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Short Cuts

Ever since we produced our first cab ride programme in 1994, our cameras have filmed around fifty subsequent journeys. For a variety of reasons, not all of them have seen the light of day but among the countless hours of tape lying on the cutting room floor is some really interesting, unusual and – in many cases - historical footage. This programme comprises six mini cab rides featuring rural branch lines and busy main lines. All six were filmed on different types of traction - ranging from a 1961-built Class 20 and a 1984-built Class 58 to a modern high-speed Virgin Pendolino. The cab rides were filmed between 2001 and 2017.

HOLYHEAD-BANGOR on 57309: Filmed during the period when Virgin Class 57s were diagrammed for a daily Pendolino drag between Crewe and Holyhead, this sequence features the 25 miles of route in North Wales from Holy Island across Anglesey and onto the mainland. It is a section of route that has plenty of interest - semaphore signals, jointed track, request stops, Britain’s longest station name...and the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits.
HOPE CEMENT WORKS-EARLES SIDINGS on 20056: This rural backwater in Derbyshire, which connects Hope Cement Works to the Hope Valley Line, is virtually hidden from view. A single Class 20 over the 1.5 mile branch line compliments the surroundings. On this occasion it was an unsilenced 20056 that was on the trip duties rather than the usual silenced Class 20.
ACTON WELLS-WEMBLEY YARD on 58025: A short cut from the North London Line to Wembley Yard. The maze of trackwork starts at Acton Wells Junction and the short journey continues via Acton Canal Wharf, the quirky single-track Up & Down Acton Branch, the Willesden Relief Line and the High Level Goods Line which leads into the busy Wembley Yard.
KILMARNOCK-BARRHEAD on 55022: Deltic Royal Scots Grey tackles the seven-mile climb from Kilmarnock to the summit at Dunlop, hauling a refurbished EMU to Yoker. This rural journey features the impressive collection of semaphore signals at Lugton and some fine scenery. This was filmed during the brief period when some of these workings travelled via Barrhead before being re-routed via Killwinning and Barassie - as covered in our full length ‘Taking Stock’ programme.
EUSTON-WATFORD JUNCTION on Virgin Pendolino 390126: After leaving Euston on ‘Line X’ and climbing Camden bank, the WCML runs alongside the busy Watford DC Lines, past Willesden Junction and Wembley Yard. North of Bushey the Pendolino tilts at an impressive 110mph before passing through Watford Junction. This is a view of this fascinating route from the Down Fast Line and compliments that of the Up Slow Line as featured in our ‘GBAC’ programme.
READING-BASINGSTOKE on 66082: This journey starts on the western approaches to the newly-remodelled Reading. After passing under the new Reading Viaduct onto the remodelled Reading West curve, this DB Cargo intermodal service briefly joins the Berks & Hants route to pass through Reading West station. At Southcote Junction the train takes the former GWR?route through Mortimer and Bramley before joining the South Western Main Line at Basingstoke.

With a running time of around 1 hour 50 minutes, this programme is scheduled for release in early June priced at £19.95.

Programme Fact File