Yes,1951 was a very good year for this country,mainly because that's the year that I was born.
It was nice to see Newport transporter bridge featured in the first few minutes.
Alfie.
The amazing thing Alfie is that in historical terms it was not that long ago, but as can be seen in the films, life was totally different in that decade. The way people dressed, how they lived and how they worked, with I know the homes we lived in so different from now in terms of decoration, furniture, and of course electrical entertainment; i.e. the radio, radiogram (if you were lucky) and television (again if you were lucky). Even the food we ate was different.
The film
Washout and Brush Up of BR Class 5 MT Standard locomotive 73020 (built at Derby in 1951) really shows how a boiler washout and inspection took place, and the difference in working conditions on the railways between then and now. In a matter of hours, with a team of men working during the night, they really demonstrate how times have changed and why the steam locomotive in that form had to be consigned to history. It is a wonderful record of what it all was like, and still is in a very minor way on preserved lines, and for us steam enthusiasts today it is very interesting. But, how many men, or now women, would do that filthy, potentially dangerous job, on the money they did every day or night they worked? Security had originally been there in working for the railways, but that after 1951 was about to change dramatically and you can see why!
