THE TERENCE DORRITY COLLECTION: The period 1961 to 1965 was arguably the last glory days of steam traction before its sad demise. Terence Dorrity took the opportunity to film steam during this period, on all regions of British Railways, the Welsh Narrow Gauge railways and on the Continent.

Our journey begins with 4-6-0 “King George V” arriving at Birmingham Snow Hill contrasting starkly to the lines of stored Kings at Wolverhampton Stafford Road Shed. At Stratford-on-Avon there is much activity including freight trains and Castle hauled expresses to the West Country, plus trains to Evesham and Leamington Spa. There are visits to Banbury, for more freight trains & Kings on Birmingham expresses, Hereford Shed, Gloucester Shed and Cardiff station.

Then to Tuffley Junction, Gloucester, for a variety of trains, to Chalford (including an auto train footplate ride) and Moreton-in-Marsh. We visit the Cardigan branch, Morfa Mawddach, Oswestry, Welshpool and Talerdigg summit (with Manors and Standard 4s) before returning to Hatton Bank on the London to Birmingham line for 2-8-0 4707, Castle & King hauled trains & Bulleid Pacifics on football specials.

Onwards to the Southern Region for scenes at Templecombe, Eastleigh Shed & Worgret Junction with M7 tanks on both the Swanage push-pull trains and the Lymington Pier line. There are Terrier 0-6-0Ts on the Hayling Island branch and O2 tanks on the Isle of Wight!

Next, to Rugby on the Midland Region in 1962, for Princess Coronations, Britannias, Patriots, Scots & Jubilees. A trip to Scotland features the ex-Caley Single on tours and A4s on the Aberdeen 3 hour expresses. Then to the Eastern Region and at Kings Cross we see A1s and A4s (including 60008 “Dwight D Eisenhower”) and A2s and A3s at Wood Green..

Early preservation scenes feature the Bluebell (1963), the Isle-of-Man Railway (1963), Vale of Rheidol (1965), Welshpool & Llanfair (1965), Tal-y-llyn Railway (1962), Ffestiniog (1965) and Snowdon (1962).

We see industrial steam in 1962 at Kettering Furnaces, Wellingborough, Bilston (Wolverhampton), Beckton (North London), Oxford Ironstone (Banbury, Roxton), Waterside (Ayrshire, 1965) and Coventry Colliery with ex-GWR 15xx 0-6-0PTs (1969).

Finally, to Granada in Spain (1961) to see 240 No.2020 and many other types on the shed there, some being over 100 years old. Then to Nice in France (1962) to see the 141 Class and a variety of steam locos in the station and the shed, narrow gauge on the Reseau Breton in Britanny (1964) and French main line steam at Nantilles. We end our journey with steam into the sunset at Coventry Colliery.

All the archive film used is in colour and an authentic soundtrack has been added along with an extensively researched commentary.

4-6-0 “King George V”

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B & R No. 174 DVD The Glory Days Of Steam (1961-1965)