British Railway 1963-64

8 mm movies taken by a soldier servingn in the UK in 1962-65. Features British Railways at York-Harrogate-Leeds, 1963-64

[@peter9180]

My grandpa was a steam train driver working out of York before, during the war and retiring around 1960, he would have travelled those same lines and may have driven those same trains. Thanks Ken for the excellent film and for the thoughts of my childhood.

[@klbird]

Thank you Peter.

[@bobsmodelrailways]

Absolutely brilliant Ken! A Leeds lad who spent a lot of time at Leeds Central and Leeds City stations in the early to late sixties. Couldn’t afford a camera though! Happy Days.

[@garryhall5552]

Excellent, I could have been on the station or in the sheds those days. Brings back a lot of happy memories. Thank you.

[@waldenhouse]

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing. I was 8 in ‘63 and remember we’ll train-spotting with my Brother Michael at both Leeds City & Leeds Central especially.

[@klbird]

Hi Bobby. I was a US soldier at Menwith Hill near Harrogate then and spent my free time riding steam trains. It was a great experience and I still love BR today.

[@trevordowning3270]

Some excellent film of what was the last few years of British Steam. I am too young to remember it as I was only an infant in 1963 and didn't live anywhere near a station in the years afterwards. Thank you for this, a valuable reminder of part of our heritage.

[@klbird]

Thank you for your comments Trevor. I was an American soldier, and rail buff, serving at Menwith Hill near Harrogate 1963-66. I witnessed both the demise of steam, and what Dr. Beeching did your fine railways.

[@RichDavey]

Superb nostalgic footage. Thanks for posting 👍

[@klbird]

Dave, I was poor soldier in a foreign land in those days but loved The UK and its trains. I have a son who was born in Harrogate. Any way, I paid another GI who was going home $2.00 for an old 8mm Camera and what you saw was the result. They laid in a box for almost 40 year and thanks to digital technology and the internet they were resurrected. Thanks for the reply.

[@TONYNORTHEASTERN]

Thank s ken for showing this brilliant footage of the steam railways from the 60s just before the big change to of decline of British steam......thanks again Tony

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

Look at the state of these locos. Leaking steam everywhere, nasty, dirty and polluting. Definitely ready for the cutting torch asap, so the scrap can be sent for melting down and recycling.

[@piggynice-06]

Priceless footage!

[@klbird]

Thank you for your comment Tony I was stationed in Harrogate for three years towards the end of steam . 1963 to 66., and enjoyed chasing trains.

[@kubazawadzki7123]

FloopaLoo, Where Are You? / Flapacha, où es-tu ?

[@john111257]

iron horses were amazing

[@philipholt9112]

Hi like it brings back memories of my time on the footplate 1961till 2011 8yrs on steam i finished my time out at longsight as a driver I did 50yrs Regards Phil.

[@klbird]

That was quite a good career Phil. You saw the end of steam and the revival of the railways in Britain.

[@klbird]

Thanks John & Kim.

[@Steven_Rowe]

Iran never work out why certain locos had yellow lines on the cab which meant they can't work under the wires. Plenty of steam did work under 25kv from 1959 when the ECML electrification started at Crewe.

[@davidblurton7158]

bagnalls bridge at the northern end of stafford station was built into the works and shed so was limited in the height it could be raised,, and the water table was high in that area meaning they could not go down much

[@klbird]

Nigel that would indeed be interesting but when I dubbed the sound I had to go with what I had. Thanks for the comment.

[@stephensmith799]

1963-4 was probably the last year steam was widely represented and we could still call it a steam railway

[@klbird]

Yes, I left in 1966 and the end was near. Oddly, I saw the same in the state ten years earlier.

[@stephensmith799]

@@klbird North American steam was so impressive. I think crew conditions were far better on American and Canadian steam locos and safety far better for yard crew

[@klbird]

The footplate ( Cabs) on US steam had more room due to the larger loading gauge., wider cars and locomotives. I was in the Big Boy cab last year when it was on tour. You could hold a dance in it and still have room for the crew. Yard work (shunting) was just as dangerous as in Britain. It is better today, as they are not allowed to ride the cars and they have radios instead of hand signals.

[@stephensmith799]

@@klbirdThe Big Boys are magnificent eh!? I was thinking about pull about regulators, steam powered reversers not forgetting auto couplers rather than those dreadful three link couplings flicked over the draw-hooks with a shunter's pole and braking waggons on the move by riding on those poles. I think there is a wartime vid about a shunter's 'busy shift' but I can't remember the exact title... I'll have a look and post it if I can track it down... Meanwhile you are right about pole 'pockets' in buffer beams. A mad American idea about moving waggons on adjacent tracks...

[@stephensmith799]

Here's the vid I mentioned: kzbin.info/www/bejne/famZkn9uhqeSl7M

[@phattrel6023]

1:03 I see the green class 40 from the railways series story "bowled out"

[@Adamguylol]

Im sad that steam engines barely even run nowadays

[@klbird]

Britain has more preserved operating steam locos than the US. Go find them.

[@vespelian5769]

To early for me to remember but I do remember steam in Manchester in 1967. A yard near Cheadle Heath but I don't recall the name.

[@klbird]

One of my first trips behind British was a trip from Harrogate to Manchester. I was serving with the US Army at Menwith HIll and would spend days off enjoying the steam railways.

[@nigelmitchell351]

Sounded suspiciously like the class 40 had been fitted with a Leyland or AEC engine. Interesting? Enjoyed them all many thanks.

[@alanrobertson9790]

Maybe a DMU crept in off camera?

[@christletters]

Faded but at least we have a record of our railway's glorious past! You might like to look at my OO rendition: Saltspring Railway Philip

[@jeannecamp1699]

Kim Benson yorient express

[@jeannecamp1699]

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[@jeannecamp1699]

the orient express

[@jeannecamp1699]

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[@FlyingScott]

1:39 That's an odd whistle... For a Black 5...

[@klbird]

You are right but at the time of the dubbing it was I had.

[@FlyingScott]

Eh, I'm not knocking it! I wish all Black 5s had an *actual* whistle.

[@klbird]

@@FlyingScott When I first came to Britain in 1962 I was not impressed with any of the loco whistles but that was because of the multi chime types we used in the USA. I got used to the BR whistles and could even tell which type of loco it was. Our diesels still use multitone types due to the many level crossings we still have here.

[@FlyingScott]

There's a reason the Fat Yanks kept their original whistle. Those whistles could blow the Big Four right out of the water.

[@12crepello]

@@FlyingScott Can't beat a Stanier LMS hooter!

[@larrybarker2495]

Some of those locomotives were in a terrible state of disrepair.

[@klbird]

Yes Larry, I saw very few that were really wiped down and in service. some of the larger express engines were given some better care on the passenger runs but most were always dirty and leaking steam. Much like what we saw in the last days of steam in the US.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

Any footage of cutting steam locos for scrap, that would be great!

[@1951GL]

1960 onwards maintenance was poor - not much more than an oily rag.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

@@1951GL They did some excellent work in the depots with cutting torches and scrap magnet cranes in the later years!

[@bennickss]

Really is a shame that this was taken the year that the doom of the railways was truly announced. To hell with you beeching, you truly did cause confusion and delay to many large towns like newport Shropshire

[@gwrstudios5181]

You say the footage was from a soldier serving if I may ask from what military I’m assuming either U.S or U.K I would be surprised if a yank managed to talk his way into getting into a engine shed

[@klbird]

Yes, a yank with the13thUSASA at Menwith Hill near Harrogate. Getting into sheds was easy I just went to the office and asked. Was never turned down. I explained I had seen the demise of steam in the US and wanted to record some of to show my friend back home.

[@gwrstudios5181]

@@klbird ah ok yea I expected a harder time since my grandfather had trouble getting into several sheds in the 60s in the UK but it’s nice to see them allow you in

[@johnfreemantle7926]

Pity he wasn't a train spotter?

[@klbird]

I worked twenty four seven at Menwith Hill and most of my leave time was taken up with other duties so not much time for train spotting. I am happy to have seen what steam I could experience and it made me a real BR fan. I even had a HO layout for a number of years.

[@ianthomsonnewman4048]

Visually magnificent, but acustically a complete disaster, as with many other contemporary videos..

[@klbird]

Did the best i could but they are authentic BR recordings.

[@ianthomsonnewman4048]

Movie: very interesting. Sound dubbing: a complete disaster.

[@klbird]

Your right Ian but at least I used real British sounds , no US locos. Have a great Christmas.

[@ianthomsonnewman4048]

Ken: I trust you too have a good Christmas. Steam locomotive sound dubbing is very difficult to do. I have been in South América for almost 50 years, but remember well scenes like the ones you portray.