In this volume of our popular “Miscellany” series, we cover steam across the former London North Eastern (LNER) area and beyond. Once again it is compiled from mostly unseen footage from a variety of different cameramen and in the order the film runs off the original cine reels.

Our journey commences at Nottingham Midland with V2 2-6-2 No.60916, a locomotive temporarily loaned to the Southern Region in 1953 to cover for the “Merchant Navy” broken axle emergency. We then visit the former GCR stations at Nottingham Victoria and Sheffield Victoria, followed by York, Beverley, Aysgarth, Barnard Castle, Staveley, Doncaster, Langwith Junction, Stainforth and Hatfield.

Next to Kings Cross station and shed, Hadley Wood, Hatfield, Welwyn (and it’s famous viaduct), Langley Junction, Hitchin, Sandy, Peterborough (and Northampton), Eye Green for Crowland (M&GN) and Stoke Bank plus an extended visit to Spalding in 1963.

Moving to the North East, visits include Darlington, Newcastle Central, Gateshead Shed, Tyne Dock Shed, Sunderland Shed, Seaton Bank (including the pinning down of brakes), Ryhope Junction and the Silsworth Colliery branch.

Scotland is well covered with steam action at Aberdeen, the shed at Ferryhill, Dundee, Perth, Dunblane, Larbert, Hawick, Edinburgh, Ayre, Girvan (goods), Muirkirk, and the branch from Lugton to Giffen.

In the late 1960s, Jim Clemens purchased a significant quantity of original 16mm offcuts and unused film from Pat Whiltehouse, all relating to the BBC “Railway Roundabout” TV programmes. Included in this source are the new engine shed at Thornaby (opened in 1958), York, two “Glens” to Fort William over the West Highland line and Inverness shed.

Most of the film was taken in the period 1959 to 1967 with an exception of the LNER Garratt hauling demonstration freight in Sheffield during March 1930. Motive power seen includes ex-LNER classes A1, A2, A3, A4 pacifics, B1, B16, K1, K2, D34, Q6, O1, O4, J11, J27, V3 and J72 plus BR standards and some WD locomotives.

The majority of the archive film is in colour and an authentic sound track has been added along with an informative commentary to complement this nostalgic look at the last years of London North Eastern steam.

2-6-2

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B & R No. 228 DVD, London North Eastern Steam Miscellany No. 1