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PostPosted: 29 Oct 2014, 15:56 
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Joined: 23 Dec 2010, 00:07
Posts: 384
Location: Poole, Dorset
Strike Force Entertainment, the firm which produced the very interesting DVD British Train Disasters 1914-1975 which has been mentioned previously on this forum, have also produced a set of three DVDs covering Britain's railways during the 2nd world war, namely-

Britain's Railways: The Home Front War Years 1939 to 1941
Britain's Railways: The Home Front War Years 1941 to 1943
Britain's Railways: The Home Front War Years 1944 to 1945

I bought these some while ago but have only just finished watching them.

I cannot recommend them too highly for anyone interested in this period of our history. There is a wealth of fascinating footage, including a fair amount of crane operation. In particular, the '44 to '45 DVD is of interest, since it features footage of the aftermath of the bombing raid which damage Wimbledon East Sidings featuring three R&R cranes, including the recovery of the toppled crane. There is also a wonderful interviwew with Driver Gimbert of Soham fame in his hospital bed, and some fascinating footage of the coastal gun "Pooh" being dismantled with the aid of 1560S and 1561S and shipped out by rail. Other highlights include the movement and firing of HMG Boche Buster on exercise in Devon, as well as a number of smaller rail-mounted guns.

It is a long time since I watched a DVD as rivetting as any of these, they really are very good indeed!

The same company has also produced a similar volume covering WW1, "Railways at War: The First World War", and whilst there is no crane action the amount of very early movie footage is remarkable.

All of the DVDs are widely available online from the usual sources.

It is interesting to see in many cases the brutal way in which steam crane can be used in extreme situations. Many of the operations in the footage show methods you certainly wouldn't want to try with a modern telejib crane.


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