1960s Steam Banbury To Brum

This video contains clips of what the former GW mainline between Banbury and Birmingham Snow Hill used to look like during the 1960s. Plenty of action on Hatton Bank including Kings, Castles, etc. All credits for this video must go to Michael Clemens of B&R videos for giving me permission to use footage taken by his father Jim Clemens. Please enjoy another great blast from the past.

[@daviddarrall9384]

Marvelous footage! Very Nostalgic, plus Fantastic sound! UK

[@ianheaver3217]

I love watching these old steam videos. We owe so much to people who had the foresight and the effort of the people that filmed them. Great days!

[@robertbate5790]

Great selection from my home territory, sadly missing Knowle and Doridge, and Solihull. I remember the standards at Leamington Spa, as I had a grandad there to visit on Sundays 👍👍👍

[@i.c.d.-videos1901]

Awesome footage 👍🏻.

[@manu7815]

Thanks for yours kind clips no head lamps electric that times

[@SYKAROST]

Well done Bill, a great compilation of wonderful memories of those bygone days we were both fortunate enough to participate in. As a 'Midland Man' this was one of the few GWR routes we worked so it was nice to see a couple of our old Banbury turns in there (9F's). Thanks for your efforts, enjoyed & liked!!! Regards, Brian.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Brian, thanks for looking, and kind comments, but all credits must go to Michael and Jim Clemens who have done a superb job creating a look at the former route of The Cambrian Coast Express from Paddington to Shrewsbury. Glad you enjoyed watching, and that it bought back so many great memories for you working over foreign soil, one of our former GW mainline lines, cheers...Bill

[@owenevans83]

Great stuff (as usual), thanks for uploading.

[@84asrd84boxy]

+Owen Evans Cheers Owen, thanks for your kind words, and for taking the time to view and comment. Nice to know you enjoyed watching this blast from the past. Regards...Bill

[@KenBrownekb71000duke]

I'm loving this series of 60s steam from the Ex GWR midlands lines Bill. Even at this late stage with locos looking a bit worse for wear, they were still putting up a good show. Nice to see the shots of a traditional station pilot going about its shunting moves near the end of the video. Thanks for sharing it. Ken

[@84asrd84boxy]

Ken,it's nice to know you have enjoyed watching this little blast from the past. I found the 60s a fascinating era for railways, unfortunately steam was being phased out and diesels bought into replace them, but what days they were, so much variety, oh happy days never to be replaced or forgotten, cheers...Bill

[@paularowe7651]

Having been brought up in Truro in the 1950 s, I was lucky enough to see the end of steam. At Truro Station we would like to stand on what we called 'black bridge ' and experience the effects of the steam and smoke.

[@judithmerricks5448]

Wow love this keeping the great days alive god bless you

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Judith, As far as I am concerned these days can never be forgotten. I have many fond memories of working over these lines during the early 60s, happy days gone but not forgotten. Regards...Bill

[@garrymartin6474]

Great film but the bemoaning of things passing to the Midland region is a bit rich considering what the Western did to the former LSWR lines !

[@Marc_von_Hoffrichter]

Great films Bill. Thank you.

[@84asrd84boxy]

+Marc von Hoffrichter Thanks for taking the time to view and comment, glad you enjoyed watching, cheers...Bill

[@chrislampard7170]

Brilliant, very evocative. I used to watch them go by at Cropredy circa 1959-60.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Chris, nice to know that this video bought back some happy and fond memories from all those years ago. Thanks for taking the time to view and comment, much appreciated. Regards...Bill

[@djburland]

Well done Bill, loved the old GWR on one loco!

[@sam8alex12]

That was just brilliant Bill, takes me back to when, with my mother we stayed at Kings Sutton at my great aunt and uncles the Wyatts, and spent hours on Banbury Station waiting for the push and pull train. The expresses flashing through use to frighten us to death. THANKS FOR THIS ONE. PS HAD NO PROBLEM

[@84asrd84boxy]

Ernie, thanks for looking/commenting, glad you enjoyed watching, and that it bought back so many great memories for you. Banbury was a great place especially during the summer months with all the extra holiday trains passing through there, take care, cheers...Bill

[@JR-SCOOT]

Superb video, thanks for uploading so we can all enjoy. If you have more rare footage please upload.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers John, thanks for looking and your kind comment glad you enjoyed watching the video. There are other videos from the 60s on my channel I cannot remember the titles I gave them, you may enjoy watching those also. Best Regards...Bill

[@peterdodsworth4446]

HhJohn R

[@lennze1]

Thanks bill for posting this video superb , jim clemens did a fantastic job of filming all those years ago, len.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Len, it was very kind of Michael Clemens to give me permission to use some of the footage fimed by his father Jim Clemens recreating the route of the former Cambrian Express from Paddington to Shrewsbury during the 1960s. Many thanks for looking/commenting, much appreciated, glad you enjoyed watching this great blast from the past...Bill

[@user-ho7vr8pw9h]

Some nice comments about the different trains but the thing that always strikes me is how often on these old railway films the landscape is comparatively well manicured compared with today. Every line around Birmingham these days seems to be overgrown with buddleia

[@andrewlong2397]

Brilliant video from my part of the world. No playback problems this time.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Andrew, many thanks for looking, and your kind comment, much appreciated so glad you enjoyed watching, cheers...Bill

[@NickRatnieks]

Excellent video- as good as it gets. We saw one Grange and a 43xx but sadly no County or 47XX .I did this line as a kid and last time I set foot on Banbury Station, in late October 1965 I watched a filthy rebuilt Battle of Britain engine waiting for the Bournemouth train that was coming from Newcastle off the GCR. I saw some very rundown looking engines that day- not least at Oxford MPD. Time flies, but I recall the memories- not least my filthy face from poking my head out of the window- we were picked up by a Brush Type 4 at Banbury and by Snow Hill was was a right mess!

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Nick, It's nice to know that by watching this video that it bought back some very fond and happy memories for you. Thanks for taking the time to view and for your kind comment, much appreciated. Regards...Bill

[@NickRatnieks]

The following month, I did my last ever run behind steam on BR. It was Redhill to Reading- and I assume the diesel unit had failed- a Saturday evening in November. The train was hauled by a Manor- probably 7829 and we had a very spirited run to Reading where we lived. Of course, 7829 being the last Manor was BR built so the GWS chose the GWR built 7808 for preservation. I have had a cab ride on 7808 at Didcot -but the "one that got away" is the big memory as we roared through the Surrey Hills that night. Most of my trips as a kid (unlike the above mentioned one which was to Harborne) were from Reading to Aberystwyth and we picked up the Cambrian Coat Express at Shrewsbury. I can remember a King thundering in with the train- and then we boarded and travelled on to Aberystwyth behind a Manor- but I never took numbers as a young kid! I just wish I had done!

[@84asrd84boxy]

Hello Nick, just like you I wish I had kept a record of the numbers of the loco's I fired and the jobs worked during my footplate days during the 60s it would certainly be worth being able to look back now at those great days once again. This particular video is the 2nd of 3 as I tried to recreate the route of The Cambrian Coast Express from Paddington to Shrewsbury as it used to be during my footplate days. Happy days great memories. Regards.... Bill

[@NickRatnieks]

That is a great pity- but you must have some great memories.

[@84asrd84boxy]

Nick, I certainly do have great memories of my footplate days, something that can never be forgotten. Regards...Bill

[@Rog5446]

The 8F on the engineers train was coupled to a Fowler tender. Although Fowler tenders were fitted to other types, I've never seen one coupled to an 8F.

[@stephensmith799]

'a DMU' thinks 'boooooo!' I remember Frilsham Manor's GW markings (at Dovey Junction)

[@stephensmith799]

Love your vids....

[@LeamingtonSteve]

great stuff

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Steve, this type of video gives us the chance to see what things were like in the 60s when steam still ruled and early diesels were coming on stream, all thanks must go to Jim Clemens for recording these wonderful scenes for all of us to be able to watch, cheers...Bill

[@prof.hectorholbrook4692]

I paid good money for same DVD. I'd better tell them.

[@Isochest]

Lovely goods trains.I would love to see container freight totally nuke road haulage on the long haul and medium too!

[@Isochest]

The train at 8:04 is the one that should pass through every town!

[@waleedarif6740]

It probably does, if it's preserved. 😅

[@Isochest]

@@waleedarif6740 Probably not hauling iron ore as this consist was. I lived in Corby as an infant. But any steam is welcome now.

[@LizardKingJimLA69]

Some rare birds here, 7929 the last Hall built, 92165 one of the experimental mechanical stokered 9Fs and the ex-partially "streamlined" King. Us gricers would have been bored S Hitless back in the day with all those black fives though. Oh to be bored like that again!

[@quintoflyer]

magic

[@amazoniaamazonia7225]

Excellent archive even if tightly edited in places, it’s a-shame today’s sterile railway isn’t as interesting.

[@timothysmith8300]

a awwwwwsome video steam at its best the railways today are nothing compared to the railways then i was not born untill 63 worst luck if i had been the age then as iam now thing s might have been diffarent one likes to think .

[@84asrd84boxy]

Cheers Timothy, the early 60s were my era on the footplate as a loco fireman. I put videos such as this one together as a so-called reminder of the various roads I used to work over. Many thanks for taking the time to view and comment. Regards...Bill

[@tremensdelirious]

Sounds like Clunge Castle

[@Rog5446]

Why was Hall 6971 dubbed with a three cylinder sound?

[@84asrd84boxy]

I have no idea, as far as I am aware the soundtrack in the video is original. Thanks for looking/commenting. Regards...Bill

[@johnhayes9422]

What was the advantage of a double chimney?

[@2H80vids]

Some great footage there. BR don't come out of it too well; the state of that stock is a disgrace. Some of the diesels were nearly new and they're in as bad condition as the steam locos. If you were to model stock like that, folk would say you were exagerating the weathering. Those who yearn for the return of nationalised railways seem to forget how BR neglected and abused all the assets they were given. Locos, stock, stations all seemed to suffer from a lack of interest/pride in the job, once the big four were amalgamated. Wonderful footage and fantastic to watch; a wee bit sad though.

[@andrewlong2397]

Playback error

[@84asrd84boxy]

Hello Andrew, in what way is there a playback error, I have watched all the way through with no problems, cheers...Bill

[@lffuwefgseghhfd9848]

Scrap the relics of 🚂🚃past. go electric 🚋 🚊 locomotive. avoid global warming and pollution.🐒 💭 ( remember corona 🐙and climate change ) 😢.fan

[@acampbell8614]

Get in the bin, idiot.

[@andrewsewell9179]

I hate bloody adds