BTF 'Snow Drift at Bleath Gill'

[fishethedish]

In 1983, I was the guard on snow ploughs based at Healey Mills. We had 2 37's with a plough at either end.

We ploughed to Skipton, upto Marsden and upto Penistone.

All we did was have a day out and skimmed about 2 inches of snow at Marsden, after we followed the Manchester express.

Did 27 years on the iron road.

FTD@HM.

[01276]

any videos :D

[fishethedish]

Wernt invented then

[tpickthall]

A pair of Tractors and ploughs sounds like a brilliant day out to me!

[fishethedish]

At HM we used the following locos on a regular basis,08/25/ 31/37/47 and Peaks

We had Peaks on Manchester Red Bank empty stock.08 on local trip trains to Dewsbury,Normanton, Royston and all over Leeds.

We used 37/47's on colliery trippers on loose coupled trains. EG Trains with a brake van on the back end.

To me they were just old dirty cold engines and I liked to go home best of all.

In 1981 there was 144 guards, same amount of secondmen and drivers.

[airscrew1]

One thing I loved about this film was the use of pressure lamps by the men toiling away in the night to free this engine. I've now got a huge collection of Tilley and Vapalux lamps. When I light one or two up for barbecues I always remember this lovely film.

[Fairypoppy]

Brilliant love the dialogue too,thank you..

[Torchwood4000]

great video although i don't like the sound of that snowplow grinding on the rails

[STILLAVRIL1]

Great stuff.

Just the voice used in the commentary and the stirring (dated) music takes me back.

I know these films were made in all seriousness then, but surely I can't be the only one to find them so jingoistic?

Odd feeling, a mixture of nostalgia and contempt at the way people were patronized.

[NCStL576]

Looks like the trapped engine was one of those Ivatt 2MT Moguls.

[Owentheguitarist666]

again this video is GREAT!!!

[SulzerSupremo]

Superb video. This was one of my favourites during the 'Going Loco' season shown on Channel Four in the 1990s.

[grinton]

How fabulous to find this on here. I used to live at the Tan Hill Inn, not far from Stainmore Summit, which is the highest altitude pub in Britain. Old 'locals' (well our closest neighbours anyway) have told me about this story of the train stuck in the snow, the wonderful, long gone Belah viaduct and goodness knows what other tales.

Now I have finally seen the film they've told me of for years.

A wonderful find.

[Owentheguitarist666]

Great Vid, but at least now u dont have to worry about any thing like that now, we hardly get any snow in northumberland now, belive it or not

[Owentheguitarist666]

I know this wasnt done in northumberland but im still saying lol

[MEJ3783]

Indeed they did! How to properly run a railway! 1" of snow today means the railways are just abandonned! No snow plows, no spare men and no spare locos!!!

Great video, perhaps the most impressive BTF of them all?

[Jimmy87nottingham]

Its the wrong kind of snow, i belive was the expression used in the 80's for british rail.

[northwest500]

Six inches of snow in britain today (which is a rarity) means everything comes to a grinding halt. The working men of the 1950s knew how to graft.Hats off to them....

[catman2007]

Thank you for posting that! Such dramatic music too.

[Quarkman0]

I have "Night Mail" on DVD. I'll see what I can do!

[ks1972]

a railway line that should never have closed

[Bigaid]

i agree, if you look at the track bed now its in supurb quality, the signal boxes still have the tiles on the roof!!!

[davvydo]

this is my all time favorite apart from terminus and night mail !