STEAM DRIVER’S EYE VIEW – GREAT EASTERN MAINLINE

• OLDHAM VIDEO PRODUCTIONS

Unique viewpoint of an historic event. Footplate sound muted.

PRICE: £14.95 RATING:

If you’ve ever wondered what is going on at the business end of a main line railtour, then this is as close as it gets, short of actually being on the footplate.

For Oliver Cromwell’s Great Eastern

Main Line finale on February 24, David Oldham repeated his increasingly popular trick of mounting forward-facing miniature cameras on both sides of the firebox to provide a driver and fireman’s perspective of the run between Liverpool Street and Norwich.

You really do feel the thrum of the two-cylinder beat as you will the ‘Brit’ to reach the top of Brentwood bank and race down the gentler grades on the other side.

In addition, there are several glimpses of the action on the footplate as former Stratford man Micky Valla takes hold of the regulator and Craig Stinchcombe keeps the wide firebox well fed.

Some exhilarating running is sadly brought to a premature end north of Diss by a hot big end, but it actually doesn’t detract that much from an absorbing watch. (NB)