West Coast Main Line Miscellany

West Coast Main Line Miscellany in the 1960's

[@KevTheBusDriver]

Stunning footage! Enthralled for 21 minutes! Thanks!

[@derekantoine4396]

Wonderful footage documenting the sad transition from steam power to diesel, and electric locomotives. It is a shame seeing the beautiful duchesses on freight duties, what a waste. Thank you. (👍).

[@updistant]

Just amazing footage, fantastic entertainment then and now.

[@melvynwoodman5787]

Filmed at the time of catenary installation 1963 with some 1964 after the switch on if my memory is working. Lovely stuff thanks.

[@modeltrainsandtracks]

Thank you, another excellent video and great quality! While the steam footage is great, to see the early diesels (10000 / 10001, 10202, DP2 and the early electrics) was also a treat. Fascinating to see the WCML upgrade work - not a hiviz in sight but they still managed to do it! Also lots of wheelbarrows... Wonderful!

[@1BCamden]

Amazing, and in part in colour, thanks so much

[@TerryD1471]

So grateful to see all of this footage. It was terribly poignant to see the Duchesses with the yellow stripe on the cab; it was like the kiss of death. Was the first clip deliberately cut to make us think that a single diesel 10000 was enough to pull the Royal Scot? Careful examination shows that it was the pair, which at 3200 hp, was almost as good as a Duchess!

[@wasted-blaster.]

What does the yellow stripe mean?

[@TerryD1471]

It was applied to locomotives which were supposed not to travel under the 25Kv wires, being supposedly too tall and at risk of receiving a "flashover." In practice this never happened. Worse, the stripes were applied to some that weren't too tall, and not applied to some that were. They were applied during 1964, just before the Duchesses were summarily withdrawn.

[@philipbradshaw4050]

My time too. Live in Stoke, spotted in Crewe 1962- 1964. Still have some of my note books. Nice to see the prototype diesels. Only ever saw them stopped at Derby and Crewe.

[@TerryD1471]

Absolutely belting footage. Love it! So glad I was there at the time.

[@70053morayfirth]

Lots of lovely Duchesses!

[@levelcrossing150]

Wonderful footage, and the Duke was there too.

[@gainsbourg66]

Didn't know this footage existed

[@regal1668]

Brilliant view of 10000

[@christopherbentley5216]

Is some of the footage,Rugby. Showing a GCR Freight on the Birdcage Bridge running over?

[@stevef9530]

As others have all said, beautiful footage. What strikes me about the way things went is, ok time to change from steam to diesel and electric, I get that. But some bright spark had to have all the carriages blue, instead of maroon. Why? You can practically hear them saying ‘Let’s completely transform the look of British trains’. Twits.

[@studio4436]

Thank You :-))

[@tracya4087]

wow

[@wasted-blaster.]

Asking those in the know did these trains ever run at night? I dont see any lights on them?