Vintage railway film - The driving force - 1966

This vintage railway film, produced in association with the Central Office of Information, the British Locomotive Allied Manufacturers' Association and the British Electrical Manufacturers' Association, covers the transition from steam to new forms of motive power, and its effects on railwaymen and passengers.
Britain once operated the most experienced diesel and electric railway in the world. Almost two centuries ago, she invented the steam engine as we know it today and introduced a new system of transport. In only nine years, in the middle part of the 20th century, British Rail and the British locomotive industry designed, built and tested enough diesel and electric locomotives to replace fifteen thousand steam engines.
A short clip has been trimmed from the middle of this movie, as the BBC has seen fit to claim copyright over a 20 second segment of a public domain film. If this film was not trimmed, it would not have been able to be viewed in Great Britain. Hopefully it does not affect the flow of the movie to a great degree.

[@DanknDerpyGamer]

12:35 - 12:36 That fly buzzing in the mic as the train goes by... 😂

[@gazs4731]

BTF always maintained interest from start to finish and this film was no exception. Thanks for posting

[@SimonFurber]

Yes. Always extremely high quality overall. Edgar Anstey was a master documentary maker.

[@nikerailfanningttm9046]

It started with the romance between man and steam, now it’s the romance between man and diesel. Sadly today here in the states where I live, the romance between us men and our diesels is beginning to fade slowly, as our roads are introducing fully battery electric units for yard operations. Soon in a few years, we might see battery electric mainline power. And my romance with the diesel will still hold true.

[@tyrikuntamed4206]

I won’t lie, I got a pain in my chest when I saw those steam locomotives being scrapped

[@antonysmith9173]

I do love the BTF films. They always seem to show a more idealic quality of life than we have nowdays. Thanks for uploading.

[@TONYNORTHEASTERN]

I do love these old BFT films. many thanks for sharing Tony

[@saltspringrailway3683]

Tony, we can't keep meeting like this. 'Tis Philip from 'ull, Yorkshire, who now lives in Canada.

[@simonf8902]

Wonderfull. The quality of all the BTF films is outstanding.

[@BigGoucho]

Absolutely brilliant. One of the best yet. Thanks for posting.

[@Pjs75]

Thanks for sharing this film. A style, colour tints & vocal tones from yesteryear. What was is now a memory, stirred by these BTF words and views.

[@andrewboyle5550]

Love the science fictiony orchestral score!

[@jvgreendarmok]

It makes me think of some of the Stravinsky and Bartok pieces I've heard as part of film soundtracks.

[@pricey130]

Thank you for uploading this video

[@MrScottmac99]

These films are brilliant. Greetings from a still-locked down Melbourne.

[@smac4749]

I was surprised to see this is from as late as 1966 - It looks and sounds like it was an anachronism from the day it was released! Not that that's a bad thing, I love these films which strike such an optimistic, forward-looking note. Great upload, keep them coming :-)

[@JasonNeil]

Love the sound the Deltic makes. Never gets old!

[@1800astra]

I'm a huge fan of the utterly gratuitous sequence at 6:52 where the VO asks 'What better machine for all the non-electric jobs?' Yes, one wonders, what? Wait for it, a swim-suited lovely is photographed brushing her hair ( *Smile, please. Hold it!* ) and holds up a mirror reflecting a diesel train passing behind her. Clever, but mystifying choice, especially when it cuts to the wide, and we see *two* 60's bathing-suited stunners! The narration is stand-out: Britain two-dey is a pyre-hice, of ideez, ixpirrimints, imagination. I was born in 1966, and missed out an all of this cutting-edge tech. My dad passed his driving test in 1974, and sadly the British Railways of yore became a foreign country to me.

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

So when your dad passed his driving test, when you were 8, did he buy a Morris Marina and take you and your family to the seaside?

[@jvgreendarmok]

It looks like part of an advert for a train route to seaside holiday destinations. And it's preceded by a few even less relevant clips which look like stock footage.

[@fifehope4674]

Brilliant film - every day is a school day! - had to chuckle though when they showed the Scotsman leaving KX behind D9004 and arriving at Newcastle behind D9000 - epic loco's those Deltics

[@david103857]

Really great to see the positivity of the era. Some of the music choices were a bit odd though imho! Thanks for uploading

[@grangetowncardiff6935]

You're right. No diversity music. No rock, pop and especially rap. No music which celebrates Black history. Lets Get a petition to have this disgraceful offence removed.

[@david103857]

@@grangetowncardiff6935 there's always one who has to politicise things for the sake of it!

[@DeplorableAngus]

@@grangetowncardiff6935 Let's go Brandon!

[@velvetdoug]

@@grangetowncardiff6935 That escalated quickly

[@fabshop6359]

Brilliant! Cracking video, cheers for posting.

[@bluebellsfan8704]

Great video! Loved it

[@robsatoz]

Thanks for sharing.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Very good, thanks.

[@jvgreendarmok]

Those three steam locos at the beginning are on display at Glasgow's Transport/Riverside Museum (though one might be at the railway museum in Bo'ness now). edit: It's GNSR 49 "Gordon Highlander" that's at Bo'ness now.

[@michaelstaley2241]

Very enjoyable excellent commentary very clear and precise….😎👍

[@mce_AU]

Nice find.

[@cissiejupe]

So much of the track has now gone. Still busy though

[@25172605]

Seems to be that anything we invented and exported to the world we some how in time fall way behind

[@StuAnderson90]

sad to say 9004 was only in service for 20 years being based at Haymarket depot however it only lasted for 20 years before being scrapped at Doncaster BREL. At around exactly at the 20 year mark! built in March 1961 and scrapped in March 1981 after being involved in an accident, where the driver of D9004 "Queens Own Highlander" was speeding towards Connington. Huntingdonshire where the driver passed a signal, the signalman had moved the points under the train. The Signalman was convicted of endangering persons travelling on the railway but was acquitted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

[@OlivierGabin]

Great historical document. I love to see those, not only as modeller.

[@davemitchell9941]

Nice to see the ol Beattie well tanks going on well along the N.Cornwall line.

[@eliotreader8220]

many years ago my Mum asked the driver of the Beattie well tank engine 30587 if she could take a photo of me standing in the cab of the 1874 built engine. he said yes and I enjoyed standing on the footplate while my photo was being taken. i liked the smell of warm oil and the sound of the hiss of the steam pressure inside the cab

[@davemitchell9941]

@@eliotreader8220 wouldn’t mind betting that was my late ol mate Roy Wilce a Wadebridge man, who I spent many hours with on the footplate @ the Bodmin & Wenford railway & of course ol 30587, also!! He was always doing that for youngsters throughout his career as an Engineman. Lovely man to work with

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

They were withdrawn in 1962.

[@eliotreader8220]

@@davemitchell9941 it sounds like he was a good driver to fire for back in the early 200s

[@davemitchell9941]

@@eliotreader8220 he was a character & an excellent engineman. He used to say to folk; “the western had drivers & fireman, the Southern had Enginemen mister.”🙂 Never a dull moment!!

[@briansearle4138]

Here we are in the 50's Air , Rail , Nuclear Power . Engineering Ahead in these fields what went wrong !! . When I was an apprentice in the late 70s you could go into John Hall tools buy your tools and made in England stamped on them . Unlike the shite that's on sale now and it is shite. 🇬🇧

[@frenchsteam7356]

The Scotsman's "Flying Thistle" did literally fly off at speed -It didn't last that long but word would come from "On High" if it was missing! Where's the headboard? "Somewhere between Thirsk and Northallerton!!"

[@Sameoldfitup]

Great 💙

[@bobcannell7603]

Important we keep and watch these films to see how much Britain has lost, been stripped of by governments and investors interested only in short term profit. All those skills gone. All that manufactuing ability gone. Everything we use on our railways now is imported. Paid for by what? Funny money from the funny money tree?

[@timwatson8151]

Really admired the section about the proto-TPWS system they were working on, anyone know more about it?

[@likklej8]

Some of those A class bo- bo electric locos are now still running in Asia and Australia?

[@ethanberglund3462]

I don't know if your still looking at uploading cab videos but I've had a few videos in particular I'd like to see. On rare occasions an A series travels up to the Nowergup Railcar Depot to use the Wheel flat facility since Claisebrook doesn't have a wheel flat facility and I was wondering if possible you could get a video of an A series running from Claisebrook all the way down to Nowergup when the next one uses the facility. I've always wanted to see an A Series run not in service from Claisebrook to Nowergup and the over video I'd like to see a cab video from one of the B series running non stop from Butler to Mandurah and in the future when the C's enter service. Is it possible to get a cab video from one of the new C series and a few cab videos from the trains running on the new lines I can see anyone who loves the our Trains. Would love to see these videos I hope to see them in the near future if it's possible:)

[@sonnylindfield110]

900,000,000 stars all the way.

[@axelhejnebo9142]

14:18 Is that Rev. W. Awdry chatting with the driver?

[@Rupertbear27]

No---but I think that's the fat controller next to him

[@knuckles1206]

Glasses look about right, and that COULD be the Rev Teddy Boston next to him?

[@djcb4190]

After BR, this is final.

[@catthecommentbothunter6890]

The year that steam was widrawn from service

[@eliotreader8220]

way was they lighting the fire with fire lighters? I thought they always used a burning oily rag

[@anilpille189]

👍🙏

[@anilpille189]

That Golden Day never come again

[@daffyduk77]

Is that a young-looking Vincent Price at 12:08 ? No, it can't be :-)

[@saltspringrailway3683]

Excellent footage but 'orrible music.

[@christopherwaring8285]

PAUSE IT AT 14.48 THAT ENGINEER LOOKS LIKE CLIFF RICHARD IN THE 50,S

[@MarkHenstridge]

Thats me BTF....bloody train fan

[@illumencouk]

Please excuse my question if it proves to be a daft one but after hearing how the diesel engine powered an electric generator AND this drives the train, the thought popped in my head asking 'why not drive the train directly with just the diesel engine? Why combine the two?

[@pricey130]

The amount of gears needed to keep the engine in its power band would be immensely complex. A lorry/truck needs anything up to 20 forward gears just to keep the engine in the correct power band.

[@jimharris9394]

Actually, they did. I don't know if they still do or not. Probably not. As the film explains, they had three basic types at the time: 1. A "mechanical" diesel locomotive that used smaller diesel engines, gears and hydraulic clutches in sets of two that could be coupled together in groups up to four sets. These were designed as passenger trains for locations that didn't have a large volume of passenger traffic. Kind of like diesel busses on rails. (There's an excellent four-part series here about driving and operating the diesel train that discusses the diesel-mechanical trainsets in detail.) 2. A diesel-hydraulic setup that I know nothing about. However, if they did any kind of heavy hauling at all, the hydraulic pressures must have been absolutely stupendous! 3. The now, almost universal, diesel-electric locomotive. The advantage of the diesel-electric locomotive is that you can use a relatively large, (and consequently more efficient), diesel engine to create the massive amounts of force required. By converting the diesel's force into electricity, (or by using electricity directly), the tractive force, (the energy actually used to move the wheels against the rails), can be very carefully and efficiently regulated to provide the maximum amount of force using a minimum amount of fuel or power. To do this mechanically would require literally dozens and dozens of extremely expensive, high tensile strength gears and a twenty-armed engineer to handle them on even a modest freight haul of the day. It's not unusual for a modern day heavy freight haul to have to move hundreds of thousands of tons of freight in one train. Doing that with gears would be a nightmare! Hydraulic? I wouldn't want to be within miles of the hideously high pressures required as even the tiniest leak would cut you in half before you even knew there was a leak. Today's trains are primarily either fully electric, or diesel-electric, as that gives you both the tractive power required and an economic enough system to make it worthwhile. Since modern day freight trains can be both long and hideously heavy, the common practice is to use what is called "distributed power". This technique is, in essence, a number of "normal" trains connected end-to-end with enough engines for each segment, with the entire monstrosity controlled electronically from the leading cab. Electrically powered traction makes this relatively easy to do.

[@fifehope4674]

the Diesel Hydraulic loco's used a torque converter to give a constantly changing balance between torque to get the train moving from a standstill to horsepower to keep it going at speed

[@haroldwilkes6608]

As a US, I was surprised to see the UK using MPH instead of KPH...is there a reason for this or has it changed over time? Great video though.

[@admiralcraddock464]

We still use MPH and measure distance in miles. Being a bit of an eccentric country, measurements are mostly done in metic but people's height caried out in feet and inches. Petrol is sold by Litres buy pints.

[@wendellwhite5797]

The UK uses a hybrid system like the US. Out tools are mostly metric on cars and trucks, and we buy sodas and water in litres and milk, tea in gallons, and ounces and miller litres. Cokes come in 12 ounces/355 ml. Remember, the French created the Metric system. Only because they couldn't count to 12. Not enough fingers. Oui?

[@haroldwilkes6608]

@@wendellwhite5797 Touche!

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

Most people my age (62) can manage most things in either metric or imperial; apart from long distances, or beer consumption. I've no idea about younger people. Britain is ruled by old tossers that managed to buy a house, and remember reading about WWII.

[@paulnicholson1906]

Ah, the good old days when railways didn’t have to make any money. 🙃

[@petergrossett6763]

There was no need to scrap steam so quickly. 9f’s were hardly run in and scrapped. Too many lines shut, and definitely the road lobby interest being put before the nations!

[@gainsbourg66]

Looking back, it's now clear that the hasty removal of steam was largely a fashion thing. This is why the commentator has a slightly defensive, arrogant tone at times. He frequently pushes the fasle narrative that diesel and electric traction are better in every way than steam. In hindsight, we now know that the emmisions from diesels are far more deadly that coal smoke. Electrification was unbelievably expensive and worst of all, electric locos cost 10-20 times more than steam locos which means that the savings in turn round, maintenance and crew costs were never recovered. The hurried transition was a foolish mistake, as were the Beeching cuts.

[@TheDoberman87]

“And out of the melting pot came a brand new electric railway!” Is that the bit they claimed because I don’t think he said it?

[@jvgreendarmok]

It's supposed to come at about 4:35 when it suddenly goes silent.

[@shirleymental4189]

I wonder why they didn't try gas turbine instead of diesel?

[@spencerhardy8667]

They did, but the Kerosene Castle and the GT3 were not at all successful. You need American distances and freight loading to make gas turbines economical. Plus they're incredibly noisy.

[@jimharris9394]

@@spencerhardy8667 That was tried in the 'States too and didn't work well. Maybe now with the improved materials it might, but diesel-electric and fully electric locomotives do a fine job as it is. BTW, (as you mentioned), turbines that would provide the power required are better tolerated at 40,000 feet away than twenty yards. 😉

[@jimharris9394]

Just to give this some context: There are videos of the beach that is right nest to the runaway at Princess Juliana airport on St. Martin / St. Maarten. Because the runway is relatively short, and there are mountains at the other end, airplanes have to back all the way up against the fence at the beach end of the runway. They then need as much speed as possible, as quickly as possible, to avoid crashing into the mountains. So, they ram the throttles as far forward as possible, creating maximum thrust and, (as a consequence), blowing stupid people who don't/can't read, as well as their belongings into the sea. Lesson: Turbine engines make hideous amounts of noise, generate incredible amounts of exhaust heat, and need "airport" type distances to keep people from being hurt. Can you imagine a freight train running an engine like that, hauling mega-tons of freight, starting up in the middle of some city somewhere? Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Not even close to nope.

[@adrianpeters2413]

Hey , you know what? Let's spend tax money , and then steal it all for us , under the word ,privatisation.... then we can make a profit out of the taxpayers...hey hey great idea ..u.k. revealed......now you work hard you will get on...and do not forget to get on yer bike ....... great video

[@andrewsweetapple5173]

Great film, but 'exported to every continent'..... Antartica! I don't think so.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

They said FIVE continents. They would be Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.

[@111greatbear3]

Scrappers are murderers of steam locomotives

[@nikerailfanningttm9046]

you do realize British Rail was in dire need of modernization and Diesel and Electric power was the future. Steam wouldn't last forever on the mainline.

[@alexanderchamberlain9285]

@@nikerailfanningttm9046 the steam engines built by british rail were meant to have a maximum service life until the 2000s but modernization by british rail caused them to only have a service life until 1968.

[@BazNapper]

Scrappers didn't set policy. In fact, one scrapman saved the last Black 5 in his yard, having cut dozens up. That loco exists to this day, and is still well looked after. 45305.

[@larx4074]

Love these films....hate the BBC.......

[@chrislaarman7532]

Thank you for uploading. :-) However, I find the movie itself quite disappointing, to the point of not watching beyond half-time. 1) The editor seems lost in arranging bits he likes, getting lost in details that fail to contribute to the story. 2) Yes, the UK introduced the idea of rails and the idea of using steam power for transport on those rails to the world. But the producer seems unaware of BR steam to be over within two years of publication, and of the decades-long progress in electric and combustion-engine motive power elsewhere in the world.

[@miamisasquatch]

Ugh 60s British orchestral music and overbearing use of purple and green lighting.... Otherwise great

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

I think this is a brilliant film, but it is brutal propaganda. 14:30 "These diesels are one of only many kinds in use: but in an effort to find the best, almost everything has been tried."!! Britain at it's very worst. A country that can't be bothered to decide what it it needs (rather than what the party in power wants) so it wastes money on everything (as long as the ruler's children can go to a posh school).

[@ericmoorhouse9822]

What awful music

[@stevef9530]

Interesting film, but trying to get people excited about diesel and electric locomotives is uphill work. They’re just boring. I’m a keen mechanic when it’s my old Norton, but not when it’s a bus. They’re trying to sell the British on the idea of getting rid of their beloved steam engines, and it comes over as hapless stuff. Sorry.