Jump to content
 

Freight Traffic in the 1980s


Recommended Posts

Yesterday evening I found this video on YouTube which might be of interest to modellers like me that model the late 80s. I enjoyed reminiscing and going back to the 80s…

 

https://youtu.be/YanZgWxXjDo

 

Now what I especially enjoyed was the footage around Wymondham, starts 6:30. I must confess that whilst I much prefer freight trains to passenger and it was always nice to see Speedlink, block freight was what really fascinated me. Be it a pair of 20s, a 56 or 58 on 40 odd HAAs, a pair of 37/5s on BAAs or a long rake of bogie tanks, this is the sort of train that interested me greatly.
However, looking at the video taken around Wymondham got me thinking that this location would make a very nice layout to model. A nice rural station, a junction, a couple of sidings and a small yard to the side. Lots of operational potential with both passenger and freight traffic.
Seeing the 31, love them in Original Railfreight livery, leaving wagons on the mainline whilst shunting wagons into the sidings and then taking the OBAs to the yard behind the station. With semaphore signals as well! A nice variety of wagons in the consist.

 

I am quite tempted to have a go at modelling this after finishing Boxenby……..yeah right!

 

Oh and I also enjoyed the pair of BR blue 37s on the Immingham to Scunthorpe Iron Ores.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fascinating! Especially the Speedlink workings around Wymondham and March. 

 

Makes you think about all the similar videos from this era that people are throwing out (understandably) but would be really useful for modellers of this era. Have any of the video distributors re-released any of these (or compilations) on DVD, or are there any others in YouTube? I've found odd clips here and there, and cab rides, but not a full video like this before.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Interesting stuff on there,the bit at Manea is good as the loco explodes a detonator for an emergency speed restriction. Also all that time ago that southern brake van is in the down siding

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fascinating! Especially the Speedlink workings around Wymondham and March. 

 

Makes you think about all the similar videos from this era that people are throwing out (understandably) but would be really useful for modellers of this era. Have any of the video distributors re-released any of these (or compilations) on DVD, or are there any others in YouTube? I've found odd clips here and there, and cab rides, but not a full video like this before.

 

 

If you can get hold of a series of Telerail videos called "Railfreight Today" you may find some of what you are looking for.

 

I bought them as a cheap box set of double sided DVDs (there are 10 volumes all about 60 mins each region) from The Works or some such discount outlet some years ago. The box set was produced in 2006, but the original videos came out in 1990, and feature the freight scene in the late 1980s with mainly blue, original grey railfreight, and some triple grey railfreight locos.

 

At the time they just recorded the everyday scene, but now (well over 25 years later) they are a great archive of how things were in the days of 20s, 31s, 37s, 47s, 56s and 58s plus others.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Thanks for that gem - really interesting! Presumably the 31 hauled speedlink at the start still had a break van due to those guard operated crossings?

Yes that's correct, but the van shouldn't have been displaying side lamps as the train was fully fitted

Link to post
Share on other sites

I am glad that it was of interest, I certainly found it a nice clip to watch. YouTube does have some cracking videos from the past!

 

I agree with Jonny777 the Railfreight Today series are well worth investing in, not only for modelling but if like me you enjoy freight and especially the late 80s and early 90s then they are perfect.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The only thing wrong with the railfreight today films is how sad they appear today. I mean most of the services featured are long gone,I just find it so hard to believe how misguided BR was at times

Link to post
Share on other sites

The only thing wrong with the railfreight today films is how sad they appear today. I mean most of the services featured are long gone,I just find it so hard to believe how misguided BR was at times

I know what you mean. I posted some pictures of the freight depot at Gidea Park, then looking on Google maps, to see that it's now housing :-((

 

It really is a lifetime ago. In a way we have been privileged to have been part of it at the time.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Yeah,all gone Ernie. It beggars belief how much railway land has been sold off along the GE and now they are trying to cram the quart which is crossrail into a pint pot called Ilford depot.

That place always looks like its been laid in setrack ,its so tight in there

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The only thing wrong with the railfreight today films is how sad they appear today. I mean most of the services featured are long gone,I just find it so hard to believe how misguided BR was at times

Not a vast amount of what went was down to BR - most of it was down to the Govt of the day but of course they made it very clear that the day-to-day running of the railway was nothing to do with them.  It was just that those of us who knew what was going on in the background (and I'm sure I didn't know the half of it) would have finished up on unemployment benefits had we dared to even hint of it in public.

 

Equally the main source of BR's investment money - apart from a few big shiny projects - came from selling off land, if those sales hadn't taken place there would have been very little investment money for the more mundane things such as resignalling or any schemes for new stations etc.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The only thing wrong with the railfreight today films is how sad they appear today. I mean most of the services featured are long gone,I just find it so hard to believe how misguided BR was at times

 

 

I know exactly what you mean.

 

Although, if like me you are used to watching steam videos from the late 50s/early 60s, the description 'sad' is somewhat relative.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah,all gone Ernie. It beggars belief how much railway land has been sold off along the GE and now they are trying to cram the quart which is crossrail into a pint pot called Ilford depot.

That place always looks like its been laid in setrack ,its so tight in there

 

I know exactly what you mean. I pass by the depot most days and often look across to see units moving around the depot going over the track you mention. It beggars belief just how tight it is! Would not look right if modelled!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...