Heritage Railway

Railway Round-Up No. 14

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DVD (Kingfisher Production­s, Watershed Mill, Settle, North Yorkshire BD24 9LR, www.railwayvid­eo.com 120mins, £9.95). 2020 was a year that we'd all prefer to forget, so watching a two-hour DVD of it might not sound like the most attractive prospect – but this one reminds us that, pandemic or not, there was still a fair amount of railway action.

It opens with one of the most spectacula­r displays of steam power you're likely to witness – LMS Jubilee No. 45699 Galatea, in its alter ego as No. 45562 Alberta, hurling clag to the heavens as it tackles the steep climb of Miles Platting bank with the ‘Cotton Mill Express' in February.

LMS engines in the north feature heavily in the rest of the programme, such as Scots Guardsman on Shap and the Settle and Carlisle line, but main line steam runs across the country are covered, including Saphos Trains tours to the South West. Some diesels and electrics get a look in, with Locomotive Services Ltd's Class 37 and 47-hauled ‘Staycation Express'on the Settle and Carlisle, and Class 86 No. 86259 ferrying steam tours from London to the north.

The filming is of a high standard and lineside locations are well chosen, with many of the main line sequences – and the camera angles used – emphasisin­g the power of these machines. But there's also a good mix of ‘train in the landscape' scenes and the odd panned shot, as well as storming trackside views.

Once lockdown was eased, several preserved railways are also covered, and there's a couple of things out of the ordinary – the lifting of the Weymouth Quay branch, and the road movement of 7F No. 53808 from the West Somerset Railway to the Mid-Hants Railway, both of which make interestin­g interludes.

Viewers will pick up on a couple of errors in the commentary – Merchant Navy No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co. at the Gloucester­shire Warwickshi­re Railway is described as Port Line, for instance – and there's no option to play it without the narrative, which some may prefer. However, the voiceover is not intrusive, and detracts little from a

well-produced film, which is good value at less than £10.

ENTERTAINI­NG VIEWING

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