North East Steam at Morpeth and Hepscott

8mm cine film shot by me in 1966 with authentic soundtrack
The first trip to Morpeth was on a very wet day in May.
J27 65860 was on the local pickup goods and at the invitation of the guard
my friend Raymond Atkinson and I travelled in the brake van to Widderington and to the Grange Wood brickworks, returning to Morpeth before travelling towards Choppington (where I ran out of film) and Blythe. At Chppington we travelled on the footplate into a local colliery.
The second visit was in December and was centred on Hepscott where there was a signal box controlling a road crossing.
It was a bitterly cold day and the signalman invited us into signal box to keep warm.
When the light was fading we intended to walk back to Morpeth, however the signalman stopped a train of coal empties for us hauled by B1 61386 and we travelled back in style on the footplate!
This video is dedicated to those railwaymen who were so friendly and helpful and to my good friend Raymond (Stan) R.I.P.
What adventures we had!

[@zigzogoid4591]

So grateful you took the trouble of recording this bit of railway history. A joy to watch.

[@robertbate5790]

I joined BR in 73 as a checker in a car transport yard. Got around to to shunting too. Great fun, dangerous, but I enjoyed it at all. Wagon load was still around for a while, but fast disappearing for block trains, and eventually containers. This shot reminds me of spotting days as a lad, and the sounds of engines and wheels on rails. All sadly missed. Tha ks for sharing 👍👍👍

[@olwens1368]

Wonderful filming thank you.

[@greigs9384]

Nice that Hepscott crossing box and gates survives to this day! Well ….. a set of automatic barriers do …

[@MichealRandall-q2x]

I’ve subscribed and binge watched your videos,an invaluable historical document/treasure,thank you very much for sharing

[@melodymonger]

I've been doing exactly the same and feel exactly the same way about these videos. I can't believe the volume and quality of footage. It's fantastic 🤩.

[@allanarpollock9683]

Nice film - capturing history indeed

[@cedarcam]

Brilliant footage Oh for another reel of film on the first visit You were so lucky to get offered the ride on the footplate. Nice to see you got in the box for a warm and good bit of film in there too. A real adventure indeed

[@HoggRyan]

Brilliant footage!

[@sirjohng1]

Always amazes me how all these trains knew where they were going along with signalmen on all those routes without computers or Smart Equipment. And, of course, coal and water replenishment was built in to timetables too. And, shunting was mesmerising, how did they all know where everything was supposed to go?

[@PeterHutchinson-jc6wv]

Hello, This is a big subject that you have raised! Generally trains were scheduled to run at specific times. locomotives carried identification codes either using lamps, white discs or letters and numbers on boards. Communication between signal boxes was done using specific bell codes tapped out using a key similar to that used in Morse code. All movements were recorded in a train register which could be referred to. Signalmen were assigned to specific boxes so that familiarity was maintained. Wagons carried destination and contents cards clipped to the underframe. Good communication , organisation , training and dedication was key to safe and efficient running.

[@williamnethercott4364]

The railways of Northumberland and Durham always seemed to be bustling then.

[@MiLLwallpaul231258]

Worked so well back then but not now…. Shame