Now and Then

[THEATREofPAIN270]

Awesome post, Loved it. 1:44, That strikes me as being a really nice station back in the day. Thumbs up on this post.

[TheRidgeback1974]

thats a shame that those old stations had character. now gone forever

[robincheadle]

Beeching was wrong - but he acted for the government who were also wrong - sound familiar? History is now repeating itself. Suburban stations now have no staff. So you can't buy a ticket and end up not paying. The government pays for the rolling stock and hires it to the private companies so they can make a profit!! The nation is again run by idiots...Are you listening Cameron??

[carps1000]

@robincheadle & Now we have the McNulty report watch the railways get carved up after the olympics 

[penninefilms]

Nice to see how things have changed over the years.

[Cool2BCeltic]

The reopening of a few lines Dr Beeching had closed shows that he was quite mistaken. He had the same passion for identifying uneconomic railway lines as Senator McCarthy had for identifying communist sympathisers.

[derek1969able]

beeching was highly successful in the freight side of the reshaping.

[derek1969able]

and what was the cost of beechings report???

[derek1969able]

many of those stations would have made profit, but would it be enough profit, do you get my drift.....

[farmersugarcane1]

wen and were was the las picture taken

[farmersugarcane1]

wen and were was that picture taken

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

Its always interesting to see pictures like this. They're very atmospheric. Nice music too.

I also like the ones with deserted/abandoned London underground tube stations

[AndeHollis]

Brilliant images

[4beatlefans]

67,000 jobs were lost in the railway sector alone, not to mention all the jobs that relied on the railway industry. All the so-called 'saved' money was gone in two years in unemployment benefit. Those who had their transport taken away had to buy a car or catch a bus (yeh, right) and car buying was never really cheap. it put up the costs for us all.

[starionnsw]

nice pics whis could vist

[lyonnesse100]

Nice clip. Can I heartily endorse the comments of donzdonz. Everyone condemns Richard Beeching but it's Earnest Marples, a road man, who was responsible. My biggest gripe is that some kind of long term moth-balling, 150 years or so, should have been placed on all closed track beds. As a railwayman of 25 years I have to except that lines, with the unbeatable competition from the motor car, had to close... it doesn't make it any less sad that they did though.

[fartarse100]

Dr Beeching won`t be rotting in hell, Satan wouldnt have let him in there

[a4stan]

My uncle was effected, he had to move from his loved cottage cos there was no railway, even main-lines where closed...

This is so... wrong, even then.

I didn't gain money, it lost money.

think of those jobs, not just railways, jobs that need workers transport and goods transport- GONE people in villages like my uncle, leaving everything behind, but it was just in 1 GO! not gradual and by different people in Australia, Also i think privatizing was the governments worst railway mistake 2

[a4stan]

When i saw my 1st documentary of Dr. Beeching, I nearly cried, Its should have never had, And today it would be possible to close any of those, they'd gain money today. The sad thought is that they didn't leave it and run no trains, so its easy to reinstate like the french SN CF, but no, they were stripped, started to get built over...

by 2000 u couldn't find a full un-built-on disused railway, Its impossible to build them again

[Sopwith16]

think about it. all those poeple going into hard labour to build what they thought was for good. So called Dr. beaching didn't care what the people who placed down every sleeper, and every brick felt like. RIP railway workers.

[Sopwith16]

amazing, as far as i am consernd. only the one in hapshire i cycleable. but were is the last one. i have to seen that one.

[donzdonz]

Beeching was just the whipping boy, the real villain of the piece was Ernest Marples...God rot his soul !!!!

[clydeferries]

I have to differ , more stations were closed in the early 1950's than Beeching's axe.

[trammix]

Very sad to see the decline of our railways. Some beautiful rare images in this video of the way things used to be. Set to the piano music of Yann Tiersen sets the mood of Beechings great mistake.

[acquiesce100]

Lovely video

[FalconGhia]

Here in Argentina we have a similar although more recent history about railways closed in favor of "profitability"...its so sad!

[BritishTrainVideos]

This is ana amazing production, the music set it so well.

[Whatupwidat]

Closing them was a very reactionary thing to do, and ironically given how efficient modern electric engines are - and how much petrol now costs - we would have saved money in the long run keeping them open.

[accadaccasuperstar]

i live about 10 minutes away from the parkland walk, haringay, london. i usually walk down there and pass the old station. if it wasnt for beeching, it would still be a branch line :(

[nylonTS]

that is a very sad video

we need to take a good look at ourselves to allow this sort of thing to happen

[whitewingsrich]

It does hit you deep inside when you look at things like this. Our steam lines were great. Why did they have to go. Especially the images of the stations where there are still rails one the ground. That kind of makes you feel like its more a case of neglect rather then a closure to the station / line :'(

[pyrofella]

They did the same here in Australia - most of the once productive branchlines are closed and/or removed - it's a sad thing to witness - sometimes progress is in reverse gear.

[BackwoodPictures]

@pyrofella I am acyuallt in Australia travelling at the moment. Sydney's train service is very good. That's all I know at the moment. Ha.

[pyrofella]

@BackwoodPictures Welcome to OZ - Yeah Sydney has a pretty reasonable train service - they have it because the money they saved by closing most of the regional lines - I know, I live near one of these lines... they kept promising to upgrade it - then they shut it down instead - I guess they get more election votes in the city. All is not lost though - they gave us a bus service twice a week to replace the trains. wow.. NOT

[chanctonbury63]

Some old stations have been renovated. One particularly nice example is Fittleworth on the old Pulborough to Midhurst line in W Sussex. The line ceased to operate in `63 and the station lay derelict for years and years. Now it is a very nice family home with beautiful views to the North across the River Rother.

[BuffersYeoman]

Excellent memories of the past, it sums up this country really., once we had it all and for the most we actually invented and perfected it all, we were Great Britain. Now look at this tired sad old country, we've had it all to be taken from us by the politicians who are only on their own ego trip,in reality they don't give a damn. One week they're a local councillor, next they're an MP and before we know it they are running the country. The railways are just one thing they have ruined GWR! RIP

[Femmenition]

Great Britain's not a country.

[JonathanRagsdill]

I don't live in Great Britain and never have but I like how this video was put together showing what it used to look like and then showing what it looks like now

[railstoruin]

Oh! Dr. Beeching, what have you done?

There once were lots of trains to catch, but soon there will be none!

I'll have to buy a bike, 'cause I can't afford a car.

Oh! Dr. Beeching! What a naughty man you are!"

[lasalleman]

Great video. Total nostalgia for another age. Love it. A lot of RRs in the US have been abandoned too.  Especially on the East Coast in rural areas.

[AdamGTR100]

the second 2 last is going to be re opend i saw it on the news

[justin10347]

It's so sad to see ;( just like here in America some of our stations going away

[cleckheatoncentral]

Although it is hard to be positive..think of the following:

Llangollen Railway: Corwen

Embsay Railway: Addingham

North Yorkshire Moors: Rillington Junction

GWR: Broadway

WRHA: Riccarton junction. Transport Scotland: Edinburgh-Tweedbank

so maybe there is hope...

[Trainfanz]

I Hope Beeching Had A Terrible Afterlife

[buzby9]

The 'now' of Cowley station actually dates back to 1965 just before track was lifted. The site is now buried under a road.

[nickwrocks1]

its realy sad to see that the steam trains of america are dissapearing. im 11 andi always loved steam trains since i was 2. I hope one day they realize that the awesomeness of the US steam trains. its sad to see there becoming the past.

[kolbpilot]

All very touching pictures of a better time gone in our minds eye. The Littleham pic at 2:00 is probably the best as far as same angle before & after. I spent summers as a boy in Holland in the 60's & 70's & have small town train station memories as well. At least it's still there, but from what I hear, the 1900's era station in Baarn has been modified from what it was.

[GWR4079]

these vids make me wanna cry

[zicoproudictions]

what they done was 100% crinimal. what they done was take away all character from the railway. what they done was heart breaking

[lotwyo]

@zicoproudictions Railways are not meant to have "character". They are just infrastructure, to what people are not entitled to have "feelings" like it were a war memorial. Railways should and must break even and be efficient. That is it. Nothing more than that.

[0011clem]

yes its crazy.. in this day and age, the govts should be trying to get large semi trailers off the roads and to use rail instead.. Here is Aust the same thing has happened in every state..more over sized and heavy trucks. most of our shunting yards are long gone..

[cleckheatoncentral]

Great video, although Beeching smashed up 5000 miles of track...150 miles has been restored by unpaid volunteers which ironically now pays its way...Strange to believe..but true. I doubt you would get volunteers restoring a motorway!!!

[Doubleringer]

@cleckheatoncentral

How true

[silver760]

I used to live just down the road from what what Littleham station,I've alos been to whats left of Otterton station that you showed,ah yes the great late 20th century British obsession of smashing to bits and burying any reminders of what Britain used to be like,when we had industry,an empire,a future.All gone now buried under millions of luminous orange "houses" where all the service sector workers live.Anything made of metal that wasnt set in concrete got cut up and sent to china.

[Intransitman]

When railways are trashed, it's not for economic reasons, it's for political reasons, if there's a downturn in the economy, you're not going to rip out the road from in front of your house.

[Ben31337l]

@Intransitman Err... Yeah, actually it was for economic reasons I believe because after world war one and worls war two british rail had competition with all other modes of transport (Cars, busses, Lorried and air travel) and with the railways badly damaged from two world wars (both equipment such as locomotives,rolling stock and railway buildings etc) as well as competing with road vehicles, british rail employed beaching to try to get the railways making a profit, Bezching tried not to cut...

[Intransitman]

Ergo politics.

[Ben31337l]

@Intransitman Come on, if the town you're living in was in debt by a couple of tens of millions (in other words, greater then £20,000,000 in debt) then they would rip up the roads...

[Intransitman]

Roads are there regardless of economic conditions.

[Ben31337l]

@Intransitman I don't think so... Have you ever herd of such things as "pot holes"?

What if they were allowed to grow and grow by poor maintainance? Soon enough the roads you drive on wont be able to be drivable because of the pot holes.

Yes, it would still be a road but not really drivable by normal road vehicles.

[Intransitman]

You just proved my point.

[Ben31337l]

@Intransitman well, in theory what's the point of a road if you cant drive on it with ordinary cars and only with 4X4s?

Also in theory, maintainance costs a lot more depending on the weight of the vehicles it carries, so railways cost more to maintain then roads, foot paths (our legs are a mode of transport too.) cost less then roads... So the economic situations will effect the railways more then roads, same with roads will be more effected then foot paths.

[Intransitman]

If you destory some thing you can't use it at some later point.

[Ben31337l]

@Intransitman not necessarily... Back to the topic on railways and espechisally railway lines, ever herd of preserved lines? Some of them were rebuilt after beeching's axe and they're in use today. But In many other instances, yes you're right because the land was sold and was built on and so you can't actually rebuild the railway line once the land is sold.

[Gigagannet]

Excellent Video

Notice how well kept the railway system was in those days, not like they are now.

I remember the railway around Blandford Dorset in the late 1950's. Thought it would be there forever. I remember also there were a lot of rail strikes at the time,holding up freight traffic. with road traffic becoming more convenient and affordable. This fueled the dimize of the branch lines.

[TheDepotCat]

The "Beeching axe" was evil and initiated by the Tories. Harold Wilson promised to stop the closing down of railway lines if he got into power...He did get into power...and let the axe continue to swing, so breaking his promise to the electorate.

[blagger56]

All politicians lie, and the majority fail to keep pre-election promises. It is still happening, re, the tories and the promise to hold a referendum on European Union continued membership. Like the railways, a huge part of our life, but politicians, except in the very rare circumstance, are not thinking of the big picture or the long term. Long live the revolution... LOL

[stevedn1]

@blagger56 LibLabCon are all part of the same con trick.

[XxBec3509]

Great pics just a shame its all gone 5*s and a fav

[lightning7070]

Nicely done and well matched music.

Well done.

[xxxChrist]

Beautiful. What is the music??

[loghead19]

all because of beeching the butcherer

[aodgabelogan]

would have been better if you'd taken the now shots from the same spot as the then shots

[nylonTS]

@aodgabelogan I thought the same too

[choirboyfromhell1]

You guys had Lord Beeching, the "butcher" of the British Railways, over here we had "The Staggers Act" with it's mass abandonments. Sickening either way.

[waldenhouse]

Sad, so sad.

[Yanamation]

It is sad that some railways were closed! Hope they'll reopen as steam railways in the future!

[freqeist]

excellent

[tgyjukh]

where i come from steam trains are abandoned in sheds which are cover'd in moss with all electrics going by but now even deisals are dead with japan making a nuclear powered train

[pyrofella]

Same thing is happening here in the state of NSW, Australia..... the last of the branch lines are beeing closed.... the one near me at Cowra, NSW... is closing on September 1st.

There is a steam preservation society located on the line (in a restored roundhouse), they have operating steam and diesel engines + rolling stock and soon will not be able to operate at all.... it's a sad time for them and our heritage... politicians are mindless, uncaring bastards!

[falcons1988]

If anything, it was the branch lines that was making the money for the railways. Still the same now. The Welsh Assembly government has just reopened the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale line (google it). For me to get from Crosskeys - Cardiff return - £4.50, which I don't think is bad. It would cost me more in parking alone. It is the long journeys that cost the money, Cardiff - Sheffield is about £90.

[falcons1988]

The new Cardiff - Ebbw Vale line has proved such a success that, the local bus company has taken off the bus service from Ebbw Vale - Cardiff and road traffic has been reduced

[600joe]

Thomas won't be by anytime soon.

[stiggpots]

Governmental Vandalism at its best. And sitting in the House of Lords are people today responsible for the devastation that took place on this countrys rail infrastructure. These should have been and could have been mothballed if needed be and not destroyed as they where. Short sightedness and stupidity in our MPS. Nothing changes.

[Marillionmad]

What was the track? I know you had the artist in your description but the title of the track? Cheers.

Its so sad to see so many lines gone, in a society that is ever growing, no matter how much you widen the moterways, it will never suffice and accommodate the many people who need to get about. We need to build the railways lets do it now while the price to build one, is still in the Millions and not wait till it reaches the Billion mark.

[CHESEABUN]

Criminal, Bring back the railways. Stop investing in road building. The M25 is now a giant Car Park. Driving is not so much fun anymore.....

[astarisporn]

bring back the railways!

[RICKD790]

Nicely done, 5 stars. What do you think BackwoodPictures, when I read into the subject a little it seems that the general opinion is that Beeching "saved" the railways. Shame about all the damn cars on the road though (me included)

[WorldOrder666]

this is such a shame, makes me think that when i drive past places or when out walking how things used to be

[BackwoodPictures]

In reply to Johnfwake: You are quite right with your data but missed the point I was getting at. I probably wasn't clear. The Oystermouth to Mumbles railway was the first passenger railway but it didn't use steam until the 1870's. The Penydarren railway (not too far from me) didn't carry passengers, only freight. The Stockton to Darlington was the first steam hauled passenger train. That was what I meant to be honest. I will be doing a part 2 or maybe a series on particular branch lines soon.

[BackwoodPictures]

Johnfwake posted a comment that I accidentally deleted instead of to.

Brilliant evocative video, but, the worlds first passenger carrying railway was not Stockton and Darlington in 1825. It was the Oystermouth Railway to Mumbles from Swansea, Wales in 1804, some 20 years earlier. The worlds first steam hauled train was the Penydarren Tramroad in 1805. The video though was great and I wished there was more. Thanks.

[rotes1968]

Very sad, but a good video!!! Many greetings from germany

[KeithAtHomeInBolton]

Wonderful video, I particularly appreciated seeing Kingsbridge, a place I know well.

[IanMathewson1]

...and another 5 stars from Germany

[megatwingo]

5***** from Germany!

[rjr1967]

It's a fascinating lesson in looking at ruins. Ruins show us not how great civilization was, but how we have allowed it to decay. Think about this when you next look at the Colosseum. Progress does not always move forwards.

[RockMarine]

Um, so we should still be putting slaves in an arena and cheering whilst we force them to fight each other to the death, then?

[AECRoutemaster]

Ignoring your deliberate and simplified retort, I think the poster was trying to say that from a building point of view, Rome reached a pinnacle with the Colosseum and has been retreating ever since. Much could be said of London. Modern buildings can and should be stunning, but sadly they all too often reflect the era, wich is one of retreat. Most are showy without being planned or built properly and certainly not to last.

[Yanamation]

It is sad that many station were abandoned, but they must preserved as a steam railway.

[neilcharlie]

nice video, but sad.

It's a shame most small station didn't serve the villages they were apose to. Today they would be a god send, and the roads would be alot clearer.

[kernowfem]

An excellent video. But how heart breaking is it to see our railway heritage just disappearing. Dr Beeching was a lumox. i hope he isnt resting in peace.

[MrJames27011]

@kernowfem Unfortunately most of these railway lines were removed because of the growing competition of road haulage and could not compete,in those days freight was the biggest money earner on the railways and so subsidised the passenger services,as the freight disappeared the passenger services were not generating enough income to support the costs of running, What Beeching did was unpopular, but unfortunately was neccesary for cutting costs.

[lotwyo]

@MrJames27011 Exactly! Some lines (small branches) just became obsolete. Train demands, today, a larger scale of demand to be economically viable. And passenger trains, unsubsidized, is just not profitable enough to keep many of these lines open.

[fourwayscottage]

AAAA.120916Z DEC 2008 Thank you for posting the video...What was done to our wonderful heritage of railways was no more than treachery as far as I am concerned.......AR.

[ooogdigadig]

what music is it?

[abbymick]

What does it say top right of the page!

[namvtube]

Yann Tiersen - La Valse D'Amelie (Piano Version)

[bankerbertha]

Even the 'nows' are then now!!

[BackwoodPictures]

The stations are identified in the menu. Just click more info.

[govan44]

Too bad you did not identify all the stations.