Sound Recordings

Search our collection

This valuable resource comprises audio recordings of the railways, made on the lineside, in stations or on locomotive footplates in a range of formats from gramophone records to digital recordings. It also includes the National Archive of Railway Oral History.

Audio cassette, copy of a 25 minutes extract from BBC Radio 4 programme 'Down Your Way' broadcast on 22 February 1976. In this extract, the presenter, Brian Johnston, who is visiting Shildon for this specific broadcast, is interviewing Jeff Brecknell (Shildon railway works manager), as well as David Kell, Ethel Malcolm, Cecil Atwood, Bill Giles, Frank Thompson and Charlie Raine. Detailed content: Introduction: Shildon, population 15000, between Darlington and Bishop Auckland, first railway town, industries, countryside around [00:01:10] British Rail Engineering Works; interview with Works’s Manager Jeff Brecknell (JB), 58 acre site, 11 acres covered, 2600 staff, repair and make wagons, freight works entirely, modern wagon design, workforce background, family atmosphere, site of place where first passenger train in the World left (1825), why Shildon, first passenger train details, details of engine Locomotion, details of Timothy Hackworth, Timothy Hackworth’s house/museum details; [00:06:00] interview with David Kell (DK), writer of the song The Iron Road; song written with a friend from the group Geordie Penker, explanation of “Penker”, DK works in Accounts section at the Works, family background, memories of 150th Celebrations, DK runs Methodist Youth Club, little socially for young people, boxing club in Shildon; [00:09:40] interview with Miss Ethel Malcolm, ex-school mistress, employed from 1922, seeing miners in the town, memories of father (a miner), memories of children, boot fund for children, memories of depression, fun in the classroom; [00:13:30] interview with Cecil Atwood (CA), Managing Director of paint factory; view from factory includes first railway station in the World, 750 employees, mostly local people, reasons CA has a paint factory, types of paint produced, views about Shildon, interest in horses, show jumping and horse racing links, horse breeding details [00:17:50] interview with Bill Giles, a railway man, pigeon breeder, details of breeding, pigeon fanciers in the North-East, racing pigeons; [00:20:00] interview with Frankie Thompson, a railway man, whippet Club member, whippet racing details, whippet sizes [00:21:10] interview with Charlie Raine, entertainer, ex-boxer, Railway Championship boxing winner, decline in number of boxers, experience as a comedian, singing of George Roby’s song “In other Words”, memories of George Roby, performances now [00:25:32] [end of recording]

Audio cassette, copy of BBC Radio 4 programme 'Down Your Way' on Shildon

1976

Search our collection

Sound Recordings

Audio cassette, recording of locomotives operating on the last day before the closure of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway line

12-inch, 78 rpm EP disc 'Ah! Fors e lui'

10-inch, 78 rpm EP disc 'O praise the Lord with one Consent'

12-inch, 78 rpm EP disc 'Overture 'Ruy Blas''

Original sound recording 'Steam north of the River 1A'

Audio cassette, 'Alf's Teeth' produced for British Rail Red Star parcels services

12-inch, 78 rpm EP disc 'Address to the Woodlark'

12-inch, 78 rpm EP disc 'Songs of the Sea'

Original sound recordings of steam trains recorded by John Burnie

Transacord Ltd. 10 inch lacquer discs of Peter Handford railway sound recordings

Papers of Brian Hastings

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '5900B'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1974 K'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'RD Rainmaker'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Silloth'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'T1800I'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1981 A'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Soundtrack for The Little Northwestern'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Soundtrack for Thoroughbreds of Steam Part Five'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1994/1997'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Soundtrack for Thoroughbreds of Steam Part Two'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Soundtrack for Thoroughbreds of Steam Part One'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Great Steam Tours Soundtrack'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Film Track for Flying Scotsman'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Steam in the Sixties Part Two- Video Speed Soundtrack'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Soundtrack for Steam in the Sixties part Two'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Soundtrack for Steam in the Sixties part One'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'CRICH Extravaganza'

Audio cassette, copy of BBC Radio 4 programme 'Down Your Way' on Shildon

Magnetic audio tape 1/4" 'untitled'

Audio cassette 'Cuneo: Railway painter of the century talking to Narisa Chakra'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Steam in the Sixties Video Timing Soundtrack'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Stockport Exhibition and Tysley Edited Film Master Tape'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape ' Linkage shots'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1968 E'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1968'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Last Weeks of Steam'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Commentary Iceland Films'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1975/D/78'

Audio CD 'Relax' compilation of three music by Leon Redbone

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1980 Rainhill'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Master Tape for Original Edit of Thoroughbreds of Steam'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1969 J'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1968 H'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape 'Shildon Part 2'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1979 A'

1/4 inch Open Reel Audio Tape '1973 I'

33 1/3 rpm LP disc 'The LNW 0-8-0 (British Railways - Midland Region)'

33 1/3 rpm LP disc 'The Triumph of an A4 Pacific'

Sound recording copy of Patrick Ransome-Wallis contribution to BBC radio programme 'On Railways' on British Railways, USA and Mexican railroads, broadcast on 18/10/1959, 10/01/1960 and 24/08/1961