Hellifield Station and Junction, 36 miles from Leeds on the Midland Route north to Carlisle, was still a very busy place in the late 1950’s with Anglo-Scottish expresses using the Settle and Carlisle route. Boat trains ran to and from Heysham and passenger services departed to and terminated from Carlisle, Skipton and Blackburn. Departing from Skipton behind a Holbeck ‘Jubilee’ we travel to Hellifield, pausing to look at traffic at Gargrave and Bell Busk stations where both passenger and freight trains were numerous and varied, as was the motive power. 

From Class A3, ‘Duchess’ Class and ‘Britannia’ Pacifics to lowly 2P 4-4-0 passenger engines, ex-Midland 4F 0-6-0’s to BR Standard 9F 2-10-0’s and Class 4 tank locomotives; there was always something different to be seen. Class 45 ‘Peaks’, 25’s, 40’s and 50’s are seen which together with some of the 75 daily passenger workings and numerous movements to and from the shed combine to make this a programme of non-stop action. Filmed and recorded between 1959 and 1968.