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Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by AndrewT, Dec 3, 2012.

  1. AndrewT

    AndrewT Member

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    The Golden Age of Steam.

    Episode 1 of 2
    BBC4 Monday 10th December at 2100

    Duration: 1 hour

    Two-part documentary telling the remarkable story of a band of visionaries
    who rescued some of the little narrow gauge railways that once served Britain's
    industries. These small railways and the steam engines that ran on them were
    once the driving force of Britain's mines, quarries, factories and docks. Then,
    as they disappeared after 1945, volunteers set to work to bring the lines and
    the steam engines back to life and started a movement which spread throughout
    the world. Their home movies tell the story of how they helped millions
    reconnect with a past they thought had gone forever.
     
  2. VolunteerCoord

    VolunteerCoord New Member

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  3. GeoffS75

    GeoffS75 Member

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    Missed this last night so just watched it via the link above. Some great footage in the program.
     
  4. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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  5. houghtonga

    houghtonga Member

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    I particulary enjoyed the section on the Cadeby Light Railway and the Rev. Teddy Boston - it was good to show that Railway Preservation does not always have to be deadly serious (in contrast to the interview with Allan Garraway).

    Suprised the BBC did not recognise Rev. Wilbert Awdry in the Cadeby cine footage! I would imagine it would have been great fun to have gone on one of those famous gricing trips with Messrs Awdry, Boston and Ivo Peters.
     
  6. jtx

    jtx Well-Known Member

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    Me too. I pointed out the Thin Clergyman and the Fat Clergyman to my wife, who said she really enjoyed the programme.
     
  7. paulhitch

    paulhitch Guest

    Yes, it was the Cadeby bit that "came alive" for me rather than the rest of the programme, aided perhaps by memories of a night spent in Cadeby Rectory when I was woken up at dawn by an inquisitive cat! They might have given Jenny Agutter a few tips about Welsh pronunciation I feel.

    Through Teddy Boston I got to know Ivo Peters and did go on one gricing trip but to Merehead quarry rather than the narrow gauge. By that time he had exchanged the Bentley for a BMW which I was quite unable to keep up with, but then I was not the erstwhile driver of an Alfa-Romeo Monza!

    PH
     
  8. John Stewart

    John Stewart Part of the furniture

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    I was pleasantly surprised at a tiny sequence of an 0-4-0ST crossing the river at Tutbury with a very new-looking Nestlé factory in the background. This only two miles from home and only the piers now remain.
     
  9. houghtonga

    houghtonga Member

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    CADEBY LIGHT RAILWAY RULES & REGULATIONS

    ...it has been found that these four rules are adaquate for safe and efficient operation:

    1) At all times when the locomotive is moving under its own steam a 'passed driver' must be on the footplate.
    2) When passengers are being carried the brake on the guards van must be manned by a qualified person.
    3) Them that gets it off gets it on.
    4) Them that makes a suggestion gets given the job.

    Rev. E.R. Boston.

    Simplicity!
     
  10. Meiriongwril

    Meiriongwril Member

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    As usual, not available in the US of A :(
     
  11. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

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  12. paulhitch

    paulhitch Guest

    This is actually better than the recent programme.

    Paul H.
     
  13. darkangel

    darkangel New Member

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    The one major omission as far as personalities are concerened on the section featuring the FR deviation was Bunny Lewis, the Deviation Site Manager who died on April 28th 2006.

    He was a top bloke.
     
  14. AndrewT

    AndrewT Member

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    Available Light, the independent production company responsible, has enough material for a four part series but the BBC wouldn't buy it so a lot of stuff remains on the cutting room floor.
     
  15. GHWood

    GHWood Member

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    What a shame. Perhaps they could be convinced to do a 'directors cut' on DVD?

    That said, we ought to be grateful that the BBC has shown 2 hours of footage about railway preservation! I think someone at BBC4 likes trains (there was series of programmes in 2008 as well if I recall correctly....).
     
  16. msharp

    msharp New Member

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    When BBC4 first had its golden age of steam night in 2008 with Ian Hislop on railways and the Tornado documentary it got its highest ratings to that point. So from a BBC4 perspective steam trains sell, though I imagine its like Top Gear, something the management tolerate but don't like.The BARB figures for these recent shows haven't been released. Will be interesting to see what they were.
     
  17. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    It has been suggested to me that there is a "gender issue" in the way that the BBC commission programmes.

    Emma Swain, Controller, Knowledge (Documentaries etc come under Knowledge)
    Helen Blenkinsop, Commissioning Management, Head of Network Supply

    See BBC - Commissioning TV - Who we are

    And BBC - Commissioning TV - How we commission is the way it is supposed to work.

    But as Francis Urquhart would say, "I couldn't possibly comment.".
     
  18. Meiriongwril

    Meiriongwril Member

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    You mean there are 11 men listed on the 'who we are' page, and 6 women. Your point being ...?


     
  19. AndrewT

    AndrewT Member

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    BARB viewing figures for the NG ep of Golden Age: 1.2 million people watched Monday and the Wednesday repeat, making it the most popular BBC4 show of the week.
     
  20. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    Two women have primary management responsibility for documentaries. It is a plausible hypothesis that they are less sympathetic to commissioning programmes about the history of preserved steam railways.
     

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