Welsh Railways, Beating Beeching: Part 2

[@pete6645]

The current heritage railways are great but they're neat and immaculately turned out. For me there's nothing quite as evocative as a grimy old steam hauled freight train. I spent many a happy afternoon in the early 60s on Newport Station watching a mix of freight and passenger trains, both steam and diesel. The steam hauled freight trains were always my favourites, and there were plenty of these bringing coal down from the valleys and various goods to and from the docks.

[@Roscoe.P.Coldchain]

I agree, I have great memories of spending summers looking into the pit yard, we used to spend hours watching the blue shunters going in and out of the yard like ants..The whole yard was like a spiders web of different lines shooting off in all directions..This was in the 70s so everything had more or less swapped to the diesel trains by then....

[@adrianrosenlund-hudson8789]

I've got a photo of me, aged 13, standing next to Foxcote Manor 😍 fabulous documentary

[@SpiritandScience]

Funny how Beeching gets the blame for the demise of steam engines. The railway modernization plan of 1955 was, I believe, before the dreaded Beeching became chairman. Marples, the transport minister who made his money road building was probably the real villain responsible for destroying our rail network.

[@michaelhearn3052]

You need to check your facts. Yes Marples was a Director in his construction company Marples Ridgeway. But in 1951 when he was promoted to a junior cabinet minister he was required by Parliamentary law to resign from that post of Director, for which documentary evidence exists, as Ministers and above are required to do so today. When he was Minister of Transport, in 1960, he had no connection for 9 years with the financial day to day running of his old company nor was he a party to any of the contract negotiations. The root cause of the railway closures at the time is that the lines had to operate at a profit by law. If not they were candidates for closure. The Beeching Report of 1963 identified a number of lines that fell into this category. Marples always had to demonstrate that he was acting in accordance with the letter of the law in Transport Act of 1962 for which there was a set process for closure. Grant aiding of un-remunerative lines that were of a social need came later on in the Transport Act 1968 organised by Castle. I would add that Dr Terry Gourvish a researcher in the University of London, was asked by BR to write a book called BR, From Integration to Privatization. He and his team had access to a number of BR private documents and with regards to Marples, he wrote that Marples was not influenced by the roads lobby at all.

[@bobtudbury8505]

no what happened is that labour were in power not marples, the labour party closed the lines, stop spreading fake news

[@calmster]

I so wish the Crumlin viaduct had been preserved, what a magnificent structure, I drive past where it was now and can only imagine what it looked like there, such a pity.

[@martincole188]

I can still vividly remember crossing the Crumlin Viaduct as a boy of 8 in 1961 on our way from Bargoed by train to live in Elgin Scotland where my dad was posted.

[@Isochest]

Ernest Marples Transport Minister filling his boots:-(

[@Steven_Rowe]

no one would doubt that steam had to go as modern traction involved The shortsightedness of Richard Beeching in hindsight was to sell off the rail corridors built with Victorian blood sweat and tears. Many lines would reopen and some although in different form. Sir John Betjman said in the 1963 Doco Branchline Railway that Britain would regret the line closure and by 1973 the roads would become hellish. Well he got that right and now generations who think the sole purpose of feet are for pedals in cars. Britain an island ruined by way to many cars

[@Steven_Rowe]

@Michael John Dennis Thankyou, I think we both know how the British Isle includingg of course Ireland has been ruined by cars and over population It was so when I was a boy in the 60s their is a selfishness about the convienence that changes people who take on an aggressive persona behind the wheel, it's getting worse now with irrational road rage. I think it's the all about me ideology. And how hard is it in the UK to find a place where street lights and the sound of motorway is far away. To stop and listen to nothingness or to see the stars and here an owl at night are things I love. If you haven't seen Branch line railway I have copied a link kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3rChpWepMeBm6s

[@Delticgazer]

The Pontypool and Blaenavon and Llangollen Railway's aren't the only Welsh heritage lines (standard gauge) there's also the Garw Valley Railway in South Wales too, worth a look.

[@soundnicetome]

Back then,Beeching `The Butcher`(an apt name) was the `cancer` to railwaymens moral and steam railways in general. The lunatics were running the asylum then,and still are today. Thank you for posting this excellent series,brought back so many memories....but will never forgive the people responsible for the destruction of our steam railway...it was irreplacable?

[@Isochest]

That is Politics. Elite enrichment and self destruction. Dostoyevsky was right about the self entitled.

[@P61guy61]

Well done, thanks! enjoyed parts one and two.

[@AgnostosGnostos]

I hope BBC won't remove this series from KZbin.

[@danielwalker2613]

Its truly astounding and quite funny how the auto generated subtitles get some words totally wrong ? .... Have a look for yourself and see what you think ?

[@Roscoe.P.Coldchain]

Mr Beech got it so wrong I’m afraid, really is a shame he didn’t think of the heritage over the pound note..!!

[@neilbain8736]

Aha! This may be responsible for all these amazing 1 - 2 min colour video clips youtube has been throwing up recently.

[@castlesandjazzers1534]

I'm in love with this music and footage. But mostly the music.

[@treefiddy5092]

Becham was an American and he removed the bread and butter and did not leave mutch to spread his jam on but the train is yet to have its days.

[@davidlockwood6630]

get your facts right before posting anything Dr Richard Beeching was born in Sheerness and died in East Grinstead so not American

[@bryanbufton]

thank you very much for the film

[@JPLtrain]

Fascination de la vapeur

[@TheJohnscot]

I believe the Llangollen line goes to Corwen now

[@Arturobrito0502]

why didnt ya believe it didnt go to corwenbefore watching this?

[@siondavies1278]

Nothing mentioned of the aberystwyth to Carmarthen line!

[@Brianrockrailfan]

Awesome video :) liked

[@geraldbrown2840]

Beeching did NOT close a single railway. The Conservative and Labour governments decided whether to implement, or not, his recommendations. It was thought that the 1964 Labour government would halt the closures, but even they could see how hopelessly uneconomic many of the railways were, so the closures continued. If they had not been closed the limited amount of money available for railways would have been spread more thinly over a larger network. Probably resulting in no money for HST or electrification!

[@Isochest]

Electrification is inevitable despite 100 years of politicians preventing it

[@holidaymoviecompany]

Sara Edwards does a fine commentary on this video.

[@neilforbes416]

In steam railway heritage yards like these, uttering the name "Richard Beeching" should have your mouth washed out with carbolic soap. He should be regarded as "Lord Voldemort", *He who must not be named* among steam rail enthusiasts!

[@robertclare6137]

Don't blame Beeching he just carried out an audit on behalf of the Tories to see which Railway Routes Paid, They didn't want to shut the Lines, just thin out none profitable routes. The People whom you have to blame for carving up our Rail Network were Harold Wilson and Barbra Castle after Labour won a Landslide Victory in the 1966 General Election.

[@AlcoLoco251]

Just read about this in a book by Christian Wolmar. Since I'm from America I don't understand all the places he called out, but it helped me understand a little better about what happened.

[@giantputt7066]

Beecham didn’t take the axe he wrote a review

[@MrTaffjock]

Running along pinning breaks down then wait for driver to blow 2 hope to jump on the brake van trip on the NB line onllyn to Swansea docks on my way home call into pub the driver was all ready there 🍺🍺🤭

[@Arturobrito0502]

Beeching is poop

[@natehill8069]

Steam locomotives are awesome, but the steam locomotive needed replacing. Diesels are just so vastly more efficient. Quicker start, lower fuel consumption, fewer crew, interchangeable parts, more reliable, longer range, MU-able (altho thats probably more of a benefit in USA than UK). They just should have done it more gradually. The big problem with Beeching is that he eviscerated the network itself. People wont drive a car 5 miles to a station to take a 20 mile train trip, they'll just drive the car all the way. I dont know whether he had this end result as a hidden agenda all along or was merely a moron.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

He was a genius who has saved the country thousands of billions over the years by closing duplicate lines and lines with 5 passengers a day.

[@Coltnz1]

@@PreservationEnthusiast I totally agree. It was a job that needed to be done.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

@@Coltnz1 It's interesting to note that lines which he recommended for development such as the Varsity Oxford'Cambridge line, which was subsequently closed, against his report, are now being reopened again. Uncannily with very few exceptions, he got almost everything right.

[@CS-1988]

Diesels so reliable that they broke down regularly, grow up and get an education, steam has always been far superior in terms of reliability