View from an Engine Front - Barnstaple (1898)

[corporallee44]

This took me back to my youth days, I was born in Devon 1941 and am a northerner now, but traveled down many a time on the train, MAIN LINE, that station is now a cafe I believe and there are flats in front of it, My mother ended up in one of them. I am going back down to visit the area this year, check out the farm I was born on. That's a golf course now...!

[061369317]

The signalman's shirt collar shape and tie knot look really modern for 1898 IMHO

[thomas1140]

Great Video ! Interesting to see the old buildings like Shapland's factory, the museum & buildings on the strand as they were .

I dont know why they demollshed the iron bridge after it had been unused for so long, it wasn't a shipping hazard & would have made an attractive restored feature if only as a footbridge away from the main road . Still, I understand that another superstore is planned near to the site so that will be nice to see & visit won't it ? Thanks for posting - love this stuff.

[manglewurzel1]

Possibly the flag waving was because of p-way work going on at the time maybe to warn the train crew or possibly there is some work being carried out to the signalling???

[MK55A]

Someone as mentioned 'Broad gauge track' i think they mean the 'guard rail' which was placed in certain areas because of the sharp curve(s) on the rails

[30annielaurie]

No - it looks like broad gauge track to me as well - even on the straight sections where there is no guard rail.

[MK55A]

Hope that wasn't a red flag the signalman was waving ?

[DevonTim1]

In the 1970s as a kid I remember walking across the old iron bridge passed all the fishermen.

[TimeMeddler]

Pretty sure it's not broad gauge track.

[einsteinisgreat]

regardless of it's exact date this is an amazing and incredibly significant record of British railway operations of the period.Treasure it.

[phaasch]

Cant help wondering, seeing all those flagmen along the way, and the final, indignant looking signalman, if this little gem wasnt shot by some local bandit on a "borrowed" P Way trolley, and theyre all desperately trying to get him to "Geddorf the bloody track, the express is due!"

[TheWingedMessenger1]

Nice video but what happened to the sound track ?

[signalnorth]

Does the rest of the journey still exist on film as I've only seen the run into Ilfracombe

[menacinghat]

brilliant in 1911 mode

[TrainmasterCurt]

Wow, look how well kept England and their Railways were back then, back before the Saracens decided to move into OUR country!

[TeflonUncleChev]

This is an excellent piece of film, just wish my dad was still alive to see it :-(

[cliffocco]

I really have doubts that this dates from 1898.The Lumiere Brothers first film wasn't shot until until 1895, after all. My guess would be more likely something from the early 1900s. That having been said, still a fascinating piece of film

[BFIfilms]

@cliffocco British filmmakers were also active in 1895 (Google 'Birt Acres' or 'R.W. Paul' for more information), and the first British public screening of projected moving images was held on 14 January 1896, less than three weeks after the Lumière Brothers' equivalent. The new medium caught on so quickly that numerous British film companies sprang up over the next few years - the Warwick Trading Company, which made this film and many similar travelogues, was established in September 1897.

[576924]

Has anyone noticed that this incredible piece of film shows broad gauge track in 1898, and yet references, ie, books and wikapedia etc claim that the last broad guage track was lifted in 1892. One reference book claims that the broad gauge Barnstaple track was converted to standard gauge in 1881. That can't be right because cine film hadn't been invented in 1881. Either this film is much, much older than 1898, or the dates in reference books and wikapedia are in correct.

[Daggerbone]

great posting a fantastic portal to a century plus ago!! amazing!!

[spiccybaby]

A bit more to this: the first (deserted) station at the end of the bridge is Barnstaple Quay (or Town and Quay) which had just closed. The second station is the then brand-new Barnstaple Town (not Barnstaple as I said earlier), built to accomodate the Lynton branch. (info from disused-stations org uk). It's a lovely bit of film.

[ncdude367]

I agree...this is the best quality I've seen for a film of this age. I wish they all were this clear!

[spiccybaby]

Excellent stuff, interesting to note that the station is named Barnstaple rather than Barnstaple Town, and that the bay platform is in use (the bay starter signal is pulled on as the camera passes), which means that the Lynton and Barnstable narrow gauge line had just opened (May 1898). The signals and bridge are all LSWR, the GWR had their own line from Taunton to Barnstaple (Victoria Road) with running rights over a short section to Barnstaple Junction.

[applecounty]

@spiccybaby Thank you for confirming suspicions

[applecounty]

Yep - looking again I strongly suspect those signals of GW pattern, plus they drop as opposed to pointing up.

[applecounty]

Wasn't there something similar posted by BFI last year? I thought the bridge over the river was a Great Western structure, I am not sure if there was joint working rights into the LSWR station or not. The flag waving is being done by the Signalman, probably an 'advance with caution' signal - not being familiar with LSWR S&T practices of the period I stand to be corrected.

[incongra]

Beautiful, I could watch this for hours. Thank you.

[mujawooja]

Great film, facinating to watch seeing the railway workers and signalmen go by,it's great to see these films on youtube.

thumbs up from me

bernie

[Godzilla473]

brilliant quality considering the age of the film ~ I've enjoyed viewing it, and that goes for all your BFI uploads ~ keep up the good work ~ many thanks

[littlequeen64]

Wonderful....Thank you.

[sammipink1]

the good old days every one was friendlier

[fishhead06]

@sammipink1 Depending on your social class.

[ivorbigunzz]

I bet most of the people on this journey had a seat.

Unlike todays passengers.

And they say things can only get better!

[AbcSchoolOfPolish]

Great stuff. Good old days!

[VOXS2]

wow nice... interesting and since it was the year 1898. Bring more videos like this of the 1800s.. Great footage and tis quality.

[urbanimage]

Amazing stuff.

[Blauendorn]

Would be interesting to see the same track in 2010 at the same time.

[3mikewright3]

@Blauendorn You would need to swim. The bridge went years ago

[hrjert1]

someones grate grandparents are here

[pizotjeannoel]

awesome wonder ful

[hofnerman1]

It sure was quite back in those days. lol

[sanderrodijk]

movie recordings from 1898? why are the recordings of titanic from 1912 so

awful while this is better quality and more 20's like

[BFIfilms]

@sanderrodijk In the case of films dating from the early 20th century or before (i.e. before film archives started to think about preserving them), it's a case more of blind luck than anything else. Some films only survive (if at all) as scratched, blotchy fragments, while others are almost pristine. Age has little to do with it - some of the best-preserved silent films can be found in the Mitchell & Kenyon collection (approx. 1900-1910), because the original camera negatives still exist.

[modelearth]

is this still there? amazing!!!

[manglewurzel1]

@modelearth Sadly this line is long closed, but the station building, some platform and one signal box still exist. The long bridge was demolished in the late 70's

[freethoughtmusic]

Oh wow! What wonderful railways. I hope bloody Beeching is happy with what he did to them,

[EnglishG3nt]

Delightful.

[tokyohands]

we`ve got it so easy these days compared to back then but everything just looked so `nice`!

[JustinsVideoCorner]

It's so vintage you can taste the nostalgia!! :)