The Great Loco Adventure Part 5

A crash on the Manchester/Bury mainline. A look at the ICI Blackley industrial branch. The last of the great steam locomotives around North Manchester with a visit to the Miles Platting and Brewery Sidings.

[@kellypaws]

Absolutely wonderful videos. A real joy to watch.

[@gibbo675]

The crane is a Ransomes and Rapier of 45 ton capacity built for the Ministry of Supply and handed over to the LNER as number 951516 late to become BR 122, then 1083/45 and latterly ADRR95215. The crane was stationed at Gorton between June 1943 to November 1961 and then on to Newton Heath from 13 June 1965 until withdrawal, January 1979 .

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Fascinating history, thanks.

[@johnwhitworth5166]

Sod the Exams, I was at Rochdale Station most evenings to watch the York to Redbank ECS double headed go flying through. Stayed on then for the Parcels trains.

[@dave41184]

More very special and utterly unique footage. Always enjoy these films!

[@user-zr5yj1od5q]

Wow,what a piece of film,thank you for sharing it

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@laszlofyre845]

I'm absolutely over the moon with the stuff you have put on here! I didn't now the layout at Woodlands road, as by the time I was driving at Bury, Abraham Moss had wiped it all out. However, there was a set of old junction points in the long grass on the up side banking until about 88. And to see the shots of Crumpsall yard as it was, was an eye opener. I remeber it still just about working in 77. But now you've no idea how extensive it really was, first with overgrowth and then housing.
Thank heavens you made the effort and took care of your film stocks. Top man, you deserve a beer!

[@derekgibson7037]

Lady Armadale made it into preservation, as did the diesel shunter no. 0226. Don’t know what happened to the other steam engine.

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks, I'm pleased this footage found an audience.

[@GandyDancerProductions]

The other engine was called Isabel a Hawthorne Leslie saddle tank. It got preserved too.

[@staffordian]

Really enjoy your films, especially these from the dying days of BR steam. Thanks

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks, it's much appreciated. I never imagined when I shot it I'll be sharing it with a wide audience.

[@davemitchell9941]

You did well to film the breakdown gang at work. Some rare footage there.
They always seemed to get stuck in, worked steady n simply. Theirs & the p/way insp’s priority was to get line clear & working again asap.
Thank you for posting this good little vid.

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Looking back, their main concern was to get train running again.

[@spyfan62591]

Masterful work again, and as for the crash, all i can say is "luckily, no one was hurt."

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Some had minor injures but they all walked away.

[@jackmarshallD9525]

Some superb Diesel action in this one, most excellent. 💪

[@GandyDancerProductions]

It's funny they too are all part of railway history now.

[@davew9360]

HA !! After that dust up the line would be shut for months nowadays!

[@MrGriff20]

Superb stuff much missed steam

[@GandyDancerProductions]

I agree.

[@boyfromblackstuff7859]

Once again, excellent!
Re your attire in June, weather manipulation anybody?

[@familyhanham3311]

Brilliant memories of a lost world

[@mick35w]

Another brilliant video. Thanks for sharing it

[@derekgibson7037]

Wonderful video. I knew the Newton Heath engines ‘personally’ you might say. My dad knew one of the inspectors there, Frank Davies. Another Driver was Ray Davies who once let me ride in the cab with him from Victoria to Southport, alas in a DMU. Another driver was the late Trevor Owen who many will remember by his nickname ‘Skwaw’, a driver on the Worth Valley.

[@GandyDancerProductions]

I have a film in the pipeline about my many visits to Newton Heath, my local shed.

[@TERRYBIGGENDEN]

Grand memories. Thanks. :-)

[@larx4074]

Oh so very evocative of the last days...................Many thanks for sharing.............

[@TheGWR0-4-0]

Great video, thanks for sharing!!!

[@thisnicklldo]

Very interesting. We are exactly the same age, did exams at the same time etc. I was never a trainspotter, and really I think we are both a little young for the heyday of spotting - very few of my school mates were into trains, maybe 4 or 5 out of a year of about 90. And I grew up close to Bescot, so there had been plenty of spotting going on. Maybe you caught the enthusiasm from your father. Quite a few of my chums were bus spotters - amongst other things our town had trolley buses. After we did our O levels that year, there was a scout trip to a camp in Newton Stewart for a week, and passing through Carlisle the one train spotter amongst us was overjoyed to catch a glimpse of an engine in steam, not sure what it was, but it must have been one of the very last on BR, being the first or second week of August 1968. Sunny days.

[@GandyDancerProductions]

My spotting days, as you rightly point out, were well after the the heyday steam. Just a few years earlier would have been very different.

[@user-iw6qn4bx9u]

I really enjoy your films hope to see more

[@GandyDancerProductions]

There is more.

[@TheDaf95xf]

That was awesome seeing those work horses around Manchester as that was my train spotting area as I lived in Urmston so had plenty of trips to Victoria 😊 But sadly steam had finished as I was only 11 in 68 🙁

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it

[@michaelmiller641]

Wonderful video! Thankyou!

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@soundofpollutionproduction3386]

Exelant video
Sad to think that the locomotives we see in the films are cut up
I can imagine it mustve gotten quiter when steam met its fate

[@GandyDancerProductions]

It certainly did. I couldn't hear any more freights climbing out of Victoria and lulling me to sleep at night.

[@soundofpollutionproduction3386]

@@GandyDancerProductions when are we seeing more of Russell?

[@GandyDancerProductions]

@@soundofpollutionproduction3386 I'm going to run it this afternoon.

[@michaeldutsonlandscapephot2184]

Excellent video, both as a social record of north Manchester and how the railways have changed in this area. Living in Bury all my life, and travelling into Manchester countless times, I find it fascinating to see the extent of the railways in the area. Additionally, having just edited hours of digitised footage that my late father took on his 8mm cine of my family in the mid 1960's I must say the quality of the footage in your videos is very good by comparison, although, sadly, there was no audio on the footage I have edited. I look forward to the next one.

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks for the note, I'm Pleased you enjoyed it.

[@Danominator]

These restored film reels in your videos are AMAZING. Makes me wish I could travel back in time to all the places you've been just to see what they looked like.

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks , there's more to come.

[@cknop]

Great Video!

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks!

[@megamanmuppet]

Thanks. Superb footage as usual. Looking forward to more and Manchester Central 👍

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks for the donation I'm glad you enjoyed it. I do have footage of Central with steam and stills shortly before it closed. It was a magnificent station. However, that film will be a little down the line. I think the next is going to be Newton Heath Shed.

[@associatedblacksheepandmisfits]

Takes me back ❤😊

[@MrGriff20]

Thanks!

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks, appreciated.

[@cknop]

Danke!

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@vedubaru]

Thanks

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks so much it all helps.

[@itsonlyme9938]

Fantastic never heard about he accident before but heard about the one I think it was Smeadly lane ? where a steam train at a junction just before Victoria station derailed a electric train and crashed through a wall and plunged 30ft below and killed 10 people

[@MoInTime]

Very evocative of an era and love these films. Is the soundtrack original, i.e. your original 8 mm cine had audio feature, or is it added retrospectively?

[@GandyDancerProductions]

I talk about it in an interview on Railway Mania - czcams.com/video/ysuxBFtIILY/video.html&ab_channel=RailwayMania

[@neillbuckley8183]

Brilliant again, especially for those of us who lived on Exchange in the early to mid 60’s. Why didn’t I have a camera!

[@GandyDancerProductions]

I remember a passenger train on Saturdays that left Exchange at 3 o'clock for Llandudno and could be relied upon to be steam hauled till late '67. Usually an engine off Patricroft. Got a few stills of it (one photo is the thumb nail I used for the last Manchester Vic film of a Britannia doing a massive slip starting the train). No movie film unfortunately.

[@unconditioned_ride]

Atmospheric, you were lucky with the greater longevity of steam, compared to BR(W) in the south..

[@GandyDancerProductions]

I presided over it's last rights. It was a sad day.

[@frankgradwell4935]

I don't remember that crash but in 1967 I had discovered other things! Then I quickly learnt better. Think my two E's at A level had something to do with it. I know you are in touch with Steve Leyland - time you came to the Doffcocker for a lads night out - not that sort!!!

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Great name for a pub. It would be fun to meet up and if I make it up that way to visit my sister I'll let you know. Give my regards to Steve I'm sure he could add a lot more information to my films.

[@wideyxyz2271]

❤

[@theyeabgang250]

is there an layout or map of this area 1:29

[@GandyDancerProductions]

There no model layout of Miles Platting that I know about. You can check out the layout now it looks today on Google maps or National Library of Scotland web site who have historical maps:
maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.4&lat=53.49465&lon=-2.21432&layers=10&right=ESRIWorld
The station has gone so has a lot of the railway infrastructure.

[@theyeabgang250]

@@GandyDancerProductions i wasnt talking about a model layout i meant a actual layout in real life on the railway

[@SuperMikado282]

Global warming 😂.

[@familyhanham3311]

Thanks

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks.

[@derekgibson7037]

Thanks

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks, it's much appreciated.

[@neillbuckley8183]

Thanks

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks.

[@OzoneTuna]

Thanks

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Thanks, very much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed the film.

[@modeltrainsandtracks]

Thanks

[@GandyDancerProductions]

Much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed the film.