This is the first volume in a series featuring the diesel electric locomotives of British Rail. Here we mostly cover the low powered Types 1 & 2 . Many scenes are from the early days with locomotives in their original green liveries ; others show the changes into BR Corporate Blue.

We start with glimpses of English Electric Type 4s, Deltics (including some rare footage of the blue prototype on action of the ECML), and a Metrovick Co-Bo! We also see Southern DEMUs including those specially designed for the narrow tunnels on the Hastings Line.

A brief visit to Crewe Works is followed by footage of the very successful EE Type 1s in action at Bescot, Loggerheads, on the WCML and at several collieries. The less successful centre-cab Clayton Type 1s are seen in action at Shotts, Millerhill, Pelaw and on Hest Bank.

The workhorse Brush Type 2s were introduced in 1957 and there are scenes of them at work at many locations across the network including Harringay, Hadley Wood, Cambridge (on the Royal Train), Paddington, Wennington, Instow on the Bideford branch and on the last train along the Dunstable branch (“The Skimpot Flyer”).

In Scotland, the short lived North British Type 2s are seen at Elgin, Perth, Inverurie, Gleneagles and Stirling.

The numerous BR Sulzer Type 2s operated throughout the UK. We see them as far afield as on Tyne Dock Iron Ore trains, the Tay Bridge, Kyle of Lochalsh, Thurso, Ais Gill, Manchester, North Wales and Dawlish. We also see them on the Cambrian at Llynclyss, on milk Trains at Torrington, china clay trains around Bodmin, and at Bredbury Junction being banked by a Stanier 8F. Even a pair triple heading with a BRCW Type 2 on the “Royal Highlander”!

Finally, there are scenes of BRCW Type 2s working commuter trains at Luton before we head north to see them in later life working on the Kyle of Lochalsh line. There is also rare footage of D6547 hauling Schools Class “Repton” and M7 30053 en route to Canada. Plus footage of piloting Bulleid Pacifics up the ferocious Bincombe Bank, and around Shrewsbury during Crewe Station refurbishment

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

BR Corporate Blue

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B & R No. 191 DVD Diesel Electric Heyday Part 1