Track Rationalisation at Spalding - 1984/85 - PART 1

This Video is in Two parts, Here in part one we see the layout in Spalding before work began to reduce the platforms at the Station from 7 to just 2, the footage is from old VHS 2nd generation copies so the quality varies throughout, I will continue to edit part 2 asap, I hope you enjoy watching.

[@ThePanzer6]

Love the orange vest of the 1980s era

[@kevintait9067]

Hi Roy, I’ve watched a lot of your videos from years gone by from 70s to present day. It makes me wish I’d bought a video camera back then to capture trains in and around my home town of Morpeth . It’s so amazing to see how things have changed over the years , especially in your videos of Spalding. I see you got to Newcastle, it’s a pity you didn’t stop off at Morpeth as it was a busy place in the 70s and 80s .

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

Roy thanks for uploading this... Working practices have certainly changed since this was shot... looking forward to part 2

[@adrianhawkins7908]

I must say thank you for putting these videos up. Spalding was a marvellous layout, I went as a teenager and couldn't believe the amount of track and the number of trains for the parade. Thanks for filming, videos were new and expensive and you must have put in a fair number of hours. Many regular photters wouldn't touch video in the 80s. This is a historic film and its so sad to see the station reduced to the bare minimum. Thanks again. I look forward to part 2 and any others.

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@cameronjohnston3186]

I remember this from my boyhood days. It's really good to see something like this to evoke good memories of a bygone era. Thank you. 👍

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@werringtonjunction]

The track layout was already decimated before you started filming Roy. Gone were the days of the M&GN, the endless coal trains through to Whitemoor and all the services through to Boston and beyond. I remember the late fifties at Spalding, what a busy place it was then.

[@azrailfan2717]

Fantastic video. Love the older motive power and rolling stock 🤠

[@royharrison4122]

Thank you very much!

[@Pettsy68]

Roy thanks for a great video really enjoyed it during these lockdown days, looking forward to part 2. Stay safe. Graham

[@royharrison4122]

Thanks Graham

[@jontownsend8090]

Great footage of Spalding entering the car economy. One day Lincolnshire will be decent again when it has all of its railways reinstated. The round gatehouse on Winsover Rd, what where they thinking. I am so relieved that mindset of ripping up everything that is useful has changed, and people in government are more proactive in increasing rail capacity and talking of reopening railways. Even so, this is historic footage of what went on at Spalding in those times.

[@ginggur17]

I can just about remember some of this when I was a very young lad. Wow, thankyou.

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@pwensor]

That gatehouse was a wonderful piece of architecture. Still don't know why they had to demolish it.

[@paulwilson3083]

A great video as always from you Roy. Good to see the NON overkill health and safety where COMMON SENCE still rulled, what a NANNY STATE this GREAT country has become. I am looking forward to part 2 , thank you so much for posting Roy,. Paul.

[@beeble2003]

Before you rant about "overkill health and safety", look at the number of people dying in accidents at work now compared to twenty years ago, let alone in the 1980s. Yes, part of that is that there's less heavy industry, but we still have just as much construction and just as much repair of roads and railways. www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm In 2019-20, only 0.4 workers out of every 100000 died in an accident at work. In 1999/2000, it was twice as many: 0.8 per 100000. In 1985, it was 2.0 per 100000. So, in the time that you think was ruled by common sense, five times as many people died at work than do today. Thanks, NANNY -- that actually is pretty GREAT.

[@dcan48]

Lovely,nostalgic,video Roy.

[@peterbester]

The riding brake van seen at the 2 minute mark still survives at the Chasewater Railway

[@annescholey6546]

Very old NER type

[@royharrison4122]

That's good to know Peter.

[@markkershaw5747]

Fascinating to see the progress

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it Mark

[@jezbo7827]

Very interesting video. Heading over to part two now!

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Tom-Lahaye]

I noticed the 2 different head code boxes on 37097, one with a black domino in it and the other with a cover plate with a light aperture in it. It had 2 dominos at the other end.

[@ArcturanMegadonkey]

fabulous!

[@111cccccc]

I went over the route on a special train called the joint liner (40024) & a rake of MK1,s in 1982 the special service included going over the Lincoln avoiding line as well as Spalding to March as the Lincoln avoiding line was also for the chop too which was a massive mistake & regretted ever since to our cost.

[@royharrison4122]

I have photos of 40024 at Spalding that day. unfortunately I had No video camera in 1982.

[@johnmasters504]

The only train service that survived to today, is the Middleton Towers sand traffic...

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

I never realised that there were still locos in the mid-1980s with single line token apparatus recesses.

[@NedPooleD818]

16:38 The Eric Morecombe look alike contest is held in the middle of the mainline:-))

[@ldb281]

Can't park outside the station now. It's a v busy main road and the sidings are a sainsbury car park.

[@simonawilliamson]

Towards the end it showed the parking up (I think) of the line laying train, after going over the old crossings on Pinchbeck Rd. Was that the branch to Geests?

[@royharrison4122]

Yes Simon that was the Spur to The Sugar factory and Geest left after the East Lincs Line closed.

[@jasonlee3247]

Good video. At 08:59, shouldn't the description read the DOWN joint line?

[@royharrison4122]

NO Jason, that was the UP joint, (Platform 3) I am standing on Platform 2 the UP Main (East Lincs Line). Today of course it is the Down Joint.

[@Sam_Green____4114]

Any sign of prepreperations for this new freight traffic to Spalding starting? It's supposed to be going in Spalding up sidings ,where ever they are.I suppose not to after the lockdown is lifted.

[@royharrison4122]

It is booked to run on Tuesday 5th May, but it might be cancelled.

[@Sam_Green____4114]

@@royharrison4122 It's shown as running at the moment on realtime trains.Departing Aberdeen 21.09 this evening and arriving Spalding up sidings 10.46 to tomorrow morning. www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R01469/2020-05-04/detailed

[@Sam_Green____4114]

@@royharrison4122 Did it run?

[@Sam_Green____4114]

@@royharrison4122 Running today ! Arriving 11.45 am!