Southern

East Coastway and Marshlink (145 mins)

Ref: VI907D

The hourly Southern service to Ashford (Kent) nowadays starts at Brighton, running fast to Eastbourne stopping only at Lewes and Polegate.

At Eastbourne the 2 –car class 171 diesel multiple unit reverses to continue along the coast to Hastings calling at Bexhill and St Leonards Warrior Square.

Our train continues beneath the semaphore signals towards Ore where the third rail runs out. From here we run fast along the single line to the ancient town of Rye.

Now we run across Romney Marsh, the flat landscape giving the line its name. After the unstaffed halt at Appledore, situated roughly one mile from the village, our train calls at one of the staggered platforms of Ham Street Station followed by the terminus at Ashford International.

We then jump back to Lewes and join the driver in the cab of a 3-car class 377 electric multiple unit for the short trip down the scenic branch line to Seaford.

Calling at Newhaven Town and Harbour the line becomes single and continues along the coast through Bishopstone into the terminus at Seaford, the latter two stations retaining different but classic Southern railway buildings.

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

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Kent Coast (100 mins)

Ref: VI911D

The start of our journey around the north eastern tip of the Isle of Thanet is the seaside town of Ramsgate.

The town has been on the railway map since 1846. Eventually two rival companies served the town for over fifty years until the Southern Railway built a connecting line between the two. Even today, there are two main routes into the town, one via Ashford from Charing Cross and the route we are taking via Chatham into London Victoria.

Our 4 coach class 375 Electrostar starts off as the hourly fast service calling at selected stations to Faversham.

Here we join up with a similar 4 car set from Dover. We then call at Sittingbourne and the Medway Towns

of Rainham, Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester. Once over the Medway itself, our 8 coach train runs fast to Victoria calling only at Bromley South.

This journey of 100 minutes is shown virtually in real time.

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

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1066 DC (90-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI941D

Hastings To London Charing Cross

At the Southern end, three stations around St Leonards are separated by two long tunnels. At Bopeep Junction our "4-CEP" EMU - in the much lamented "Jaffa cake" colour scheme - turns north through the East Sussex countryside through Battle to Tunbridge Wells. The character of the line changes at Tonbridge as we join the main artery from Ashford, Dover and Folkestone.

Two lines become four at Orpington - the start of the commuter belt. By the time we race toward London Bridge, our fast lines are lost in a bewildering maze of tracks. Finally, after traversing the junctions with Cannon Street and the Thameslink line, we cross Hungerford Bridge and enter platform 5 at London’s most central terminus, Charing Cross.

The Hastings line became famous for its tunnels. Many were singled to allow the passage of standard width stock at the time of the 1980s electrification.

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

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Connex Express (50-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI981D

The video actually begins at Wolverton with a brief look at the class 319 EMUs’ metamorphosis. Then to Brighton for the start of the 50 minute journey, seen virtually in real time. Filmed in 1998, Connex Expresses ran between the south coast and the capital with just one intermediate stop at East Croydon. The trains then ran non-stop through Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport and even Clapham Junction!

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

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Uckfield Thumper (61-mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI935D

Uckfield to East Croydon

These unique trains have long been called Thumpers due to their distinctive sound. Now, after the units' well earned retirement this record of their unmistakeable sound (from trackside and on board) lives on in stereo.

Surprisingly, the Uckfield branch is fascinating in itself. It is the stub of a former through route from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes. Nowadays the route features both single and double track sections. Following the fatal head on collision at Cowden in 1994,strict new operating procedures were put into place including the provision of SPAD* signals at stategic points.

You will see these as the driver does from the cab.The line runs through classic Kent and Sussex countryside with, surprisingly, only three towns of any significant population. At Oxted we take a brief look inside the signalling centre and then our Thumper, 205 009, runs non-stop to East Croydon.

* Signal Passed At Danger

Made in assocation with South Central Trains

Filmed in the summer of 2003

Price: £16.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £13.33 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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Wessex (93mins) (DVD)

Ref: VI969D

Weymouth to London Waterloo

This Driver's eye view begins with a brief look at the unique street-running quay "tramway" from a class 73 Electro-Diesel Locomotive.

On the main line out of Weymouth heading north aboard a class 442 Wessex Electric, we climb up towards Dorchester South. Turning east the train calls at the intermediate stations as far as Poole and Bournemouth, with their classic causeway approaches.

Speeding up, we call at Brockenhurst (for connection with the Lymington branch) and pass through the delightful stretch of unspoilt New Forest to Southampton. We then run non-stop at up to 100 mph along the old LSWR quadruple track main line via Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction into Waterloo.

The original VHS tape ommitted the Winchester/Basingstoke section for time reasons. The DVD version has this restored but as a menu option and you can view the missing section from Winchester to Basingstoke. (No commentary of course nor any cut-aways). In addition the publisher has put the camera rushes of the Weymouth street "tramway" onto the menu as well. Once again there is of course no commentary but with the line quite likely never to be used again, this is unique footage running for about 30 minutes and showing the entire progress of our train from the cab of a class 73.

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

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The Swanage Railway Experience (60 mins)

Ref: VI909D

Each year, thousands of holidaymakers experience the thrill of riding through the picturesque Purbeck Hills on one of the Swanage Railway’s classic steam trains. The line runs for 5½ miles from a new Park and Ride station at Norden through the unique Corfe Castle station and Harman’s Cross into the small seaside town of Swanage.

Today’s railway is thriving and this film takes you on a guided tour of the line by steam train, looks behind the scenes and talks with some of the staff and volunteers who work on the line. To look at the railway today, it’s hard to believe that in 1972, under British Rail, the line was run down and closed, the track taken up and the buildings left to decay. With the aid of old photographs and archive film, we recall the mammoth struggle to rebuild the line - from scratch!

Price: £13.00 (Including VAT at 20%)
Price: £10.83 Excluding VAT (non-EU countries e.g.Australia)

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