‘1960s East Midlands Stills and Ciné’, by Michael Clemens, 2nd July 2024
2nd July 2024 Meeting.
We welcomed Michael Clemens for a talk about East Midlands Railways in the 1960s.
We started with a Mogul storming up Hatton Bank, then a railtour at Fenny Compton with shots of Banbury Station and Shed. We then travelled from Bicester to Swanbourne with all stations featured before visiting the SMJ at Blisworth and Towcester then onto the Northampton to Bedford Line with more locos at the stations en route. Next was the Newport Pagnell Branch, Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable before popping over to the Ironstone Railways of Irchester, Finedon and the Corby system with many industrial locos shown.
Roade Junction on the WCML, looking south, with the SMJ line crossing over in the distance.
Next up was the Higham Ferrers Branch, the Uppingham Branch, Leicester Belgrave Road and stations to the Wolds, Burton-on-Trent system of railways.
Sutton Bridge was shown before and after, then over to the Hertford and Welwyn branches.
Popping over to the GCR from Marylebone through to Woodford Halse, Leicester and Nottingham, with the junctions of Woodford Halse featured. We then saw 'Hawk' at Brush Works at Rugby.
After the break we had a film show with the last train on the SMJ with a good few shots around Stratford-upon-Avon, Cockley Brake Junction etc, then local service on GCR, Banbury Ironstone System where the 0-6-0 locos were named after boys and the 0-4-0 were named after girls and included the depot at Wroxton. We then travelled down the Banbury Merton Street to Buckingham Line and then went on a rail tour in May 1963 from Nottingham London Road to Leicester Belgrave Road, then the Northampton to Bedford Line finishing with Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable.
An attendance of 22 really enjoyed the evening and we look forward to Michael’s return.
Rob Davidson, Branch Secretary