Pacific231G Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere (but if it has I can't find it) but BBC-4's "Golden Age of...." series starts a two parter tomorrow at nine PM on the early years of narrow gauge preservation in the 1950s and 60s. The piece in Radio Times says that it wil linclude the likes of Teddy Boston, The Tallylyn and the ffestiniog. If it follows the normal format it'll be archive, newsreel and amateur footage alongside interviews with people who were active at the time. Should be worth seeing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Is very much worth seeing. Its repeated on Wed on BBC4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted December 12, 2012 Author Share Posted December 12, 2012 Is very much worth seeing. Its repeated on Wed on BBC4 I watched it tonight off the Tivo and thought it excellent and definitely a "keeper". It seemed well researched with very few factual errors that I could spot, some real insights into early preservation, not a hint of condescension about those who love railways and as a programme it was well structured. I suspect that this was for once a programme made by a producer because he wanted to make it. I noticed that they got Jenny Agutter to narrate it and I don't think she generally works as a voice over artist though in 2010 she did narrate The Real Railway Children about the Bluebell railway for BBC South. I'm not sure if that ever got a network showing. If it did I never saw it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Another vote for this excellent programme. The only fault I could see was some standard gauge footage in some of the archive industrial footage. The next programme is about standard gauge preservation and if it is as good as this it will be well worth watching. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 12, 2012 I was very impressed by the quality of the script and selection of footage and the various stories about individuals. Definitely well worth watching and if it is repeated tonight I shall have to watch and catch up on the bit I missed while collecting daughter from work (she's walking home next Monday!). And what it does prove is that it is perfectly feasible to make a decently researched and explained programme about railways with an accurate script which can explain things (e.g. what 'narrow gauge' means) in plain English with no need for condescending or over-complicated language. An example other producers could should follow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 BBC have placed 10 old steam railway programmes onto the BBC4 website. Some I haven't seen for ages. Romance of Indian Railways is well worth a watch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DavidLong Posted December 20, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 20, 2012 I thought that both programmes were encouraging in the way that railway enthusiasm and enthusiasts were portrayed. There was one character in the first programme who was a bit of a stereotypical '(model) railway buff' but fortunately he was the exception. The narrative concerning both the early narrow gauge and standard gauge revivalists successfully put over the essentially heroic nature of the achievement and also gave plenty of room to the personal stories that helped to give a vivid portrayal of many of the obstacles that were overcome. I was a little surprised that there was only an oblique mention of the Bluebell Railway in the second programme. That is not to say that the early days of the Severn Valley were any less relevant but if I was asked to name the two pioneer standard gauge lines I would have nominated the KWVR and the Bluebell which I seem to remember are pretty much contemporary in their beginnings. It would also have been a nice touch if, as she was the narrator, Jenny Agutter (60 today, Happy Birthday Jenny!) could have been spirited back to Oakworth to appear once again on that platform. A point that wasn't made in the standard gauge programme was that the expressed early desire to restore a public service hasn't been met on any line. The most recent attempt, on the Weardale Railway, has been abandoned and little progress has been made with regard to a daily Okehampton - Exeter service. It has to be said that neither of these lines, which are owned by Iowa Pacific Holdings, could be said to be typical of the preservation movement as it has developed since the 1960s. I think it would be safe to say that UK heritage lines, as developed, are part of the tourist sector of the economy rather than the transport sector. All in all, a most enjoyable couple of hours of programmes. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 20, 2012 The second (standard gauge part) was, I thought, not quite so well scripted in overall explanatory terms as the first part - for the reasons mentioned above by David; it gave the impression that the pioneers on standard gauge were the SVR and KWVR while in fact the Bluebell was very much first in the field in so many aspects of standard gauge preservation. However the production team were clearly limited by the material they had been able to source and they gave a good account of many of the things involved in preserving a standard gauge railway. And credit where it is due - I thought the explanation of a single line passing loop was very well done indeed. Overall an excellent pair of programmes and well worth watching. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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