The Last Steam Service - 15 Guineas Special 11 August 1968

[LeamingtonSteve]

Rather this than HS2

[freethoughtmusic]

I don't really remember steam on British Rail as I was very young when it went out of service although I have seen old cine film of me standing near a steam train that my Dad took at Exeter St Davids. It was as if part of England died with steam, a part we could well do to have back.

[StanierBlack5LMS]

Who does the music in this ? I love it, so old time sounding. Its like an old pub song or something.

[Frontera3]

@StanierBlack5LMS

Apparently it's an old musichall (vaudeville) song composed by W.H.Hargreaves in 1912.

Don't know the singer.

[StanierBlack5LMS]

@Frontera3 Thanks for the tip, I'll look it up.

[TheWidowsSonTemplar]

I love the commentary/singing in this, its timeless and funny ! Long before my time, heck my Dad was still in school. But he's right its STEAM anything else is just trash. My mate has a steam car he got from his Dad, its wonderful to ride in as well and driving around blowing the whistle. The girls like it ! Steam Glorious Steam.

[rsdcomms]

Some sad news, My grandad Jack Weal passed away last week and he was the fireman on this train, we found the commemorative picture he recieved for this.

[jimusgrimus]

Didn't see any Nazi salutes, or flailing, beasting, bellowing like the Diesel crowd. Nevertheless, if that bloke doing the commentary ran into the class 50 boys he'd get a right good twating. Proberly with a long lens in an old train drivers sock.

[HoorayforOliver]

Tragic...Simply Tragic...

[SteffanLlwyd]

Saddest day I had experienced... and I couldn't even be there for The End.

[AvonRailFan]

great video mate 5stars and fav

[G5BTB5G]

I have added a few videos of 70013 yesterday an as a mine video of the 15 Guineas rerun in 2008

[clemencie]

Brilliant.  Thanks.

[LMSStanier]

Great video. 5* Thanks for posting cos I like old steam footage like this.

[andyg3]

I laugh in the face of diesels when i see or hear that a steam engine had to help them, because the diesels were crap.

Funny how the victorians could make big, powerful steam engines, that need percission engineering, then as time went on, they couldnt make a diesel that worked very well.

I once heard a story that when it had snowed so much, the diesels could not cope, so they dragged steam engine out the scrap yards, lit them and used them to help.

Steam shall always be ultimate.

[theredraven]

You do know the early steam trains were just as likely to fail as early diesels right?

You also know an IC125 does the London to Scotland run faster than any Gresley "Pacific" ever did too right?

[SteffanLlwyd]

Ah... 'Warm and Tender'...

[jamiegoddard4]

I wonder wha the drivers felt on that day, pride at being the last BR steam drivers, Sadnedd at the end of an era. I ts interesting to think about.

[ay76]

Many thanks for sharing this with us.5* Very nice piece of historic railway film. Just look how many folk are walking on the trackside & on the tracks!! H & S would have a field day to day wouldn't they?? Cheers.

[DJGENEX71]

Very cool! Super historic footage! 5*****

[class37fan]

long live steam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NatRailwayMuseum]

It was 40 years ago today...

[hillwills]

No, it's not John Betjemen. I'm glad they got rid of filthy steam. It should be banned on preserved lines as well. All that pollution, and the government has the nerve to tax my small car based on its miniscule CO2 emissions.  What a joke.

[MUSEFANFOREVA]

Well mate, i'm sorry to say, but steam here to stay and will never disappear.

[aeolus925]

You're no fun. The human race has got to die off someday, and when that day comes, you'll be hard-pressed to blame these magnificent machines! A fellow must have a heart as cold as a pawnbroker's to look at a steam engine and not see the magic, the friendliness in that gentle giant.

[georgemiser]

well ive got news for you fuck face.steam is here to stay,and theres nothing you can do bout it.also,you suck at life and everyone hates you.

[gaz318]

You really are i'll informed aint you ?, most of the exhaust is steam (ie boiled water) which is far less harmfull to the eviroment then diesel clag.

I suppose your car runs on fresh air then does it ?, if not then you sir are an ill informed hypocrite.

[TheSteamdriver]

@gaz318 you are right but half wrong what I mean is that coal is a fossal fuel just like diesel not only that when a steam engine is on it's own lets light engine movement on it's own in other words when it starts pulling carriages then it's another story because it's putting more effort in to pulling the train your putting more fumes in the air than you were when it was on it's own so really haveing side that your half right/wrong

[TheSteamdriver]

@gaz318 but I do maintain that steam engine s are than diesels and electrics put togather

[theredraven]

@TheSteamdriver The Spitfire is more popular than all the RAF's current fighters, doesn't mean they should scrap them and start flying it again.

[TheSteamdriver]

@theredraven In which video did I comment anything about spitfires and the RAF please do let know so as to refresh my memory

[theredraven]

@TheSteamdriver You stated about steam being more popular than diesels and electrics. I was making a comparison. You call modern traction "trash" yet it does it's job quicker and cheaper than steam.

[TheSteamdriver]

@theredraven ok I get you now fine I will concede a point about modern trash getting the job done but it's not glamous or romantic as it used to be in the days of steam and steam also has that fasinaction because you see the parts move then you have sound and smell which is what the modern stuff lacks

[leeky7]

I think we're missing an important point here. If steam was still in general use, the environmental case would be prety damning, but it's not. The problem with our cars is just that there are so many of them. One great point in favour of steam is that it flies the flag for trains in general, and as Sir Peter Parker once said, "warms the market for railways."

[LMSStanier]

There isn't that much pollution from steam engines. As for cars, we'll all be driving cars like Honda's Clarity and we won't be taxed on fuel at least.

[caley956]

I too think it's John Betjeman on the soundtrack, with music by Jim Parker. Betjeman did two albums of his poetry with Patker's music around 1968-70.

Good stuff on YouTube so far NRM. I also enjoyed 1968 And All That, both at Ais Gill/Ribblehead at the time, and at York a few weeks ago!

[cleckheatoncentral]

GREAT VIDEO! steam didnot really die, 1968 was the start of many preservation societies. From the old bluebell line to the new Waverley route heritage assocaiation, may they prosper and bring back our trains!!

[cleckheatoncentral]

GREAT VIDEO!

[lolzordz666]

Shame about that stupid shitty music and singing like they often put on these old vids and as regards he ditty that follows, a long-focus lens wouldn't be suitable for a pocket Kodak!

[woodlandsteve]

Brilliant, my mate Paul was a fireman at Lostock hall till the end of steam, he gave up in 69 i think it was. Terry my other mate soldiered on fixing wagons till the doors at Lostock hall closed forever,,, me, i was only 2 in 68,, :)

[NatRailwayMuseum]

The 1968 and All That event starts a week on Saturday - let all your YouTube friends know! We've got: - Oliver Cromwell 70013 (The last steam express locomotive in service on BR in 1968) - Evening Star 92220 - 18 other steam & diesel locos - 2 steam rides and a miniature railway ride - Access to cabs and footplates - Heavy horse demos - Stalls and displays - Barbeques - Real ale bar - Soul and sixties sounds Full details here on the NRM website - buy your tickets now!

[LondonMuckShifters]

You also have a number of perfectly good heritage vehichels which could be put to use, but been the pansies that you are you keep them locked up for snotty nosed kids to wipe their arses on rather than allowing railways to run them.

Lets all visit the NRM - behind Barry and Troon the UK's biggest scrapline.

[caley956]

Dear LondonMuckShifters - the obvious response is "put your money where your mouth is sunshine". The archives of the NRM are doubtless full of green ink missives from chaps like you.

[LondonMuckShifters]

...and also full of idiots like you!

[DADRENO]

Sounds like John Betjeman.

[xxbyronx]

I've read that the old drivers were delighted to swap to deisel as it meant less arduous work, and was much cleaner etc!

[theredraven]

I really doubt that's the case. Or was everyone a engine driver back in "the good old days"?

[TheSteamdriver]

@xxbyronx thats not quite true I've spoken to some of the old drivers and there wifes there was one wifes husband and I was told that everyone at the sheds were husband worked hated the diesels c\ive groome hated diesels one of my friends at amberley used to drive for br and he said that he didn't like diesels so there are a few old drivers who love steam but hate modern trash aka diesels/electrics

[163richardb]

The opening scene is at Dent - never seen it so busy !

[mysteriouskazakh]

It's a damned shame. Even today, grown men are brought to tears by the notion that it's gone.

[theamateurbasher]

Brilliant stuff. It would be very interesting to see if the planned 40th anniversary special could be as more magical as this was (albeit with the understandable lack of trespassing as there was then). Looking forward to (and maybe hopefully to be there) the 1968 event in May. 5*. See you again at the NRM sometime!