March To Guyhirn Old Railway Line
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- A walk through the remains of the old GE and GN Joint line that run from March to Guyhirn and passing through Whitemoor marshalling yards, The biggest marshalling yards in Europe at one point which severed a great importance to the country during the war. The line then heads off onto Spalding. The railway line operated from 1867 to November 1982 when the line closed. Photos in the video that show what once stood in places have kindly been given permission to use in this video.
Music by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au @ScottBuckley - Авто та транспорт
No matter what part of the country you come and the love of trains it saddens the heart when all the wonders of railway life disappears and the track beds become footpaths for one's who walk them don't realise what went before them are now faded memories. So sad
It definitely is very sad when I walk up and down the track bed and past the old buildings to see them just sitting there. Hopefully the March to Wisbech line can get reopened at some point and make use of the track just waiting to be brought back to life.
All the hard work put in building the closed network of our railways destroyed by short sighted people.
Thank you Barry, great video. In 1959 whilst travelling to Ickleton on my AJS motorcycle from RAF Manby, it broke down just outside Spalding. I managed to get myself and the bike to Spalding station, (towed behind an MG sports car) and get a train to Cambridge via Peterborough, or so I thought. The porters informed there was a train coming in and quickly pushed my bike across the line and heaved it into the guards van. I had boarded a diesel hauled train to Cambridge. Unbeknown to me the train headed off from Spalding directly to March and then on to Cambridge. I think I got into Cambridge around 5pm. What a joy to have travelled on this line. I was devastated to read in the eighties that the line had been closed. I found your video very emotional, thank you. At a later date I was on a train from Louth to Peterborough with two other RAF colleagues and told them about the direct train from Spalding to Cambridge. Unfortunately, having alighted at Spalding, we discovered the train I had caught previously, did not run on a Saturday. So we ended up catching a train to Cambridge via Lynn on the M&GN JR. This was shortly before it too closed. Happy days. Roger
Thank you I am really pleased you like the video, Its always really nice to hear how every one has a different story to tell about the railway. But also like you say such a shame that many of these lovely railway lines have now gone .
lived in march all my life 40 years even though it has more modern trains these days there are many signs of the old lines and history I love watching things like this hopefully now things are opening up can see again
Thank you fo watching Martin, I am very pleased you enjoyed watching, Hopefully later in the summer I am going to film more videos like this one.
Excellent piece of work, evoking the stark beauty of the Fenland landscape and its lost railways.
Thank very much for watching, I am really pleased you enjoyed it.
I remember cycling from Leicester to my Aunts house in Wroxham as a 15 year old lad and watching several long freights going over Guyhirn bridge as I rode towards it on the A47 past the Coronation Cafe. Most trains seemed to have Austerity 2-8-0 locos at the head. Now the bridge and line have gone and it's like another time and place. Brings back some great memories of 60 odd years ago. Thank you for filming it, despite the current scene of desolation.
Hi Rod thanks for watching my film I am really pleased you enjoyed it and that helps bring back memories. Guyhirn viaduct was due to be knocked down a few years ago as they thought it was unsafe but a local petition stopped it from being demolished. But sad to say it will probably fall down on its own at some piont because of its age.
This track was part of the old Cambridge-Doncaster line, which was a useful diversion avoiding the bottleneck at Peterborough.
And today would take the stress of the goods now on the Peterborough line at French Drove we might have got the passenger service back running with the eco future to travel to other places without too much bother. I did see the line just before the rails were lifted.
Brings home my old town memories of march and the railway history
Thanks for watching, I am very happy it can bring back memories for you.
That was beautifully and sympathetically filmed and edited. We have lost so much and yet simply put it all detrimentally onto the roads.
With eleven thousand plus views it dissapoints that only a few bother to show apprecitation to Barry by clicking liked, it takes less than a second you know. Try it............
Thank you very much Steve, Thanks for watching and I am really pleased you enjoyed it. When filming this back in the summer and Bill & Mark and Darren kindly let me use their photos, I never imaged it would get close to the amount of views it has had so far. Again thank you so much for watching.
Barry Giddings Hi Barry, no thanks needed here, thank you for doing it. When it comes to our lost railways you dont need to be as old as I am in my seventies to realise how special they were and how they provided so much. Here on the west side of the New Forest and going west or even northwest we have lost those lines that gave access to so many places. People only need to look at the growth in preservation and indeed model railways to see not only nostalgia, but a true love lost...Bill and Darren’s photos made your presentation so very special together with you editing. Thank you again. Steve.
Alas a situation repeated all over the country evoking memories of times long past. This is an excellently produced video. You have a talent young man.
Thank you very much for watching, I am really pleased you enjoyed the video.
Very pleasant sequence, terrific countryside. Obviously a great shame another rail route is no more. Excellent presentation 👏🏻👍
Thank you for watching, I am very pleased you like it.
I was born in Wisbech, but lived in Upwell back in the 50s. I still have family living there, March, Three Holes, Welney, Downham Mkt, in fact all over that area. To see these films is wonderful bringing back childhood memories. I haven't been back there in about 12-15 years and I miss living there.
Have you done a film on the old Fruit Growers Special that ran between Wisbech & Upwell? They built a housing estate on the old goods yard.
Brings back memories of childhood, cycling out to 20ft bridge to combine hobbies of fishing and train spotting. I bet the powers that be wish the line had never closed now
Thank you for watching I am very pleased you enjoyed it, And that it can bring back some lovely memories for you. It is such a shame that this line closed but hopefully the old Wisbech line will re open.
Brilliant!..Lovely piece of work...you should be proud of this......and THAT big sky....awesome!!
Thank you for watching Fraser, I am very pleased you enjoyed it. I am proud of this little film, I could never imagine when I filmed this back in the summer last year that it would have over 26 thousand views, So hopefully in the summer I have plans to make more films like this one.
Beautifully composed, excellent music score. Nice piece of work!
Thank you for watching. The excellent music is from a brilliant composer Scott Buckley
Moved to March from London in 1973, met and married a local girl. I soon got used to the trains and the shunting at all hours, along with the cold store in Marwick Road. I remember being concerned about crossing the line at the crossing on Elm Road on the way to 20 Foot on my moped. It did have speed warnings. Their were proper gates and a pedestrian bridge at the Station Road crossing, gone now. Moved to Peterborough in the 80s but still pop over to visit relatives and buy our favourite pork pies in town. I forgot to mention the Deltic, people seemed to talk about it. Not knowing much about railways I thought it was the name of a particular engine, not a model.
thanks for that beautiful trip with the lovely soundtrack...as a schoolboy trainspotter in the early 1960's I marvelled at the allocation for March depot, never got to visit it though..
Thank you I am really pleased you enjoyed it. I used to go there when I was about 8 years old with my Dad and some Whitemoor staff would show us around some of it before it closed.
Lovely video, so sad to see the old derelict parts, what a shame they closed so many railways.
Thank you for watching, It is such a shame so many of these lines closed but also goes to show the amazing way these buildings were built back then as many are still standing today.
Nicely made video. Used to travel around this area for work in the 90s and 00s. As a railway enthusiast I would love to have witnessed it all during prime time. Often used to stop and have a cup of tea on March station and observe the history. The lady serving the tea always looked so cold in that kiosk with her fingerless gloves.
Thank you Simon, thanks for watching I am really pleased you enjoyed it, But yeah I remember people working in that little kiosk serving warm drinks over all the papers and magazines that was all lined up. And how cold the station would get, Luckily for me when filming this back in the summer it was very hot days.
Thanks for this film. It would have been great if this line had survived. However, there were no intermediate stations left at time of closure, and few trains used the route. Also, the Thatcher government was not sympathetic to the railways. British Rail were under pressure to cut costs.
At least there is a chance that the Wisbech line may reopen.
Thank you for watching and I am very pleased you enjoyed it. But yeah such a shame this line was pulled up. It would have been lovely to still travel by train over the Guyhirn viaduct seeing the views of the Fens passing by.
Fantastic piece of work, came across this vlog by chance………. Now I know all the places I pass on my cycle route down past whitemoor and beyond 👏🏽
Thank you for watching I'm very pleased you enjoyed my little film, I have another video on my channel called The lost Signal Boxes of March which shows where a lot of the railway has gone.
The music matches the huge sky! This is beautiful work.
Thank very much for watching, I am really pleased you enjoyed it. The music is by Scott Buckley he has a lot of amazing music on his channel.
@@barryjohn3549 ...am a female rail fanatic ( particularly disused lines) thwarted in exploration travel under the current restrictions, so your adventures are very welcome. Looking forward to more. Best regards.
@@christinaburton9297 Hopefully later in the summer I will be getting out to film more videos like this one.
Looking forward to it. You have a real talent for photography and filmmaking. All the best.
Muuuuuyyyy interesante video. Me encantó ver estos testimonios del pasado. Me apena un poco ver estaciones y predios ferroviarios abandonados... Pero estoy tan acoatumbrado a verlos en mi Pais. Con mucho afecto a todos los amantes del ferrocarril. Desde Argentina
Great video, loved seeing it!!
Thank you I am really pleased you enjoyed it.
Beautifully shot and edited. Thank you.
Thank you for watching, I am really pleased you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for this stunning video, my Nan & Granddad use to keep the gates just up north a bit at gull drove, my Granddad did 45 years on the railway at guyhirn
Thank you Mark, Thanks for watching really pleased to hear you enjoyed it. After filming and the video being uploaded I came across an amazing couple of photos of Guyhirn station but it was too late to make the video by then, But how wonderful your Grandad worked for so long on the railway. Really pleased that this video can bring back some lovely memories for you.
@@barryjohn3549 I am truly grateful for you sharing this, and i have now shared it on facebook to my family far and wide, i hope you do not mind
@@markwilliamwestonwilson1503 Of course please share for your family and friends to see
@@barryjohn3549 Many thanks and i hope you have a great 2021, all the best
Evocative video photography with surreal music to match. Thanks for uploading.
Thank you for watching, Really pleased you enjoyed it.
history of this great town amazing
Thank you Barry, remember walking it many times with my old pal Doug Laws. Brings back great memories .
Thank you for watching it, And I am really happy that it brings back some great memories for you.
Enjoyed this alot ! Thankyou...
Thank you Mick, Thanks for watching and I am really pleased you enjoyed it.
Brilliant video, thank you for making it.
Thank you, Really pleased you enjoyed watching it.
Barry, thank you for making and sharing your video. I live locally, but well remember the devastation of market towns in Yorkshire in the 60s. The whole country suffered as a result.
Thank you for watching, I am very pleased you enjoyed it.
Absolutely brilliant, excellent, very well put together, loved the music
Thank you very much! The music is by a brilliant composer called Scott Buckley he has a channel here on UA-cam ua-cam.com/users/musicbyscottb,
Thanks, excellent video
Thank you I am very pleased you enjoyed watching.
I so enjoyed this 👍
Thank you for watching I am very pleased you enjoyed the film.
This is an excellent video, well put together with excellent camera work. Well done and thank you for sharing it with us. Happy memories
Thank you very much! And thank you for watching
Great video. My boys and I have enjoyed watching this.
Thank you Matthew, Really pleased you and your boys enjoyed watching it.
Absolutely fantastic
Thank you, I very am pleased you enjoyed it.
Hello, i enjoyed that video very much. Nicely put together. How sad the ghosts of railways past.
Hello Christopher thank you for watching. I am really pleased you enjoyed it.
My dad sent this to me. It's a lovely composition and very informative.
Thank you watching, I am really pleased you enjoyed it and found it informative.
My oldest daughter lives in March, and we travelled to Peterborough from March station when I visited last year. This is really interesting
Thank you for watching, I am pleased you enjoyed the film, The old platforms for the old Spalding line and Wisbech are on the left hand side of the station when you come back from Peterborough.
great yet sad video 😢🛤
Thank you for watching
Excellent video thanks, even if it sad 😢
Thank you for Watching Jerry, I am pleased you enjoyed it.
Railway Movies.
The Titfield Thunderbolt 1952.
The Great Train Robbery 1963.
The Railway Children 1970 & 2000.
Thomas and the Magic Railroad 2000.
Like so many others, cast aside, deemed no longer necessary for purpose, how the march of time changes the face of the once bustling scene of yesteryear.
They were the motorways of their day, swift, and smooth running in comparison to the motley pot holed, bumpy uncomfortable excuses for roads of the nineteenth century.
Now just photographic images and memories of a bygone era.😢
How short sighted the policy makers of the day were to wreck one of the Crown Jewels this country had..... a decent public transport system in favour of the motor car!
They were by no means short-sighted: this country (the 'U.K ') has been wrecked deliberately.
While I agree with you I think it's terrible what they did to the railroads. The way you speak "motor car" it seems you don't own an automobile? Is my assumption correct? I mean I would have preferred they left the railroads intact as well. But do you not like automobiles? They are quite useful contraptions. All the train engineers out there drive a car. It's become standard
Fantastic video. I recently walked the route of the Upwell-Wisbech tramway and the Bramley line (March-Wisbech). Its amazing to find all these old bits of infrastructure and compare them to old photographs. This line looks great and was my next one to walk, but sadly its a bit far away for me now we are in national lockdown.
Its a shame that they've been shut down and you can really see the difference an active train network brings to the area. Wisbech is one of the largest towns in the country without a rail link and it shows: its poverty-stricken when compared to March.
I'm writing a travelogue / guide to these walks as part of my masters thesis. It would be great to share photos with you of these lines if you are interested.
Thank you for watching I am really pleased you enjoyed it. It is such a shame lines like this closed it would have been brilliant to see trains traveling over the Guyhirn viaduct, But I am looking to do a part two of this video onto Spalding once lockdown is lifted. But I am also looking at doing a video on the March to Wisbech line as well, So yes please it would be brilliant to use some of your photos in another video, and a video on the old Wisbech tramway.
Very nice..
Thank you for watching, I am pleased you liked it.
There are plans to reopen the line to Wisbech, but I don't know how they're going to cross the A47. Talk is of a level crossing, as before, but Inthink the road users will be up in arms over that. All the tracks are still in place, except for the level crossings. Apart from removing the vegetation they just need to find somewhere for a new station at Wisbech.
This line sadly succumbed to the recession of the early 1980s but had been living on borrowed time as passenger services had been pared down to the minimum and greightvtrafgic levels had fallen with the recession so much that all traffic could be accommodated on the route via Peterborough.
Hopefully some time in the summer I will be looking to go out and film a video on this line line to, I did hear talk of the new station going before the A47 which would then put the station about a mile out of the town. Which would then make it difficult for some people to access the station. Hopefully what ever they decide to do we will see trains running on this line again.
Brilliant video. Having moved away from Thorney Toll in 2001 the area has changed quite a bit. The nature reserve wasn't even thought of then.
Thanks for watching, It is a lovely nature reserve. Only a few years ago there was talk of pulling down the Guyhirn viaduct, But so far it has managed to survive.
@@barryjohn3549 I can remember it still continuing over the road and the bridge over the river and A47.
After filming back in the summer I came across some amazing photos of Guyhirne station and signal box probably from the 1920,s but was too late then to make the video, But I am very pleased that this video can bring back so many memories for people.
@@barryjohn3549 I now live in M&GN country now. Only a mile from Melton Constable works and station. There's plenty of old railway relics around to spot.
Here's a little fun fact the line from March to Wisbech might reopen as a heritage railway
I'm just surprised that the Romford to Upminster and Upminster to Grays survived the Beeching Cuts
When I look on Google Earth to research my films and try to follow old track beds its hard to believe just how big the rail network would have been at one point.
I f remember right my dad helped take the old bridge down . i do sort remember it .but was wee nipper
That is really good, I remember walking over the bridge at 20 foot as a child before it got taken down.
Sad to see how British engineering and building skills have been disrespected by successive governments in the interests of the motor manufacturers and petrochemical industries. Great video but so sad.
Thank you for watching, And yes it is sad that many railway lines have been pulled up.
Really good thanks for posting it
Could you continue to spalding ?
Thank you, But yeah in the new year I have thought about continuing on to Spalding for what is left of the railway. But I am also looking at doing one for March to Wisbech line as well.
Your pan shots were too fast for my taste, but otherwise what an excellent video - dripping with nostalgia. How sad those days are gone. The music was well suited. Thanks.
Thanks, Glad you enjoyed it!
I can watch this over and over again..why was it closed? Great music..but the one I think of watching this is "In the Fen Country " R V Williams
Thanks for watching, I am pleased you enjoyed it. The line was closed in the 1980's due to many things, the government at the time and lack of numbers using the service.
Going back to this film my Dad was born in GullDrove crossing house in1924 and my Grandad was rewarded 10 Shillings for running the line to place detonators to make a major Derailment into a smaller one right near the said crossing
Thank you for watching I am pleased you enjoyed the film, And that it brings back some lovely family memories.
I also have a Hardback Book called The Railway Policeman.
The Story of the Constable on the Track.
This is the story, told in full for the first time, of the British Transport Police.
I live there.
I know little about trains, though love to travel on them, but this video, coupled with the music and the sentiment of a past era is actually very moving. What IS the music, by the way?
Thank you for watching, I am really pleased you enjoyed it, The music is by a brilliant composer called Scott Buckley he has a UA-cam channel ua-cam.com/users/musicbyscottb The songs in my video are Track 1 Sleep, Track 2 Undertow, Track 3 Snowfall. I hope that all helps and once again thank you very much for watching.
I went to a scrap yard near Guyhirn late 1980's and saw piles and piles of signal arms and the gantry steelwork that appeard to have been recently cut down. I regret not trying to purchase some in case they were completely destroyed. Please tell me some were salvaged. The Rings End viaduct should have had a building preservation listing to preserve it. I always considered the arches a work art, something you never expected to see crossing the Fens.
Beeching should be classified as a Traitor for the damage to "OUR" railway networks he inflicted. Arrrh! Arrrh!
Thank you for watching my little film. I do remember something a few years ago where there was talk of the Guyhirn viaduct being demolished as due to its age they believed it was becoming unsafe but there was a petition to save it, So far it is still standing in all its glory today but sadly one day it will probably start to fall down on its own. I do know that some old railway signals and a signal box stands intact somewhere near Murrow.
Sad to see what was but it's the public that did not use these lines that led to them being closed.
It is such a shame these line closed, Hopefully lines like March / Wisbech can be reopened, Giving other people a chance to travel on that line.
So sad to see what Britain has lost
Nice information and was this line abandoned due to Beeching effect?
Thank you for watching, Yes the line unfortunately closed due to a number of reasons from the UK government in charge in the early 19080's, and more roads being built which meant more people buying cars which then lead to passenger numbers falling on these local train lines. A shame really as these amazing train lines and buildings with all their history was pulled up and knocked down with out a second thought.
Nice video, why did the line close ?
Thank you, I think the line closed for a few reasons from the government back in the early 1980’s and more people started using cars and less people was using the railway. And the introduction of more roads across the region.
What history. It could be a big mistake to close this line?
When I was filming this back in the Summer I was thinking about how nice it would be to still travel on this line trough the country side to Spalding, And after I finished filming I came across an amazing photo of Guyhirne station but it was to late to make the video then.
Does 'The men of March really have a Great Western locomotive on its sign?
Hi David yes that is the real sign for the Men Of March Pub. It went through a stage where it had its name changed and the sign when it was turned into a modern bar and restaurant called Bar 23 and then back to a pub called The Little London Inn, But then went back to its old name and having a steam locomotive on it about 2014. When I was younger the pub had a steam train on its sign back in the 1990's, But I can not remember what type. Hopefully that helps.
March railway station must be Grade II listed?
It very well could be but unfortunately I am not sure? I believe at the minute the station is going through quite a big renovation.
Superb seems odd lines still being closed in 1982 when it was well known car commuting was doomed to clog up any areas of economic activity and so well understood that to bring in jobs you needed transport like rail light rail or trams or coachways...
Think London Docklands
Think Cambridge
Think Bristol jammed portway now want to reopen rail...
Think in Suffolk rail removed towns die and jobs move to where there is better transport and infrastructure...
Thank you for watching, It is such a shame that these lines was closed, But also goes to show how well made these old railway buildings were built as some still stand today. I did see on the news the other day that an old railway line from Cambridge to Oxford might be getting re-opened and then there is the March to Wisbech line that could also be getting re-opened.
Very well filmed with suitable music another triumph of cutting lines only to find buses then stopped and surprise surprise we get in the car and we get a lot pollution it’s not rocket science it is called cause and effect..shame land retained so that we could replace with light rail or tram or even guided busway, many areas of east Anglia are blighted by traffic congestion unsuitable country road.
In the west Bristol is fine example of transport blight after many routes lost so many have no choice but jump in the car
If they want go to work or area is blighted by poor transport link and subsides into a unemployment ghetto as now no bus no trams no rail so if not a car owner driver your stuffed I know places in Lincolnshire where local authority house have no transport most are on benefits and they get benifits paid into bank cos the bus to the nearest post office no longer runs it did run once weekly but now did all.
Transport needs to aligned with social need and employment and new investments.And pigs might fly as most politicians don’t care don’t understand and often are unable to see the long term affects of changes Good or Bad....
Thank you for Chris, I am really pleased you enjoyed watching it. It is such a shame that lines like this become a ghost of the past. There is hope for another old line out of March to Wisbech coming back to life which will help as Wisbech is a very large Fenland town that is not on the rail network. And hopefully that will help cut down traffic congestion in that area.
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I've heard rumours that consideration is being given to reopening this line following the upgrade of the GN/GE joint line to be the primary freight route from Felixstowe to Yorkshire and the North East.
Anyone got any intel on this?
I live adjacent to the line near Lincoln and can confirm that there's been a huge increase in container workings to Leeds, Doncaster and Rotherham since the upgrade.
Very interesting to hear, If you hear anything else keep us posted maybe one for another video in the future about a reopening of a line.
@@barryjohn3549 It is only a rumour Barry, and I suspect that that's how it will remain. Forgive me if you know all this already, but at the minute everything is sent in a big loop via Peterborough. The flat crossing north of Peterborough is being replaced by a dive under, but it's still a very long way round!
My understanding is that the major obstacle to reinstatement has been the removal of bridges and a significant embankment at Guyhirn.
Nothing that couldn't be overcome, but is there the political will and the cash to do it?
Victorian Era 1837-1901.
Historical railways...when money talks...common sense walks.. such a waste?
Yes it was such a shame, But the March to Wisbech line left a lot of the track in place so hopefully later this year I will be able to film that for video like this one.
I grew up in March. I live in Bristol now. I go back for a short stay most summers. Once you've been there it's hard not to go back.
Thank you for watching I am pleased you enjoyed it, And that it brings back memories of the town.
@Barry John this is a very good vid. One of my favourites.