The Last Train to Woodford Halse

Film from the Archives.

[@kenh3344]

A hard pill to swallow, the cremation of those beautiful steam engines. So sad. And heartbreaking.

[@dukeofaaghisle7324]

My family moved to Kineton (14-16 mins on this video) in 1964, when I was still very young. I have one memory of seeing a freight train travelling towards Fenny Compton as we were walking through the fields one day, possibly headed by a class 9F. Within a year the line had closed completely and shortly after that the track was lifted. In the earlier years before being fenced off, the trackbed made a good walking route to neighbouring villages. I remember finding clinker scattered amongst the ballast. On another historical note - you can hear one of the V-bombers (Vickers Valiant?) from nearby RAF Gaydon in the interview with the Kineton Signalman.

[@paulsquires9117]

Excellent and fascinating thank you.

[@milehighclassics]

All gone but needed now

[@frglee]

I remember Woodford Halse. In Easter 1971 I had a cycling holiday in the area and discovering that the track had just been removed on the Great Central main line south of Rugby, and the bulldozers had flattened the trackbed enough to cycle on, I cycled through the 2.7km long Catesby Tunnel, then through Charwelton and Woodford Halse stations, such sad places then with substantial platforms and buildings but no rails, then on down to Brackley and past Twyford where as railway still existed to Bicester and Bletchley, as well as the old GCR south to Aylesbury

[@ChangesOneTim]

Very interesting medley of films! I like especially those showing the 'human side' of working the railway; the shed cleaners, drivers etc. Thank you. I've often scoured various BTF archive films on YT but this is the first I've seen of the 1967 opening day of electric New St-Euston expresses.

[@kenh3344]

Loved it especially snow hill atmospheric steam then lion . But the whole DVD very good .

[@grahamwalton6418]

This is a very interesting and varied set of stories about the demise and hopes of British Rail. It was run down during the wars and then neglected afterwards. Although Beeching took the blame for much of the destruction he was only providing a report based on costs and not on value to the Nation. Don't forget that Ernest Marles the Government Minister of Transport was a major player in the road construction industry. We are now struggling to afford the HS2 high speed railway up the centre of England. Why did we scrap and destroy the Great Central railway in the 1960s. There were some very interesting railway developments with diesel and electric locomotives in the 1950s and 60s. The later High Speed Trains were a success. Now it seems that all UK development has been ceased. I noted the film had an article on the rail line that was manned but had no trains. Surely this was to do with the Military bases at Kineton and Gaydon.

[@wilsonlaidlaw]

It is horrendous watching those people working on cutting up asbestos laden old locomotives with little to no protection. I would guess a substantial proportion will now be suffering from or have died from mesotheliomas.

[@wrigjo101]

Very Interesting. Thanks

[@MrDogtown22]

They had no idea what they were destroying. How incredibly sad.

[@MF-fg3cg]

It should never have been closed

[@saltspringrailway3683]

Strange title. Interesting historical record thanks for posting.

[@Cromwelldunbar]

Did I see the handsome head of a black cat - at our around 2:33? As with the steam engine our world culture is/would be terrible without a black Moggie around to bring joy to our souls…

[@jimmyjam4371]

Beethoven Moonlight Sonata!!!!!