**FIRST PASSENGER TRAIN TO LEEK IN OVER 50 YEARS**NOTHING STOPS THE CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY! 31.12.24 скачать в хорошем качестве

**FIRST PASSENGER TRAIN TO LEEK IN OVER 50 YEARS**NOTHING STOPS THE CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY! 31.12.24

After a sleepless night... The first passenger train to Leek since 1965! A charter train from Kingsley & Froghall to Leek. Our film shows the journey filmed from the first coach window from Leekbrook to Leek, USATC S160 steam locomotive 6046 taking the train down the new branch. The film was not planned. My son and myself were asked to travel through the train to the front carraige in order to be straight across the locomotive footplate at Leek to take photographs. Whilst in the first coach I decided to film the journey from Leek Brook to Leek. Some footage of the passengers, crew, and of the train by the buffers included before she exits the station, leaving me and SJ behind for some quiet reflection, paying respects to my late father... Although I filmed the prose I wrote for him, I was too choked to read it. My dad caught one of the last trains from Stoke to Leek in 1956, and used to travel from Longton to Uttoxeter then on to Leek while working for the Midland Bank, although he was on the bank cashier "circular" contract so spent time at all the local branches, quite often different each day, like a relief man. He met my mum at the Newcastle-under-Lyme branch where she was also a cashier. She did at one time assume he was on the train because she was there but slowly discovered he was a rail enthusiast and would leave his motorcycle at one station and catch the train to another! By the time he was promoted to the Industrial Finance Division (Forward Trust) in 1971, many of the stations he had used had gone, and he took me to many, including Leek which was about to be demolished, and Hanley which had no track. Leek was like a wasteland, empty platforms and broken glass after heavy rain. 33102 Sophie returned to pick me up and I enjoyed doing my best Ken Woodings impression (former Leek station staff, also sadly deceased) and shouting "Leek, all change!" I spent the journey back sitting with my son, relaxed after the huge excitement, watching the winter scenery roll by. A phenomenal day. Great respect for the volunteers of the CVR who pulled this off much against the odds and without much support from those who should have been right behind the project. My son and I were invited by the Railway Manager Greg Wilson, and we had the best day out on any railway. Thankyou Mr Wilson. Elsewhere... Firstly, you will hear me say yes to my son who asked if I was going to film the run into Leek, having been aware I had made a short test film beforehand between Cheddleton and Leek Brook, to see if the wind was a problem. You'll hear me shout to my old High School Geography teacher Mick Robson by the auto crossing at Leekbrook, then shout Aye Up to Rhys Wharton on duty by the triangle point, and finally yell to James Bateman, former CVR now Amerton Railway guard, the Leek side of Birchall Tunnel. SJ also becomes the first cat to Leek, and the first passenger to catch a train from Leek since 1965. There are some errors in my filming but I was too excited, hyped up, emotional, and trying to snap some great photographs for the railway, this film was done inbetween all that. The train had over 400 passengers, all invited guests. Almost lastly... A rather poor show from the Heritage Railway Association, who didn't even respond to the email inviting them onto the train. They missed a real treat that only comes along very occasionally, and I'm perplexed about that. And finally The first passenger off the second train, as I waited on the platform, was longtime CVR volunteer station staff member Richard Waterhouse. We spoke briefly and immediately agreed that days on any railway don't get any better than this. Thanks for watching this film and for the hundreds of comments, all of which I have responded to. All support for the CVR and their Leek project is much appreciated. Ian Ralphs