NCB Mountain Ash in 1979
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- This was a Saturday morning and it was the start of my 1979 summer holiday in Wales. The look on the loco crew's faces as I parked up beside the grimy engines in my '74 Pontiac Trans Am. They had never seen one before and I received many offers of a swap with any or all of the steam engines that they had. As I had paid £3,400 for it the previous year and Austerity's could be had for £450 I declined the kind offer.. I had considered the offer of the GWR pannier 7754 though
Lovely shots. The big Peckett at the start looks like our "Sir Gomer", of 1932. Great to see it at work
Amazing footage! I can't believe those engines were in regular service in '79. I love the detail about the
crews and your Trans Am...it adds so much life to the story! Thanks for posting!
Wonderful memories; Thank you. John.
@Loganberrybunny This was usual Saturday morning shunting right in the middle of Mountain Ash. Nothing put on as a special show. I've never been back but I guess its just a cleared wasteland now. When I look on google earth for signs of the old collieries I use to visit there are just scars on the landscape now. But I hope you enjoy all of the film footage I have of industrials running about back then.. Regards
Just up the road from the infamous Phurnacite Plant that no one will ever miss. That place was literally killing people and the ground there will remain toxic for a long time yet. Most of the S Wales rivers ran with beds, black from sludge that with a little investment could have been avoided. It took 30 years for them to run clean again and now people fight over fishing licenses in rivers that were one sterile of life.
The closures were paid for with a terrible social cost.
The happy singing and wistling worker was my father Joe, now sadly passed on. Any film or photos you have from those days I would love to see. He told us of the many people who filmed the trains who came from all over the world to see steam trains, but we have never seen any.
I guess Im kind of off topic but do anybody know a good website to watch newly released tv shows online?
@Kaison Samson I would suggest Flixzone. Just google for it =)
5*****! Lovely engine! This one guy was constantly whistling and singing. :)
One happy worker!
You should have said "Yes" to the swap... Provided every engine had been sent to the Walkden shops for overhaul first! They would have shut up if you told then how much in petrol it would cost to get to Swansea & back
Magnificent archives images. Thank you for the sharing. Philippe
this engine is still in use in llangollen r.i.p ronnie
Yep , parking that there might cause a stir ! Parking a Corvette in Peak Forest car park does likewise. And to think , when my 3300hp 'daily driver ' was parked behind said 'Vette, i often thought to meself...' I've driven engines with less power than that car' !
Were these engines still in regular use by this time, or was it more a case of putting on a show for the camera? Either way, absolutely fascinating video.
good lord, £450 is nothing, even with inflation, no wonder there's so many austerities still kicking about.