Tag Archives: Hest Bank

Volume 245

Vol.245: London Midland Steam Miscellany No.11 – The Brian Parnell Collection Part 4 (70-mins) Price £19.75

**RELEASED AUGUST 2023**

ALL NEW FILM!

The fourth and penultimate installment in our series of all new, and never previously seen, high quality cine films taken by the late Brian Parnell. This time it mostly features the area covered by the former London Midland Region but also footage from Scotland, Wales and Southern England including some rare snippets of the famous Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway.

We begin at Morecambe on the Lancashire coast in the summer of 1965, before travelling up the West Coast Main Line (WCML) via Shap Summit and Tebay to arrive at Carlisle. Amongst the locomotives seen In and around the Kingmoor shed area are the unique (and now preserved) Stephenson Link ‘Black 5′, 44767 plus Jubilee 45660 “Rooke” which achieved fame during the 1937 load tests developing 1250hp climbing to Ais Gill summit on the Settle and Carlisle line.
Back down the WCML, we visit Oxenholme to see the “Lakes Express”. Then to Lancaster and Hest Bank where we see locomotives picking up water at speed from the water troughs there.

One of the earliest public railways was the Leicester West Bridge branch and Brian visited during May 1963. Here the motive power was the Johnson 2Fs 0-6-0s and the last use in the country of these Victorian era locomotives. He also visited the Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable line in the summer of 1962 where we spot an ex-LNWR ‘Super D’ 0-8-0 pottering about.

Leaving the LMR area, we visit Gloucester (to see ex-GWR Manor 4-6-0s), Cheltenham, Oxford, Southall, and the Southern at Swanage.
Brian also visited the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway where he took a significant amount of footage including at Branksorne, Templecornbe, Cole, Wincanton, Glastonbury &

Scottish locations are not forgotten with scenes at Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Princes Street, Stirling, and Perth. And Wales as well with scenes at Barmouth and Llandudno Junction.

Naturally the dying days of steam in North-West of England are well covered with visits to Carnforth (and its shed), Preston, Rose Grove (and its shed), Chester, Warrington Bank Quay (High Level & Low Level), Buxton, Bolton, and Blackburn!

Most of the film was taken between 1962 and 1968. Motive power includes ex-LMS Black 5s (including experimental versions), Jubilees, Class 4 2-6-4Ts, Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 “Flying Pigs”, Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0s & 2-6-2Ts, 8Fs, Fowler 4Fs, ex-LNWR Super D 0-8-0, Johnson 2F 0-6-0s, S&D 2-8-0s, and BR Standard Class Britannia Pacifics, Class 5 4-6-0s, Class 4 4-6-0s & 9F 2-10-0s.

This nostalgic look at the last years of London Midland steam is entirely in colour and as usual includes a informative commentary and an authentic sound track.

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Released in London Midland Steam Miscellany Series, Miscellany Series (post Vol.190), The Brian Parnell Collection, Volumes 239 and above | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volume 241

Vol.241: London Midland Steam Miscellany No.10 (90-mins) Price £19.75

**RELEASED 1at.September 2022**

Our tenth episode covering London Midland steam within our popular “Miscellany” series which mostly features previously unseen and unused cine film from our archives. Once again, it has been compiled in the running order of the original cine film..

We start at Carlisle Citadel station: this is very well covered with material from 1963 until 1967. Also visited are Carnforth, Hest Bank, Appleby West, Tebay, Dillicar water troughs, plus the climb to Shap summit. Then Crewe, extensive coverage in the Warrington area, Wigan North Western, Blackburn, Hellifield, Preston, Farrington Junction, the East Lancashire line, and the Copy Pit line. The famous Sankey viaduct is seen and then we continue on via Gathurst, Croston, Borwick, Liverpool Lime Street, Fazakerley South Junction, Manchester, Clifton Junction, and Entwistle.

The south of England is not forgotten with visits to Worcester, Spetchley, Norton Junction, Didcot, Oxford, and Evesham, before the most southerly location of all at Barnstaple Junction. East of the Pennines we see LM locomotives at York with the RCTS ‘Jubilee Commemorative Rail Tour’, then Farnley Junction, Sheffield, and Normanton.

Scotland is not left out with film at Stirling, Glasgow, and Carstairs. Returning south, Nuneaton and Beeston are seen next with the “Midlands Locomotive Requiem Rail Tour” and then it’s Northampton and Bedford.

The final locations in this video are near to and at London Marylebone, Bromford Bridge, Garstang & Catterall, plus Chester.

Numerous shed visits are made including: Carlisle Kingmoor, Carnforth, Preston, Lostock Hall, Rose Grove, Bolton, Patricroft, Newton Heath, Stockport Edgeley, Stoke, and Birkenhead. Plus also Buttigiegs scrap yard in South Wales.

From the 1960s up to 1968, motive power includes (in no particular order): ex-LMS 2-6-4Ts, Crabs, Super Ds, Ivatt Class 4 & 2 2-6-0s and 2-6-2Ts, 4Fs, Black 5s, 8Fs, Jinties, Patriots (rebuilt and unrebuilt, Royal Scots, Princesses, Coronations, BR Standard Britannias, Clans, Class 5 & 4 4-6-0s, Class 2 2-6-2T and 2-6-0s, WDs and 9F 2-10-0s (including ex-Crosti). The new order also creeps in from time to time and diesel enthusiasts will particularly enjoy a D400-hauled Freightliner service passing Patricroft shed.

This nostalgic look at the last years of London Midland steam is mostly in colour and includes a informative commentary and an authentic sound track.

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Released in London Midland Steam Miscellany Series, Miscellany Series (post Vol.190), Volumes 239 and above | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volume 237

London Midland Steam Miscellany No.9 (90-mins) Price £19.75

**RELEASED 11th.August 2021**

THE JOHN RYAN COLLECTION.
The ninth volume in our popular “Miscellany” series to cover London Midland steam. This time it is compiled entirely from cine film taken by John Ryan from the Wirral and assembled in the running order of the original cine film. There is coverage across England, Scotland, and Wales and we include previously unused footage from the B & R archives with the emphasis on London Midland material.

There is some excellent film across the Wirral which includes 9Fs hauling ore trains from the dock at Bidston via Storeton, Heswall Hills, and Burton Point to the John Summers works at Shotton—the heaviest regular unfitted mineral workings on the whole of BR. The line from Birkenhead Woodside to Chester is covered in detail, such as Birkenhead shed, Rock Ferry, Bebbington & New Ferry, Spital, Hooton, Capenhurst, and Upton-by-Chester. We then move to Gresford bank, Wrexham, the Brymbo branch, Ruabon, Cefn.viaduct, Chirk, Chirk viaduct Gobowen, and Shrewsbury.

The North-West of England is another area well-photographed by John at locations such as Preston, Layton, Poulton-Ie-Fylde, Kirkham & Wesham, Croston, Ormskirk, Town Green & Aughton, Maghull, Aintree Sefton Arms, Wigan Wallgate, Hindley North, Clifton Junction, Bradshaw Brook viaduct, Southport, Banks, Hoole, Penwortharn (Cop Lane), the Horwich to Blackrod and Chorley push-pull, Royton, Manchester, Ashburys for Belle Vue, Guide Bridge, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Didsbury, Meir, Pleasington, Rose Grove shed, Hest Bank water troughs, and Whalley viaduct.

There is more film in Wales at Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Rhyl, Gwersyllt, Gowerton South, Swansea Victoria, and Bynea Halt. Other locations visited include London Marylebone, Camden, the Newport Pagnell branch push-pull the “Newport Nobby” , Rugby, Alston, Lanarkshire, Gleneagles, Carlisle, Alston, Stanley Bridge Halt, Bristol, Berkeley Road, Gloucester, Fenn’s Bank, Birmingham, the Kingsbury branch & Baddesley colliery.

The time period for this film is through the 1960s up to 1968. Motive power includes ex-GWR 56xx, ex-LMS Stanier Class 3 2-6-2Ts, 1Fs, Class 4 2-6-4Ts, Crabs, 4Fs, Jinties, 8Fs, Ivatt Class 4 & 2 2-6-0s, Black 5s (including experimental types), Jubilees, Coronation Pacifics, Super Ds, BR Standard Britannias, Class 5 (including Caprotti examples) and 4 4-6-0s, Class 4 2-6-0s, Class 3 77000 2-6-0s and 82000 2-6-2Ts, Class 2 2-6-0s & 2-6-2Ts and 9F 2-10-0s.

An authentic sound track has been added along with an informative commentary to complement this further nostalgic look at the last years of London Midland steam.

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Released in Along LMS Lines, Miscellany Series (post Vol.190), Volumes 230-238 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volume 210

London Midland Steam Miscellany No.4 (81-mins) Price £19.75

**RELEASED Mid July 2017**

The fourth in our miscellany series covering London Midland steam. Once again we feature much previously unseen film, largely assembled in the order the film runs off the original cine reels with scenes across much of the Region.

There is considerable coverage around the North-West including Crewe South Shed, Crewe Station, Crewe Works (with “Western” diesel-hydraulics under construction), Stoke-on-Trent Shed, Moore water troughs, Warrington Bank Quay and Warrington Arpley. A brake van tour of obscure lines around Warrington and Widnes behind Standard 2-6-0 No.76077 includes a refuge siding at Daresbury (part of the original Birkenhead route abandoned with the opening of the Manchester Shop Canal in the 1890s) plus that famous railway curiosity at Widnes, a rail flat crossing by No.4 Signal Box! There is plenty of steam action at Winwick Junction, Wigan North-Western and Wigan Wallgate before we move on to Leyland, Farington Junction, Pleasington and Preston. Further north, we visit Carlisle for scenes at Kingmoor Shed as well as at Citadel Station.

South once more and Chester, Gresford Bank, Llangollen Junction (Ruabon) and Hooton are all visited in March 1967 coinciding with the end of the direct Paddington to Birkenhead service. Further south, in 1964, visits are made to the Bletchley flyover, Aynho water troughs, Gloucester, Banbury, the Lickey Incline (including an amazingly long freight train ascending the bank) with summer Saturday holidaymaker trains being seen at Birmingham.

Finally, the last fifteen minutes or so are made up of interesting offcuts from Colin White such as Shap, Tebay Shed, Dillicar water troughs, Oxenholme, Carnforth, Hest Bank, Heaton Mersey and Warrington.

A cross-section of LM motive power is seen such as Black 5s (including the experimental examples plus one with a self-weighing tender), Jinties, 2-6-4Ts, 4Fs, ‘Princess’ and ‘Coronation’ pacifics, Jubilee, Rebuilt Patriots, 8Fs and a variety of Standard classes including Britannias, Clans, 73xxx, 75xxx, 76xxx and 9Fs (including ex-Crosti boilered).

The archive film is in colour and black & white and was filmed between 1963 and 1968. An authentic sound track has been added along with a commentary to complement this further nostalgic look at the last years of London Midland steam.

Cover photo:- Keith Pirt/Courtesy Book Law Publications, 45339 returns Excursion C724 from Blackpool to Manchester, near Euxton Jct, Preston, Easter 1961.

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Released in London Midland Steam Miscellany Series, Miscellany Series (post Vol.190), Volumes 207-213 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volume 190

London Midland Miscellany No.1 (60-mins) Price £19.75

**RELEASED January 2015**

We originally put this volume together over 10 years ago but after we received much more North Western film we abandoned its release and instead made the 10 volume series “Along LMS Lines”. However the demand for LMS steam scenes seems insatiable and so we have decided to release this volume as the first of a new series. Some sequences appear in “Along LMS Lines” but we are sure you will enjoy this volume in its own right! More “London Midland Steam Miscellanies” will follow using previously unseen material.

We begin at Preston with plenty of steam action around the station area, including the engine shed, and then head north. After passing through the 1939 closed station at Barton & Broughton there is a visit the signal box. Brock station also closed in 1939 but there were water troughs nearby. Here, 45531 is making an impressive display dousing its train! Then on to Garstang & Catterall where the local pick-up goods is shunting the yard, and onwards to arrive at Lancaster.

The route of the Midland Railway’s pioneering electrification to both Morcambe and Heysham is covered and includes one of the very last times a steam hauled breakdown train was called out. There is also a journey along the “Little North Western” route from Settle Junction to Lancaster.

We return to the West Coast Main Line and visit Hest Bank and Bolton-le-Sands, before finally arriving at Carnforth. This last bastion of steam is covered in detail and we witness the comings and goings plus the daily routines of a working steam depot before it ceased forever.

All the archive film is in colour and mostly from the last few years of steam traction on these routes. An authentic soundtrack has been added along with an extensively researched commentary.

Cover photo:- Keith Pirt/Courtesy Book Law Publications, 9F No.92016 on a empty coaching stock train near Preston, 1963.

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Released in London Midland Steam Miscellany Series, Miscellany Series (post Vol.190), Volumes 190-199 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volume 191

Diesel Electric Heyday Part 1 (75-mins) Price £19.75

**RELEASED February 2015**

This is the first volume in a series featuring the diesel electric locomotives of British Rail. Here we mostly cover the low powered Types 1 & 2 . Many scenes are from the early days with locomotives in their original green liveries ; others show the changes into BR Corporate Blue.

We start with glimpses of English Electric Type 4s, Deltics (including some rare footage of the blue prototype on action of the ECML), and a Metrovick Co-Bo! We also see Southern DEMUs including those specially designed for the narrow tunnels on the Hastings Line.

A brief visit to Crewe Works is followed by footage of the very successful EE Type 1s in action at Bescot, Loggerheads, on the WCML and at several collieries. The less successful centre-cab Clayton Type 1s are seen in action at Shotts, Millerhill, Pelaw and on Hest Bank.

The workhorse Brush Type 2s were introduced in 1957 and there are scenes of them at work at many locations across the network including Harringay, Hadley Wood, Cambridge (on the Royal Train), Paddington, Wennington, Instow on the Bideford branch and on the last train along the Dunstable branch (“The Skimpot Flyer”).

In Scotland, the short lived North British Type 2s are seen at Elgin, Perth, Inverurie, Gleneagles and Stirling.

The numerous BR Sulzer Type 2s operated throughout the UK. We see them as far afield as on Tyne Dock Iron Ore trains, the Tay Bridge, Kyle of Lochalsh, Thurso, Ais Gill, Manchester, North Wales and Dawlish. We also see them on the Cambrian at Llynclyss, on milk Trains at Torrington, china clay trains around Bodmin, and at Bredbury Junction being banked by a Stanier 8F. Even a pair triple heading with a BRCW Type 2 on the “Royal Highlander”!

Finally, there are scenes of BRCW Type 2s working commuter trains at Luton before we head north to see them in later life working on the Kyle of Lochalsh line. There is also rare footage of D6547 hauling Schools Class “Repton” and M7 30053 en route to Canada. Plus footage of piloting Bulleid Pacifics up the ferocious Bincombe Bank, and around Shrewsbury during Crewe Station refurbishment

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

Cover photo:- Keith Pirt/Courtesy Book Law Publications, Brush Type 2 D5691 approaches Millhouses, 1965

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Released in Diesels & Electrics (heritage), Volumes 190-199 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volume 169

Steam Routes Lancaster to Shap (78-mins) Price £19.75

**NOW IN STOCK MAY 2012**

“Steam Routes” is a series of films featuring steam traction along specific routes rather than areas and mostly using previously unseen archive film from the 1960s. Here our third instalment features the West Coast Main Line starting at Lancaster for the 40 mile journey to Shap Summit.

At Lancaster Castle station (WCML) there are many scenes of steam activity and over at Lancaster Green Ayre we also see 3-car EMUs on the ex-MR Heysham line electric services. We pay a short visit to the Morecambe to Heysham line with Black 5s on service and special trains plus Lostock Hall breakdown train attending a derailment.

Back to the WCML with footage at Hest Bank and its troughs. Many steam hauled trains pass with some picking up water. Overflowing tenders plus a line side fire!

We make an extensive visit to Carnforth and its shed with operations there mainly in 1967 and 1968 when Stanier Black 5s and BR Standards were being serviced in quantity, including the last few Britannias and 9Fs. There are many scenes and even include the odd diesel: a Clayton Class 17, a blue Class 40 and Metrovick Co-Bo D5714. Scenes at the station include Bulleid 35012 “United States Lines” on a special and Britannia 70013 “Oliver Cromwell” on a service train. Plus a brief glimpse of preserved ex-LNER B1 61306 in a siding!

We continue through Oxenholme to climb to Grayrigg, Low Fell and Dillicar. A view of the troughs from the 4ft!. Tebay was the shed for the bankers over Shap and there is much footage of the variety of passing trains, including doubleheaders and with assisting banking engines, before we finally arrive at Shap Summit. The occasional Princess Coronation (both red and green), Royal Scot and Jubilee are also seen but the climb on the 1-in-75 incline is very well covered with this new archive footage.

Cover Photo:- Keith Pirt/Courtesy Booklaw Publications, ‘Crab’ 2-6-0 42894 on a down freight near Lancaster, July 1962.

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Released in Steam Routes Series, Volumes 167-173 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volume 51

Shap’s Steam Glory (60 mins) Price £19.75

When we produced Volume 20 Shap’s Steam Twilight, we advertised it with only Britannia’s, Black 5′s, Standards and 8F’s, all at the end of steam over this famous incline. It has been one of our best sellers over the years and now it is time to produce another version filling in the gaps in the story as more well taken views have come to us. This video does include all the previous types of locomotive but here there is the odd Duchess, Clan, Royal Scot and the 2-6-4 Tanks which banked on Shap before the Standard Class 4′s. Instead of Crewe as a starting point we begin at Lancaster and visit the Arnside line and Windermere branch. There is more action on Grayrigg than before. Excellent action on the troughs of Hest Bank and Dillicar. We had to include yet another cab ride on a Shap banker. Shed scenes at Tebay and Carnforth provide nostalgic viewing as engines are prepared for the struggles over the one thousand foot summit of Shap. One Britannia really struggles as it is brought to a stand at Scout Green in a westerly gale! A double header out of the loop at Tebay was not staged but the crews entered into the spirit of things for the cameraman. Thirteen cameramen provided the film for this production. The men who worked this railway are seen at work, the grime and the glory of what was Shap, even a cow could almost disrupt the West Coast Main Line traffic! Sit back and enjoy this one if nothing else, taken on 8mm & 16mm film with authentic sounds taken at the time for your enjoyment.

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Volume 20

Shap’s Steam Twilight (60-mins) Price 15

The last main line steam on BR bowed out in August 1968 in the North-West. The West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Carlisle became a mecca for enthusiasts in these latter days and George Woods and Colin White have combined their film of the period to produce this video of what it was really like at the last with particular reference to the section between Grayrigg and Shap Summit. We take the viewer on an imaginary journey from Crewe to Shap with lineside views of the principle locations which include Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Garstang, Hest Bank, Carnforth and Tebay. Five locomotive depots are visited to see the engines being serviced. There are some unusual workings to be seen and views of Hest Bank and Dillicar water troughs in some detail. Shap Incline is well covered where locomotives worked particularly hard and a footplate ride on one of the bankers is included. There are eleven different Britannias, ex-LMS Black 5s and 8Fs, Ivatts and Standards including 9Fs and a Jubilee all filmed between 1966 and 1968. The men who worked the line are included showing their problems with run-down engines but game to the last to show what steam could do. No modern day footage has been included in this 60-minute production and the sounds you hear are generally recorded at the time of filming.

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