Midland & North

Chiltern Take Two (94-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI943D

Taken in 1989, this is now an "archive" film! It shows the old Great Central/Great Western Joint line running through High Wycombe and Princes Risborough etc. The joint line actually starts at Northolt Junction in Middlesex and runs to the one time Ashenden Junction in Buckinghamshire. Both the GWR and the GCR built their own connections to this joint line, the former out of Paddington and the latter from Marylebone.

Here we experience them both, starting out from Paddington aboard what was in 1989, the only passenger train of the day still to use the old GWR link.

The 18.12 commuter express hauled by class 50 "Ark Royal" takes us via Old Oak Common West Junction through Greenford to Northolt Junction ("Take One").

"Take Two" shows the GCR link from Marylebone aboard a first generation DMU (class 115). At the time of filming this was London's last Terminus to be signalled by semaphores. This time we go right through Northolt and all the way to Banbury. The high spot, is High Wycombe which was little changed since steam days and boasted an amazing array of points and semaphore signals.

Along the route there are also snippets from within many of the mechanical and power signal boxes just before the total route modernisation swept most of them away.

Price: £15.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £12.50 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Cross City (77-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI968D

Redditch - Lichfield via Birmingham New Street. Narrated by Kay Alexander. Stereo 77 minutes.

Birmingham's premier suburban railway underwent a total metamorphosis in the mid 1990s with electrification and brand new trains. The class 323 electric multiple units were designed specifically for the Cross-City route and provide a frequent service of 4 trains per hour throughout the day, over most of the line.

We travel the full distance from Redditch to Lichfield Trent Valley passing through the centre of Birmingham and

Britain's major hub station, Birmingham New Street. Narrator Kay Alexander is a BBC TV Midlands Today presenter, who has been closely associated with the line since opening the new station at Redditch.

Stations also called at include: Alvechurch, Barnt Green, Longbridge, Northfield, King's Norton, Bourneville, Selly Oak, University, Five Ways, Duddleston, Aston, Gravelly Hill, Erdington, Chester Road, Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Butlers Lane, Blake Street, Shenstone and Lichfield City.

Price: £12.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £10.00 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Cumbrian Coast (90-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI978D

One of the least well-known areas of Britain, we travel to the Cumbrian Coast by means of two different trains. Firstly, we board a North West Regional Railways Express (class 156) which traverses the former Furness Railway via Grange-over-Sands and Ulvertston to Barrow-in-Furness. There we change to a class 153 for the most scenic section of the route along the coast from Bootle to Maryport, filmed in what can only be described as 100% perfect weather - not a cloud in the sky!

Price: £15.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £12.50 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Lickey Voyager (107-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI933D

Bristol - Birmingham - Derby

We join an Exeter to Newcastle service formed of a five car Virgin Super Voyager at Bristol Temple Meads station. The limited stop service calls next at Bristol Parkway before branching off the Great Western onto the former Bristol and Gloucester Railway. By-passing Gloucester by means of the south loop, the next stop is Cheltenham Spa.

Now we run non-stop all the way to Birmingham New Street via Bromsgrove and the notorious Lickey Incline. This is the two mile long ascent of the Lickey Hills at a gradient of 1 in 37 ¾, the steepest bank on any main line in Great Britain. From Birmingham New Street our class 221 takes the former Birmingham and Derby

Junction Railway running non-stop at up to 125 miles an hour through Tamworth and Burton on Trent to reach the county town of Derbyshire.

Much of the fascinating history of the route is related by Alan Hardwick, long-time anchor of Yorkshire Television’s evening news programme Calendar.

This driver’s eye view was filmed in the clear blue skies of a summer’s day from start to finish.

Price: £20.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £16.67 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Midland Mainline (99-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI990D

London St.Pancras to Sheffield

Filmed from the cab of a High Speed Train, St Pancras station was filmed just before the overhead wires were taken down prior to the rebuilding of the terminus to handle channel tunnel trains in 2007. The famous gasometers have also since been removed.

The first 50 miles of the Midland main line are under the wires of Thameslink as far as Bedford. Stations passed include Elstree, St Albans and Luton.Then Sharnbrook, Desborough and Kibworth summits follow in quick succession, these banks infamous in steam days. Nowadays the first stop is Leicester - a distance of 100 miles!

A change of scene as we head north from Derby through the delightful Peak district stopping at Chesterfield and terminating at Sheffield.

As usual, numerous trackside shots show the train tearing past the camera with stereo sound to match.

Click [LINK] for a 1991 view of the same route! Spot the differences!

Price: £20.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £16.67 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Royal Scot Parts 1 & 2 (189-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI974D

Britain's West Coast Main Line viewed from the driving cab of the former INTERCITY's crack express from London to Glasgow.

Part one covers the leg from Euston to Preston,scheduled to run non-stop at a maximum speed of 110mph behind a classic class 87 electric loco. The route takes us via Watford Junction, Milton Keynes, Rugby, Stafford and Crewe.

Due to a broken rail the train takes an unscheduled diversion onto the slow line for a few miles north of Watford.

Part two covers the second leg of the 401 mile journey to Glasgow Central, running via Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, and Carstairs. Our class 87 manages to maintain a speed of 90 mph over the legendary 1 in 75 banks up to Shap and Beattock summits - an achievement that would have been unimaginable in steam days. (DVD only)

Price: £20.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £16.67 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Settle & Carlisle (90-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI999D

Skipton to Carlisle

We join our 2 car Sprinter at Skipton. This fast service takes us through the restored junction station at Hellifield complete with semaphore signalling. We join the famous long drag at Settle Junction - 15 miles of almost continuous climb up to Blea Moor. The 24 arch Ribblehead viaduct is seen from the air as well as from the driver’s cab. Our sprinter disappears into the long tunnels at Blea Moor and Rise Hill while we fly over the top for a surprising view! The Long Drag is shown almost in real time with Appleby to Carlisle discretely condensed into half an hour.

Price: £20.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £16.67 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Trans Pennine Express (81-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI991D

Manchester Piccadilly to York

The main rail line over the Pennines via Huddersfield, sees four Transpenninexpresses plying the route every hour. The line climbs or falls almost continuously for 43 miles, the only level section being inside Standedge Tunnel, the major feature of the line.

The tunnel is the fourth longest on the national network at 3 miles 66 yards. Both it and the other major tunnel at Morley are seen (and heard) from the driver's cab with the aid of additional lighting.

Today's route incorporates the lines of various pre-grouping companies with no less than ten significant junctions being traversed between Manchester and Leeds. Our class 158 Express then continues to York over another three - the last of which brings us onto the East Coast Main Line. As well as gradients, junctions and tunnels, the route also features track circuit block signalling.

Last, but not least Yorkshire Television's Geoff Druett tells of the fascinating history.

Price: £20.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £16.67 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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One Day in Severn (105 mins)

Ref: VI954D

A day in the life of Shrewsbury's Severn Bridge Junction signal box. Using a multiple-camera outside broadcast unit we covered the action 'live' on a busy summer Saturday on 30th June 1990. Looking back it is amazing how the trains have changed. There were still loco hauled InterCitys from Euston, loco hauled onto the Cambrian Coast (remember the old Regional Railways?) first generation DMUs in abundance, parcels trains, general freight and even a steamer!

The programme starts with a thorough description of the area and looks inside all three fringe boxes. HTV presenter Arfon then discusses events as they happen with Area Movements Inspector Bernard Hitch. If you have never visited a large mechanical signal box here is the next best thing.

Price: £10.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £8.33 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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