Great British Railways [5 DVD GIFT TIN]

This programme compares how things have changed on Southern Rail from the early days. It offers much rare footage beginning at one of the most important places on the system, the Ashford works, which were an oasis of steam with three of Harry Wainwright’s C class locomotives employed there as shunters. As we travel on to the Channel ports, we can see how these towns have changed with little sign of their previous existence as important destinations for boat trains.

A nostalgic look at the GWR ‘God’s Wonderful Railway’ as it was in the 1950s and 1960s and more recently. Archive scenes capture the true essence of the GWR with its Brunellian stations and the station platforms, engines, lines, freight yards and engine sheds. We can enjoy magnificent engines including some of the Castle and King Class that were turned out at Swindon. These include the 4079 Pendennis Castle, 5029 Nunney Castle, 7020 Gloucester Castle, 6000 King George V, 6024 King Edward I and others.

Featuring rarely seen archive footage this programme offers a glimpse into Britains Railways as it recalls how things have changed from the 1950s and the glory days of steam to recent times. We see the dramatic changes that have happened with the elimination of steam, pre and post-Beeching closures, the loss of freight traffic to road haulage and long distance passenger traffic to planes and cars.