Interesting shot at 1:05 showing 9F 92245. This locomotive still exists as one of the 'Barry 10', stored at the old EWS shed in Barry awaiting restoration.
Some people say that the fate of the S&DJR was sealed when it was incorporated into the Western Region of British Railways in 1958. The old Great western was never keen on this intrusion into their territory. In the WR in the 1950's and 60's there were still ex-GWR personnel now in senior positions who took the opportunity to kill off this long standing "pain in the backside".
Wonderful railway. What a short-sighted waste the closures under Beeching were. Today we have an expensive, evironmentally unsound and impractical road network overburdoned with motor traffic. The railways that were closed, like this one are needed now more than ever. If people pay just to enjoy a ride on preserved lines, think what profitable uses the branchlines would have linking towns and cities again today. It's insane the way things are.
What I don't understand is why all the lines that Beeching closed weren't just mothballed. Future generations could have reopened these lines for minimal cost. Take the Great Central. There we had HS2 already built and ready to go. But now we have to spend millions to make something that we already had.
A Wonderful Programme! Can't understand how I missed it back then. Thank you for posting it here. Perhaps someone should send it to the makers of the Railway Walks programme with the dreadful Bradbury woman to show how it should be done! No annoying music, no "give that director an MBE" fancy arty helicopter shots! Yup (some) television was so much better twenty odd years ago. Thanks again.
An outstanding railway in many ways - humour and tradgedy were all played out on this railway, but it was special in ways no others could be - the geographical locations are very important - as the very land it traversed has it's own 'atmosphere' and made the route special.
Unfortunately, this consideration was ignored in the vested interests of the road transport lobby - so called progress ! And see where 'progress' has left us now! We have lost our way, and our gentler ways of living.
@eastindiaman What about the vested interests of the railway lobby who were funded by the taxpayer?
As much as I adore the S&D, you can't take its closure out on the general population who wanted to buy a car. Take it out on the people who made the railways into financial loss makers. Without them, there would have been no Beeching.
thanks for a great video its such a shame about the railway i wish i was around in the 60's Can i ask why everybody is arguing with each other life is too short
Has anyone ever questioned WHY these railways were taken out and most structures "bulldozed", was this done against the public's will??? Or is this all cause of oil companies and Automobile favouritism? This would certainly be a great tourist line if it was'nt stripped, lousy selfish politicians!
loads of people have and the reasons are that branch lines like S&DJR were not makeing enough money because road transport was a lot efficent then what it was when the railways were first built and and transportation was also a lot more quicker unfornatly the govenment of the day aka labour didn't realise that we would need these branchlines today because of the ever increasing demand for more trains and faster ways to get there by train
I guess that as this video was made in 1985, many of the enginemen would be long gone to that "roundhouse in the sky". If they were still alive, they would love to relive the S&D in the very realistic simulation available of the line.
While it would be not much good to express trains like class 43's it would be very useful route for stopping metro trains ike the turbostar's , i' so annoying that today's modern trains don't ge tthe chnce to see how they would perfor on teh S&D linea nd indeed all the other 9000 miles of missing track that was stolen by Marples and Beeching. Marples who owned a road building firm,how corrupt is that. It's also one of the key reasons we have less oil reserves, if you think about it.
@theredraven How right you are Dr Beeching gets a fair old bagging for the line closures but it was the Minister of state for transport who made the final decision. Dr Beeching was only doing the job they paid him to do. If he hadn't they would have fired him and found someone else who would. You are right it was the faceless men behind the scenes who wrote off so many branch and secondary lines
are you a proper railway fan cus if u r u will know of the St helens Gap railway i live near there and its quite long and has just disapered more or less in clock face its as if no railway ever ever exsisted apart from a small section of fields
What, like what? i was like 10 when i posted that. I'm not rude,or nasty and i'm glad to help anyone who requires Railway information. Sorry i Upset you :l
Your grammar, spelling and general grasp of the English language seems to indicate you might be also lacking in the required social skills? Keep up the good work!
What a joy this video is
Its sad and good at the same time
Ivo peters must have been a very nice man RIP and Thank you
nylonTS 7 months ago
Interesting shot at 1:05 showing 9F 92245. This locomotive still exists as one of the 'Barry 10', stored at the old EWS shed in Barry awaiting restoration.
aCivilServant 11 months ago
even the viaduct at preistleigh has gone..........what a waste
MiLLwallpaul231258 1 year ago
Some people say that the fate of the S&DJR was sealed when it was incorporated into the Western Region of British Railways in 1958. The old Great western was never keen on this intrusion into their territory. In the WR in the 1950's and 60's there were still ex-GWR personnel now in senior positions who took the opportunity to kill off this long standing "pain in the backside".
basstrom188 1 year ago
A lot of people here are blaming Beeching for closing the S&DJR. He didn't. Barbara Castle did. She could have kept it open and she didn't.
Same with all the other closures. Beeching made the report but he didn't actually close any lines himself.
theredraven 1 year ago
Wonderful railway. What a short-sighted waste the closures under Beeching were. Today we have an expensive, evironmentally unsound and impractical road network overburdoned with motor traffic. The railways that were closed, like this one are needed now more than ever. If people pay just to enjoy a ride on preserved lines, think what profitable uses the branchlines would have linking towns and cities again today. It's insane the way things are.
Simona050 1 year ago
What I don't understand is why all the lines that Beeching closed weren't just mothballed. Future generations could have reopened these lines for minimal cost. Take the Great Central. There we had HS2 already built and ready to go. But now we have to spend millions to make something that we already had.
baconsandwich2007 1 year ago
A Wonderful Programme! Can't understand how I missed it back then. Thank you for posting it here. Perhaps someone should send it to the makers of the Railway Walks programme with the dreadful Bradbury woman to show how it should be done! No annoying music, no "give that director an MBE" fancy arty helicopter shots! Yup (some) television was so much better twenty odd years ago. Thanks again.
AustinSomerset 2 years ago
An outstanding railway in many ways - humour and tradgedy were all played out on this railway, but it was special in ways no others could be - the geographical locations are very important - as the very land it traversed has it's own 'atmosphere' and made the route special.
Unfortunately, this consideration was ignored in the vested interests of the road transport lobby - so called progress ! And see where 'progress' has left us now! We have lost our way, and our gentler ways of living.
eastindiaman 2 years ago
@eastindiaman What about the vested interests of the railway lobby who were funded by the taxpayer?
As much as I adore the S&D, you can't take its closure out on the general population who wanted to buy a car. Take it out on the people who made the railways into financial loss makers. Without them, there would have been no Beeching.
theredraven 1 year ago
thanks for a great video its such a shame about the railway i wish i was around in the 60's Can i ask why everybody is arguing with each other life is too short
quady37 2 years ago
Has anyone ever questioned WHY these railways were taken out and most structures "bulldozed", was this done against the public's will??? Or is this all cause of oil companies and Automobile favouritism? This would certainly be a great tourist line if it was'nt stripped, lousy selfish politicians!
TrainmasterCurt 3 years ago
loads of people have and the reasons are that branch lines like S&DJR were not makeing enough money because road transport was a lot efficent then what it was when the railways were first built and and transportation was also a lot more quicker unfornatly the govenment of the day aka labour didn't realise that we would need these branchlines today because of the ever increasing demand for more trains and faster ways to get there by train
TheSteamdriver 2 years ago
What a "Outstanding" stretch of line,what a tragedy that the morons from the Beeching era
saw fit to close this most picturesque line.The revenue this line would bring in today would be
astronomical.The Countryside between Somerset
and Devon and Cornwall is most Photogenic.The
line these days would be "full" of Holidaymakers and Tourists.Also just think of
what the real estate would be worth today.
Such short-sighted vandalism defeated the object of saving money.What a waste.
flanneryged 3 years ago 8
I guess that as this video was made in 1985, many of the enginemen would be long gone to that "roundhouse in the sky". If they were still alive, they would love to relive the S&D in the very realistic simulation available of the line.
simba1803 3 years ago
While it would be not much good to express trains like class 43's it would be very useful route for stopping metro trains ike the turbostar's , i' so annoying that today's modern trains don't ge tthe chnce to see how they would perfor on teh S&D linea nd indeed all the other 9000 miles of missing track that was stolen by Marples and Beeching. Marples who owned a road building firm,how corrupt is that. It's also one of the key reasons we have less oil reserves, if you think about it.
js2001b1 3 years ago 2
@js2001b1 Beeching didn't shut the S&D, Barbara Castle did.
In fact, Beeching didn't close any lines at all. It was the transport secretaries who did.
theredraven 1 year ago
@theredraven How right you are Dr Beeching gets a fair old bagging for the line closures but it was the Minister of state for transport who made the final decision. Dr Beeching was only doing the job they paid him to do. If he hadn't they would have fired him and found someone else who would. You are right it was the faceless men behind the scenes who wrote off so many branch and secondary lines
faulcon1 1 year ago
I have seen 53809, she is still good and running. But 53808 is in a blue livery was any of the s&d engines in a blue livery?
Mattaeae 4 years ago
yes it was the standard S&DJR livery before being grouped into the LMS
Sprigo11 3 years ago
Thanks for that, No 88 Looks great in prussian blue. No 89 though is in BR Late livery though, for shame.
Mattaeae 3 years ago
This was very interesting. It seems incredible that an undertaking as large as this could be closed down and disappear.
FSA1990 4 years ago
are you a proper railway fan cus if u r u will know of the St helens Gap railway i live near there and its quite long and has just disapered more or less in clock face its as if no railway ever ever exsisted apart from a small section of fields
lolguy543 4 years ago
I was just passing through actually. If rudeness and an inability to spell are the marks of a "proper railway fan" then I'm glad to answer "no".
I'm very sorry for your close proximity to a now defunct length of line.
Fondest regards.
FSA1990 4 years ago
lol
lolguy543 4 years ago
aye d/w now.. didnt like his comment so been blocked from my site :) .. we're not all like that :]
01276 4 years ago
Pardon? Im not nasty i was only asking him if he is, and why the hell were all your train mates ganging up on me? i didn't mean to insult anyone
lolguy543returns 3 years ago
What, like what? i was like 10 when i posted that. I'm not rude,or nasty and i'm glad to help anyone who requires Railway information. Sorry i Upset you :l
lolguy543returns 2 years ago
Your grammar, spelling and general grasp of the English language seems to indicate you might be also lacking in the required social skills? Keep up the good work!
THERESALWAYSSOMEONE 3 years ago
Meant for lolguy543 (2 months ago)
THERESALWAYSSOMEONE 3 years ago
God, Sorry mate if my Typing is too fast for you. Its for Speed anyway, not to impress Elderly Snobs like you.
lolguy543returns 2 years ago
Never said you were elderly!
THERESALWAYSSOMEONE 2 years ago
very nice tribute!
hoggerdave 4 years ago
I last saw 92245 at Bute Street Cardiff. It needs a lot of work.
PMDVD 4 years ago