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Ref: KF211D

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A celebration of the Great Western Railway with men who actually worked for the GWR from the 1930s through to the 1960s.

We delve into the history of the company and its foundations starting with Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The STEAM museum of the GWR at Swindon is the backdrop to our look at four men who worked for the company. Several in their 90s now, they describe their working lives on the railway. We hear from David Maidment of his days as a career railwayman starting at Old Oak Common depot, moving to the various regions of the west country and Wales.

We see how the GWR lives on in the preservation movement of the 21st century starting with the Great Western Society and its base at Didcot.

Full of archive film from every corner of the Great Western.

* 1930s in Devon

* Laira Depot in the 1950s

* Castles at Paddington in the 1950s

* GWR promotional films

* Survey of GWS at Didcot

* Indepth look at STEAM, Swindon

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


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Ref: KF240D

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March 2016 saw the 50th anniversary of the closure of quite possibly the most celebrated of all our lines closed in the 1960s. This DVD examines the final years of the railway and what has happened to the line and its stations during the past 50 years. Many ex-S&D staff recall their times working on the railway and we visit the various preservation sites that have sprung up along the route. The programme has unseen archive footage of the line and is produced in association with the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust based at Washford on the West Somerset Railway. An added bonus of an archive film along the branch to Highbridge and never-before-seen out-takes from the BAC film unit film with original sound track.

**Archive film never seen before includes a trip down the line from Bath to Bournemouth in 1964 and along the branch from Evercreech to Highbridge.

** A survey of the line following closure.

** Visit in 2006 to Bath Green Park of 7F No. 53809.

** Latest film on the preservation schemes at Midsomer Norton and at Shillingstone.

** Special feature on the S&D Railway Trust at Washford from 1976 to 2015.

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Cover photo: Terry Nicholls
Published by: Kingfisher Productions
First published on DVD: 2016
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 120-mins (2hr 0min)

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Ref: KF290D

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Rare and fascinating films of Ocean Liners from the 20th century.

The British Pathe collection of films is one of the largest archives.

This is a presentation of some of the most famous newsreels from their ocean liner collection.

• Aquitania at Liverpool 1914

• RMS Queen Mary in various films including a colour film of the liner arriving at the King George V dry-dock in Southampton

• Aerial views of six liners in port in 1931

• New liner Canberra

• Travel film of the Union Castle liner Transvaal Castle

• Kaiser Wilhelm in Southampton with Majestic and Bremen in the Floating Dock at Southampton – this includes scenes of the Berengaria

• Britannic launching and fitting out at Belfast 1914

• United States first arrival in Southampton and Blue Riband record

• Oriana being launched at Barrow and fitted out 1959

• Queen Elizabeth in wartime grey in Table Bay

• Troopships including Dunera

• Normandie films from first services to fire and capsize in New York

• Opening of the Ocean Terminal at Southampton in 1950

• Queen Elizabeth grounded off Calshot and last departure from Southampton in 1968

• Launch of Canberra and trials in service

• L’Atlantique on fire at sea and 1969 films of QE2 on trials and a royal visit.

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Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 60-mins (1hr 0mi8n)

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Ref: KF296D

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We look at this extremely picturesque railway in North Wales from footage taken at their gala events from 1987 to 2015, which includes two of the famous Steel, Steam and Stars events. We begin in 1987 with BBC Newscaster of the time, Peter Woods, as he narrates the first ever gala held at the railway. This is followed by further galas in the 1980s and 1990s which saw a whole host of different locomotives visiting the line. Engines such as the J27 from the NYMR and Jinty 3F 7298, 76079, 5572, 4566 and the newly restored ‘Manor’ No. 7822 Foxcote Manor.

As we enter the new millenium, the gala in 2004 brought with it Pannier No. 6430, 7754, 5199 and Hunslet 0-6-0 Jessie. The Autocoach W228W was also a major attraction at this event.

The two Steel, Steam and Stars events had a long line-up of locomotives including – Nos. 41241, 44806 (as 44801), ‘Dukedog’ 9017, ‘B1’ 1306, ‘Royal Scot’ 6100, 5526, 5643, 3440 City of Truro and Scottish entrant 246 Morayshire.

The whole events from 1987 onwards and the extension of the line firstly through to Glyndyfrdwy and then to Carrog and coming soon, to Corwen, illustrate the great potential of this heritage railway. Its stunning scenery and popular tourist location can only enhance its future under the new trust set up for operations.

Availability: AVAILABLE
First published on DVD: 2022
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 70-mins (1hr 10min) , Colour
.

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Ref: KF291D

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The demolition in the autumn of 2020 of the lines through Weymouth spelt the final end of a tramway first opened in 1865. Never again will passenger and goods trains run from the main station area to the quay to meet the ships which plied to and from the Channel Islands.

Here we examine the history of the quay line and its operations by firstly the Great Western Railway jointly with the London and South Western and then the Southern followed by BritishRailways and finally train operating companies under Railtrack until the final special train in 1999.

The building of the quay line was incorporated as part of the construction of the branch line to Portland in the 1860s. With increasing commercial trade appearing at Weymouth’s sea port, the local authorities combined with the railway promoters of the day agreed to create a faster way of transporting goods in and out of the harbour area for despatch to other parts of Britain.

With new passenger ferry services from the Channel Islands becoming more popular, the addition of passenger traffic to the quay line commenced. Regular services would continue until the start of electrification of the main Bournemouth to Weymouth which then made it unviable due to the mix of traction required.

Goods services to the quay had already halted in 1972 with the exception of oil tank trains for the ferries. Pathfinder Tours sent the very last train in the form of a charter through to the pier in May 1999 and following that, the tracks were still in place in the streets of Weymouth until demolition in the autumn of 2020.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: 2000
First published on DVD: 2021
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 60-mins (1hr 0min) , Colour
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Ref: KF644D

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This dvd is a compilation of four films produced by the British Transport Films Unit. They include:

Main Line Diesel Produced in 1948, this tells the story of the construction and introduction to service of the first British Main Line Diesel Locomotive, LMS No. 10000, with unique views of the locomotive under construction.

Engine On The Shed Also an LMS production, this time from 1936, showing how a steam locomotive was serviced in the 1930s. The locomotive featured is LMS 6170 British Legion, which was the prototype Fury. It is seen in its shortlived single-chimney form.

Single Line Working A BR instructional film, made in 1956. It illustrates now-obsolete practice, and was filmed on the legendary Somerset and Dorset line with Shepton Mallet station named ‘Averton Hammer’ and Binegar named ‘Boiland’.

Royal Scot In Canada A 1933 silent film recording the visit of LMS 6100 Royal Scot (now preserved) to Canada and the USA.

Contents Copyright British Transport films 1984.

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Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 96-mins (1hr 36min)

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Ref: KF235D

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A selection of archive films from the camera of Geoff Holyoake. His material covers a wealth of steam locomotive types from the South Western, including the oldest surviving member of the LSWR to the last Bulleid’s running on the Main Line in 1967.

For all of you who remember Waterloo as the start of wonderful holidays in Hampshire and Dorset – or as the start of yet another day’s work! – this dvd will bring back many memories of the last days of steam in the 1960s.

To the Southern enthusiast it brings back happy memories of Bulleids Nelsons, M7s, Arthurs, green coaches, Nine Elms, Eastleigh and branches. Geoff Holyoake filmed all these, and more, on 16mm colour film for his Meteor Films, which were sold in 8mm film form many years before video came on the scene.

Now these films have brought them to the small screen, with the addition of sound and commentary, to bring back the days of Southern Steam in the 1960s!

Contents:

• On Shed – Nine Elms – A visit to the Southern’s largest metorpolitan shed, home to suburban and main line locomotives seeing locomotives being prepared and disposed, turned and despatched. Locomotives seen include M7s 30248/321, Vs 30908/11, MNs 35006/9/16, LN 30861, 700 30699, H15 30489.

• London Terminus – Waterloo – Platform-end observations at the South Western’s terminus, with M7s on ECS, expresses and local trains arriving and departing, including ‘King Arthur’ class 30451.

• Clapham Junction – Traffic through and at ‘the busiest junction’, including empty stock workings, the Windsor line platforms and inter-regional freights, with an LMS 2-6-4T, a J52 tank and a Capriotti BR5 mixed in with more M7s, a Q1 on ‘the milk’ and the ‘Brighton Belle’ The Kenny Belle: passenger trains at Kensignton Olympia including two specials with rebuilt pacifics.

• Steam Through the Suburbs – Wimbledon, with an original Bulleid, a 5 on the breakdown train and N15 30796, Raynes Park, with expresses passing, New Malden with more expresses, then 34100, 80145 and 77014 on the Chessington, Kingston and Windsor lines on a special, double headed original Bulleids at Feltham, 34051 on the Churchill Funeral Train, a Q and a U at Virginia Water.

• South Western Main Line – Back at New Malden, 34100 on the Royal Train, 30788 on an up express, Farnborough with rebuilt Pacifics, Basingstoke with much action, including an ‘N’ on a freight, Grateley with a West Country, and Salisbury with five original Bulleids and a view from the train of the shed.

• Southern Hampshire – Starting in Southampton Docks with 34079, then a tour with 120 and 30064 over the streets and up to Eastleigh, Station and sheds scenes with Pacifics being coaled, movements in the yard and then a visit to Eastleigh Works including scenes inside the workshops and outside in the yard, with a great variety of Southern motive power including classes V, Z, M7, LN, K, H16, BB, WC, Q, USA – many in the scrap lines. Finally, S15 and 30837 through the snow over the Mid-Hants.

• Last Southern Steam on the Isle of Wight – Visits in 1966 to Ryde Pier Head, St. John’s Road, Newport and Ventnor, to see 02 0-4-4T’s with vintage Southern stock, on service trains and specials. Locomotives include 14, 24, 26, 28 and 31.

Availability: AVAILABLE
First published on DVD: 2019
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R
Origination: 8mm & 16mm cine-film

Running Time: 50-mins (0hr 50min) approx , Colour and B&W
.

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Ref: KF246D

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2015 was the 30th anniversary of the series of events held on BR and preserved railways in 1985 marking the 150th year of the Great Western Railway’s first line from Paddington. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of these events, we produce a special DVD of films produced by Terry Nicholls during the year of 1985. 76 minutes of his films are produced with original sound tracks and are from rare lineside locations such as at and inside Whiteball and Cogload signalboxes, at Gloucester Horton Road depot; by the lineside along the Stroud Valley route to Swindon; the Welsh Marches route; at Newport with GW 2-8-0 No. 2857; at privileged locations around Bristol, Dainton and Tiverton and many other locations. A wonderful appreciation of the truely memorable GWR 150 event. Featured locomotives – No. 2857 3440 City of Truro 4930 Hagley Hall 5051 Drysllwyn Castle 6000 King George V 7029 Clun Castle 7819 Hinton Manor No. 75069 No. 92220 Evening Star

Running time: 78-mins

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


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Ref: KF678D

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This programme was made as a Souvenir Edition of the 1985 events which commemorated the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Great Western Railway in 1835. This dvd covers the many steam specials run to commemorate the 150 years which ran all over the old GWR system, mostly to the South West. Locomotives included are the Severn Valley Railway’s Manor’s and Hall’s, plus the specially turned out gem, City of Truro. The Severn Valley railway also turned out a goods train, complete with 2-8-0 No. 2857 which ran down to Newport for a special event.

Other footage is included of the Exhibition train which toured the Region and of the Open Days held at various depots on the Great Western Railway system. All in all, a great tribute to this wonderful event. Contents: Iron Duke – The Broad Gauge replica seen in close up and in steam in Hyde Park, at Didcot, Tyseley, Old Oak and the NRM. Didcot – Open Days and GW150 steamings featuring the largest line up of preserved GW locomotives during 1985 together with visiting locomotives including Blue Peter, LMS 8F and Nord 4-6-0. Swindon-Gloucester – The principal steam route during the year, featuring a wide variety of main line steam locomotives including 6000, 7029, 6819, 4930, 75069, etc. Main Line Goods – The main line working of the Severn Valley Railway’s 2857 with a loose coupled goods train to Newport.

Archive Film – Great Western steam working from the 1930’s to the 1960’s from Stirling Video’s collection.

BR Open Days – Scenes at various Western Region T.M.D.’s which held Open Days in connection with GW150. GW Preservation – Many GW locomotives, rolling stock and artifacts are covered including workings on the Severn Valley and Dart Valley Railways. Exhibition Train – The official GW150 Exhibition Train is seen both inside and out, with commentary by Isambard Kingdom Brunel! Tyseley – The Birmingham Railway Museum at Tyseley with visiting locomotives and main line steam workings.

West Country Steam – GW locomotives at work again in South and West Wales. Bristol to Plymouth and over the Royal Albert Bridge in Cornwall, including ‘City of Truro’ along the River Severn to Newport.

Running time: 90-mins

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


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Ref: KF218D

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An ‘Island in Steam’

A superb archive film journey across the Isle of Wight’s railway system in 1965 – in colour and featuring the two lines remaining to Ventnor and Cowes from Ryde.

The railways of the Isle of Wight were unique. From small beginnings as long ago as 1864, the system blossomed into a 58-mile network – much of it single track – that was operated until the end by antiquated locomotives and rolling stock pensioned-off from more rigorous duties on the mainland. By 1960, this bustling network had been reduced to just two lines – from Ryde to Sandown, Shanklin & Ventnor, and also across the Island to Newport & Cowes – and the infamous Beeching Report published in 1963 presaged the complete abandonment of these lines too.

Although the Ryde to Shanklin section gained a last-minute reprieve, leading to conversion to electric traction using withdrawn units from London’s Underground system, it was the end of the line for trains to Newport, Cowes and Ventnor and for the old steam trains. The last passenger train ran to Cowes one windswept day in February 1966 while April the same year saw the abandonment of services beyond Shanklin, and scheduled Island steam passenger trains finally ceased altogether following a very last run to Shanklin on 31st December 1966.

David Perry (a co-founder of what is today’s preserved Isle of Wight Steam Railway) and Chris Gosling were among those few that decided to record what was left and, using borrowed 8mm cameras and as many reels of Kodachrome colour film as their pocket money could buy, they set about recording for posterity the reality of the Island steam trains in their final years.

Shot during the Spring and early Summer of 1965 – the last full summer season of steam working on both the Ventnor and Cowes lines – “Island In Steam” brings together in a coherent visual narrative what is now a unique record of the past. The presentation on this DVD is compiled entirely from their films and features not only detailed journeys both to Ventnor and to Cowes from Ryde, shot from the lineside and also on the trains, but includes additional coverage of less conspicuous operations such as freight and parcels working and behind-the-scenes activities at Ryde MPD and Works. There is a conscious emphasis throughout the films on the techniques of signalling and train operation on what were, during the summer months, intensively worked single-line sections, where even a small delay could have significant repercussions for following services.

Enhanced with sound drawn from contemporary recordings and supplemented by informative commentary, the film is presented as its creators intended – primarily as an historical record of the true reality of Yesterday. We hope that you will not only enjoy watching it, but will also, by so doing, gain an insight into what is now a lost world – the real world of steam railways on the Isle of Wight that was a delight to so many who experienced it.

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

Running Time: 60-mins (1hr 0min)

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Ref: KF202D

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A selection of archive films from the collection of the late John Snell and his 16mm camera.

John Snell had been a follower of railways since childhood days and was involved in preservation too for many years with his respected period at the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

From revenue-earning freight trains on the narrow gauge lines in Wales, from brake van rides behind a ‘Deans Goods’, from British Railway’s crack expresses on the Western Region and Southern, on the other side of the Channel to France, to film the ‘Fleche d’Or’, John’s variety of film is quite astonishing.

He was able to capture very rare sequences in the Purbeck clay mining areas around Norden with scenes of 2’ gauge engines Russell and Septimus. Film from the narrow gauge Wales railways in the 1950s and many branch lines destined for closure.

He visited the Isle of Man at a particularly interesting time and captured all forms of transport with his 16mm camera. He was able to get some colour film of the final operations of the Cambrian Coast Express and GW railcars on branch line work.

Scenes at Midford on the S&D show tablet exchanges and nice colour film in the north east where coal trains were in their last moments.

Classic footage of the last days on the Cromford & High Peak Railway and much more.

His great enthusiasm for the last days of steam operation has left a great legacy for us to enjoy today.

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Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R


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Ref: KF273D

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John Betjeman visits the S&D branch line from Evercreech Jct to Highbridge and Burnham in 1963.

In a special arrangement with the BBC, we release for the first time on DVD this delightful film produced and screened in 1963.

Sir John Betjeman CBE became famous for his defending of Victorian architecture and his love for railways in particular. In the year of the Beeching Report, the BBC made this film which was written and presented by Sir John travelling on the train from Evercreech all the way to Highbridge. It includes scenes at most of the stations along the route and a walk around Highbridge Works. A totally unique look at this long-lamented branch of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway.

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Narrated by: John Betjeman
First published on DVD: 2020 (rereleased)
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 26-mins (0hr 26min) approx , Black & White
.

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