Original 16mm amateur films of railways, travel abroad and steamship

Original 16mm amateur colour silent films, made by Glyn Thomas between 1962 and 1986. The railway footage were taken during journeys with ‘Ian Allan Rail Tours’ and last steam train trips on lines due to be closed as a consequence of the Beeching cuts, especially in England and Wales (Vales of Neath Railway; Cynheidre) – not all the locations were identified. Other films were shot abroad: a cruise on a P&O steamship, departing from Southampton for Rio de Janeiro with scenes shot at the ports of calls Salvador, Dakar, Senegal; footage taken in South England and France (including a railway station); aerial shots taken through planes’ windows, and footage of Sydney (Australia) and Gibraltar.

These reels of original amateur filmed footage were shot by William Herbert Glyn Thomas who was a Travel Agent, born in 1916, who passed away in May 1992. The films relate mainly to two topics: railways and travel abroad and were taken between mid-1960s and early 1970s, though not all railway footage, they document travel in all its forms and demonsrate the link between railways and leisure travel.