**RELEASED October 2024**

This, the 12th episode of our popular series of LONDON MIDLAND STEAM MISCELLANIES, is a feast of steam traction filmed mostly in the North-West and Midlands. And once again we are using a considerable amount of previously unseen cine-film from our extensive archives*!

Our journey starts with a visit to the major rail interchange of Carlisle. Here we see steam action in the area before all the line closures and major rationalisation of tracks of later years. One of the major homes of steam was the Kingmoor Shed and we see it and it’s approaches in all their glory. Wonderful! Then to the hive of activity of Citadel station for scenes including Stanier “Princess Coronation’ Pacifics.

Now a real treat for enthusiasts – The Langholm branch freight with (now-preserved) Ivatt 4MT No.43106 in charge; it is seen paralleling the A7 road and also at Canonbie. Further north we have film at Stirling (including a ‘Clan’ Pacific) and Glasgow.

Another area seen in detail is the climb to Shap summit. Most was filmed around the Tebay and Scout Green areas although the climb from the north is not forgotten. All manner of traction combinations are seen – single-handedly, with bankers, and even one with a pilot on the front. Diesels also make occasional appearances with English Electric Type 4s and Brush Type 4s, one of the latter in charge of the down ‘Mid-Day Scot’.

On the Settle & Carlisle line we see locations such as Horton-in­Ribblesdale, the famous Ribblehead viaduct, and Kirkby Stephen West. Visits are also made to Windermere, Oxenholme, Carnforth, Carnforth Shed, Hest Bank (including action on the water troughs), Lancaster, Warrington, and the approach to Standedge tunnel. .

Other places seen in the north of England are Ditton Junction, Mouldsworth, Preston, Lostock Hall Shed, Newton Heath Shed, Sheffield, and Leeds.

We also visit North Wales and the Borders. Places as Chester, Shrewsbury, Abergele and Pensarn. A particular delight is coverage around Denbigh, Llanrhaiadr, and Rhydymwyn.

London Midland power is also not forgotten towards the south of England, such as at Spetchley (site of Worcester’s first station), Norton Junction, and even Didcot in the heart of GWR territory.

We cover the last days of steam throughout the 1960s to the end in 1968. Classes seen include (in no particular order): ex-LMS 2-6-4Ts, Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0s, 4Fs, Black 5s, Jubilees, 8Fs, Jinty 0-6-0Ts, 47000 Dock Tanks, Patriot and Royal Scot 4-6-0s, Princess Coronation (Duchess) Pacifics, Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0s and BR Standard Britannia & Clan Pacifics, Class 4 & 5 4-6-0s, 2-6-4Ts, 9F 2-10-0s (including ex-Crosti boilered) and WD 2-8-0s. The new order also creeps in from time to time such as English Electric ‘Type 4′ and Brush ‘Type 4 ‘; even the early AC Electric “AL” series locomotives!

Our nostalgic look at the last years of London Midland steam has been assembled in the order the film runs off the original cine reels. It is mostly in colour with a soundtrack and a commentary.

*A Footnote for the Miscellany Series. Over the years, we have amassed a vast collection of archive cine-film from a variety of owners. When we produced our much earlier volumes, they were based on telling a “story” or following a “journey”. As a result only relevant short clips from various the original archive cine-films were used along with specific soundtracks and commentaries. When more recently reviewing our extensive archives, we realised that much of the original cine films had never been used for one reason or another such as it didn’t fit the story or we didn’t know the location. In some cases there were reels of previously unused and unseen cine-film. And this historic footage would never be seen and lost forever unless we did something about it. Hence the Miscellany series where this time the footage has been assembled in the order it runs off  the actual cine-films along with completely new sound tracking and a new commentary for each volume.  In some cases all of the footage is completely new. There are some real gems in this series!!

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**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 21st.March 2022**

The sixth and final part in our “Steam Still at Work” series of films mostly featuring the steam scene, both at home and overseas, after the end of main line steam on British Railways in 1968. In this volume we also include a few historical sequences from earlier years.

The Severn Valley Railway was a favourite location for enthusiasts and is visited a number of times. Trips are also made-to other early preserved lines such as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Ex-GWR King class 4-6-0 No.6000 “King George V” is seen with the famous ‘Return to Steam’ special in 1971.

The last main line steam locomotives working anywhere in the British Isles were in Northern Ireland. Here we spend time in 1970 watching the ex-NCC class ‘WT’ 2-6-4Ts top and tailing quarry spoil trains running alongside Belfast Lough. The wagons were specially built by Cravens of Sheffield and made up into three trains of twenty hoppers each with a “WT” engine at each end. They were used to transport fill for motorway construction. Also in Ireland the RPSI 1971 tour is seen behind Class J15 0-6-0 No.186, the most numerous class of locomotive to ever run in the Emerald Isle.

Other heritage locations seen include the Dart Valley Railway, Quainton Road, Bluebell Railway, Whipsnade and Umfolozi Railway, Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, Tyseley, Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, Didcot, Dinting, Longmoor Military Railway, and the Llanberis Lake Railway.

The industrial steam scene is also well covered with crane tanks at Doxford’s Shipyard Sunderland, the last exclusively steam-worked ironstone line at Nassington, Northamptonshire, at London Transport with ex-GWR Pannier power, and the oldest steam locomotive working commercially anywhere in the country at Wirksworth Quarries, Derbyshire.

We then travel across to mainland Europe where steam was considerably still in daily use. Here, amongst others, we feature 141Rs at Boulogne, push-pull 141TCs at Paris, the LCGB tour of West Germany in May 1971 (including 012 4-6-2, Prussian G8.1 0-8-0, and Class 50 2-10-0), the Rio Tinto Railway in Southern Spain, Northern Portugal (Iberian gauge plus narrow gauge) and the Erzberg iron ore rack railway in ice and snow.

Filmed entirely in colour, mainly between 1970 and 1971, a commentary plus sound track complement this nostalgic look at the steam scene largely after August 1968. Although this is the concluding volume of this series we will still be creating many more volumes covering other topics from the days of steam.

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**RELEASED April 2019**

The fifth in our popular electric and diesel miscellany series covering classic ‘modern’ traction from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Much of this footage is over 50 years old and once again we travel far and wide with a multitude of locomotive types in a huge variety of very different locations.
We start with diesel hydraulic activities, including “Warships”, at Bristol, Plymouth and around Swansea. Then on to the Pembroke Dock branch for DMUs and Hymeks.

Travelling north we witness scenes at Scarborough (including a Royal Train working), York (for Deltics in action) and Class 56s near Selby.
Back south again and to the Weymouth line for Class 33s on push-pull operations through the Bincombe tunnels.

Returning north once more, we visit Crewe during the modernisation in 1985 and the Woodhead Route for Class 76s on freight and passenger workings.
Down in London, at Paddington station, we see even more hydraulics plus a variety of English Electric traction before visiting King’s Cross. Other locations seen briefly include the Settle & Carlisle line, the Shrewsbury area, Hanwell, Weston Rhyn and Loggerheads.

We also feature some unusual footage of an excursion with a Southern 2-BIL electric multiple unit at the very end of their working lives. A brief look at the “Class 44 Farewell” tour is followed by a section devoted to the Metropolitan electric locomotive tour of 1972 starring the two now preserved examples Nos. 5 & 12 hauling a rake of Guards Vans. We return to Crewe to see a “Royal Scot” tour departing with a Class 40.

The Brymbo branch and Bersham colliery are well covered with Peaks and Class 47s on coal trains. Plus we include a glimpse of a couple of industrial steam engines!
Returning north once again, vintage electric multiple units are seen on the Morecambe branch of the unique experimental line from Lancaster Green Ayre.

Finally, to bring back memories for some, we conclude with some footage of DMUs on now long lost and closed lines.

Many of the locomotive classes that existed during this period are seen: 03, 08, 20, 24, 25, 31, 33, 35, 37, 40, 44, 45, 47, 50, 52, 55, 76, 81 – 86, 87…in fact there very few are left out!

All the archive film is in colour and an informative commentary and authentic soundtrack has been added

Cover Photo:- Hugh Ballantyne/Courtesy Book Law Publications,
86258 “Talyllyn—The First Preserved Railway” passes Stafford, 19/5/1984.

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**RELEASED December 2018**

The fifth volume in our miscellany series to cover the former Great Western empire and beyond, Once again it is compiled from mostly previously unseen footage including some rare scenes.

We begin at Oxford before moving to Basingstoke, followed by a treat for branch line enthusiasts – a journey in July 1961 in the brake van on the daily freight train from Kidderminster to Bewdley, Cleobury Mortimer, Tenbury Wells, and Woofferton Junction. Next to Bristol for scenes at St Anne’s Park, Dr Day’s Junction, Temple Meads, Kingswood Junction, the Docks, Narroways Hill Junction, Ashley Hill, Stapleton Road, Pilning, and Filton Junction.

The area around Gloucester is well covered including the 14xx-hauled push-pull services together with Lydney, Bullo Pill, Grange Court and Sharpness. Then to Banbury with ‘Halls’ on the through service between York and Bournemouth (the last regular express work for the GW 4-6-0s) and 0-6-2Ts going about their business.

Another treat for GW fans is a footplate trip on the ‘Cathedrals Express’ from Worcester to Paddington in the summer of 1963 behind the now preserved 7027 “Thornbury Castle”. This includes double-heading up Chipping Campden Bank with a 0-6-0 ’2251′ coupled inside and seeing the water gauge rise when passing over Charlbury Troughs.

Worcester is another location with plenty of footage including the ‘Vinegar Branch (featuring a 16xx fitted with an unusually shaped spark-arresting chimney), the famous bridge over the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Shrub Hill station and it’s environs, Norton Junction and Worcester’s first station at Spetchley (closed in 1855!).

There is also coverage at Didcot, the Lickey Bank, Barnstaple Junction, Wellington Shed plus a journey along the line to Stafford. Also to Much Wenlock via Ketley, Horsehay & Dawley, Lightmoor Hall and Buildwas on the last day of the passenger service in 1962.

The time period for the majority of the film is between 1961 and 1965. Motive power includes virtually all the ex-GWR classes including: King, County, Castle, Hall, Modified Hall, Grange, Manor, 14xx, 16xx, 2251, 28xx, 41xx, 43xx, 45xx, 56xx, 57xx, 72xx and 94xx. BR standards are represented by Britannia pacifics, Standard class 4 and 5 4-6-0s plus 9F 2-10-0s (including ex-Crosti boilered). There is even the odd ex-LMS interloper and an ex-LNER J39 0-6-0!

The archive film is mostly in colour An authentic sound track has been added along with a commentary to complement this further nostalgic look at the last years of Great Western steam.

Cover photo:- Keith Pirt/Courtesy Book Law Publications:- 0-4-2T No.1453 at Chalford Station in April 1963.

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