I really like to see these archive films of railway and theses news reel's film are some of the best I have seen much more interesting then seeing the new today.
I think some sort of axe had to happen to save and give us the current mailine system we have today but the axed lines that could have run on a profit if they were run by a railwayman and not a banker should have remained open. Atleast it is good to see railways making a comeback with more people travling by rail since the 1920s and new lines being built and old reopened and new companies being formed(pity they arent owned by UK companies though)
This man is a joke. And today, the current politicians should focus on spending the £32 set aside for HS2, on reopening old railways closed by the arsehole Richard Beeching!! It's a travesty so many lines were closed. Only near me, the South Staffordshire Line is a line that was closed to passengers in 1965 and is completely overgrown.
Fat old bastard, looks like he came from that comic duo Bootsie and Snudge.
In league with that other Tory crook Marples. Corrupt criminals who have government backing, and much the same goes on today in various spheres - in fact it's probably worse now.
Rail makes a profit - but not in ticket prices, so the Tories said they made a loss. Rail is mechanism enabling economic growth to be created. Problem is that the wealth they create was not fed back into the cycle to fund & modernize the railways that aided the wealth creation in the first place. Private owners creamed off and left the rail shambolic - having to fall into the arms of the state to keep going. We picked up the tab & the privateers again moved in.
Germany, France, Japan, etc, kept their railways and modernized them. Look at what they have now!!!!
The Tories were shamelessly overt in that some of their ministers were into road building and the Road Transport Lobby funded their party.
Some fought back. Beeching wanted to close the urban electric line from Liverpool. The council fought back and had them connected up forming a complete metro - a smaller London underground. Still miles of tunnels and trackbed to reuse. Need rail not roads
He did what he thought was the best at the moment - but forgot to discus it with people who actually knew about these things, and more importantly, his ears were deaf to advise and criticism.
Beeching was just a front man, the real villan was Ernest Marples who was minister of transport, who appointed Beeching. Marples was basically a bent bastard. He was co-owner of a ROAD construction company, guess who got the contracts for building new roads when the railways were closed? Also, he was told to get rid of his shares in the company, due to conflict of interest. he did.. to his wife..He ended up having to do a runner as inland revenue were on his case.
"Ernest Marples who was minister of transport, who appointed Beeching. Marples was basically a bent bastard. He was co-owner of a ROAD construction company,"
The Tories and Ernest Marples were shameless in the corruption.
Thanks for putting that on. I'm undecided on Beeching, certain cuts had to be made but people like to point the finger at someone - what about the government at the time.
wow... I always thought his eyes were too close together in wiki, but now i see that he's THICKER THAN I EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE, tw@. Pardon la Franglais
In that book has has critised the British Government in one of the chapters of Nationalising the Railways in to a'unified network'; The goverment had no basic idea of running a railway and the senseless closures of many branchlines which now are paying the price on roads whom are full of lorries & cars
While in the early 1950's the Labor goverment diverted all the money on railways to the Motorway projects. Desk Jockey+Rail= Disaster
@theredraven Unfortunately, no railway system today can survive without government subsidy. And since the government isn't going to give billions of pounds of public money away to private train companies without having a big say in how it is spent, no truly private railway is possible. Which was of course the fundemental flaw with the so-called "privatisation". We now have a system which is far more complicated and expensive to run than under BR. We might as well just renationalise it properly.
"Unfortunately, no railway system today can survive without government subsidy. "
It is NOT subsidy, they make a profit!!! They create economic growth. The wealth they created was creamed off, and still is, as it is not fed back into the cycle that aids making the wealth in the first place - the RAILWAYS.
Imagine London if the Underground was closed tomorrow? The city would economically collapse contracting to the size of Birmingham. Rail creates economic growth - very viable
@BhanuHabbo Not at all. As anyone will tell you I'm a train fan. I'm just not blind to the problems railways face. Neither are people like Pete Waterman.
@BhanuHabbo Not at all. As anyone will tell you I'm a train fan. I'm just not blind to the problems railways face. Neither are people like Pete Waterman.
@lotwyo I think you'll find that the branch lines were only a fairly small part of the reason BR was losing money. The government in the 50s refused to allow them to raise fares of freight charges in line with rising costs, but expected them to make a profit! Beeching's drachonian cuts only reduced the deficit by about 30%. A vast amount of transport infrastructure thrown away for very little gain. Try reading 'The Great Railway Conspiracy" by David Henshaw.
@Grichal1981 I agree. What Beeching et all failed to understand was that the branch lines acted as feeders into the mailines and when they closed, passenger numbers on those trains fell so the railways started to lose even more money. The Beeching cuts never really achieved what they set out to do as it was heavily used commuter lines were the biggest drain on railway finances at that time. Regrettably, many of these lines can never be brought back into use again.
Unfortunately the powers that be never see it that way. Politicians in the UK always look to the short term therefore there's been very little joined up thinking since WWII. We've paid the price ever since...
@Intercity47GBRail Network rail closed lines is not the most pathetic example of the Beeching report. Midlands mainline was another example (it was basically newest line before HST1 in 21st century). It was advanced line with little inclines and no sharp turns. If it wasn't closed it would be HST2 with little effort. Now it must be rebuilt, land cleared from nothing.
That's an understatement. Less than 10 years after the Axe finished, there was some kind of fuel shortage on the roads, and had the railways not been victimized as they were, they could've kept Britain going.
Politicians make the mistakes that shape our future. It was not only Beeching's doing though. Ernest Maples wanted to do away with with the railways because he was building the motorways and had shares in motor companies.
I really like to see these archive films of railway and theses news reel's film are some of the best I have seen much more interesting then seeing the new today.
penninefilms 1 month ago
I think some sort of axe had to happen to save and give us the current mailine system we have today but the axed lines that could have run on a profit if they were run by a railwayman and not a banker should have remained open. Atleast it is good to see railways making a comeback with more people travling by rail since the 1920s and new lines being built and old reopened and new companies being formed(pity they arent owned by UK companies though)
Sammy1234568910 2 months ago
This man is a joke. And today, the current politicians should focus on spending the £32 set aside for HS2, on reopening old railways closed by the arsehole Richard Beeching!! It's a travesty so many lines were closed. Only near me, the South Staffordshire Line is a line that was closed to passengers in 1965 and is completely overgrown.
SamMitchell90 2 months ago
NOT Unpopular where on earth was he looking and listening to thick twat he majorly unpoplular and unpopular hated
jorash123 4 months ago
yes it shoudnt have been sold, Do it the SN-CF way, they just close it and leave it, so its easy to re-open
a4stan 5 months ago
I wish the TOR|Y SCUM appointed some1 else
a4stan 5 months ago
Question - Who built the M1 - Answer Marples-Ridgeway - Question - Who was Minister of Transport at that time - Answer - Ernest Marples - NUFF SAID !
bernieholland775 6 months ago
i really dont understand why the track bed was sold
it could have been used now ?????
nylonTS 6 months ago
Fat old bastard, looks like he came from that comic duo Bootsie and Snudge.
In league with that other Tory crook Marples. Corrupt criminals who have government backing, and much the same goes on today in various spheres - in fact it's probably worse now.
LordAldridge 6 months ago
2:43 - Closing the line from Haywards Heath to Horstead Keynes. Now whos the sam hell who said that. =D *Stepney blows whistle*
ryanlim2002 7 months ago
I must thanks to Dr Beeching for this we wouldn't have preserved railways without him!
TheBritishLegions 7 months ago
They never costed the "savings"
Rail makes a profit - but not in ticket prices, so the Tories said they made a loss. Rail is mechanism enabling economic growth to be created. Problem is that the wealth they create was not fed back into the cycle to fund & modernize the railways that aided the wealth creation in the first place. Private owners creamed off and left the rail shambolic - having to fall into the arms of the state to keep going. We picked up the tab & the privateers again moved in.
NearAbbeyRoad 7 months ago
Germany, France, Japan, etc, kept their railways and modernized them. Look at what they have now!!!!
The Tories were shamelessly overt in that some of their ministers were into road building and the Road Transport Lobby funded their party.
Some fought back. Beeching wanted to close the urban electric line from Liverpool. The council fought back and had them connected up forming a complete metro - a smaller London underground. Still miles of tunnels and trackbed to reuse. Need rail not roads
NearAbbeyRoad 7 months ago
save 50 to 100m a year
why did we sell the track bed I want to know ???
nylonTS 8 months ago
FUCK YOU BEECHING! YOU KILLED STEAM!
accadaccasuperstar 8 months ago
@accadaccasuperstar Steam killed steam - hideous labour costs and no more loco coal -
TheBeechingAxe 8 months ago
@accadaccasuperstar No he didn't!
Steam was killed off by the 1955 modernisation plan... 6 years before Beeching joined BR.
Even then, the railways evolved as technology improved.
Diesels and electrics are better than steam in every measurable way ... and now locootives have given way to multiple units.
Cliffjumper24 4 months ago
He did what he thought was the best at the moment - but forgot to discus it with people who actually knew about these things, and more importantly, his ears were deaf to advise and criticism.
SONBoomer 9 months ago
Beeching was just a front man, the real villan was Ernest Marples who was minister of transport, who appointed Beeching. Marples was basically a bent bastard. He was co-owner of a ROAD construction company, guess who got the contracts for building new roads when the railways were closed? Also, he was told to get rid of his shares in the company, due to conflict of interest. he did.. to his wife..He ended up having to do a runner as inland revenue were on his case.
mrangry1960 9 months ago
@mrangry1960
"Ernest Marples who was minister of transport, who appointed Beeching. Marples was basically a bent bastard. He was co-owner of a ROAD construction company,"
The Tories and Ernest Marples were shameless in the corruption.
NearAbbeyRoad 7 months ago
Thanks for putting that on. I'm undecided on Beeching, certain cuts had to be made but people like to point the finger at someone - what about the government at the time.
MrMetallicroc 1 year ago
nice video, thanks for uploadin.
alzeNL 1 year ago
good thing Stepney survived
steamengineshooray 1 year ago
Beeching was right-on. Bully for Beeching!
TheBeechingAxe 1 year ago
Yes but keep the track bed so if we needed it it could be used again
nylonTS 1 year ago
wow... I always thought his eyes were too close together in wiki, but now i see that he's THICKER THAN I EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE, tw@. Pardon la Franglais
59n1tr0n72 1 year ago
Seeing the scrapyard scene is a low blow for me..at least some were lucky enough to find life after steam..if you get what I mean, that is..
Lightninging63 1 year ago
That scen inthe scrap yard... :( Thank you for posting this.
SkarloeyRailway01 1 year ago
I have been reading;
Fire & Steam by Christian Wolmar
In that book has has critised the British Government in one of the chapters of Nationalising the Railways in to a'unified network'; The goverment had no basic idea of running a railway and the senseless closures of many branchlines which now are paying the price on roads whom are full of lorries & cars
While in the early 1950's the Labor goverment diverted all the money on railways to the Motorway projects. Desk Jockey+Rail= Disaster
Cinesound01 1 year ago
Can I just point out that the music you use is kinda creepy. >_>
Femmenition 1 year ago
Please can we have the Beverley-Market Weighton-York line back.
cleckheatoncentral 1 year ago
Poor Dr Beeching.
Given the task of making a giant nationalised industry turn a profit.
He should have just privatised it.
theredraven 2 years ago
@theredraven Hmmm what a big success privatisation has been.
Grichal1981 1 year ago
@Grichal1981 What privatisation?
Network Rail and the TOCs get billions in taxpayer subsidy. You don't have privatisation. You have Zombie Nationalisation.
theredraven 1 year ago
@theredraven Unfortunately, no railway system today can survive without government subsidy. And since the government isn't going to give billions of pounds of public money away to private train companies without having a big say in how it is spent, no truly private railway is possible. Which was of course the fundemental flaw with the so-called "privatisation". We now have a system which is far more complicated and expensive to run than under BR. We might as well just renationalise it properly.
Grichal1981 1 year ago
@Grichal1981
"Unfortunately, no railway system today can survive without government subsidy. "
It is NOT subsidy, they make a profit!!! They create economic growth. The wealth they created was creamed off, and still is, as it is not fed back into the cycle that aids making the wealth in the first place - the RAILWAYS.
Imagine London if the Underground was closed tomorrow? The city would economically collapse contracting to the size of Birmingham. Rail creates economic growth - very viable
NearAbbeyRoad 7 months ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
British railways were BLEEDING money, cutting down many lines was sound public policy, because it was time to build motorways!
lotwyo 2 years ago
@lotwyo Fuck moterways, hail to railways and more importantly, the steam age!
BhanuHabbo 1 year ago 2
@BhanuHabbo Exactly Motorways =BULLSHIT put the money into the rails
burnley5960 1 year ago
@BhanuHabbo Yes, fuck something which gives people a lot more freedom then they had.
theredraven 1 year ago
@theredraven Road Rager l:l
BhanuHabbo 1 year ago
@BhanuHabbo Not at all. As anyone will tell you I'm a train fan. I'm just not blind to the problems railways face. Neither are people like Pete Waterman.
theredraven 1 year ago
@theredraven :l Oh. Carry on then :P
BhanuHabbo 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@BhanuHabbo Not at all. As anyone will tell you I'm a train fan. I'm just not blind to the problems railways face. Neither are people like Pete Waterman.
theredraven 1 year ago
@theredraven Yeah free to have all those traffic jams and pollution.
Grichal1981 1 year ago
@lotwyo I think you'll find that the branch lines were only a fairly small part of the reason BR was losing money. The government in the 50s refused to allow them to raise fares of freight charges in line with rising costs, but expected them to make a profit! Beeching's drachonian cuts only reduced the deficit by about 30%. A vast amount of transport infrastructure thrown away for very little gain. Try reading 'The Great Railway Conspiracy" by David Henshaw.
Grichal1981 1 year ago 2
@Grichal1981 I agree. What Beeching et all failed to understand was that the branch lines acted as feeders into the mailines and when they closed, passenger numbers on those trains fell so the railways started to lose even more money. The Beeching cuts never really achieved what they set out to do as it was heavily used commuter lines were the biggest drain on railway finances at that time. Regrettably, many of these lines can never be brought back into use again.
Paulwherrell 1 year ago
@Paulwherrell
"so the railways started to lose even more money."
Rail never lost money, as it created economic growth. It was environmentally clean once modernized. No pollution running past our front doors.
NearAbbeyRoad 7 months ago
@NearAbbeyRoad
Unfortunately the powers that be never see it that way. Politicians in the UK always look to the short term therefore there's been very little joined up thinking since WWII. We've paid the price ever since...
Paulwherrell 6 months ago
Quite ironic that some of these lines are being reopened by Network Rail.
Intercity47GBRail 2 years ago 14
@Intercity47GBRail Network rail closed lines is not the most pathetic example of the Beeching report. Midlands mainline was another example (it was basically newest line before HST1 in 21st century). It was advanced line with little inclines and no sharp turns. If it wasn't closed it would be HST2 with little effort. Now it must be rebuilt, land cleared from nothing.
respomanify 1 week ago
Short sighted IDIOTS
burnley5960 2 years ago 14
@burnley5960
That's an understatement. Less than 10 years after the Axe finished, there was some kind of fuel shortage on the roads, and had the railways not been victimized as they were, they could've kept Britain going.
Femmenition 1 year ago
Politicians make the mistakes that shape our future. It was not only Beeching's doing though. Ernest Maples wanted to do away with with the railways because he was building the motorways and had shares in motor companies.
burnzgotshot 2 years ago 5