseas to the east to go in to products we bought back.
PLEASE!! .. use your head.. The viaduct was no long fit for purpose, out lived it's usefulness .. what do you expect .. spending vast amounts to keep it maintained just so you can go all weepy over it in 2020, when all that steel could have been used for other things. Same with the Battleships and Tanks etc after ww2 - what is the point in having all that raw material sat there doing nothing , when industry sorely needed it .
You really think given our current climate/resource problems NOW.. that fields and fields of rotted, rusty ww2 aircraft, Tanks etc would make an impressive sight in 2020- all those resources just left to rot away .. just because you get all weepy that they had the nerve to get rid of an old iron viaduct... please. Thankfully more resourceful people then you made the decision to recycle all that steel/rubber etc after the war - rather then park them all up "cos it is historic innit"
@@kittyhawk9707 Sounds like you came here with the sole intention of giving folks a hard time. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion, as are they, but ramming your vitriol down folks throats is un-necessary and rude. A bit of common courtesy, coupled with a reasoned arguement, shouldn't be too much to ask.
One of the best railway docs I’ve seen for a while 👍
Belah viaduct, and the similar Deepdale viaduct East of Stainmore summit, were both designed by Thomas Bouch, who also designed the famous, or infamous original Tay bridge in Scotland. His career was ruined by the collapse of that bridge in a storm in 1879, which was unfair in ways as the contractors were also to blame for the Tay bridge's collapse. Cement was poured wet into the cast iron support columns, which then cracked as it hardened..... Much of Bouch's Tay bridge is still in use, as most of the girders (but not the central 'high girder' section which collapsed into the river) were re-used in the present Tay bridge. The foundations of the old bridge are still visible beside the new bridge as well.
Cheers Christopher
Yes the iron work imperfect castings were filled with bees wax and painted over by the contractors. Imperfect design (no wind bracing) but poorly executed too. Yes a lot of Bouch's work was good so its a pity he's mainly remembered for the Tay Bridge.
There was also a design-flaw in the 'construction strength' calculations on his part ........ which, at the time, might've possibly been overlooked.
'Maximum permissible forces' on the entire structure included extra-heavy trains (incl. double-heading, lengthy freights, etc.) AND included the pressure of extreme wind-shear (coming in at all angles), where flat, upright surfaces would create MOST resistance to the winds' strength and be the MOST dangerous. This was all fine and accounted for ........ but for one fatal missing calculation, namely that of the ADDITIONAL RESISTANCE at the height of the storm, with the worst possible wind WHILST A TRAIN WAS CROSSING, i.e. the train's flat sides ADDED to the overall resistance. This seems to've been the straw that broke the bridge's back.
@@richardberechula2942 - Thanks interesting.
is that that bridge where that train (i think only a mere 10 feet off the water) crashed into the frigid water and alot of people drowned and there were like onlookers on land who tried to help with boats but the water was so cold most didn't make it? :( i watched a program on history channel bout that, it said alot of the bad publicity had to do with so many bodies that ended up floating and washing ashore, which pictures of, made for sweeping headlines in the newspapers. It left the public shocked and disgusted, an a public cry for someone's head to roll demanding who to blame
a beatuful country with a lot of history,it was Always a pleasure crossing the channel with my lorry(Household goods)and i enjoyed every trip over there,from southampton to Newcastle and a lot of city's between!belgian greetings!
Loved the pic of the men at work extending the viaduct..the area is truly stunning, It is hard to imagine that structure was once there.. thanks again for showing places that I wouldn't get to see unless I went myself..
Thanks very much Jo
Martin, you nailed the romanticism !!! Also the reality of the area and the challenges the builder faced. I so enjoy your adventures and the beauty you share with us.
There is a branch of civil engineering called soil mechanics.... The engineers would have taken core samples at different depths of the ground, and subjected them to stress analysis.. They would have known the weight of the stone bridge, and designed the foundations with sufficient depth and area to carry the load, which includes rail traffic and safety factors as well... Nowadays, soil mechanics us a device called a triaxial cell.... The cylindrical sample is placed within a membrane sleeve surrounded by pressurised water (called pore pressure) Then load is measured & applied from above until the sample fails.. They then know the load bearing capacity of the ground they plan to build the bridge..
Cheers John
When I was studying Civil Engineering at Wigan Tech many years ago we used to do that test in the soils lab in the basement of the Library Street building. Great fun plotting the results.
There's a LOT of granite up there, I'm suspecting they didn't need to dig too deep tbh.
Hi, John if I've understood you correctly, does that mean they can ultimately place foundations in earth with confidence, and not have to go all the way down until they find rock? Thanks :)
@@hamster-wh3ws Sorry for delay - Yes that is correct, in the same way our houses are built onto footings, usual only a few feet deep, without having to reach bedrock... Obviously, the load from the average house is nowhere near the same as a structural mass of a bridge with a fully laden engine & wagons, not forgetting an additional factor of safe working load.... Another set of criteria they have to take into consideration, is the stress that the stonework can carry... i.e. If you had some granite blocks 100cm cubed, you can only pile so many one on top of another before the ones at the bottom fail spectacularly... Nowadays, most bridges are made from concrete. When mixing the concrete, they test pour samples into cube moulds either 100mm or 150mm. When cured, the concrete cubes are crushed to destruction and readings taken... This is why I have so much respect for people like Isambard Kingdom Brunel who was designing & building things in the 19th century..
What a great documentary on a brilliant piece of engineering in a beautiful part of the world. Please keep them coming. Very well done.
For those interested in the line watch a marvellous BTC film called "Snow Drift at Bleath Gill" circa 1954, it's on youtube. Also I was on the last train over the Stainmoor to and from Darlington. Believe it or not the engines (double headed) ran out of steam on the return leg, so we arrived home around midnight.
Ian Dixon.
Thanks for the recommendation Ian
That wasn't the only time the line was blocked by snow. It happen every few winters.
One of the volunteers at Locomotion [Shildon] a few years ago had a connection. His father worked on clearing the drift in the film. Away for three weeks, no phoning home. Such events were not rare . . .
An excellent piece of work and well worth the visit to bring this remarkable railway to the attention of railway enthusiasts everywhere. Thank You
Had a feeling it might be somewhere up around Kirby Stephen from the clues. A great area to social distance on a bicycle up around Barras , Tan Hill etc #bleak
Yes, unlikely to see anyone up there apart from a Red Squirrel
@@MartinZero just looked on a map. Had no idea the old railway from tebay went that way . I did think that the stone walls where you turn up to the tan hill at Barras looked railway-like when I went through recently . When I race time trials on my bike in Yorkshire or around Kirby Stephen way , quite a few of the landmarks I use to break the course up in my mind are railway related. viaducts in the hills, , bridges , old stations.
Glad you Southern boys came North and enjoyed the weather, landscapes and history. Top work and video..super well done.
Southern boys 😆👍
@@MartinZero from just along the way past Barnard Castle you look like Southern chaps. Locals would be in t-shirts and flipflop mate. Still it was an enjoyable video. One day you will be drawn back.;0)
Another outstanding video Martin, I keep saying this but thanks so much for making the effort to visit these places - twice! If only some of these structures could talk, what stories they could tell...
Yeah amazing place
Maybe decendants of the people that built it could be contacted some how. They could tell some stories.
Brilliant episode. I would like to see the signal box return to its former glory as a local tourist attraction!
I love how the cow is checking you out.
Hmmm cant trust a cow in a field
Where was this part I didn't see any
That first reveal of the viaduct and signal box is AMAZING. Drone shots lovely too. Thanks!
If you want to avoid the reflections as you had inside the cabin, buy/use a circular polarizing filter (CPL). That would give you the opportunity to get rid of those reflections. It's also a great tool by filming/photography at a water side or near/towards buildings with a lot of glass.
Thanks very much
18:15 The Old Signalbox, fascinating to see this structure still stands albeit in a derelict state. I worked the remote Reedham and Somerleyton Swing Bridges in East Anglia from 1990 until 2011 as a signalman and I can tell you it was a very lonely job working in the middle of nowhere.
Great vid once again.👍👍👍
14:04 even the horses were looking at you in disbelief, thinking what’s the numpty doing up here on a day like this?🤣
I know, they werent impressed
Stunning bit of work. Well done, and Thank you.
Were you on your way to Barnard Castle to test your eyesight?
I never actually went there 😃
Sehr imposante Überreste.
Der Stress hatte sich doch gelohnt.
War sehr interessant.
Thank you. Schön das Darren auch dabei war. Ich habe euch lange nicht mehr gemeinsam gesehen.
Thank you Martin
Thank you very much 👍
"who the hell would build a railway across the moors"
West Highland: *looks away*
Ha, brilliant 👍
The tartarians, Old world remains repurpose by moguls like us, who lack skills and imagination. Lol
Fascinating as always Martin. Those Victorians left us a rich heritage. Thank you and please keep them coming.
Your getting very lyrical in your old age.. for ever longing.
I always have been. 😀
Amazing Stuff....we build it... then it become obsolete.. then we pull it down.... great video keeping History alive....
Barnie Castle is apparently a great place to have your eyes checked if your a politician at least. haha
😃👍
What an amazingly scenic place. Loved the rainbow shot and the drone footage at the end. Beautiful.
Would have been impressive to see a steam train on it
I bet it was awesome Chris
Those abutments and associated stone work look absolutely beautiful. Fantastic shot Martin
I’m so early I need a coffee! ☕️
Enjoy 😃👍
I used to watch your channel just because of the Manchester history videos .now I'm enjoying everything else ,I never thought I would watch videos of bridges etc keep up good work.
“Too far out in the wilds.” Lmao! That’s cute. Ever been to Texas?
Slightly different Terrain eh cock ?
What's the infrastructure like over there?!
Its all relative 👍
Your Texas morning commute would be a day's travel in English traffic.
hahaha, try the northwoods of Maine, we got 17 million acres of rugged forest and swamp. Only 1 hi-way.
Cumbria is nice unless you go off track and then its like walking through rat traps....if theres an early snow it would be dicey, miserable at least. England is small , civilized and cozy, looks like you could walk most of it, until you try walking it.
This is an epic - to turn away and to come back, Shackleton would be proud. Loved this , getting a glass of wine to watch the second half now.
Cheers Simon 😀
ah, November, start of the glorious tee-shirt season
Not here 😃
I love the poetry and music on this video Martin 😊 Thank you
Thank you Sue, me as well
First for once! 👍😆👍
Nice one Phil
Another fantastic video Martin. Pain to get to but well worth it in the end. You can be proud of that one. Thank you.
I can't help but feel that someone should make an effort to renovate that signal box.
It would be nice
@@MartinZero it’d make a nice weekend retreat for you mate! 😉
Wow! Wonderful stuff Martin and so poignant. The bleakness of the landscape and the determination of the men to push the railway through, just incredible. A great video, thanks so much.
I'd never have the pleasure of seeing this area of the world if it weren't for you Martin, Thank you for trekking up there and taking these wonderful videos! It's much appreciated.
Stunning work there fellas!
The music is very evocative, lending itself to the absolutely beautiful, but bleak terrain.
Our forefathers who designed & built these railways & structures will always hold a great fascination for me, no computers just pencil & paper .....
Sad that today they lie idle.
Cheers John B👍😷
Took the words right out of my mouth !!! Couldnt agree more.
Stunning vid and interesting background info as always thanks Martin your vids just get better and better.
Amazing thanks
Roj
Great vid Martin, Darren really great and thank you for taking us along. What an unforgiving and difficult terrain to traverse.👍🏴
Your photography and videos are becoming better and better every time Martin. I always look forward to your videos. Thank you
Cracking video Martin. Stunning location. All the effort and hard work that went into constructing that railway, just to be lost in time.
Love all your adventures and videos! I'm in USA and came across your feed on RUclips. I've always loved history and historical places. I'm now 63 yrs old, and do hope someday to make it to your great country. Thank you for all your efforts and historical insight. And by the way, my name is Martin also! HA! Cheers!!
Hi Martin. Lets hope when everything is back to normal you get to visit. Regards to you in the US
I know you drove around 400 mile for this one Martin, what an excellent video, I love it. I started watching your channel from the beginning just over 2 1/2 week ago, ( I’m around 190 videos in) I find your videos of Manchester history fascinating, your research is amazing Thank you for some excellent viewing.
A wonderfully evocative video, which captures the splendid isolation of this former engineering iconl. Like the canal navvies before them, the railway navvies moved mountains (of earth) to achieve the seemingly impossible. Your reading of the poem (hidden in the steelwork), was the icing on the cake! Well done Martin!
Wow you deserve a medal for making that one, really enjoyed it, cheers
Fantastic lads. It's great to see images of when it was in operation and what it looked like. And the bit of history also. Anyone could show an abandoned building, but to go the extra mile with history and images. Hats off to you.
Great effort and beautiful scenery. What a fantastic sight the old viaduct. Thank you for showing the old card pictures too. Even the retaining wall was well made.
Beautiful Scenery, Happy Sunday, Thanks for the Videos Martin
I agree - this is a marvellous location! In 1972, over the course of 2-3 days, three of us walked from Darlington to Kirkby Stephen along the trackbed of the railway as much as possible. We crossed the river at Belah viaduct, so it could be done then. But I don't know what 50 years worth of tree growth, erosion, climate change etc. have done since. That same year, we also crossed Merrygill viaduct in a brake van attached to one of the few trains still running to serve the stone quarry at Merrygill which survived 12 years after the rest of the line closed. I for one, would like to return to the site of Belah viaduct. Thanks for the informative video, Martin.
Beautiful video Martin & Darren , Keep up the good work ,Thanks.
So great that one of the old doors is still there on the signal box building . thanks for doing this video!!
Thanks Christopher was a great place to visit I'll never forget it
Absolutely brilliant. Very interesting, thank you for walking and filming it.
Thank you Debz glad you enjoyed
Kudos for getting such steady drone footage with the windy conditions.
Another great Video Martin me and the wife have binged watched all your videos over the last few weeks. Thanks for bringing a bit of light in to our lives at this crazy time. Signed a very happy Geordie. Take Care Martin and stay safe
A beautiful location, really enjoyed this one, thanks for the info.
Thank you
Just like our weather here today.Dark and gloomy,wet.windy and cold.Great video.I will start watching your others. Thanks
Outstanding video Martin, thoroughly enjoyed that. Thanks for braving the elements so that we can all share the experience.
Fascinating video Martin, thanks. The Victorians were not put off by location or weather. Loved the accompanying music !
Martin your anesthetic taste always take us to the most swanky places ... always. To the sacred engineering cathedrals shared through the grace of God, and Martin Zero... Thanks Man.
Cheers Frank 👍
well martin what a wonderful trip we went on that was so beautiful we thank you so much for showing it to us all the best from trev and Chris down south
There is something about stone viaducts that I find so magical. I absolutely love being around them. Great video!
Another beautiful story Martin...Thank you so much ..
Absolutely amazing views and photography. The history stays alive with these posts. Keep them up!
Thank you Mr Martin !The poetry was a bonus legacy that survives the destruction !!
Brilliant as always Martin. When you consider that nearly all the infrastructure that trains are still running on today is what the victorians built and laid 150 yrs plus ago it speaks volumes about their engineering prowess. I wonder how much of anything that’s been built recently will still be standing or serving in a 150 yrs. They could certainly build those guys.
One of the reasons is they massively over-engineered structures as they didn't have the detailed technical knowledge etc to design "just enough". Hence so much still stands
@@Spookieham never thought of it that way but now you’ve brought it to light that would make sense. Not only did they as you say over engineer things but they took such pride in what they built or manufactured it really is hats off to the Victorian engineers probably our greatest generation as regards building the foundations of what we have today. Cheers
Brilliant! I like a bit of bleak... Thoroughly utilitarian, but utterly beautiful, all of those viaducts.
Cracking video, Martin, and a great start to Sunday night. Cheers!
Thanks Brian
Love the random cow at 13:55😂 awesome video as always, Martin. Thanks for uploading! Cheers from New Jersey USA
Once again Martin & Crew...outstanding job. We want more. Background music is great too...very Eno-esque. Thank You All :)
Thanks Martin, another brilliant video. As you said and I agree with you, the work and effort that went into the stonework alone is mind bending and in an age when they didn't have the machinery we have today. You have to admire the people of a time long gone.
You do a wonderful job of keeping history alive..Always looking forward to your next one..
Just stunning, beautiful scenes of almost forgotten history.
Yet another great video, Martin. I will definitely be putting that on my bucket list!!!
I think you should Paul