The Severn Valley Railway DVD

Advantages: A great steam train DVD
Disadvantages: None

...On First April 2000, an urgent request for help was answered by a Black Five locomotive. The Mid-Hants Railway needed a locomotive to pull a very special mainline train. Of course, she was glad to be able to help. The job was to involve hauling a rather special Daylight Railtour all the way from Alton in Hampshire to Bridgnorth, in Shropshire. The reason for the urgent request was that he locomotive scheduled for the run, Standard Class 5 73096's certificate to enable it to run on mainline tracks was on the point of expiring and the scheduled replacement steam locomotive, West Country type Bodmin 34016 had been feeling under the weather, and was being repaired. So Stanier Class locomotive 5MT 45407 was requested to take her place. Such a long run from mainline through to the former Great Western Railway Severn Valley Line... Read review

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Advantages: Even more great steam footage
Disadvantages: None

...Taw Valley Orient Express Steam has to be one of moy favourite of the Green Umbrella steam train videos. It tells the story of then Southern West Country Class steam locomotive 34027 "Taw Valley." You see, years ago, railway companies would design a new locomotive and name the after things. The Castle Class, for example, would all be named after castles. The West country class locomotives were all named after features in the South West of England. Hence, of course, the name Taw Valley." Taw Valley is a Bulleid locomotive. "What on earth," I thought, "is that all about, then?" Ths video explains all. (A clue: It is not pronounced Bell-eyed, but rather Bull-Id. No. You are right. That's not much of a clue, is it? I'll explain the name, later.) In 1980, Taw Valley was, let's be blunt about it, in a bit of a dreadful state. The DVD... Read review

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Advantages: Educational, entertaining, charming
Disadvantages: With Fred? Don't be so soft! (IE None)

...Railway Museum, York and various locations all over the country. And tells us things we might not have known (it was Trevithick, not Stephenson who built the first railway locomotives!) Fred also shows the pre-steam railways. We see a working recreation of Trevithick's locomotive, and Stephenson's Rocket and more modern steam locomotives, and Fred, the lucky chap!) gets to drive them! He also has a look at how some preservation groups have started to build new locomotives to original plans, building steam locomotives that did not survive the cutting torches of the scrapmen. He also visits preserved railway lines and centres of rail engineering excellence like the Birmingham Railway Centre, and saw the great work they are undertaking there. The last programme on the DVD is Ships and Ship Building. Fred retells the story of how the crafts... Read review

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