Tracing the Rails - Channel 95

[overthere 2]

For a couple of months now they have been showing a preview episode for this upcoming series which I recorded and watched at the weekend.

It appears to be along the same lines as other "exploring lost lines" programs but unlike the others where the railway seems to drift in to the background it seems to acknowledge it will be mainly watched by rail enthusiasts so the guy who presents it goes quite indepth also they have got old film and photographs and matched then up to the present day including it looks like using maps from the National Library of Scotland website.

This particular episode was meant to be about Shoreham and the branch to Steyning and Horsham but maybe to wet your appetite and make you come back he only really looked at Shoreham station itself, the bridge to the West of the station that carried the branch and is nearly all demolished and interviewed a retired signalman.

If you want to trace the route and see the bridge then Search: National Library of Scotland side by side maps then when the page opens put in the top left hand box: Shoreham by sea and in the bottom left hand box set the map to: Os One inch 7th series 1955-61

There is also a website: www.tracingtherails.com

 

[Welshguy1048]

The first episode is on Rewind TV - (BT TV Ch 95, Freeview Ch 95. SKY Ch 182. TalkTalk Ch 95 and Youview Ch95) this coming Sunday - 9th February at 3.30pm

Dave

 

[Ashley Hill]

Oh great,not on Virgin. Perhaps they’ll have the repeats later.

 

[overthere 2]

I was wondering has anybody else been watching this and if they have are they as disappointed with it as me?

With episode 1 it made sense to follow on from the preview show, so the fact that episode 1 was basically a cut down of the preview show did not bother me. But with episode 2 I expected it to move up the line a bit but instead it seemed to be the rest of the preview show. Now I have just finished watching episode 3 and he has only got as far as the bridge with only one episode left.

So what I took to be a series about a whole line is in reality an anoraks guide to Shoreham station and bridge.

 

[75A]

Have to agree with you, very disappointing.

 

[Basil Jet]

I'm enjoying it. It's not thrill-a-minute like Tim Dunn's perfectly formed masterpieces, but if you walk along an abandoned railway you have several hours of pleasing walk interspersed with a few minutes of pleasing ancient technology, and if that is a fine way to spend time, then these programmes are a fine way to spend time too. I'm a little surprised that it was made, and I don't understand the economics behind its existence, but I'm glad it was made and I thank everyone behind it.

 

[overthere 2]

I'm enjoying it. It's not thrill-a-minute like Tim Dunn's perfectly formed masterpieces, but if you walk along an abandoned railway you have several hours of pleasing walk interspersed with a few minutes of pleasing ancient technology, and if that is a fine way to spend time, then these programmes are a fine way to spend time too. I'm a little surprised that it was made, and I don't understand the economics behind its existence, but I'm glad it was made and I thank everyone behind it.

Im wondering that as well because even if the presenter was doing it for free the camera crew, sound people, director, editor etc would all want paying and I cant see advertisers in the advert brakes wanting to pay much/anything as the only people who I could see watching it are local rail enthusiasts, local people because it is there area and maybe a handful of other rail enthusiasts/outdoor people scattered around the country but how many of them would stick with it for 10 episodes is debatable as 4-5 at most on one line that is not even very significant seems about right.

The only thing I can think of is one of the following:

The presenter mentions a couple of times he lives nearby he also mentions a lot about facebook groups and local heritage groups so maybe they have come together and crowd funded it.

Ever since Ian Hislops Tv programme many years ago there has been a renewed interest in railways and lots of railway programmes so maybe a TV company has self funded this and is hoping that if it is success one of the main TV channels will pick it up, for example BBC 2 sometimes do a series of programmes that run from Monday to Thursday at about 7pm so over one month they could do 4 series of 4 episodes focusing on 4 different lines.

Some governments give tax breaks and other incentives to Film and TV companys if they film in their countrys the idea being that they will get the money back when the tourists come to see where it is filmed so maybe the local council has given some money to promote the trail and the local area to people who might ordinarily only get as near as Brighton.

 

[tfw756rider]

The first episode is on Rewind TV - (BT TV Ch 95, Freeview Ch 95. SKY Ch 182. TalkTalk Ch 95 and Youview Ch95) this coming Sunday - 9th February at 3.30pm

Dave

BT TV, TalkTalk and Youview all use Freeview for their "over the aerial" portion, so basically it's Freeview Ch. 95 and Sky Ch. 182.