Hindsight, as the saying goes, is a wonderful thing. With more sustainable transport systems now high on the agenda, I bet there are plenty of people who think Dr Beeching's mutilation of the UK rail infrastructure in the mid 1960s was not a good idea. Buses are not trains!
Llangollen Railway operates on a section of track which originally fell victim to the Beeching cuts, and used it as a theme for their sixties weekend, as a fundraiser for their line extension beyond Carrog - they are hoping to eventually extend the line to Corwen, which will be a Very Good Thing IMHO for visitors to the area.
Fun and games yesterday included a selection of appropriate diesel and steam engines, and rolling stock, with the chance to ride all day and an evening party at Llangollen Station with the Cavernites sixties showband. Ticket to ride anyone?
The sad state of the last days of steam...
Your eyes are not deceiving you - all my photos have been colour edited and softened for a suitably retro ambience. So the colour photos should look like they are (approx.) 100asa Agfa colour print film shot on a Kodak Retinette, which the black and white photos have been cropped and softened to resemble photos from a Kodak Box Brownie - both cameras my dad had in the sixties.
Breaking the news of imminent 'line closure' to the driver at Carrog...
... who was consoled with ice cream...
So enjoy a trip back in time... Guy and I weren't wearing fancy dress by the way - all our gear was real and, in my case, out of my everyday wardrobe - I haven't outgrown the sixties look!
Looks like I'd have a few words to say to Beeching about the closures...!
Modern mainline railway buffet cars aren't what they used to be - 'Off the Rails' beer and Tunnock's tea cakes go together so well, with fab retro decor.
Oooh, I think there is a quilt in this formica... (actually, this 'Pythagoras' design was the inspiration for the block of the same name in '130 Little Quilt Blocks').
The posh dining car (1947) -
They do say that if you can remember the sixties, you weren't really there... Hellooooo?
Sunset towards Corwen - beyond the end of the line...
When I grow up to be a man
I'm going to drive a train,
From London up to Glasgow
And from Glasgow back again.
I'll climb into my cab
Down here in London Town -
The guard, he blows his whistle - peep peep!
All away, the signal's down,
Through Crewe, Carlisle and Carstead
We roar at rapid rate,
Until we come to Glasgow Town
Not half a minute late!
I'm going to drive a train,
From London up to Glasgow
And from Glasgow back again.
I'll climb into my cab
Down here in London Town -
The guard, he blows his whistle - peep peep!
All away, the signal's down,
Through Crewe, Carlisle and Carstead
We roar at rapid rate,
Until we come to Glasgow Town
Not half a minute late!
1 comment:
We had that 'Pythagoran' formica on our kitchen table!!
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