West & Wales

Ref: VI328M

Price:£20.00

NOTE: Digital Download (MP4) only (not available on DVD or BLURAY) and unfortunately NOT YET available from us although we've had the download ability on this website for years!. YOU CANNOT ORDER IT. I've only included here for completeness.

Rolling Stone class 59s, the Video 125 film that ‘got away’, is a documentary about Whatley Quarry’s class 59 locomotive fleet filmed in 1992 when the four locomotives had just entered service with ARC Ltd.

Part 1

Whatley Quarry rail development

The quarrying operation

The Class 59 purchase decision

The loco‘s specification

Construction by General Motors in Canada

Delivery

Namings

Maintenance

Cab controls

The class 59 revolutionised the stone carrying business. Just one locomotive can haul a train weighing in excess of 4000 tons.

Part 2

Road test from Whatley to Westbury

Former BR Traction Inspector Chris Crompton and former ARC Rail Traffic Controller Rob Jacob ride aboard loco 59102 with a fully laden stone train. They provide a ‘live’ running commentary on the performance of the loco along with a Driver’s eye view of both the privately owned Whatley branch and the former BR main line. Finally, we see the train’s arrival and unloading at Theale Distribution Depot in Berkshire.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: 1992, Peter Middleton
Narrated by: Philip Hayton
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: MP4 Video
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 81-mins (1hr 11min) , Colour
.

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Ref: VI326D

Price:£25.00

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Exeter St David’s to London Paddington.

We join a brand new class 802 IET (Intercity Express Train) upon arrival at Exeter St David's station en route from Plymouth to London. Our train is formed of 10 coaches and calls at Tiverton Parkway and Taunton before branching off onto the so-called Berks and Hants route, a series of disparate lines connected together to form a shorter and more direct route from the South West to the Capital.

Our train runs non-stop for over 100 miles from Taunton to Reading, only then do we join the original GWR main line into London, having switched from diesel to electric power and travelling at speeds of up to 125 miles per hour.

This cross-country scenic line was filmed during the summer of 2019. There's a great deal of interesting history to the route, only opened as a through line in 1906 with the completion of the last section of new track from Cogload Junction to Castle Cary.

Now is your chance to see this sinuous line as the driver does.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Peter Middleton, Summer 2019
Narrated by: Rob Curling, written by Peter Middleton
Sound: Stereo Sound, Dolby Audio
First published on DVD: Late November 2019
Screen aspect ratio: 16:9 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 125-mins (2hr 5min) , Colour
.

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Ref: VI334D

Price:£25.00

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Penzance to Exeter St David’s

The route is set for our departure from platform 2 at Penzance station in Cornwall, the most western outpost of the GWR network.

This classic GWR main line is seen travelling from west to east for the first time. The route is renowned for its brilliant engineering with dozens of impressive viaducts, the infamous Devon banks, Brunel's iconic Royal Albert Bridge and the Dawlish sea wall, not to mention the superb scenery viewed from the cab of an Intercity Express Train. As well as the usual cab interiors, trackside and station shots, we follow our IET from a helicopter flying overhead.

The fascinating history of this former broad-gauge route, built by three separate companies, is in Rob Curling's narration (with a commentary-off option on disc).

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Peter Middleton, Summer 2022
Narrated by: Rob Curling
Written by: Peter Middleton
Sound: Stereo Sound, Dolby Audio
First published on DVD: Autumn 2022
Screen aspect ratio: 16:9 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 158-mins (2hr 48min) , Colour
.

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Ref: VI302

Total Price:£20.00

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The Welsh Highland narrow gauge steam railway runs from coast to coast through the mountains of the Snowdonia National Park, and what better way of seeing it than from one of the Beyer Garratt steam engines. This is more than just a Driver's eye view. With cameras mounted on the buffer beam and around the cab, we can see the line and the scenery even better than the driver does.

Our ride begins at Caernarfon close to the famous castle, venue of the investiture of Charles the Prince of Wales. We not only see the railway from the locomotive, but also from the stations, the trackside, the carriages and even from the air. The 25 miles of scenic line was only reopened throughout in 2011 and Arfon Haines Davies's narration gives all the fascinating facts and chequered history of the line. This is your chance to see this magnificent route as never before.

Narrated by: Arfon Haines Davies

Availability: AVAILABLE
Published by: Video 125
Filmed by/when: 2013
Narrated by: Arfon Haines Davies
Written by: Peter Middleton
First published on DVD: February 2014
Screen aspect ratio: 16:9 SD or HD (Bluray)
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R
Origination: Digital DV

Running Time: 111-mins (1hr 51min) , Colour
.

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Ref: VI249

Total Price:£20.00

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The term Welsh Marches refers to the border area between Wales and England. The railway diverging from the South Wales Main Line at Newport closely follows the border through Abergavenny, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Nantwich.

We join a 3-car class 175 Coradia DMU en route from Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly on the approach to Newport, the area having only recently been re-signalled to the South Wales Control Centre. From the SWCC, signalling passes to a 1960’s panel signal box at Little Mill and then to traditional mechanical signalling at Abergavenny. Cameras inside all three signal boxes vividly show this technological progression.

Dozens of former and existing junctions coupled with some magnificent scenery make this a fascinating route, filmed in mid-summer sunshine all the way to Crewe. Dozens of mechanical signal boxes control our progress, including Europe’s largest at Shrewsbury. Much of the history of the line as well as the current day operation of this Arriva Trains Wales service is in the narration.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Peter Middleton
Narrated by: Richard Bath, written by Peter Middleton.
First published on DVD: 2012
Screen aspect ratio: 16:0 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Media Format: DVD-R
Origination: Digital DV

Running Time: 115-mins (1hr 55min) , Colour
.

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Ref: VI244

Total Price:£25.00

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The programme begins with a brief look at the abandoned Weymouth Tramway. We then board a 2 car class 150 Sprinter for a Driver's eye view of this former GWR cross country branch known as the Heart of Wessex Line .

For the first few miles we are climbing steeply towards Dorchester over the only electrified line of our 87 mile journey. Sections of single and double track follow, taking us through the last semaphore signalled station on the line, Yeovil Pen Mill. We see inside the box as the single line token is exchanged. We then cut to Westbury Panel to see the process from the other side.

From Castle Cary, we follow the West of England main line through the classic Brunel shed at Frome and on to Westbury with its expansive freight yard. Now we turn towards Trowbridge and follow the Avon valley route through Bradford on Avon to Bath. We then run non-stop to Bristol Temple Meads. This is effectively the Somerset and Dorset line that Beeching didn't close. It is full of historical interest.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: 2012
Narrated by: Richard Bath, written by Peter Middleton.
Written by: Peter Middleton
Sound: Digital Stereo
First published on DVD: 2012
Screen aspect ratio: 16:9 wide screen, SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R

Running Time: 117-mins (1hr 57min) , Colour
.

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