Darlington to MIDDLETON-IN-TEESDALE train ride 1963

[@pauliwoo]

This video is absolutely priceless.. thank you for capturing a piece of history!..

[@MickeyMichaels]

Brilliant. My grandfather was station master at Barnard Castle in the early 60s and I spend many holidays there. I road the train (free!) to Middleton and back quite a few times, sometimes in the cab or on the footplate. I also spent many hours in the two signal boxes at BC and your video has just transported me back 60 years! Thank you.

[@BegudMaximan-zp2tc]

At least someone had the foresight to film the route for prosperity. 🙂👍

[@Cheesemaker-o2v]

I live at Barnard Castle and didn’t appreciate how large the sidings were. Great video.

[@paulgriffiths3082]

Would be good if all lost railways had a film like this

[@stuartpittard3153]

I travelled to Middleton-in-Teesdale just after the line closed for regular traffic. I was on a Walkers Special from Leeds, the station was unstaffed. We had just enough time to walk to High Force and back. These days I caravan near by and the track bed is one of my favourite walks

[@steu.k.6114]

What a wonderful time to live in.

[@matistysk79]

Such a nice little film. It's a pitty that these small lines were closed in the 1960's. It gives a feeling of good old England before the modernity came. Thanks for the video.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

matistysk79 the closures of lines and stations started long before the 1960s as many of these lines were unecomonic before WW2 and were living on borrowed time. They only reason they survived was there were no alternatives for freight, parcels and passengers. After WW2 and a glut of war surplus road vehicles the freight drifted away from rail to road and the writing was on the walls. Passenger numbers would also decline as car ownership took over; this also put pay to many rural bus routes as well. Eventually such lines cost more to maintain than BR was willing to support in comparison to the money they were making from operating the services and the lines would be closed and buses replaced the trains. In some places the lines remained as the road network did not adequately serve the rural communities on the line, but once the roads had been improved, or even built, the last reasons for the railway remaining were lost.

[@mikecondon9576]

Excellent history of long lost railways it seems. Well done to you in 1963 and of course delivering the production with the support of Heather in 2017. I am not local but I can appreciate what has been lost but I am delighted that you took the time to make the record. I am more than conscious of what it takes to create content and you have my thanks.

[@daveclaridge3747]

Extremely interesting. Thanks for posting.

[@Steve-qz4vt]

The railway cottage for the level crossing keeper at Barnard Castle is still there, with D&S plate on the side. I lived in it when I started at Glaxo. There is fine walk along the old track bed, from near Lartington to within a few hundred metres of Middleton-in-Teesdale former station, looking a little sad these days. Lovely views, viaducts, bridges and the odd bit if trackside remains.

[@southwife]

Really enjoyed this, from Middle America, thanks.

[@joesprinter8202]

Another superb upload, thankfully there were people like you around to record all of this...I was fortunate enough to have served an engineering apprenticeship, when I look at young people today I realise that there are little or no skilled people left to build and maintain any infrastructure like this..

[@robjames3277]

Amazing video, thank you! I often walk from a caravan site that has a path to join the railway path near the Balder Viaduct, and wander either to Cotherstone or Romaldkirk, it's so beautiful.

[@atlanticcoastexpress]

Many thanks to you both Heather and Alan...what a terrible shame all the hard-earned railway infrastructure pictured has been lost. It's only through films/videos like yours (and my much used Historical line atlases) that we can appreciate the civil engineering that was involved. I am enjoying your videos very much...but at the same time I'm saddened at the wonderful railways we've lost. Regards. Rob.

[@pdxrailtransit]

Absolutely marvelous! All that beautiful railroad plant squandered to the automobile.

[@Brigantius]

This took me back a few years! I used to ride this service around 1960. It was a shame the line was closed as the "substitute" bus service was much poorer than promised.

[@paulrawdon5556]

I remember catching a DMU at Broomielaw Station to go to Darlington with my parents on a Saturday - I was not more than six at the time. We lived in Stainton Village. Dad worked at Glaxo and later we moved to Barnard Castle after he was given a company house. Dad got a transfer to Glaxo New Zealand in 1961. I'm living in Christchurch, NZ now. The video was most interesting as I don't remember much of the journey and didn't venture past Broomielaw.

[@paul1nz]

I do remember living in Woodlands Road in Barnard Castle and Glaxo was over the back fence. I've been watching some of the other material you've uploaded, facinating stuff.

[@pauliwoo]

Walked from Middleton to Cotherstone along that line many many times.. fascinating!..

[@neilhall676]

What a lovely piece of history.

[@Roo63]

Brilliant, Alan. Really superb - Many thanks :D

[@AlanWoods-uf1ej]

Fascinating to see as I walked from Mickelton to Middleton-in-Teesdale last week. Also visiting Romaldkirk Station.

[@mikesanderson9029]

faboulous film brings back such memories,

[@jeffreyhodge5564]

My mother went to cotherstone from sunderland every year for their summer holiday before the war and my dad was in the territorial army and he went to camp with the TA before the war .growing up in a depressed shipbuilding area called southwick at21 that he said was his first holiday away ever .very memorable and nostalgic to think they had both used this line .im sure that there was a service from to Middleton in teesdale .anyway dad had fond memories of army wig wam tents at Middleton on teesdale .loved to have mum and dad seen this film.

[@robincorbett4737]

Alan: Thank you for the excellent upload

[@Chris35005]

Another excellent video Alan. Many thanks for uploading all your films, they are very interesting.

[@MrParkermg203]

Im watching this 5500 mile away in a rice village in ne Thailand 🇹🇭 I spent many a time traveling that route from barney upto middleton where in short trousers walked from the Middleton to the station what memories I feel bloody homesick now! Wonderful thx you !

[@peterharrington8709]

Beautiful. Brought a tear to my eye.🙂

[@jimbegin6554]

Have camped at the old Middleton in Teesdale station. The platform buildings are in use, although Stationmasters House has almost been destroyed by a fire in recent years.

[@martinhardy5462]

Very nicely done. Thanks for taking the time to upload

[@floor993]

Beautiful to see Together with the where and what was then!

[@difflockengage9228]

The railway was long gone when i grew up in Mickleton. Certainly interesting to see it operational and in color!!

[@paulhayward6723]

A lovely end was the rebuilt patriot royal scot on shed...used to thunder through elstree with the overnight Waverley etc.....from st. PANCRAS....painfully touching...

[@gheffz]

"So much nicer than mine" ... lovely!

[@STANDREW2]

An excellent trip back in time, apart from the mispronunciation of Faverdale and Cotherstone.

[@SilverCanary1]

@Alan Snowdon Favour-dale is how I've heard it around darlo... And Cother like bother and stunn... I live down the line a bit at Northallerton where we lost several branch lines suc as to ripon&leeds, to wensleydale (now mostly a heritage line), and a bit further north one to the North york moors among others. the station used to have 6 platforms i think now it has 2...

[@jokepy4230]

I've always thought it was pronounced as "Cutherst'n".

[@ColinH1973]

​@@jokepy4230 Cother as in bother.

[@neilbain8736]

What lovely scenery. It's a shame the line closed. The Broomielaw is part of Glasgow's massive quayside and docklands and once was one of the nations marine epicentres How did either Broomielaw get that name?

[@nigelkthomas9501]

I wish you’d covered some of the closed lines in West Yorkshire!

[@Daimo83]

That was lovely.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Single bi-directional platform stations were quite common in the former NER areas. Apart from Barnard Castle, there is/was Hartlepool, Redcar Central and Malton. Redcar Central started out as a single platform station but then got a second platform (built in the 1930s) to relieve congestion, but for a period in the 1970s the second platform not used by the passenger services; Redcar reverted to using both platform around the end of the 1970s. Malton had 2 platforms, the York-bound being reached by a removeable bridge; today Malton has only one platform. Hartlepool went from 2 plaftorms down to one bi-directional platform plus a bay at the southern end.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Hartlepol is now following Redcar Central and getting its second platform back.

[@ianburnett7333]

Our good friend Peter Scott took. Cine films, Peter was T.O. at VSC,. Had lots of failures. ASE was 'Wrong man for the job' had to be paid off. Replacement got Peter transfered to Three Bridges, then ASE was told by Chairman BR Board that he was to be sacked in 6 months time unless failures dropped, bought in Man from Swanley led a task force team reduced failures.

[@ColinH1973]

Alan Brooks was BPI until he went AWOL and was then KIA on a JCB.

[@shaunbirtle9673]

Beautiful

[@georgefee8316]

I think I remember a train line nearby Cockfield, I was born there in 1942. George Fee

[@stephenchecksfield632]

Absolutely brilliant video so poignant

[@North-East-Steam]

Wonderful footage, thanks for sharing. I'm am wondering if you would have any footage of Evenwood station along the Bishop Auckland and Barnard Castle line?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

Sorry, No.

[@maddogmarkrestorations9255]

Fantastic video, do you have any footage of the station layout Barnard Castle?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

Thanks, just what you saw but disused stations excellent website has disused-stations.org.uk/b/barnard_castle/1897map.gif and disused-stations.org.uk/b/barnard_castle/barnard_castle(1960s_0029)old39.jpg

[@waynem2352]

Wonder if there is an un-edited version?

[@colshythecomedian]

What were the drivers passing on to the guy in the station while still moving? Looked like a metal hulahoop?

[@johno4521]

A token necessary for safe single line working in both directions. The train cannot proceed unless in possession of the token.

[@ColinH1973]

Their picnic lunch.

[@jimbegin6554]

Thanks again Alan & Heather. Where haven’t you been on your railway filming trips? Anything on the branch from Preston to Southport - another Beeching/Marples cut?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

Sorry Jim, I can't help you there. In fact there are many, many lines which are now closed, which I haven't filmed.

[@jimbegin6554]

Alan Snowdon Thank you, one we used during summer holidays with grandparents.

[@ltallentire]

Great footage, is the full uncut route available anywhere?

[@AlanSnowdonArchive]

No, not that I know of. At the time this was shot, film was expensive, so one only recorded the interesting bits. Now with digital recording people shoot the entire journey - much of which has no particular interest, the result can be quite boring!

[@swagyoung6056]

The (original) Stainmore tracks sat in sidings at Barnard Castle waiting to be taken away forever :(

[@johnjamieson4968]

U don't happen to have any footage from ayr ayrshire scotland

[@bewseybill3691]

Fantastic footage and narration. The short glimpses of these idyllic locations leaving you wanting for more. Sadly, these closures were no mistake but a deliberate response by the ruling classes and their friends in the road lobby. The only thing that should have been swinging, should of been the axe......not on our railways but on their heads.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Bewsey Bill that'll be the ruling classes like my (at that time bus driver father) who owned his own car (like millions of other working class men). As fewer people went by rail these lines became expensive white elephants, even more so when the lack of rail freight is taken into account.

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

The only option for that journey today is to take two or even three buses, on a trip lasting up to 2½ hours.

[@instinct_yt281]

6:44 yay

[@SpiritandScience]

What a sad waste, our nation made a lot of mistakes in the swinging 60's

[@joesprinter8202]

Actually, powerfull people with vested interests knew what they were doing! It was part of the transition towards using and becoming dependent on North Sea oil. The next transition is already under way towards using electricity and using 5G to control it, wake up...

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

PreshArts like making sure we could pay our debts (Sterling devalued by 14% in IIRC 1967, the devaluation was caused by incompetent management and lazy workers).

[@rodneyhull9764]

@@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819 'lazy workers' that's an oxymoron moron

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

ste holmes oh dear how do you describe someone who wants to do less and less work? The demands of the works have been a contributory factor in inflation and our loss of exports due to rising prices.

[@127cmore]

Way to fast film , a shame it jumps so fast .

[@peebee143]

Glorious!

[@williamhoy5680]

love to see this reopend so much to see n so much lost to the small villages that still stand today

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

William Hoy most of these village stations on lines such as this were not close to the village they served. For example, Kimbolton station was 2 miles from cenre of the village. Buses on the other hand would have operated from these villages, until car ownership levels lead to demise of these services.

[@waynem2352]

Wonder if there is an un-edited version?