**RELEASED 9th July 2020**

The Jim Clemens Collection No.39

Jim Clemens had a passion for steam that did not end just with BR. He also took a keen interest in the industrial railways of Britain. This volume in our miscellany series is a compilation of the entire ironstone film archive he created, and has been assembled in the order the film runs off his original cine reels.

The most extensive ironstone system in the country was at Corby, This comprised about 40 route miles of track and covered an area of around 10 miles between the most northerly and southerly points. It boasted a fine newly-built (1954) engine shed with eight roads and rollup shutters. A number of visits were made here in the mid-1960s, plus trips commemorating the end of steam at the quarries (1969) and the steel works (1973). Included are the World’s largest quarrying machine (1,675 tons of it!), the Corby complex’s ‘Indus’ 0-8-0 diesel plus ex-BR Class 14 No.D9547

The narrow-gauge Kettering Furnaces system is visited during June 1961. This also included a rare Lingford Gardiner-built standard-gauge locomotive. Another narrow-gauge ironstone line is seen at Scaldwell where this railway’s eponymous locomotive is at work during May 1962.

The last operating narrow-gauge ironstone system was at Finedon Quarries, near Wellingborough and visits were made here in 1961 and 1966. The whole process is seen: empties on their way to Finedon Quarry, loaded wagons on their return, the very narrow tunnel under the Midland Main Line, plus the rather daunting transfer method used from narrow to standard-gauge.

The newest ironstone system in the Midlands was at Exton Park, and in 1963 we can admire their fleet of clean and modern 0-6-0s dating from the 1950s. Visits are made to the Irchester complex near Wellingborough, plus also Storefield. Blisworth. Pitsford, Loddington. Hanging Houghton, Desborough, Pilton, Charwelton, Cranford, Oxfordshire Ironstone Quarries (near Banbury and including a ‘Sentinel “) and Byfield. We conclude with a visit to Nassington, near Peterborough.

This ironstone railways enthusiast’s delight was filmed mostly in colour on both 8mm and 16mm cine-film. A commentary plus sound track complement our look at the ironstone railways of the East Midlands between 1960 and 1973.

Cover Photo:- Jim Clemens, Peckett No.87 at Finedon Quarry (Wellingborough) in September 1966.

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**RELEASED JUNE 2014**

Many of the great names associated with the birth railway are also associated with the North East of the country. Such names at Stephenson and Hackworth spring to mind. In this volume we cover many of the locations still using steam in this area and these famous names continue as those of the locomotive builders.

At the NCB Philadelphia central workshops we see the remains of a Hackworth locomotive, built for the Hetton Colliery Railway as far back as 1838. Many of the other locomotives seen in use come from the factory in Forth Street, Newcastle built where George and his son Robert Stephenson set up their original works in 1823.

In Northumberland, we start at Ashington, the “largest pit village in the world” and see coal being moved from the pit to the power station.

Moving south to County Durham, we see locomotives built by the pre-grouping North Eastern Railway still being used on BR tracks.

Other locations visited include the shipbuilders Doxfords, with their fascinating fleet of crane tanks. Many NCB locations are also visited including Derwenthaugh, Morrison Busty, Hetton, Lambton, Backworth, Burradon, Bates, Widdrington, Amble, Whittle, Shilbottle, and Harton with its electric locos.

Onwards to the Durham coast and we visit Seaham Harbour with its second-hand locos and the famous steam paddle tugs “Eppleton Hall” and “Reliant” in action.

Apart from the Hetton Colliery locomotive, the other locomotives seen date from one built in 1887 to the Stephenson Iong-boilered design and the modern Hunslets of 1957.

We have a ride in the cab along a colliery mineral railway and also see the colliers being loaded from coal staithes at the coastal ports. A veritable feast of steam in the North East with a flavour of industrial history!

All the archive film used is virtually all in colour and an extensively researched commentary along with an authentic soundtrack has been added.

Cover Photo:- Jon Marsh
Lambton No.29 climbing the bank to Philadelphia.

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**RELEASED JUNE 2013**

In this volume, we cover the industrial railways in the South East of England including London. After steam had finished on the main lines, this area still had steam workings at the various industrial sites and for enthusiasts it was the place to visit until the mid 1970s.

We start with a visit to London’s Acton Lane Power Station and saddle tanks “Birkenhead” and “Little Barford” in action complete with wasp stripes on their smokeboxes! At Slough Estates complex, Hudswell Clarke tanks are shunting oil wagons. Mind the cars, there’s just a gap!

In 1972, we visit Rye House power station near Hoddesdon on the ex-GER main line to see RSH tank No.7597 shunting (more wasp stripes!) before witnessing its transport by road (mind those 25kv wires) for preservation on the Stour Valley Railway. Later, we see it in action on the SVR and on the GCR at Loughborough.

Onwards and there are Peckett saddle tanks at Ipswich Sugar factory and at Ford’s Dagenham Works (it had 25 miles of lines), where we see a variety of scenes including the foundry and dockyard.

Next to Chatham Dockyard and a 1980s view of the derelict saddle tanks followed by later preservation scenes with restored “Ajax”. Then to the paper mills at Greenhithe and Gravesend for fireless locos in action in & around the works.

Sittingbourne’s Bowaters Paper Mill had the largest system for paper and we make an extensive visit to it’s narrow gauge railway with mostly pre-preservation views of steam in action on goods as well as passenger trains. Plus views of standard gauge ex-SECR P “Pioneer II”, saddle tank “Jubilee”, the cableway and the dockside.

Onto Swanscombe Cement Works & Quarry in 1968 for Hudswell-Clarke tanks busy shunting cement wagons and then to Snodland Cement Works to see “Hornpipe” in action plus steam at Holborough Quarry with “Tumulus”.

Finally we visit the Kent Coalfield and the collieries at Snowdown and Betteshanger for extensive steam activity with “J94 type” Hunslets (among others), more wasp stripes, loading & unloading of wagons and a Class 73 electro-diesel at the BR exchange sidings.

All the archive film used is virtually all in colour and an extensively researched commentary along with an authentic soundtrack has been added.

All the archive film used is virtually all in colour and an extensively researched commentary along with an authentic soundtrack has been added.

Cover photo: Colin White”Monarch” at Bowaters in 1969.

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**NOW IN STOCK JANUARY 2012**

With the plethora of main line and branch line steam film footage from the 1960s, the co-existing but equally fascinating industrial steam scene in Britain is often neglected. It is easy to forget that it continued until around 1980. Although we have featured some scenes of industrial steam in other volumes, our last dedicated volume to Industrial Steam was way back in 1997 with our Volume 52! Here we have further look at industrial steam at work in England and Scotland from 1960 to 1980, this time mostly featuring the larger locomotives which worked at collieries and iron stone mines. These locomotives were usually built by private builders, although some ex-BR tank classes were used. The North East and Midland areas are well covered and there are many scenes of long gone engines working in an industrial environment now often vanished. Many of these engines survived into the preservation era and were eventually saved from oblivion. It is only fitting that we conclude our video with 2011 views of a selection of these industrial locomotives at work on preserved lines such as the Tanfield, Foxfield and Blaenavon railways.

All the footage is in colour and the film has an extensively researched commentary with an authentic sound track.

Keith Pirt/Courtesy Booklaw Publications, A Hawthorn-Leslie tank shunting at Nunnery Colliery, Sheffield, 1956.

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The valleys of Wales once supplied coal to the world. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, some collieries were still shunted by steam locomotives.
Here in our second volume featuring these collieries, we portray steam at MAERDY, MERTHYR VALE, ELLIOT, TY MAWR, CYM, MARINE, BENYON BLAINA, CELYNON NORTH, CELYNON SOUTH, HAFODYRYNYS, TAL Y WAIN, BLAENAVON and TREDEGAR.

We see examples of industrial locomotives from five different builders as well as ex-GWR tanks, 9600, 9792 and 7754, in all weather conditions from sun to winter snow.

Horse worked mines are also visited. These used narrow gauge track and at DARRAN open cast site we see horse traction being used before the arrival of steam.

Both steam and diesel BR motive power served the valleys and we record the various comings and goings of coal trains.

All filmed in colour by enthusiasts who found these industrial locations both fascinating and friendly after the demise of BR steam in the valleys of Wales.

Cover Photo:- Colin White, “Tudor” at Beynon Colliery, 4/6/70.

Click Here for Vol.135 – Steam in The Valleys Part 1

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