Lost Railways of Lancaster & Morecambe

[DavidChandler]

I am currently working on a video series about the lost railways in my local area. The first episode of "Lost Railways of Lancaster & Morecambe" is available here: https://youtu.be/z8avl_4dngg

I hope it is of interest!

David

 

[AM9]

I am currently working on a video series about the lost railways in my local area. The first episode of "Lost Railways of Lancaster & Morecambe" is available here: https://youtu.be/z8avl_4dngg

I hope it is of interest!

David

I like it. The pace is steady, allowing absorption of the information without being a drudge. Interesting use of old b&w footage and stills, and what looks like newly shot b&w clips, (e.g. the moving shot along the path from 3:13 to 3:31; is it handheld walking or bicycle footage?. Out of interest, what equipment did you use for the colour clips?
There's an impressive amount of research evident from the piece. One thing that the affluent south-east has lost is most of the physical unused railway heritage. With the pressures of land values, most remnants of disused lines and infrastructure have been unceremoniously removed in the scramble to capitalise on any scrap of land, particularly in the period between Beeching and the nineties when an awareness of our industrial heritage emerged. It's quite refreshing to see old buildings etc still standing, - pressed into new uses but relatively unaltered.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Have just watched it through and found it very interesting, I very much like the style and presentation and the camerawork is excellent, a lot of effort has been put into this, you actually feel you are on location with the presenter, this is broadcast quality, it's really high quality stuff, looking forward to viewing further programmes, well done to all involved!

 

[DavidChandler]

I like it. The pace is steady, allowing absorption of the information without being a drudge. Interesting use of old b&w footage and stills, and what looks like newly shot b&w clips, (e.g. the moving shot along the path from 3:13 to 3:31; is it handheld walking or bicycle footage?. Out of interest, what equipment did you use for the colour clips?
There's an impressive amount of research evident from the piece. One thing that the affluent south-east has lost is most of the physical unused railway heritage. With the pressures of land values, most remnants of disused lines and infrastructure have been unceremoniously removed in the scramble to capitalise on any scrap of land, particularly in the period between Beeching and the nineties when an awareness of our industrial heritage emerged. It's quite refreshing to see old buildings etc still standing, - pressed into new uses but relatively unaltered.

Thank you for the feedback, it's really appreciated. Myself and a friend make the videos for our own enjoyment really and hope that others will find them interesting too.
The whole thing is shot and edited on IPhone (edited using the IMovie app.) The b/w sequences are done in 'post-production' and there are a combination of bike/running shots. I try and be creative as I'm working on a low budget - well, zero budget actually!
Episode two is in the can and will be available soon.
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Have just watched it through and found it very interesting, I very much like the style and presentation and the camerawork is excellent, a lot of effort has been put into this, you actually feel you are on location with the presenter, this is broadcast quality, it's really high quality stuff, looking forward to viewing further programmes, well done to all involved!

Thank you Ash for the feedback, that's made me very pleased to know you enjoyed it so much!
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I am currently working on a video series about the lost railways in my local area. The first episode of "Lost Railways of Lancaster & Morecambe" is available here: https://youtu.be/z8avl_4dngg

I hope it is of interest!

David

Each episode has a BONUS FEATURE (a bit like a DVD extra), here is the bonus item for episode one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWxFdidxwuU

 

[Ash Bridge]

The whole thing is shot and edited on IPhone (edited using the IMovie app.) The b/w sequences are done in 'post-production' and there are a combination of bike/running shots. I try and be creative as I'm working on a low budget - well, zero budget actually!

That's amazing, I watched initially on my iPad and if someone told me it was made on broadcast kit I would have believed them, going to watch again later on a 40" TV.

 

[Iskra]

Wow, I've found this very interesting.

As a former resident, I've passed a lot of these landmarks without even noticing their railway heritage, for example the crane at green ayre (I thought that was from the old port days) and the Lancaster carriage works. I also didn't realise my ex uni owned the former Halton station, or indeed that any of it was still standing.

I particularly like the bit at the end about Yorkie House

One question, why were New Zealand sidings called New Zealand sidings?

I echo the previous comments that this is very well filmed and put together, well done and please post the next episode!

Edit: Ah I've always wondered about that signal box too!

 

[ooo]

Very well done. Quality Looks like something done for TV

 

[yorksrob]

Very interesting and professionally made. Wish I'd taken more notice of the local railway history when I lived there.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Don't want to hijack this thread but did there used to to be an alternative route from Lancaster to Morecambe? as I'm sure as a kid on a day trip we traveled up from Manchester Victoria by class 50 (x2 from Preston)hauling mk2b/c stock, changing at Lancaster into a 108 which on departure seemed to turn off the WCML rather sooner than today's trains, but on return to Lancaster the DMU was announced at Morecambe as calling at Bare Lane,, which I don't recall on the outward journey, if my memory serves correct this was in the summer of 1971.

 

[Henbury Loop]

David that was absolutely brilliant, very informative, professionally put together.

I wish I had the know how to produce a piece on the long forgotten lines in my area (of which there are many).

I look forward to the next installment.

 

[yorksrob]

Don't want to hijack this thread but did there used to to be an alternative route from Lancaster to Morecambe? as I'm sure as a kid on a day trip we traveled up from Manchester Victoria by class 50 (x2 from Preston)hauling mk2b/c stock, changing at Lancaster into a 108 which on departure seemed to turn off the WCML rather sooner than today's trains, but on return to Lancaster the DMU was announced at Morecambe as calling at Bare Lane,, which I don't recall on the outward journey, if my memory serves correct this was in the summer of 1971.

Yes, it was the continuation of the line in the video west from Green Ayre (and electrified for a time).

 

[Ash Bridge]

Yes, it was the continuation of the line in the video west from Green Ayre (and electrified for a time).

Ah, I think it's beginning to make sense now, so that line crossed the West Coast heading to Morecambe and there were spurs off the WCML on either side to join it in either direction? If that's the case obviously a bridge must have been removed that used to take the line over the Lune, I wonder how soon it was after I traveled on it that it closed?

 

[yorksrob]

Ah, I think it's beginning to make sense now, so that line crossed the West Coast heading to Morecambe and there were spurs off the WCML on either side to join it in either direction? If that's the case obviously a bridge must have been removed that used to take the line over the Lune, I wonder how soon it was after I traveled on it that it closed?

I wasn't aware of a spur westwards from the WCML. Is it possible you reversed via Green Ayre ?

http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php

The above map is usually a pretty good resource, but it's not showing a westward curve.

 

[DavidChandler]

Wow, I've found this very interesting.

As a former resident, I've passed a lot of these landmarks without even noticing their railway heritage, for example the crane at green ayre (I thought that was from the old port days) and the Lancaster carriage works. I also didn't realise my ex uni owned the former Halton station, or indeed that any of it was still standing.

I particularly like the bit at the end about Yorkie House

One question, why were New Zealand sidings called New Zealand sidings?

I echo the previous comments that this is very well filmed and put together, well done and please post the next episode!

Edit: Ah I've always wondered about that signal box too!

Iskra - thanks for the comments. I've been asked about NZ sidings before and have wondered myself. I can't find a definitive answer, but someone suggested to me that it could be connected to Waring & Gillow, the famous Lancaster furniture makers, who imported goods via rail. I've never found evidence of that claim though, so the mystery remains!
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I wasn't aware of a spur westwards from the WCML. Is it possible you reversed via Green Ayre ?

http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php

The above map is usually a pretty good resource, but it's not showing a westward curve.

There is a map at the beginning of the video, if you pause it.

There were two routes from Lancaster to Morecambe. The one which still runs branches off the WCM just north of Lancaster, via Bare Lane.

The Green Ayre Line went from Lancaster (Castle) via a connecting spur to Green Ayre, then reversed and went over the river, ran along the north bank of the Lune, then UNDER the WCM at Carlisle Bridge towards Morecambe.

We cover the connection from Lancaster Castle to Green Ayre in episode two!

BTW - The Green Ayre Line closed to passenger services on 01 Jan 1966.

 

[yorksrob]

We cover the connection from Lancaster Castle to Green Ayre in episode two!

I shall look forward to that. I used to walk under that spur when I lived on The Marsh !

 

[Ash Bridge]

I wasn't aware of a spur westwards from the WCML. Is it possible you reversed via Green Ayre ?

http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php

The above map is usually a pretty good resource, but it's not showing a westward curve.

Cheers for this Rob, now my heads in bits again, I wonder if a reversal was possible, I'm sure it was 1971 and I've just found something on wiki that says although closed to passengers in 1966 the line through Green Ayre station remained in use for freight until March 1976 so perhaps that was the case, seems an awkward route when there is a direct one available and which we returned by, unless it was a one off diversion for some reason, guess it will have to remain in the mists of time now.

 

[DavidChandler]

Yes, I cycle over that bridge that you'd have walked under! I'll post a trailer for episode two tomorrow.

 

[yorksrob]

Cheers for this Rob, now my heads in bits again, I wonder if a reversal was possible, I'm sure it was 1971 and I've just found something on wiki that says although closed to passengers in 1966 the line through Green Ayre station remained in use for freight until March 1976 so perhaps that was the case, seems an awkward route when there is a direct one available and which we returned by, unless it was a one off diversion for some reason, guess it will have to remain in the mists of time now.

Indeed. Most of it had gone by the time I'd moved there in the mid 90's.

 

[Darren R]

Cheers for this Rob, now my heads in bits again, I wonder if a reversal was possible, I'm sure it was 1971 and I've just found something on wiki that says although closed to passengers in 1966 the line through Green Ayre station remained in use for freight until March 1976 so perhaps that was the case, seems an awkward route when there is a direct one available and which we returned by, unless it was a one off diversion for some reason, guess it will have to remain in the mists of time now.

The former Midland Railway route from Lancaster Green Ayre to Morecambe closed in 1966 and dismantled thereafter, leaving only a short stub down from Lancaster Castle as far as a power station near the site of Green Ayre. It was this that closed in 1976, but it was barely used by then.

The former Greyhound rail bridge over the Lune was converted to road use in 1972, so your train couldn't have gone that way as late as 1971.

 

[Ash Bridge]

The former Midland Railway route from Lancaster Green Ayre to Morecambe closed in 1966 and dismantled thereafter, leaving only a short stub down from Lancaster Castle as far as a power station near the site of Green Ayre. It was this that closed in 1976, but it was barely used by then.

The former Greyhound rail bridge over the Lune was converted to road use in 1972, so your train couldn't have gone that way as late as 1971.

Cheers Darren, it's a long time back now but I couldn't remember Bare Lane on the outward run, then again perhaps it omitted it on that trip just calling on the return run, but I do recall the dmu departing from a downside bay so I don't think it would have been possible to cross over to the Green Ayre line from there anyway would it?

 

[Darren R]

...but I do recall the dmu departing from a downside bay so I don't think it would have been possible to cross over to the Green Ayre line from there anyway would it?

I think the Castle Branch as it was known (although I'm not sure if this name ever had any official status) was only ever accessible from the two eastern-most platforms at Lancaster Castle; the current platform 5 and the disused platform oppposite.

(Sorry - bit off-topic!)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I run the Closed Stations Journey quiz on the Quizzes and Games forum and I really enjoyed your most professionally-produced first episode of this series.

I wonder if you will be covering the Glasson Dock branch line in a future episode?

 

[DavidChandler]

Thanks Paul. Yes, we will be covering the Glasson Branch in a future episode!

 

[IanD]

Made me late for work yesterday!

And that Post Boxes of Morecambe video you did.

 

[DavidChandler]

Made me late for work yesterday!

And that Post Boxes of Morecambe video you did.

Thanks Ian, glad you enjoyed it. I keep the post box video along with all the other 'special stuff', have a look through my channel!
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OK, here is the teaser trailer for episode two, which will focus on Lancaster.

You will get a glimpse of the disused platform 6 at Lancaster (Castle) Station, which we were lucky enough to visit last week!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdhyugFDz1U