The Steam Gallery Presents Trains And Railways Of Central England

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In these fascinating programmes, produced between 1993 and 1998, Steam Gallery presents a comprehensive overview of the railways and wide range of rolling stock to be found in the Midlands of England, as well as a brief sojourn in to the North West.

Truly an enthusiasts’ guide, we visit many places with some of the most evocative names in rail history, seeking out the best and most enthralling rolling stock of the era.

The Steam Gallery Presents Restoration Railways

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THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY

Running between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, the 16 miles of reopened track of the Severn Valley Railway is one of the longest Heritage Railways in the country and runs through one of the most picturesque valleys in the West Midlands. This charming documentary from 2005 tells the story of the history of the SVR, from conception through opening in 1862 to its final closure at the hands of Beeching in 1962.

DEAN FOREST RAILWAY

Set in the picturesque and tranquil Royal Forest in Gloucester, the Dean Forest Railway winds its way from the line’s HQ at Norchard through Lydney Town and St Mary’s Halt to Lydney Junction at one end, and Whitecroft and Parkend at the other. With plenty to see, this is one of the UK’s most enchanting restoration railways and this 2005 documentary shows the route at its best.

THE BATTLEFIELD LINE

Opened in 1873 as the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway, the Battlefield Line was renamed by its present owners when the track was re-laid back to Shenton Station, which partly stands on the site of 1845’s Battle of Bosworth. Traffic ceased on the original line as early as 1931, before its final closure in 1970, since when the Shackerston Railway Society has gradually rebuilt part of the line from Shackerston to Shenton, and today a pleasant ride can be enjoyed through the Leicestershire countryside. The line features a host of rolling stock and some impressive buildings, as well as a fine museum. This 2005 programme celebrates the line, its history and its current custodians.

BRECON MOUNTAIN RAILWAY

Telling the story of two railway companies in this documentary from 2005: first, the Brecon Mountain Railway, a heritage track opened in 1980, its narrow-gauge track having been laid over the original track bed of the second, the Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway Company. The BMR line runs from Pant Station to just short of the Summit or Torpantau Tunnel, at 1313 feet, the highest ever built in the UK. Once renowned as the most spectacular in the land, the Brecon and Merthyr northern section delighted passengers with magnificent views of old locomotives struggling at the head of their charges as they attempted to pull them over gradients of up to 1:38, over the mountains and through the valleys, past the reservoirs between Brecon and Merthyr.

The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track

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BBC TV series now on DVD at Delta. This 2 DVD documentary shows the inner workings of Britain’s transport systems.

Britain has the oldest and one of the busiest railways in the world, with journeys per year totalling 1.3bn and rising. Whether it’s delays, overcrowding or fare rises, we all love to complain about the trains; used to being the butt of complaints, the rail industry has always kept itself behind closed doors. Until now…

With unprecedented access to Network Rail, train companies including Virgin, East Coast, First Great Western and Northern, and the British Transport Police, this six-part observational documentary series goes behind the scenes of one of Britain’s biggest institutions. 

Filmed over a year and across the country, this candid series gets to know the track-workers, train guards and management who are battling to keep Britain moving - where anything from suicidal people or an unlucky pheasant, to faulty signalling, cable thieves and mother nature can all bring the railway to a grinding halt. These are the people on the frontline who have the unenviable task of managing a congested, complex and often outdated system.

Told with humour, warmth and honesty, The Railway: Keeping Britain On Track reveals what’s really going on when we’re left fuming on the platform.

The Underground

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BBC TV series now on DVD at Delta. This 2 DVD documentary shows the inner workings of Britain’s transport systems.

The Underground goes behind the scenes of the world’s oldest, biggest and busiest underground train network, during the biggest overhaul in its history.

Made with unique access to London Underground, this series takes us to places we've always wanted to see - behind hoardings to reveal massive new engineering works, inside the command centre to find out what running the world’s most complex train set is really like, and into the hidden world of the Tube at night.

The series follows key members of the Tube’s 19,000 staff - from chief operating officer Howard Collins down to the litter pickers who walk miles of track every night collecting rubbish. Drivers, station staff and emergency response workers all reveal their unique perspective on us - the passengers. From tourists to suburban commuters to drunks getting the last train home, we capture the life of the Tube in all its guises.

And with ten billion pounds currently being spent on the biggest upgrade of any rail network ever, we show how the process of dragging a Victorian infrastructure kicking and screaming into the 21st century doesn't always run on rails.

Great British Steam

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Northern England
In this enthralling programme from 1994, we visit the North of England, birthplace of the industrial revolution and home to an enormous variety of steam interest. In Middleton, one of the world’s oldest railways has been resurrected, while the Bowes Railway works its early rope-hauled inclines. In the Lake District, narrow gauge steam conveys tourists through the beautiful scenery of Ravenglass and Eskdale, but equally delightful are the standard gauge railways over the North Yorkshire Moors, and in the high valley of South Tyneside.

Active preservation societies operate traditional Pennine branch lines at the Keighley and Worth Valley, and in East Lancashire. Steam centres at Carnforth and Southport maintain locomotives which have access to BR’s main lines, but the whole is fi nely complemented by collections from the National Railway Museum at York and the Beverly Museum of Army Transport.

Scotland
Scotland has a proud railway tradition, and its steam heritage has been kept alive by a number of preserved railways, some of which are featured in this absorbing programme from 1994. Foremost is the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, where the Scottish Railway Preservation Society operates both its own and BR’s metals, culminating in a long-awaited return of steam to the Highland Main Line. In Glasgow, the Museum of Transport has preserved locomotives from all major Scottish Railways, as well as commemorating the Glasgow Tram.

Industrial Railways are represented by the Scottish Industrial Railway centre near Ayr, and by a small, but dynamic Railway Society at Prestongrange in East Lothian. While in the Highlands, the Strathspey Railway, and the Caledonian Railway at Brechin provide for the tourist and enthusiast alike.

Southern England
The Bluebell Railway was Britain’s first preserved standard gauge railway and in 1994, when this engrossing programme was produced, was still expanding, as was the nearby Kent and East Sussex, and the Great Central Railway (which has now adopted main line running). The Severn Valley Railway promotes itself as Britain’s premiere steam railway, while Paignton and Dartmouth is ‘the holiday line’. All demonstrate the enormous enthusiasm generated by the steam locomotive. Other tastes are catered for by the Lavender line’s Wine & Dine Steam Specials. The Sittingbourne and Kemsley and the Foxfield Railway both appeal to industrial enthusiasts, and the incredible Romney Hythe and Dymchurch, the most fully equipped 15” gauge railway in the world, is also featured. We fi nish with the South Devon Railway, the epitome of a GWR rural branch line.

Wales
The small narrow gauge lines that once carried slate and other materials from the quarries to the Welsh coast led the way for the British Railway Preservation Movement. This delightful programme from 1994 shows how these lines provide for railway enthusiasts and tourists alike, and also features the activities of the Ffestiniog Railway, Welsh Highland Railway, Bala Lake, Llanberis Lake, Corris and the father of them all, the Talyllyn Railway.

Railways at Fairborne and the slopes of Snowdon (Wales’ highest mountain) were built to cater to visitors, as was the Conwy Valley Rail Museum and the Great Orme Tramway at Llandudno. But standard gauge locomotives were also busy, on the Llangollen Railway and on the Cambrian main line along the North Wales Coast. The programme ends in Aberystwyth, with the Electric Cliff Railway, and the Vale Of Rheidol, the last steam to be operated in Britain.

Great British Railways Portrait Of A Region

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Northern England
This programme presents colourful exhibition of the modern railway landscape in the North of England, and portrays broad canvas capturing all the sights and sounds of the region’s railways. It includes: East Lancashire Railway, Manchester-Sheffield Main Line, North Yorkshire Moors, Ravenglass and Eskdale, Bowes Railway, Multiple Units, Manchester Airport, Preserved Diesels and Brooside Miniature Steam.

The Midlands
The programme features sixty different types of motive power, from steam to diesel to electric, British Rail, preserved and private, standard and narrow gauge.

The South East
This programme takes a look at the railway scene in England’s Home Counties. Over seventy different types of motive power are shown, including: Mid-Hants Railway, Old Oak Common Open Day, Leighton Buzzard Railway, Orient Express, Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Bluebell Railway, Network Turbo Units, Kent And East Sussex Lines and many more.

The South West
Visiting an area covering Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Avon, Gloucester, Wiltshire and South Wales, this DVD provides a quick look at a huge array of train and railway sights. Included are the West Somerset Railway - The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway - Westbury Junction - Exeter Railfair - Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway and much more...

These programmes were originally released individually in 2007.