The Richard Willis Archive Collection

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The 1960s were to prove to be the last decade in which the steam locomotive was to be used in public service on the national railway network of Great Britain. It had held sway for virtually one and a half centuries and its charisma had created a devoted following amongst the male population of the country of its birth that amounted almost to a cult.

For much of its lifetime the steam locomotive fleet’s history was recorded in print, and whilst a vast knowledge base was built up by professional and amateur historians alike very few took an opportunity to record the working scene on movie film. Moving images of the steam locomotive are therefore rare in comparison as the professional railwayman had little need of such footage other than for publicity purposes.

We are then indeed fortunate that there were such amateur movie cameramen as Richard Willis who recorded these priceless images of everyday steam in action. It is from his unique collection of 16mm film that this series of five programmes has been created. Richard Willis was brought up in Leicestershire, near the county town, so it is to his ‘home territory’ that this first programme is devoted.

He started filming in the early 1960s when steam had less than a decade still to run. Diesel trains – such as the Blue Pullman were already making inroads. This first volume is devoted to this changing scene.

Including: Leicester MPD, Belgrave & Birstall, Rugby, Croxton, Aylestone Fields, Leicester Central, Abbey Lane, Rothley, Loughborough, Nottingham Victoria and many other lineside locations.

Orginal source was 16mm film, remastered & redubbed in 2004.

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Filmed by/when: Richard Willis
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Origination: 16mm,

Running Time: 55-mins (0hr 55min)

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Customer Reviews

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Venturing out from his ‘home territory’ Richard Willis now brings us a varied collection of railway locations on what is a fascinating Midland Railway lineside ramble.

The programme starts at one of the great cathedrals of steam, St Pancras. It is from here that we travel northwards through Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Ketton and Collyweston, Syston, Desford, Derby, Leeds, Kirkby Stephen West, Carlisle, Manchester Victoria, Stockport, Crewe, Nuneaton, Birmingham (New Street) and more. Including action from Stanier 8Fs, Jubilees, Crab, WD, Black 5s, Britannias and Duchesses.

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Number of discs: 1 DVD-R


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Customer Reviews

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To many people the classic view of the East Coast Main Line would include a Gresley Pacific at speed. To Richard Willis, this was the end of an era that he painstakingly just had to record on16mm cine film. The result is his record of a mainline steam railway that was as individual as its locomotives.

This incredible journey of remembrance starts at London’s King’s Cross station and includes scenes at Abbott’s Ripton, Peterborough, Burton Coggles, Grantham, Torworth, Leeds Central, York, York Shed, Northallerton, Durham, Newcastle, Edinburgh and other lineside locations. Including classes A1, A3, A4, V2 and many more.

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Number of discs: 1 DVD-R


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Customer Reviews

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In this programme Richard Willis takes his camera to record the last mainline steam at a variety of well-known locations. The programme starts at Waterloo; terminus for the West of England main line to Salisbury and Exeter and the Bournemouth and Weymouth main lines. Including lineside locations at Weybridge, Chertsey, Brookwood, Pirbright Junc, Cove, Fleet, Farnborough, Overton, Salisbury, Brockenhurst, Hinton Admiral, Bournemouth, Other last main lines include scenes at Leicester, Derby, Banbury, and York before a final part of the programme looks at the West Coast Main Line with scenes in the Lune Gorge, at Grayrigg, Tebay, Scout Green and Carlisle.

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Number of discs: 1 DVD-R


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In this final programme of the Richard Willis collection we discover once more how he was keen to record what at the time were the everyday scenes of the working railway in the 1960s. The film starts with a record of the Oxfordshire branch line scene before moving on to Aynho Junc, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Snow Hill, Wellington, Hereford’s Barr’s Court, Welshpool, Oswestry, Stratford-upon Avon, then across to Helpstone, Claypole and Doncaster and northwards to Chester, Colwyn Bay and Holyhead. Finally, in August 1968, to the steam heartlands of the northwest at Manchester Victoria and Carnforth the Age of Steam came to its conclusion.

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Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R


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