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    You are here: Home / Railway Blog / Lulled By The Sound Of Steam

    Lulled By The Sound Of Steam

    When I was a child I remember seeing Peter Hanford’s LP’s of steam railway sounds in record shops. Peter was a location sound recordist who worked on a number of very famous films including ‘Saturday Night & Sunday Morning’ and latterly ‘Out of Africa’ for which he received and Academy Award for Sound.

    As a youngster I didn’t have sufficient earning power to buy these records. Over the years, although I was aware of them, I didn’t get around to making a purchase. Then quite by chance I noticed a number of Argo Transacord records on eBay.

    The Railway to Riccarton LP of steam railway sounds

    What caught my eye particularly was a copy of The Railway to Riccarton up for auction. Here was a chance to discover the actual sounds of steam locomotives working on the long closed Waverley Route. At the time the Scottish Parliament was debating reinstating the Borders Railway between Edinburgh and Tweedbank. I still have a LP turntable so I decided to bid and was successful. I can’t remember what I paid exactly but it was less than £10.

    Enthusiasm

    Many people might think that listening to steam railway sound recordings is a strange thing to do! However, many of those same people deride railway enthusiasts calling them ‘anoraks’. When I’ve challenged this attitude, asking about their interests, it stops them commenting further. Often this is because it transpires they don’t really have any interests or hobbies themselves – so who’s the bore now!

    To be enthusiastic about something has to be good. Knowing how much of this enthusiasm to impart on others requires caution. Many non-railway enthusiasts like the sound of steam locomotives but clearly would not be rushing to buy a LP!

    4472 flying Scotsman class A3

    4472 Flying Scotsman class A3 (photo taken 1979)

    Setting the scene

    For me, just to sit down and listen to a recording of a steam locomotive not knowing the background details wouldn’t be so attractive either. I like to know the context so that I can bring in some imagery to my mind’s eye. Children have great imaginations being actively encouraged during school learning. When we get to adulthood, many people seem to underutilise that side of their brain.

    Before listening to a track from The Railway to Riccarton LP, I read the sleeve notes. Peter Hanford certainly knew how to enhance the imagery. For example, in one case he describes his position as being at the edge of the woods high above Stobs station, rooks flapping raucously overhead shortly after dawn. Signal’s clear and a freight train with banking assistance starts the heavy haul toward Stobs station.

    Location

    As I’ve never been to the location I tried to imagine the view down onto the Waverley route. On this particular recording I envisage the engines at either end of the train working up the 1 in 80 to Stobs station. Then back on the gradient in the cutting South of the station and onward to Shankend and the summit at Whitrope.

    To further enhance imagination, I refer to old Ordinance Survey maps of the Waverley Route. This gives me a better indication of the layout of the area. I can see where the line curves and the position of the cutting just to the south of the station. Given that Peter’s recording equipment was relatively heavy and cumbersome, his recording position must have been close to where he parked his car. Looking at the map, I can see the road position in proximity to the woods bordering the line and make a rough guess as to where Peter may have been.

    Green Arrow 4771 V2 locomotive

    Green Arrow 4771 V2 locomotive (photo taken 1979)

    This recording prouduces the distinctive sound of a Gresley V2 with its three cylinder beat followed by the two cylinder sound of the BR Standard Class 2 banking the freight train. This atmospheric sound is further enhanced by the dawn chorus of birdsong on that May morning back in 1961. In other recordings, Peter captures sheep bleating on the hillsides, owls hooting, whilst the rhythmic sound of the locomotive fades in and out of the background.

    This first purchase of a Peter Hanford LP was followed by others. Initially I was looking for other recordings on the Waverley route and that of another lost line the Somerset & Dorset.

    North from Kings Cross LP of steam railway sounds

    Digitising

    Rather than continually play the actual LPs each time, I decided to digitise the recordings using a turntable with USB and import them into iTunes . From this I created a playlist so that the Waverley Route tracks from the different LPs could be played consecutively. Indeed, I grouped the tracks according to time of day so that I could listen to a whole day of recordings from morning till night. Another advantage of digitising meant that the tracks could be listened to anywhere I was using my iPod.

    Listening to history

    I have now amassed a number of Peter Hanford records along with others from Andrew Mellor who refers to his recordings exploits in his book Cheese Butties and the 12:39 to Wigan.

    A great source of Steam recordings on CD’s are available from ‘Soundtracks’. For many years Peter Gibbs, who runs Soundtracks, has the rights to Audicord recordings and made these available on CD. Such recordings are representative of a bygone age and well worth a listen for their imagery and escapism.

    View of Borthwick Castle from steam locomotive

    View of Borthwick Castle

    Afternoon tea on train at Tweedbank

    Afternoon tea on train at Tweedbank

    Thanks to the reinstatement of part of the Waverley Route, it is possible to hear the sound of an A3 or an A4 storming up the bank to Fallahill in the present day. Sadly, the only remaining V2 has been withdrawn from service by the National Railway Museum due to a defective cylinder casting. It is unlikely to be heard again.  We owe a debt to Peter Hanford and others for their recordings of steam locomotives on the National network over half a century ago. Consequently, those with a mind to can close their eyes and imagine the scene as it was in those glorious railway days of steam.

    Check out eBay to get your own Railway Sounds LP or look at Soundtracks.

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    Comments

    1. David F says

      29 October, 2017 at 6:26 pm

      Had the privilege of working with Peter Handford on the feature film “Frenzy” (I was in the editing staff and as such often had contact with him) He was a real gentleman (and a gentle man) who always made time for a snotty little beginner such as I was. Did not know about his love of steam until much later in my life!

      Reply
      • railwayblogger says

        29 October, 2017 at 10:40 pm

        Thank you David for giving a personal recollection of Peter Handford. It makes my blog worthwhile when people like yourself add comments like this. Have you read his book ‘Sounds of Railways and Their Recording’?

        Reply
    2. Gary Ladds says

      30 October, 2017 at 7:35 am

      Fantastic Barry, a man after my own heart

      Regards Gary (konakaboom)

      Reply
      • railwayblogger says

        31 October, 2017 at 8:04 am

        Thanks Gary. You have a good collection too?

        Reply
    3. Alastair Majury says

      6 November, 2017 at 9:28 am

      A great post and some great images both on the LP covers and from carriages. Thanks for sharing! Kind regards Alastair Majury – Dunblane

      Reply
    4. Bruce says

      17 December, 2017 at 3:55 pm

      His wife scattered Peter’s ashes at Steele Road.

      Reply
      • railwayblogger says

        12 January, 2018 at 9:36 pm

        Thank you Bruce for adding this. I wasn’t aware of this but for me it will add to the experience of listening to his superb recordings especially those at Steele Road.

        Reply
    5. Michael Cheetham says

      7 February, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      I was searching for Argo Transacord recordings recently and found a catalogue of the recordings have been digitsed and are available from Transacord – http://www.transacord.co.uk/catalog/

      Reply
      • railwayblogger says

        7 February, 2018 at 10:25 pm

        Thank you very much for this Michael. I was completely unaware of these digitised recordings. This I’m sure will be of interest and will bring these recordings to the attention of many more people. I see that ‘The Railway to Riccarton’ is one that is available. Thank you again.

        Reply
    6. John Calvert says

      7 December, 2018 at 3:21 pm

      Thanks for this interesting article. Did have the vinyl lp of THE RAILWAY TO RICCARTON .. but got rid of it when I moved house.. silly me…I remember the almost human sounding panting beat of the K3s relentless pounding up to Steele Road… fantastic.. and the solitary passenger leaving the train at the remote station and the train moving off into the wind from Arnton Fell… wonderful atmosphere! And the night express clattering through the same location as the owls called .. lovely stuff .. and thus the beginning of my lifelong affair with the wilds of Liddesdale .. a haunting which has remained with me forever..thanks again,,,

      Reply
    7. Anonymous says

      30 September, 2020 at 9:50 am

      A most interesting and helpful site. Tank you and many thanks Peter.
      Regards Stu.

      Reply

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