“Steam Routes” is a series of films featuring steam traction along specific routes rather than areas, mostly using previously unseen 1960s archive film. Here our fourth instalment contains film of the West Coast Main Line from Tebay and Shap Summit to Carlisle, Beattock Summit and onwards via Carstairs to Glasgow.

We start at Tebay with views of the banking operations to the summit at Shap plus operations at the quarry exchange siding, before descending to Penrith for scenes at the station and its approaches. The line to Keswick, Bassenthwaite & Arnside is visited with an Ivatt 2-6-0 hauled railtour in 1966.

At Carlisle Citadel station, steam is all around and being used on normal service trains as well as railtours. Engines featured include Ivatt 2-6-2Ts, Britannias, Clans, Black 5s, Coronations plus some ex-LNER locomotives from Edinburgh. There is plenty of steam action at Carlisle Kingmoor depot!

Northwards, we travel along the ex-NBR Waverley Route to Riddings and visit the Langholm branch with a J39 0-6-0. A4s and A2s are also seen on specials on the Waverley Route. We return back to the WCML at Rockcliff and Gretna for views of passing steam hauled trains.

Travelling further northwards, we visit Dumfries, on the ex-GSWR main line, and the former “Port Road” to Stranraer for scenes at Castle Douglas plus token exchanging at Crossmichael with a Crab 2-6-0! More scenes at Dumfries station include 4472 on a special and we return to the WCML at Lockerbie for some depot shunting with a Pickersgill tank! We continue on to Beattock for footage of the station, yard and the banking operations for the climb to the 1015ft summit. There are even views inside Beattock Summit signal box and passing locomotives include Clan Pacifics and A4 “Kingfisher” on a freight!

Finally, we descend to Carstairs, Carluke, Motherwell and into the suburbs of Glasgow including Wemyss and Gourock before arriving at Glasgow Central with steam and blue electrics.

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

Crab 2-6-0

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B & R No. 176 DVD Steam Routes No. 4 Shap to Glasgow

B & R No. 71 DVD Lancashire and Yorkshire Memories Part 5