Steam Lives On - a New Zealand Film Unit masterpiece

[AMoonRabbit]

Hi all,

 

I know this has been posted before, but it's buried in a SR related thread, and having watched it again today, thought I'd bring it up to the top of the list in its own post because I think it is so well put together, it's definitely worth the mention for new viewers, and those who've seen it before.

 

Now, this video for me holds a lot of nostalgia as it was within my late grandad's video collection and I used to watch it with him as a kid. I have to say, it was probably the most watched in his library. And thanks to the video, I fell in love with the mountainous Kb locomotives.

 

There was a point though when the VHS tape got lost, or was kept somewhere super safe that everyone forgot where it was. So when I was old enough to be let loose on the internet, and have my own debit card, I searched high and low on the internet but could not find the video at all. I think there was 1 listing somewhere, but the price was eye watering. 

 

Anyway, some time passed (try 3-5 years), and eventually my Dad decides to thin some of his VHS's by recording them to DVD. Low and behold, out pops the Steam Lives On VHS in its very retro looking grey bordered front cover of a Kb. So naturally copied that to DVD, then ripped it onto my PC for safe keeping. 

 

And then I thought, what if I uploaded it to YouTube? Would I get an unholy amount of copyright claims that'd force the closure of my account completely? (Apparently not) I thought about it for a while, and then decided to upload it. It must have been soon after they started allowing 1 hour videos to be uploaded. 

 

I really don't think I've seen another railway oriented video quite like this, the way it's choreographed, and the 2 shorter movies are slipped in. It's very easy to watch, and the whole 40 minutes or so just fly by. The 2 clips included are Kb Country and The Ride of Ww480, the later being the story of its epic 800 mile journey to it's new home following restoration. 

 

I am left wondering if an N or HO scale Ka/b class will ever make the ready to run range, I would so jump on that, even if it means having to travel to New Zealand to get it!

 

I think I've waffled on long enough now. Grab a cup of whatever you fancy, get comfortable, and click the link below.

 

Steam Lives On

 

[Oldddudders]

I was rather older than you when the VHS tape appeared, but it very much appealed to me, too. It was also a great advert for NZ as a beautiful country, but as I’m not up for long-haul flights I will never sample it. Sherry was in Christchurch with her now-ex a few days before the earthquake, and she confirms it is my loss.

 

And, preservation apart, the Kbs are long gone. 

[railroadbill]

Just come across this thread. Good filming by the NZ national film unit I thought.  Had a trip on the long gone Kingston Flier when we were in New Zealand in 2000, so I did manage to travel behind NZ steam (plus some mainline diesel hauled trains).   Interesting railways there generally.

Thanks for pointing this out, would have missed it otherwise!

[Rhys]

Just saw this pop up. I was lucky enough to know the cameraman on this film, Brian Cross. He was also a very acomplished modeler in Sn3.5 and an interesting blke. I still have a copy of a Barry Norman book that was his (he passed before i could return it).

Brian was a unique character who was compleetly fearless. Some of the scenes on Kb Country were shot by him riding a jigger (powered cart) in front of 150 tons of locomotive (not counting 500 tons of coal train behind). He also shot movies on the Denniston incline on the west coast of the South island. The most interesting part starts at 7:30, and Brian rode down the incline (sloped at 45 degrees) filming the whole way. Theres plenty of evidence in the surrounding bush for runaway wagons.

[PenrithBeacon]

I bought my VHS copy back in the 1980s from Woolworths would you believe. Long transferred to DVD it's very much a favourite.

[HSB]

I also bought my copy in Woolworths. It came out at about the same time as I was experimenting with modelling NZ railways.