Surely I can't be the only American who heard "San Diego" at 0:46! (What the narrator actually said was "Messrs. Taylor Brothers of Sandiacre", an English Midlands village conveniently located online to the LM&S.)

@johnward374

3 жыл бұрын

I didn't know he hadn't said that until you pointed it out. John UK

@SirReginaldBlomfield1234

3 жыл бұрын

JoeRailfan.. I'm English and on first hearing it sounds like it. I got Sandiacre after listening very carefully . near Nottingham not California !!!!

@royfearn4345

3 жыл бұрын

I'm English, and I thought, "san diego??? ..... ahh, of course, sandiacre" about 7 miles from my birthplace and pretty close to the unit that pressure creosoted timber sleepers, and very central to the whole Midland Division. Presumably the ex LNWR division had its own trackwork department at this time?

@xr6lad

3 жыл бұрын

I'm an British/Aussie, and I thought it was San Diego as well. Had to rewind to listen again as I thought 'why would they have brought it all from the usa'

@georgejetson7201

2 жыл бұрын

I'm an Aussie who's father actually worked at Taylor Bros in the 60's so my ears picked it up immediately. If you haven't already seen it there's a beauty on you tube which actually shows the junction being created at Taylor Bros. "Junction Renewal" - How points and junctions on a railway are made. kzread.info/dash/bejne/ipeF1daFk9vPibA.html

"1100 tons of spoil was removed ..." All by men with picks and shovels wearing flat caps, waistcoats and string round the leggings. And a couple wearing ex Army battledress blouses. A couple of years before this most of these blokes would have been fighting a war. Truly the greatest generation.

@meh11235

2 жыл бұрын

The generation afraid to talk about true history, as they suffered war beyond what we can imagine. It's very sad, they are probably the greatest though stifled and shell shocked to down to the DNA

@Isochest

2 жыл бұрын

Truly strong and resilient people. They were the people who made our country great despite the severe trauma they endured

@stephenrice4554

Жыл бұрын

Well said , I've done a bit of digging out during a thickwork renewal at weybridge . Fair amount of old ballast and it can put a thirst on you . But that much at St pancreas, tough lads .

@iainhughes6637

Жыл бұрын

I started on the railway in 1982 and even then a lot of the old guys dressed like those in the video. The railway never really became automated until the 2000s and even when I started a lot of the work was manual including rerailing, clipping up ballasting new ballast from the 4ft and ends or boxing in, fish plate oiling, regrading wet beds retimbering. It was hard work with tough guys doing it but the camaraderie was excellent. Good old days, though it did not feel like it at the time on a 16 to 18 hour shift in all winds and weathers every WE.

@iainhughes6637

Жыл бұрын

I started on the railway in 1982 and even then a lot of the old guys dressed like those in the video. The railway never really became automated until the 2000s and even when I started a lot of the work was manual including rerailing, clipping up ballasting new ballast from the 4ft and ends or boxing in, fish plate oiling, regrading wet beds retimbering. It was hard work with tough guys doing it but the camaraderie was excellent. Good old days, though it did not feel like it at the time on a 16 to 18 hour shift in all winds and weathers every WE.

Just look at the manpower needed to carry out this work on the track's, my father used to do this in the 1960's up until the 80's, it was mostly manual work which was tough on the back and walking on ballast was hard on the feet, and the pay wasn't that good, but it was a job for life, and you got to bring railway sleepers home to burn on the open fire!

@ianjones4116

2 жыл бұрын

I did it for 10yrs,,wish I was still there. Dont forget Sleeper Fence, sleeper base for shed sleeper shed sleeper pond sleeper off cuts as axle stands,,,, list is endless. 😂

@stephenrice4554

Жыл бұрын

Those old sleepers could shoot your chimney up , we got a brush with a brick under it on a length of rope , lobbed it down the chimney every 10 days or so . Stopped the chimney fire .

1947 the very year I was born, loved watching this.

@Coltnz1

2 жыл бұрын

‘47 was indeed a vintage year!

The irony is not lost on me (and others, I'm sure) that these fantastic, historic British railway videos are being uploaded by a delightful, Australian railway! Thank you! For those unfamiliar with the geography, Sandiacre where it is stated that the track sections were manufactured is a suburb of Derby and so conveniently located down the main line from St.Pancras.

@Uftonwood2

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I couldn't think why they needed to get the track from America.

@SirReginaldBlomfield1234

3 жыл бұрын

I thought he said San Diego too ! But I am old and deaf so no shame either.

@deadpresident78

5 ай бұрын

Thanks, I love comment info.

@stuarthall6631

5 ай бұрын

Thank you! You are very welcome! @@deadpresident78

@xr6lad

3 ай бұрын

It seems sadly the powers that be have been deleting some recently from BBR based on the some copyright claim. This one is still here but several others of the same vintage from the same sources suddenly came up with a ‘removed due to copyright’ claim.

Looking how tough that work was I'm not surpised going to the pub of an evening was so popular back then.

As a former CNR switchman/brakeman (T-Bay) turned Boilermaker (40 years this year) I could really relate to many aspects of this activity. That steam-powered crane was awesome - like a big T-Rex that rides on rails! Back when British labour was cheap and plentiful! I wondered more than once how long all these 'upgrades' lasted - either before they fell apart or were upgrade again by newer technology. Excellent fun, thanks, 💖 🇨🇦

Sounds like there was a small orchestra laid on to keep the lads’ spirits up, and very nice too. Plus a nice cup of tea every now and then… Seriously hard work.

Hard times indeed, total respect to the men. I was born the same year as filmed, looking back I never realised how the the atmosphere was so murky compared to today

@xr6lad

3 ай бұрын

I suppose a lot of coal and wood was still being used in homes for heating and cooking.

Fabulous video , incredibly interesting to see how they did all that work back then and the music is delightful...thanks so much.

9:50 Cowan and Sheldon crane made in the St Nicholas works Carlisle now a shopping mall. There's a pub called The Cranemakers nearby. Sadly missed in Carlisle replaced by low paid retail jobs.

Crikey, that hand rail sawing rig looked like hard work!

@upwellonwards7373

3 жыл бұрын

It is i used one at a heritage railway some years ago along with the hand tool for tightning chair screws not ideal in a heatwave

@thomashenderson3901

3 жыл бұрын

@@upwellonwards7373 I can imagine! Good to hear some of these tools are still in use.

@upwellonwards7373

3 жыл бұрын

@@thomashenderson3901 the hand crank drill for the fishplate bolts was a devil kept jamming

'11 hundred tons of spent ballast removed', watching the film it was done by hand, by a huge gang of labourers. Blimey, that's hard work!

Most enjoyable, informative and a visual delight. My word those Guys earned every shilling for their efforts. Such manual labour was par for the course in those days, bless'em. Not a "hard hat" to be seen!

@Ghauster

2 жыл бұрын

Back in those days you had a hat that would help keep the sweet out of your eyes.

Very interesting to watch, but such a hard work

Have you noticed how slim everyone was back then

@RHR-221b

3 жыл бұрын

👍 🍻 😎

@thebrothers3971

3 жыл бұрын

They had recently been on starvation diet due to ww2.

@RHR-221b

3 жыл бұрын

@@thebrothers3971 Agreed. The men and women worked, using what was available for nourishment and survival. What would we do after being involved in a Total War, t? Stay free. 🍻 💚 😎

@SirReginaldBlomfield1234

3 жыл бұрын

I think rationing carried on until 1956, from memory.

@Weird.Dreams

3 жыл бұрын

Conversely, have you noticed how many of these hi-vis wearing fannies nowadays are balding and overweight?

This Famous London Terminus St Pancras Station Was Opened On 1st October 1868 From The Midland Railway During The Victorian Times By The Late 19th Century. When The London Midland And Scottish Railway Took It Over In 1923 And British Railways Took It Over As Well Too In 1948 By The Beginning Of The 20th Century. Thanks Mate. X

Lovely jaunty music track to accompany these backbreaking and dangerous tasks!

Thank you so much for these uploads Brilliant stuff 👍👍

Totally awesome and a very historical documentary. I spent many years spottin there on tour of London stations/depots in the 80's and 90's. Little did i know there was a lady loco driver, sometimes stabling a class 56 into St.Pancras. 2 decades later, one of my listeners on pirate radio turned out to be her. A rare breed of woman lol, i couldnt believe she actually became my girlfriend for a short while. But that was why i called myself dj trainspotter, just in case 'the ultimate spotters dream' was listening to my broadcasts haha!!!! The stories i have are unique and very rare (and heartbreaking too). I believe i am the only trainspotter to of been that lucky eh! :)

@johnward374

3 жыл бұрын

No I am. Because I was an avid train spotter in the 1950s. Then I started on the railway 1 day after my 15th birthday in 1961. I drove steam engines when my driver let me and later as a regular driver myself drove. DMUs ,class 31/37/40/45/46/47/90/125/225 also a variety of units such as 123/141/142/143/144/150/153/155/156/158/321/322 . Left the rails in 2008 at 61 and married for the first time at 64 to my gorgeous Ukrainian fiance 20 years younger than me. We have just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. So yes I am a lucky guy.

@djtrainspotter3079

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnward374 Gawd, no! Thats not quite unique is it lol. Check my channel out to understand what i meant. I guess u was based at NL, LO or BG depots? She was at OC, the 2nd female loco driver based there. And she drove the following classes: 101,104, 108, 116, 117, 118, 121 and loco classes for over 25 years 08, 09, 31, 33, 37, 47, 50, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 66 and 67.

@johnward374

3 жыл бұрын

@@djtrainspotter3079 Hi. That's quite a list of DMUs. I didn't list them myself but most of those units I did in fact drive including 124s The TransPennine sets that ran from Liverpool to Hull with a buffet bar. I moved to Holbeck 1968 then later then to Leeds Stn. This depot when NL and Bradford also combined was the the biggest footplate depot in the UK.

@djtrainspotter3079

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnward374 A fine selection of classes sir. Yes shame i'm not old enough to of seen 123's or 46's but being in 3rd rail land here, there were plenty of Hastings and thumper units etc this way, as well as the 'exotic' EMU's lol. Yes NL is a rather large depot, went there once up from Kent before the 308's were replaced.

Brilliant, the Health and Safety folks wouldn’t know where to start if this was today would they?

@insane944

3 жыл бұрын

Risk assessments swp method statement insurance And what size your stool is when you go to toilet 😆

@paulrounding5260

2 жыл бұрын

No trade unionist or women in sight, they would have had a pint before going home for dinner, just coming out the oven my lovely.

The film has given me back ache! 😊

@steveib724

3 жыл бұрын

Dude me too for sure these guy's broke there ass lmfao

Wonderful narration.....such clarity. Reminds me of John Snagge.

One of the last LMS publicity films. The background music is rather whimsical for such a mundane topic.

@xenon53827

3 жыл бұрын

A bit over enthusiastic, but better than having somebody banging away on a piano…

@acehandler1530

3 жыл бұрын

I agree, very 'cartoonish' - Mickey Mouse on the High Seas!

I was born the year this film was made. Work methods had changed little from when the railways were first built 50-100 years before. However In my lifetime work like this has progressed from being mostly manual to being mostly carried out by very expensive machines, with manual labour minimised wherever possible. Plus planning projects like this would have been done on paper by armies of clerks, whereas in today's world project planning is computerised. Finally H&SAW in the UK took another 30 years to become something that people thought about, and the world is, in the main, better for it. So, all in all in this example and others like it, life is relatively easy now compared to then, so be thankful for what you have got and don't moan about what a hard life you have got

Great! Really enjoyed this film.

These fellah's knew they'd done a hard days work. All muscle and sweat against unyielding steel, stone and wood. And all done on rationed food and post war privations. I take my hat off to them!

Magnificent ,uk engineering ,ingenuity,planing and good old hard work, very much like network rail today.

These would have been the same guys that would be out the night following a blitz attack to rebuild the destroyed tracks so there was barely a delay in train services during the war a few years earlier. Well experienced.

Such cheerful music for obviously back-breaking work. I wonder if these workers were feeling this giddy and light-hearted!

@Coltnz1

2 жыл бұрын

And don’t forget food was still rationed.

All that "Man power",And no double time on a Sunday,, thank you

Great piece of film of stuff that was taken for granted, with 'clipped' accent narration, of its time. Years before mechanisation of permanent way work, huge gangs of men (with hats, berets) shifting 1100 tonnes (!) of ballast, also sleepers, rails, dismantling and relaying the whole junction and this was pre-BR days too. Hard, heavy work in all weathers, they must have had some stories to tell. The old coal drops disappeared around the 1960's and gasometers were moved across the adjacent canal in the early 2000's, there is also a nature reserve (Camley Street) just beyond the area of where these gasometers stood. Also, the lookout man at 2.50 looks a bit like Sid James to me......

Totally fascinating !!! Totally fascinating !!! Humourous, I found the cutting of the rail by hand sawing ! Now it would probably be chopped with a power saw in 5 minutes. I completely enjoyed this. Thank you so very much. I subscribed. Aarre Peltomaa of Mississauga, Ontario

@stephenrice4554

Жыл бұрын

Still using hand saws and augers in the 80s when I started

@chugwaterjack4458

6 ай бұрын

And hand drilling horizontally for the signal work!

This work was done by gangs of men from local areas including the St Pancras gangs. These were the men who's day job was patrolling and maintaining the track, so it was in all their interests to make a good job of the initial re-laying to minimise future problems. Sadly, as so aptly shown in the film, scant regard was given to the men's safety, a matter not properly addressed until the H&SAW act came in.

O H and S, what was that???? So much has changed, men with no gloves, no high vis clothing hard hats and so much hard graft. Note the man with the giant hacksaw cutting a rail, simply amazing . I can remember ST Pancras in the very late 50s and into the slate 60s. How much it has changed, all that track gone and now St Pancras international. I love the old gasometers between St Pancras and KX, they have cleverly kept the wonderful Victorian ironwork and built apartments in the middle. Nice to see that they still stand.

Great film, but oh dear , that music!

Safety boots, no other PPE, no hi viz vests nothing. A great job done in a very short time hard after the end of hostilities. And a shortage of steel as well.

A couple of dozen British blokes were needed for this. Fast forward 50 years and a multi billiion quid similar experiment took place at Euston at the behest of a tax evader which took two years and more money than most people can undertand and in the process, these 1940s blokes made a difference, whereas in 1990s the change amounted to the square root of sweet fork all.

Those guys certainly earned their money in those days.

Love the music, vastly out of scale so to speak but the clipped accent of the narrator is even better. If you spoke like this nowadays, they would look at you gone out.

One day, whilst working in the excess fares booth, a passenger approached me and asked me how she might catch a train to St. Pancreas. I kid you not. A wonderful moment.

Proper work, no going to the gym after a shift.

@gazs4731

3 жыл бұрын

Didn't need to go to the gym after doing that work all day - todays guys just can't hack it

@xr6lad

6 ай бұрын

@@gazs4731beta males go to the gym these days to look like real workers.

8.42 that saw made me shudder. Thought our petrol saw was slow. But !! It got him off the shovel for a while . 😀

To think when I was on the PWAY we had the luxury of mechanized plant equipment.

"Make sure you wear your tracklaying tie!"

Nice.

Hard work in those days.

Railways to the Brits, is like water to the fish!

That's spooky - @6.00 - 6th stage - 27/7/47 - I'm watching this in 27/7/21 !

Bullhead rail being cut by hand. And lovely weather for the whole job. Better than in pouring rain.

3:45-4:04 Six men lift a short section of rail onto a wagon by hand. 4:09 Narrator: "Crane-power was used to the maximum possible extent." 4:37-4:52 Nine men lift a short section of rail onto a wagon by hand. 🤔

@xr6lad

6 ай бұрын

Well they didn’t want to strain or break the crane! It was valuable. Now straining or breaking the men didn’t matter. They came cheap!

Noted that a waltz was playing while the workers were lifting and carrying tracks...

Amazing audio and video quality. How and where were the original films stored?

I worked with a group recently that discovered buried railroad in what was thought to be empty farm land....as recorded by census and historical local data. Is your company able to identify production componentry and manufacturer of possible old world construction?

No gloves, no hard hat, no hi-vis, bet there was plenty nipped fingers in those days, no modern track laying machinery either..They were hard workers them guys..

8:42 WOW! I'm watching this in awe! Is that really how they used to cut rails? (A rhetorical question) Just looking at the little rig he's got there, it would take all day to cut through that rail! Surely they had air or steam powered tools to speed up the process somewhat? Unless I'm missing something here. Doesnt seem to be powered by my eye.

My Station from Kettering to London

My grandad worked in gang liked that 50 years service Los

they worked hard back in the old days.

Re. what sounds like "All the trackwork was manufactured by Messrs. Taylor Brothers of San Diego" (0:44); It was actually made by Taylor Brothers of *Sandiacre*, Derbyshire, England. :) HTH

@Scotford_Maconochie

15 күн бұрын

San Diego was quite a distance from St Pancras especially for that era

How many tracks did St.Pancras have at this time? I can never find a solid answer for the number before the 2000’s rebuild. Thanks

Not a pair of gloves in sight!

@steveib724

3 жыл бұрын

True butt they all have nice hat's funny

@SIRafiq

3 жыл бұрын

No hard hats, smoking permitted, on job!

Where was the orchestra situated to accompany the men in their work?

Nessa época já era uma maravilha (Brasil)

A few ex army greatcoats on show.

For some reason the bit at 3:46 to 4:04 made me chuckle

I love the music they use in these films,I want to know the names

Ahh, yiss! The whole treck was oit of sirviss for elmost twilve hires, whale the work wiz indertaken on a Sinday. Lovely vid, really appreciate the upload. As it happens, while photographing for BR in the very early 90's, I walked out on this busy bit of track, but knew nothing of its history. The gasometers had been decommissioned by then and there were only a few vestigial trackside sheds left, no signal boxes, etc.

@jackx4311

Жыл бұрын

@Jeremy the Conquerer - gosh, your post had me in such paroxysms of mirth, the corners of my mouth rose by nearly a sixteenth of an inch.

ahh the good old LMS

Am I right in thinking those Gas Towers are now the brand new flats by Granary Square? Or are there more nearby?

@jackx4311

Жыл бұрын

@Paul Choccy T - yes, they are indeed.

LOL rumour has it that guy seen cutting the rail at 8:43 still has possession of the line... :)

No hi vis in those days !!>

Narrated by Mr Cholmondley-Warner.

In those heady days customers were still offered a service of trains despite all this work taking place. Now things are rather different: the whole railway is closed down for extended periods and people are told "do not travel"-so tough luck if you were hoping to travel by train. And a lot of such work involves replacing infrastructure which was torn out by BR in the late 20th century

Why did BR persist so long with bullhead rails and chairs?

suggestion - Change the video quality to 144p for Camera quality from the Mid- Late '30s! And 720p for the Late 40s To Early 50s!

Today, health and safety would dance the can can!!

@frenchdave69

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it was all *so* much better when hundreds of railwaymen were killed or seriously injured every year. Good times, eh?

Health & Safety: Man nearly loses his hat at 4:59

Lots of men NOT wearing gloves and carrying heavy loads. Amazing, since using gloves magnifies apparent strength and deters debilitation. Didn't people understand that in 1947? If not the bosses, the laborers should have known that.

Note, no hard hats or other safety equipment on hand.

@jackx4311

Жыл бұрын

@Ken Bird - But plenty of people taking care of themselves.

The trackwork was manufactured in San Diego?? Did I hear that right?

@jackx4311

Жыл бұрын

@Christopher Stevenson - no, it was made by an engineering company from Sandiacre, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England.

@BobbyNewhartFace

Жыл бұрын

@@jackx4311 that makes more sense.

@jackx4311

Жыл бұрын

@@BobbyNewhartFace - I must admit, on first hearing I thought the narrator said San Diego, too! :))

I wonder where the full orchestra was ? Never see them on film, perhaps they worked in time to the music!!? 😆

@p.istaker8862

3 жыл бұрын

They were in one of the coaches behind the camera.

@leoncharlesworth8108

3 жыл бұрын

They were in a Pullman car eating scones cream and jam with a 78 playing🇬🇧😀

All those trip hazards!

San Diego? So the trackwork was imported from the US?

@BennettBrookRailway

3 жыл бұрын

The narrator is in fact saying Sandiacre, but it certainly does sound like he's saying San Diego!

@novakingood3788

3 жыл бұрын

@@BennettBrookRailway I've listened to it again and it's obviously Sandiacre. My playing in rock bands for forty years has taken its toll on my hearing! Thanks for clarifying.

How did they manage all that without risk assessments and hi-vis clothing

@beeble2003

3 жыл бұрын

The number of people dying in accidents at work in the UK is about one third of what it was even 30 years ago. So the answer to your question is "By a combination of luck and being willing to put up with more injuries than you'd want to happen to you."

@caroleast9636

3 жыл бұрын

Mainly by being aware of the dangers and taking care. Health and safety is a good thing but it breeds ignorance of dangers, then unfortunately, accidents still happen.

@beeble2003

3 жыл бұрын

@@caroleast9636 No, they just got injured and killed more, and it was accepted because they were poor it had always been that way. There's a point in this video where you see a guy ducking in panic because he's just seen the section of track being craned inches above the top of his head.

@shuntdaddy8301

3 жыл бұрын

@@beeble2003 because they used a thing we lack now, common sense and a work attitude.

@shuntdaddy8301

3 жыл бұрын

sorry i replied to wrong person

Maravilha

2:55 Is That a Stanier Black 5?

@davidbeckett1056

3 жыл бұрын

Stanier Jubilee 45611 Hong Kong

@eliseorossiproductions6348

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, Thanks

7:18 health and safety would be all over the site if they were around back then. That bloke riding the section of panel track would be fired from his job if health and safety saw him.

@jackx4311

Жыл бұрын

@NIKE RailfanningTTM - yep; he'd be fired by some twerp based in an office, who'd never set foot on the trackside, and who wouldn't know a rail from a sleeper. Now? Take a look at the reports issued by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch. They've all got hard hats, top to toe hi-vis, a COSS, a PICOP, a Safe System of Work - and they're STILL getting killed because they walk in the four-foot, with their backs to oncoming trains! Health and Safety systems are NO substitute for plain ol' common sense.

Real men real work show this to some kids in school lol

I always thought St Pancras was the terminal for the London Midland Railway , not the LMS

@beeble2003

3 жыл бұрын

There never was a "London Midland Railway". St Pancras was built by the Midland Railway, which was one of the companies that was amalgamated to form the LMS in the 1923 grouping.

@shadypiez7203

3 жыл бұрын

@@beeble2003 Thanks for clarifying

They really worked hard for their pay back then in the black & white days.

What was that device at 13.10? That gruelling and dangerous work didn't deserve that wholly inappropriate musical soundtrack. The number of injuries and fatalities must have been enormous, especially poignant since many of those men would have been in the forces in the Second World War. A fascinating film, just glad I wasn't around then!

@davidbeckett1056

3 жыл бұрын

Snowflake

@VideoMikeA4

3 жыл бұрын

The mystery device at 13:10 is a rail drill, used for drilling the holes through the rail allowing the track (circuit) leads to be pinned to the rails.

@MrDavil43

3 жыл бұрын

@@VideoMikeA4 Thank you.

No hard hats and walking under suspended loads - yikes!

These days it would be Health & Safety nightmare !!

San Diego? 1947.

@BennettBrookRailway

3 жыл бұрын

It sounds very much like San Diego, but the narrator is in fact saying Sandiacre.

I don't need no hard hat - my cloth cap will protect me fine if this prefab length of rail lands on me noggin!

You had to laugh at the subtitles - St. Pancreas.... Oh dear.

@ianker7143

3 жыл бұрын

Not to mention 'zinfandras' at 10:50!

(I know this the 40s and all) And then just close it like: great bois but ahh,emm this station is no longer required,emm,ehh,thats ,hmmm,....

It's not lost on me that these men are not wearing high vis clothing, so I have to wonder what has happened to the real world shown in this video.

i'm sorry but I can't watch this any more. To see where we came from and where we are now is too upsetting. The railways are symbollic of our ongoing inability to do anyting now.