Down The Line Rail follows myself as I explore the railway network cross the country with a different informative style.
You can expect to see plenty of railway stations that you will be familiar with along with a selection of railway journeys and talking points as they come out into the news.
I am a railway enthusiast aiming to produce my very own railway videos based on the past, present and future of the many railway stations on the network. Follow my journeys by subscribing to this channel.
*All rail videos are that of my own and re-use of these will not be allowed. Should you wish to use any of my content then use the links below to get in contact*
Beeching was nothing but a short sighted, industrial vandal. He knew NOTHING about the railway. Tory appointee. You need to look at the money that went into motorway building and the construction companies!
Your point about failure to anticipate future growth and potential is spot on. The rot set in at at cack handed way they were nationalised. Under private ownership owned by shareholders they were only paid a dividend if there was a profit. When nationalised The government had to pay off the shareholders who were were paid in British Transport bond with a FiXED return of I believe 3.5% for I think 30 years. Right away shareholdersof the LNER and LMS had a fixed income instead of the low dividends (if any) before. Right away BR being the biggest component of the megalith BTC were saddled with fixed cost and the eventual repayment when bonds were redeemed. They were also stripped of their hotels docks and some ferry services all of which had contributed to income. Disastrous start. They were wre hamstrung by the totally incompetent BTC. It sowed the seeds of financial problems that wre to beset BR for decades
Modernizing the wagons and locos where the right thing to do BUT cuting back on A and B roads to save money NO.. HS2 will fix this with straighter faster track to connect the country.
Some closed short lines ( Tiverton to Tiverton Junction , Devon , UK ) would make 1st class tourist tramways .... In the USA some abandoned railroads are NOT torn up and used for ( rail workers ( + missus and kids ? ) crazy 😝 leisure Sunday FUN ! ) watch video : [ Speeders to Hazens * Re Upload * ] ... 2 stroke mayhem ( ? ) .... DAVE™🛑
The old St Johns station wasnt on the Hitchin line but interesting anyway. The Hitchin line ran from Midland Station and was briefly the main line to London before being replaced by the route down through Luton.
The Railways were struggling after the First World War. That’s why they were grouped in 1923. After the 2nd World War it was even worse, so they nationalised the railways. This just kicking the can down the road. Beeching was emergency surgery. He certainly wasn’t mad and his job was to make the railways pay. He got a lot of things right, especially where Freight was concerned. He was against electrifying the west coast mainline because of the up front cost. So he was basically a numbers man.
Fantastic video! You’ve presented a balanced view on Dr. Beeching’s impact on Britain’s railways, and it’s thought-provoking to consider both sides of the argument. For a deeper dive into Dr. Beeching’s Report, don’t miss "Dr. Beeching's Report" by Hand Drawn History-it provides more insightful context on the topic!
No he did not. Those who moan about the loss of a particular railway are the same people who would moan about paying taxes to keep said railway operating. That's not to say that, with the benefit of hindsight, some lost rail routes should have been kept in use, especially considering the change in demographics.
Did Dr B get it wrong or was he told to get it wrong!!?? Interesting that even the Government Transport Minister admitted that the East Coast Britannia's were far more economical than the diesels sent in to replace the Britannia class locomotives. Electrics are too expensive and diesels are dangerous!
It is often said that a lot of lines could have been saved if costs had been cut, while this may be true I do wonder how the unions would have reacted in 1963 to suggestions of cost cutting. The unions were going to fight for every job, which is understandable to a degree, however they (the unions) didnt seem to make any meaningful effort to say if this change or that change is made could it save the line and some jobs
