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Forgotten Journeys - The Last Years of Steam
DVD - £9.99 |
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About The Film
Richard Parker shot this film for the most part in the early
sixties with an 8mm Paillard Bolex cine camera and he recorded
the sound separately on a small tape recorder. He spent many
days of his leaves whilst serving at sea with the P&O,
recording the last years of steam, mostly in the Oxford area.
Richard had at that time a close relative - Reggie Hanks -
who was then Chairman of the Western Region of British Railways
and through this connection occasionally was privileged to
ride on the footplates of steam locomotives on the main line.
You will see both passenger and goods trains hauled by a variety
of classes of steam engines, such as "Castles" and
"Halls" of the Western Region; Southern Region |
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"Merchant Navy"
and "West Country" pacifics, shown mainly on through
workings between Oxford and Bournemouth. Some of the film
was taken from engine cabs and trains, others from platforms,
locomotive sheds and yards.
There is also a section devoted to London Midland steam in
1967/8 where ex-LMS Class "5" 4-6-0s, BR standard
pacifics including "Oliver Cromwell" at Carnforth,
are seen. Finally, there is a visit to the narrow-gauge Vale
of Rheidol line with 2-6-2T "Prince of Wales" and
coaching stock painted in the BR blue livery of the early
1970s.
Some of the engines and rolling stock depicted have been preserved
but the sight of a busy main line with express trains thundering
past slower goods trains is historic. Indeed two of the branch
lines seen - a glimpse of Yarnton, Junction for Fairford and
a short section of the much-lamented Oxford - Bletchley branch
were closed shortly after filming.
The film runs for 57 minutes and was co-produced and narrated
by Joe Clark.
How to Order
To order the DVD online, please click on the button next to
the film. You will be taken to Paypal's secure servers to
enter your payment details. Paypal automatically adds a UK
post and packing charge of £2.00 per order.
If you are ordering from outside the UK*, please add another
£2.00 for overseas postage (click here
for a Paypal button).
If you want to order by post, please write to Joe Clark at
16 Pembury Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 2HX enclosing a sterling
cheque. VHS versions of the films are available - please contact
us for details.
*Please note the DVD is supplied in PAL format suitable for
UK, mainland Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East.
We do not currently have the film in NTSC format suitable
for North America, but please contact us if you are interested
as we may be able to supply you at a future date.
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