The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Plant Display, Ponteland, June 1961
Interest in the renewing of railway track might be confined to a select group, but the bewildering variety of equipment on show here cannot help but impress and fascinate.
From the collection of:
Overview
With just under two years to go to the Beeching Report of March 1963, which famously axed 5,000 miles of track, British Rail demonstrate how keen they were to renew and maintain what remained of the 19,000 route miles. This astonishing array of permanent way equipment, gathered together and demonstrated here at Ponteland near Newcastle in 1961, is testimony to this. Some of the weird contraptions on show would surely have made great Dinky models.
This is one of a large collection of British Rail, and some pre- British Rail, films inherited by the track renewals company Fastline in 1996, and passed on to Fastline Photography when they folded in 2010. Although undoubtedly the Beeching cuts marked a highly significant moment for British railways, already the 1950s had seen the disappearance of more than 3,000 miles of track. The Ponteland line into Newcastle itself closed in 1967. Yet British Rail were embarked on a programme of modernisation of the railway entailing the replacement or repair of 2,000 miles of track a year, using highly sophisticated equipment which could lay track at each site at the rate of one mile per day.
Related
Farewell to Steam Farewell to Steam
Amateur film 1966 3 mins Silent Location: Hampshire
A film maker's attempt to record the last steam-hauled passenger and freight trains running along the West of England mainline from Waterloo
Track Testing Track Testing
1976 8 mins Silent
Testing times as we make a journey on board British Rail's High Speed Track Recording Coach.
Training Diesel Drivers Training Diesel Drivers
Non-Fiction 1962 6 mins Location: Derby
Farewell to the faithful steam war-horse as modernisation brings diesel power to the railways of Britain.
Inter-city Magic Inter-city Magic
Documentary 1977 1 mins Silent
Not-so-special special effects add the magic touch to this kitsch British Rail commercial.
Blue Pullman Blue Pullman
Industry sponsored film 1960 24 mins
A new luxury express is put through its paces. This film looks over the shoulders of the select band of craftsmen, engineers and operators, whose combined skills try to ensure that a train journey is a delightful experience.
A Future on Rail A Future on Rail
Industry sponsored film 1957 9 mins
A 1957 film examining the future for British Railways, and some of the opportunities provided by a new modernisation plan.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.