Decades of Steam Series

Ref: GU123D

Price:£13.25

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Decades of Steam the 1920's on DVD, celebrating the classic age of steam.

This is the first of a series of five 100 per cent archive film programmes which trace the story of steam locomotives during the middle years of the 20th Century.

- Produced and Directed by Jeremy English

- 100% archive film

- Approximately 1 hour running time

Our starting point is the great amalgamation, the Grouping, of the Victorian companies in 1923 to form the "Big Four" railways: the Great Western, the Southern, the London, Midland & Scottish and the London & North Eastern. Using unique archive film of the late 1920s, we first examine the stock inherited from the constituent companies.

We then look at the first new types introduced by the "Big Four". Many rare scenes are included for the first time on DVD, and locomotives shown include, along with many others, Great Western 'Dukes', 'Dean Goods', 'Aberdares', 'Counties', 'County Tanks' and 'Metro' Tanks; Southern 'Ds', 'M7s', "Lord Nelsons' and Beattie well tanks; LMS ex-LNWR 4-4-0s and 2-6-2Ts, Midland '2Ps' and ex-GSWR Baltics tanks; LNER ex-Great Central 4-6-0s, Atlantics and 'A1' Pacifics. Many pregrouping liveries are also seen.

Availability: AVAILABLE

Cover photo: Ian Allan Library & P.Ransome-Wallis
Filmed by/when: Produced and directed by Jeremy English
Narrated by: Ken Morgan
First published on DVD: 1995/1996
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 60-mins (1hr 0min) , Black & White, some colour
.

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Ref: GU124D

Price:£13.25

Quantity:

Decades of Steam 1930's on DVD, celebrating the classic agea of steam.

The second of these five 100% archive film programmes takes the story of the steam locomotive in Great Britain into the cold years of the Depression.

- Produced and Directed by Jeremy English

- 100% archive film

- Approximately 1 hour running time

For the railways it was a period of austerity as they tried to meet the competition of the roads. The GWR, LMS and LNER embarked on massive steam locomotive construction programmes to replace the many different types inherited in 1923, although the Southern pursued its own agenda of electrification in order to eliminate steam.

In this volume we visit familiar and not-so-familiar locations to see steam at work, from the great main lines to rural branches. Locomotives seen include: Great Western 'Halls', Panniers, Prairies, 'Kings' and 'Castles'; Southern Maunsell-designed classics; LMS 'Duchesses', 'Black 5s', 8Fs', 'Jubilees' and 'Royal Scots'; LNER Pacifics, including streamlined 'A4' Silver Jubilee.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Produced and directed by Jeremy English
Narrated by: Ken Morgan
First published on DVD: 1995/1996
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 60-mins (1hr 0min( , Black & White with some colour
.

To tell a friend about this item, click to Share or send an Email:

Ref: GU125D

Price:£13.25

Quantity:

Decades of Steam 1940's on DVD, celebrating the classic agea of steam.

In this, the third of five 100% archive film programmes, the story of steam locomotives is taken through the end of independence into the early days of Nationalisation.

- Produced and Directed by Jeremy English

- 100% archive film

- Approximately 1 hour running time

The first half of the decade saw the railways at the forefront of the war effort, from which the black-painted steam locomotives emerged bloodied but unbowed, still the principal power force on the railways.

Nationalisation in 1948 was to see a unified system, with locomotives straying to lines away from their traditional haunts. We see them on trial and bearing their new owner's name in full - 'British Railways'. Postwar types such as Ivatt tanks and Moguls, ex-GWR 'Modified Halls', ex-LNER Peppercorn-designed Pacifics and Thompson 'B1s' are seen alongside the prewar survivors, and, most radical of all, the Bulleid Pacifics of the Southern.

Narrator: Ken Morgan

Producer and Director: Jeremy English

100% archive film, black & white and colour.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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Ref: GU126D

Price:£13.25

Quantity:

Decades of Steam 1950's on DVD, celebrating the classic age of steam.

During the 1950s - which is the decade covered by this, the fourth in a series of five 100% archive film programmes - the steam locomotive was seen as an anachronism which had to be replaced by 'modern' power.

- Produced and Directed by Jeremy English

- 100% archive film

- Approximately 1 hour running time

However, British Railways had over 20,000 steam engines at the beginning of the decade, to which it added a further 999 examples - the well known Standard types. This programme traces the last full decade of steam locomotive development by examining each of the regions of British Railways, and setting the scene for steam's final years.

Narrator: Ken Morgan

Producer and Director: Jeremy English

100% archive film, black & white and colour.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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Ref: GU127D

Price:£13.25

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Decades of Steam 1960's on DVD, celebrating the classic agea of steam.

The 1960s were to see the end of main line steam locomotion on the public railway network in Great Britain. This, the final part of a series of five 100% archive film programmes, traces the last years of main line steam.

- Produced and Directed by Jeremy English

- 100% archive film

- Approximately 1 hour running time

The cruel blows of the Beeching 'axe' were to see many branch lines destroyed forever, and the scrapping of their trains. Main line electrification and dieselisation would make even the famous 'Duchesses, 'Kings', 'A4s', and Bulleid Pacifics redundant.

However, a small gleam of light appeared on the horizon as railway preservation got underway, but after 11 August 1968 only one steam locomotive, Flying Scotsman, was allowed to see out the decade working on the main lines.

From the Standard classes built by BR itself through to one-offs, there were many steam classes still at work in the 1960s, and this programme includes '9Fs', 'Britannias', 'West Countries', 'Jubilees', 'Castles', Gresley-designed Pacifics and many goods and tank engines as they pass into history.

Narrator: Ken Morgan

Producer and Director: Jeremy English

100% archive film, black & white and colour.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


To tell a friend about this item, click to Share or send an Email: