Architecture The Railways Built - Series 4 for 2023

[Basil Jet]

Just a reminder that the show on the Yesterday TV channel on Tuesday 28th February at 8pm should be in your TV recorder's guide by now.

 

[John Luxton]

Just a reminder that the show on the Yesterday TV channel on Tuesday 28th February at 8pm should be in your TV recorder's guide by now.

Thanks

I wonder if all episodes will be put on the UKTV player at once or drip fed on a weekly basis?

 

[Lost property]

Fascinating series for somebody like me who doesn't fall into any category of rail enthusiast, but who has a long standing general interest in all aspects of railways. The architecture being one of them and the ornate designs seen at many stations which still retain their original features

However, equally fascinating, are the "Secrets of the London Underground " programmes which must have a wealth of future material available hence my question is, please, are any more of these planned ?

 

[ricoblade]

Fascinating series for somebody like me who doesn't fall into any category of rail enthusiast, but who has a long standing general interest in all aspects of railways. The architecture being one of them and the ornate designs seen at many stations which still retain their original features

However, equally fascinating, are the "Secrets of the London Underground " programmes which must have a wealth of future material available hence my question is, please, are any more of these planned ?

https://twitter.com/MrTimDunn/status/1621248429245583366?s=20

Hope you can see this but Tim Dunn announced filming of a new series on 2nd Feb.

 

[Lost property]

https://twitter.com/MrTimDunn/status/1621248429245583366?s=20

Hope you can see this but Tim Dunn announced filming of a new series on 2nd Feb.

Many thanks for the reply. Another series to look forward to is welcome news

 

[Envoy]

The new series ‘The Architecture The Railways Built’ with Tim Dunn starts tonight (28 February 2023) on Yesterday channel at 8pm. Freeview 27; Freesat 159; Sky 155;Virgin HD 129.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The new series ‘The Architecture The Railways Built’ with Tim Dunn starts tonight (28 February 2023) on Yesterday channel at 8pm. Freeview 27; Freesat 159; Sky 155;Virgin HD 129.

Believe that @timmydunn will be visiting the Forth Rail Bridge in the episode being aired tonight. Goathland on the NYMR is also featured. (Series 4 Episode 1).

 

[Magdalia]

However, equally fascinating, are the "Secrets of the London Underground " programmes

Yesterday Yesterday broadcast a repeat of one of these, mainly featuring the Aldwych branch.

Does anyone know if this is going to be a regular on Mondays?

 

[Ashley Hill]

I’ve never considered the Doric Arch to be like Marmite. I’m surprised that Tim didn’t like it,but each to their own. IIRC Dan Cruikshank found some of the stonework from the arch dumped in a river many years ago. It was a feature on a program called One Foot in the Past on BBC2. He gallantly claimed to campaign for its reclamation and rebuilding but that unsurprisingly came to nothing.
@timmydunn how many takes did it take before you looked less scared up top the Forth Bridge?

 

[Lost property]

I’ve never considered the Doric Arch to be like Marmite. I’m surprised that Tim didn’t like it,but each to their own. IIRC Dan Cruikshank found some of the stonework from the arch dumped in a river many years ago. It was a feature on a program called One Foot in the Past on BBC2. He gallantly claimed to campaign for its reclamation and rebuilding but that unsurprisingly came to nothing.
@timmydunn how many takes did it take before you looked less scared up top the Forth Bridge?

Interesting programme, as always, however, the "devil is in the detail " as they say.

True, the Forth Bridge really needs no introduction, its iconic status is well established (well you would like to think so, sadly, when training baby engineers fairly recently and corrosion specifically, it emerged several were unaware of this....they were duly "educated " ) but the insights as to the riveting were new, as was the use of child labour !....and the tragic cause of the fatalities.

Height ?....well to be fair, that's understandable really as we all have different reactions...put me on a ladder next to a house, gripped on rigid !...same on Llandudno pier looking over the side...hanging from a rope abseiling, or strapped in a glider at "xxxxx" ft, fine !

I think they're missing a trick with the bothies though....given people quite like alternative and unusual locations to spend a night....obviously there may be a few insurance and H n S issues to overcome....it's just a thought by the way....

Certainly looking forward to the London Underground series however...again, it's the "devil in the detail " which emerges....the construction features passengers are unaware of for example, and the artistry with the tiling...plus the parts most of us well never get to see.

 

[102 fan]

Last night was the first time I've heard anybody express a view that the new Euston was better looking than the old one.

Having looked at pictures of the old Euston platforms, they seem brighter than the current ones, certainly no less gloomy than the current ones.

Personally, I find the current building a very pale shadow of what we once had.

 

[32475]

Wonderful to see the first new episode. As an architect, the Forth Bridge has long been my favourite structure because it is so expressive about how structural engineering works. You can stare at it and work out which members are in tension or compression as demonstrated by the classic Victorian photo which Tim omitted to show. That said, Mr Dunn demonstrated fear of height rather wonderfully.
The Forth Bridge design has the added benefit of expressing tartan patterns when viewed from certain angles. Long may it stand.

 

[Mikey C]

I’ve never considered the Doric Arch to be like Marmite. I’m surprised that Tim didn’t like it,but each to their own. IIRC Dan Cruikshank found some of the stonework from the arch dumped in a river many years ago. It was a feature on a program called One Foot in the Past on BBC2. He gallantly claimed to campaign for its reclamation and rebuilding but that unsurprisingly came to nothing.
@timmydunn how many takes did it take before you looked less scared up top the Forth Bridge?

What WAS a disgrace concerning the Euston Arch, was removing it and just dumping it in a river, rather than moving it elsewhere, to a park for example.

Interesting to see inside Mayfield tonight, especially now it has a new life as an entertainment venue.

Depot Mayfield Manchester - Depot, Concourse, Archive and Platform

Depot is a 10,000 capacity venue for culture located at Manchester’s historic former railway Mayfield. Part of a £1billion regeneration project, Depot Mayfield will provide a platform for a diverse programme of arts, music, industry, culture and community events in this unique found space...

depotmayfield.com

 

[davews]

Good bit about Reading last night. As a regular user I tend not to notice the fascinating architecture bits, I just pass through. Nothing though in its history about Reading Southern or for that matter the SWR and Basingstoke platforms.

 

[Falcon1200]

Good bit about Reading last night. As a regular user I tend not to notice the fascinating architecture bits, I just pass through. Nothing though in its history about Reading Southern or for that matter the SWR and Basingstoke platforms.

It was interesting for me too, as I worked in the old station, long before it became a pub! (1980-84). And if I had a pound for every minute I waited on Platform 4 for a delayed train, thanks to there being only four platforms for four running lines, I would be a millionaire. Not sure they could have covered Reading Southern, as it no longer exists, and the feature was on the station rebuilding.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

I saw The Three Guineas pub at Reading station a few days before the programme was shown. Oddly it proclaims "EST 1860", which doesn't seem to match the building of the station, the conversion into a pub or the founding of Fullers brewery which runs it. Possibly just a random date to give it interest, but rather strange when it has genuine history.

 

[Mikey C]

I can't imagine there are too many other stations where the late Queen was there twice for official reopenings! 1989 and 2014, so only 25 years apart.

 

[DelW]

I saw The Three Guineas pub at Reading station a few days before the programme was shown. Oddly it proclaims "EST 1860", which doesn't seem to match the building of the station, the conversion into a pub or the founding of Fullers brewery which runs it. Possibly just a random date to give it interest, but rather strange when it has genuine history.

IIRC Tim's commentary introducing the Reading piece said that the original Brunel station had to be rebuilt a couple of decades after the line had opened, and the Three Guineas building dates from then. However Wikipedia gives the rebuilding as 1865 - 67, so still doesn't match!

 

[Mikey C]

I hadn't realised Ashford International's "international" building was so attractive, or that it was the last ever BR designed station.

 

[Trainlog]

I hadn't realised Ashford International's "international" building was so attractive, or that it was the last ever BR designed station.

It certainly did put a new angle on viewing the building for me as i just saw it as the glass and steel Eurostar building and thought little else of it when at the station apart from the Eurostar platform cameos. However i can agree that putting into perspective the neo Art deco designs that where incorporated into it and the context of it being the last BR designed station will make me appreciate the station whenever i go back there.

 

[yorksrob]

Probably a sign of age, but I find myself missing the old Ashford station from before the rebuild.

 

[pitdiver]

Probably a sign of age, but I find myself missing the old Ashford station from before the rebuild.

I used to be a regular user of the old Ashford stn back in the 70s. I grew to like it as well.

 

[yorksrob]

I used to be a regular user of the old Ashford stn back in the 70s. I grew to like it as well.

Indeed. The days of standing in the booking hall on the footbridge, everything vibrating as a boat train whooshed through.

It was a pretty well designed station IMO.

 

[32475]

I’ve only just watched the last two recorded episodes featuring London Bridge and Coventry.
My father worked on the 1970’s London Bridge project and as an architect he had access with other BR staff to the storage space under the arches. It was full of old relics back then. He bought back an old hand lamp which I still have, whilst one of his colleagues took home an entire LB&SCR set of crockery!
Seeing Coventry station close up was a revelation. I’ve passed through plenty of times but never stopped to look at the light and airy booking hall. It’s incredible to think it opened before the BR double arrow symbol was introduced!

 

[Basil Jet]

In the signal-box-turned-cafe at Folkestone...
""Signalmen would never touch these with their hands - they would always use a cloth to keep them shiny, but obviously we keep them as well preserved as we can" says the cafe owner, while pulling the lever with her bare hands.

 

[Mikey C]

Seeing Coventry station close up was a revelation. I’ve passed through plenty of times but never stopped to look at the light and airy booking hall. It’s incredible to think it opened before the BR double arrow symbol was introduced!

I remember being really impressed with the station when I first visited it, it just seemed right and easily the best of the WCML 60s stations. Watching the programme, I can see why it turned out to be so good!

 

[yorksrob]

In the signal-box-turned-cafe at Folkestone...
""Signalmen would never touch these with their hands - they would always use a cloth to keep them shiny, but obviously we keep them as well preserved as we can" says the cafe owner, while pulling the lever with her bare hands.

To be fair, she's not a signalman.

Fascinating series - not least because I have mixed views on some of the architecture in this one !

 

[Trainlog]

In the signal-box-turned-cafe at Folkestone...
""Signalmen would never touch these with their hands - they would always use a cloth to keep them shiny, but obviously we keep them as well preserved as we can" says the cafe owner, while pulling the lever with her bare hands.

Is that Cafe still open as i have heard its closed from Kent online?

Btw i recommend a visit to the harbour arm as on a calm clear day its nice to sit at the harbour arm and just listen to the waves against the harbour - the harbour arm is very clean and well kept and there is a walk from Folkestone to Hythe that is great to do.

 

[yorksrob]

Is that Cafe still open as i have heard its closed from Kent online?

Btw i recommend a visit to the harbour arm as on a calm clear day its nice to sit at the harbour arm and just listen to the waves against the harbour - the harbour arm is very clean and well kept and there is a walk from Folkestone to Hythe that is great to do.

I believe the cafe has now closed, according to my family.

I remember walking up the peer a couple of years before refurbishment and seeing a NSE bin !

 

[Lost property]

I remember being really impressed with the station when I first visited it, it just seemed right and easily the best of the WCML 60s stations. Watching the programme, I can see why it turned out to be so good!

Ah, call me an architectural philistine, but....I never thought of Coventry station as being iconic albeit I can understand why, after watching the programme, it would now be classed as such.

I found the interviews with the architect to be very entertaining however...certainly the bit about "money no object " or words to that effect.