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Hastings To London Charing Cross in 1988

It would be difficult to find another railway with such a contrast as the Hastings to Charing Cross line.

At the southern end, three stations around St Leonards are separated by two long tunnels. Our 62 mile trip takes us through rural East Sussex and Kent. For the first couple of miles we are on the South Coast line towards Brighton. At Bopeep Junction our "4-CEP" EMU - in the much lamented "Jaffa cake" colour scheme - turns north through the East Sussex countryside through Battle to Tunbridge Wells. The character of the line changes at Tonbridge as we join the busy main line artery from Ashford, Dover and Folkestone.

Gradually we enter Greater London's commuter belt and our two tracks become four at Orpington - the start of the commuter belt. By the time we race toward London Bridge and Waterloo East, our fast lines are lost in a bewildering maze of tracks.

Finally, after traversing the junctions with Cannon Street and the Thameslink line, we cross Hungerford Bridge and enter platform 5 at London’s most central terminus, Charing Cross.

This film was produced in the 1980s using state-of-the-art-back-then video equipment and shortly after electrification in 1986. The Hastings line was famous for its restricted width tunnels and at that time many tunnels were singled to allow the passage of standard width stock trains instead of special narrow stock. The slam-door traisn were filmed in the lamented "Jaffa Cake" livery. The fascinating history of the line was researched by H.C.Bassett, a life-long employee of the Southern.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Peter Middleton
Narrated by: Peter Egan
First published on DVD: 1988
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD
Origination: Analogue SD

Running Time: 90-mins (1hr 30min) , Colour, Audio: Dolby Digital
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The hourly Southern service to Ashford (Kent) nowadays starts at Brighton, running fast to Eastbourne stopping only at Lewes and Polegate.

At Eastbourne the 2 –car class 171 diesel multiple unit reverses to continue along the coast to Hastings calling at Bexhill and St Leonards Warrior Square.

Our train continues beneath the semaphore signals towards Ore where the third rail runs out. From here we run fast along the single line to the ancient town of Rye.

Now we run across Romney Marsh, the flat landscape giving the line its name. After the unstaffed halt at Appledore, situated roughly one mile from the village, our train calls at one of the staggered platforms of Ham Street Station followed by the terminus at Ashford International.

We then jump back to Lewes and join the driver in the cab of a 3-car class 377 electric multiple unit for the short trip down the scenic branch line to Seaford. Calling at Newhaven Town and Harbour the line becomes single and continues along the coast through Bishopstone into the terminus at Seaford, the latter two stations retaining different but classic Southern railway buildings.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Narrated by: Jonathan Kydd
First published on DVD: 2008
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R

Running Time: 145-mins (2hr 25min)

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The West of England line was the Southern Railway's arterial route to the West Country and as such was at one time very busy with express trains to Salisbury, Exeter and Plymouth. It was also the route of the ACE, the Atlantic Coast Express which ran from Waterloo all the way to Padstow on the North Cornish coast.

Run down and rationalised in the 1960s, the West of England line became a mere shadow of its former self. Today, with privatisation, train services and passenger numbers are on the up and we can see the line from the cab of a class 159 DMU, in its recently resignalled form along with recent redoubled sections of line to improve capacity and flexibility.

As well as the ride in the cab, we also see inside the signal boxes.

Filmed in the summer of 2014 in association with the South West Trains, Network Rail alliance. (Also available on Bluray)

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Summer 2014
Narrated by: Jonathan Kydd
Sound: Dolby Digital
First published on DVD: 2015
Screen aspect ratio: 16:9 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Origination: Digital DV

Running Time: 107-mins (1hr 47min) , Colour
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This Driver's eye view is the South West Trains service from Reading to London Waterloo. Calling at Earley, Winnersh Triangle, Winnersh, Wokingham, Bracknell, Martins Heron, Ascot, Sunningdale, Virginia Water, Egham, Staines, Feltham, Twickenham, Richmond, Clapham Junction and London Waterloo. This is the service from Reading. This train is formed of eight coaches.

This busy commuter line has a minimum half hourly service throughout the day including Sundays. Almost all the trains are formed of Alstom Junipers and we follow ours from three signal boxes. Surprisingly, Wokingham signal box is still operated from a traditional lever frame.

Our train is then passed to Feltham power 'box. From Richmond, control passes to Wimbledon PSB which takes our train all the way into Waterloo.

This Driver's eye view was filmed in the summer sunshine of 2013. (Also available on Bluray)

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Peter Middleton
Narrated by: Rob Curling
First published on DVD: 2013
Screen aspect ratio: 16:9 SD
Region: 0
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Origination: Digital DV

Running Time: 76-mins (1hr 16min) , Colour
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Paddington to Greenford

Slough to Windsor

Maidenhead to Marlow

Twyford to Henley

Also available in High Definition on Blu-ray

This is an opportunity to see four of the GWR Thames Valley branch lines from the driver's cab.

We start at Paddington for a run along the Greenford branch taking us over the Great Western main line via Ealing Broadway, the line terminating at Greenford sandwiched between the tracks of LUL's Central Line.

We then travel over the Windsor branch from Slough into the one-time showpiece Royal station facing Windsor Castle. Unusually we return part of the way to show the junction arrangement at Slough.

The Marlow branch is the fascinating legacy of the one-time through route to High Wycombe requiring a reversal at the constricted junction at Bourne End.

Finally, we travel over the line to Henley on Thames. All trains on the four branch lines consist of 2-car class 165 Turbo DMUs.

Filmed in the summer sunshine of 2015.

Narrated by Rob Curling and written by Peter Middleton

Running time: 72 minutes

Availability: AVAILABLE
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R


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The start of our journey around the north eastern tip of the Isle of Thanet is the seaside town of Ramsgate.

The town has been on the railway map since 1846. Eventually two rival companies served the town for over fifty years until the Southern Railway built a connecting line between the two. Even today, there are two main routes into the town, one via Ashford from Charing Cross and the route we are taking via Chatham into London Victoria.

Our 4 coach class 375 Electrostar starts off as the hourly fast service calling at selected stations to Faversham.

Here we join up with a similar 4 car set from Dover. We then call at Sittingbourne and the Medway Towns

of Rainham, Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester. Once over the Medway itself, our 8 coach train runs fast to Victoria calling only at Bromley South.

This journey of 100 minutes is shown virtually in real time.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Narrated by: Jonathan Kydd
First published on DVD: 2007
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD

Running Time: 100mins (1hr 40min)

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Back in 1998, two out of the three southern franchises were in the hands of Connex,. Today there are none. This video was filmed soon after the introduction of seven refurbished Class 319 electric multiple units dedicated to the fast Brighton to London Connex service. One of the original gems of privatisation, the Connex Express ran hourly between the South Coast and the Capital with just one intermediate stop at East Croydon.

The video actually begins at Wolverton Works with a brief look at the class 319 EMUs’ metamorphosis.

We then join one such unit at Brighton for the start of the 50 minute journey, seen virtually in real time. The trains then ran non-stop through Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport and even Clapham Junction! There is a great deal of history crammed into our journey such as the tragic accident in Clayton Tunnel, the tunnel with a house above the castellated portal.

BONUS EXTRA FEATURE: Brighton to London in 5-minutes! The entire route with no cuts at 10 times normal speed inspired by the famous BBC TV film "London to Brighton in Five Minutes". This modern day version, in reverse, has a musical accompaniment.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: 1998, Peter Middleton, written by Dave Allen.
Narrated by: Fred Dinenage
Sound: Dolby digital stereo
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R

Running Time: 50-mins (0hr 50min) , Colour
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Uckfield to East Croydon

These unique trains have long been called Thumpers due to their distinctive sound. Now, after the units' well earned retirement this record of their unmistakeable sound (from trackside and on board) lives on in stereo.

Surprisingly, the Uckfield branch is fascinating in itself. It is the stub of a former through route from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes. Nowadays the route features both single and double track sections. Following the fatal head on collision at Cowden in 1994,strict new operating procedures were put into place including the provision of SPAD* signals at stategic points.

You will see these as the driver does from the cab.The line runs through classic Kent and Sussex countryside with, surprisingly, only three towns of any significant population. At Oxted we take a brief look inside the signalling centre and then our Thumper, 205 009, runs non-stop to East Croydon.

* Signal Passed At Danger

Made in assocation with South Central Trains

Filmed in the summer of 2003

Availability: AVAILABLE
Narrated by: Fred Dineage, written by Peter Middleton
First published on DVD: 2003
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD

Running Time: 61-mins (1hr 1min) , Colour
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Weymouth to London Waterloo

This Driver's eye view begins with a brief look at the unique street-running quay "tramway" from a class 73 Electro-Diesel Locomotive.

On the main line out of Weymouth heading north aboard a class 442 Wessex Electric, we climb up towards Dorchester South. Turning east the train calls at the intermediate stations as far as Poole and Bournemouth, with their classic causeway approaches.

Speeding up, we call at Brockenhurst (for connection with the Lymington branch) and pass through the delightful stretch of unspoilt New Forest to Southampton.

We then run non-stop at up to 100 mph along the old LSWR quadruple track main line via Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction into Waterloo.

The original VHS tape ommitted the Winchester/Basingstoke section for time reasons. The DVD version has this restored but as a menu option and you can view the missing section from Winchester to Basingstoke. (No commentary of course nor any cut-aways).

In addition the publisher has put the camera rushes of the Weymouth street "tramway" onto the menu as well. Once again there is of course no commentary but with the line quite likely never to be used again, this is unique footage running for about 30 minutes and showing the entire progress of our train from the cab of a class 73.

Availability: AVAILABLE
Narrated by: Fred Dinenage
First published on DVD: 1995 on VHS, 2003 on VDV
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R

Running Time: 93-mins (1hr 33min) , Colour
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Each year, thousands of holidaymakers experience the thrill of riding through the picturesque Purbeck Hills on one of the Swanage Railway’s classic steam trains. The line runs for 5½ miles from a new Park and Ride station at Norden through the unique Corfe Castle station and Harman’s Cross into the small seaside town of Swanage.

Today’s railway is thriving and this film takes you on a guided tour of the line by steam train, looks behind the scenes and talks with some of the staff and volunteers who work on the line. To look at the railway today, it’s hard to believe that in 1972, under British Rail, the line was run down and closed, the track taken up and the buildings left to decay. With the aid of old photographs and archive film, we recall the mammoth struggle to rebuild the line - from scratch!

Includes a full DMU cab ride from Swanage to Norden.

Availability: AVAILABLE

Cover photo: main cover: Andrew P M Wright
Filmed by/when: Peter Middleton. Archive photos & film courtesy of The Andre P M Wright Collection
Narrated by: Fred Dinenage
Sound: Dolby digital stereo
First published on DVD: 2008
Screen aspect ratio: 4:3 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Origination: Digital DV & archive cine-film

Running Time: 60-mins (1hr 0min) , Colour
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Starting with a brief history of the island's railways, this is an in-depth look at the two survivors, one electric and one stream.

The Island Line is unique, being served by former London Underground tube trains dating way back to 1938. We join a 2 car train at Shanklin, the southern most terminus, to enjoy a driver's eye view of the line.

Passing the down train at the seaside resort of Sandown we make our way through Brading onto the double line section controlled by the only operational signal box remaining - Ryde St Johns.

Continuing in tunnel beneath the Esplanade we emerge at the station of the same name continuing all the way out to sea over Ryde pier into the one remaining platform at the end of the line.

The Steam Railway is a preservation gem also with unique elements such as the 100% original steam-hauled coaching stock and undoubtedly unique steam survivor class 02 "Calbourne".The railway links with the electric line at Smallbrook Junction where we join the crew of Calbourne for a magnificent journey along the line through the line's semaphore signalled base at Haven Street and to the current terminus at Wootton.More than just a driver's eye view we see the crew at work coupled with plenty of views of the train and scenery passing by.

Both electric and steam lines were also filmed in glorious weather for some truly stunning pictures.

Extras: Ryde St John's Road depot; Ryde St John's Road Signal Box; Island Steam Show; Future Traction requirements (presentation by Steve Oates IOWSR Chairman).

Availability: AVAILABLE
Filmed by/when: Wrtiiten by Peter Middleton
Narrated by: Jonathan Kydd
Sound: Dolby digital stereo
First published on DVD: 2011
Screen aspect ratio: 16:9 SD
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R

Running Time: 75-mins (1hr 15min) , Colour
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