The Long Drag

Documentary on the history of the Midlands Railway and the journey to Carlisle known as 'the long drag.'

A woman sits in a train carriage and lights a cigarette. She reads a magazine and smokes. The commentator states that taking the train is still fashionable and is the safest and least fatiguing way to travel. Shot of the train track and the train driving past the camera. Shot of someone sitting in the train as the commentator explains the train service and the places it stops. A man and woman sit in a booth and talk on the train. Shot of a little boy playing with a toy truck on the table followed by various shots of people looking out of the train windows. The commentator explains that transport is a highly competitive business and so railways are competing with competitors of much more recent origin. Shot of the train driving through the countryside. Close up of a painting of a train as the commentator talks about the Midland Railway Company. Cartoons of cities are shown as he explains that these trains were familiar sights in London, Leicester, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Bradford, Derby, Birmingham, Gloucester and Bristol. Shot of a Midland Railway Tourist Ticket which folds out into a map of the UK. Arrows point to various places on the map as the commentator explains the different routes you can travel. Shot of a man standing by the train as the commentator explains that many writers and photographers have already chronicled the historical and geographical details of the Carlisle Midland Railway line. Yet this film is also exploring the wild and remote parts of Western Yorkshire and this film is a record of their travels. A man carrying suitcases gets onto a train. Shot of a sign for Hellifield followed by the train driving past a sign reading ’40.’ The commentator explains that the “long drag” is the first twenty miles of the Carlisle line which is so called due to the gruelling climb of over 700ft to Blea Moor Tunnel. Shot of a small disused station by the side of the track. Shot of levers on the train reading. ‘Down Starting To Carlisle,’ ‘Down Home To Carlisle,’ ‘Down Distant To Carlisle.’ Shot of the train driving along the long drag followed by a shot of people walking through a little town in the Yorkshire Dales. Interview with Mr Taylor, the station master about the plants he has grown near the train platform. Various shots of the scenery and rivers near the railway. Shots of the bridges that the train goes over. Shots of limestone as the commentator explains that thousands of tonnes are moved by rail every year. Sign for the village of Horton-In-Ribblesdale. Sign reading ‘London 242 Miles.’ Various shots of the train driving through the countryside. Shot of some cottages. Shot of Bill Sharpe, a station master, who has been specially trained in weather reporting. Shot of the train going over a bridge. The commentator says that against the backdrop of the mountains and the moors, the railway track looks like a mere thread. Various shots of the moors, mountains and a marsh. Sign for ‘Blea Moor Tunnel 2629 Yards.’ A man walks along the railway track and goes into the Blea Moor tunnel. Portrait of James Joseph Allport, general manager of Midlands Railway from 1860-1880, followed by a recording of one of his speeches. Shot of men riding on a train followed by them working in a railway tunnel by the light of a lamp. The commentator gives the history of people working with dynamite in the tunnels. Shot of the train going through the tunnel. Camera pans across the view of the Yorkshire countryside. Various shots of the Dent Head Viaduct. Shot of a plaque with ‘The church of St. Leonard Vicar, Rev W.H. Simpson services Sundays 2.20pm.’ A man walks through the gates of Chapel-le-dale St Leonards’ Church in Cumbria. Shot of a tablet inside the church which reads: ‘To the memory of those who lost their lives in constructing the railway woks between Settle, and Dent Head. This table was erected at the joint expense of their fellow workmen, and the Midland Railway Company.’ Various shots of the tomb stones in the graveyard. Various shots of trains and men working on the tracks followed by a shot of Dent Viaduct. Camera pans over the Vale of Dent and train drives past Dent Village. A man walks up to the station masters house which is the highest station masters house in England. The train drives through Risehill Tunnel. Various shots of the train driving past the camera. The train stops at Garsdale station. Shot of the famous railway turntable. Shot of a sign for West Moorland followed by one for AIS GILL SUMMIT which marks the end of the long drag. Shot of a stone on a turnpike road with ‘Lancaster & Richmond Road’ written on it. Various shots of people drinking inside the Hill Inn pub. Shot of the stone on the turnpike road covered in snow. A group of sheep huddle together in the snow. Camera pans across the snowy landscape. Shot of Blea Moore Tunnel. Various shots of the train driving through the snow and cars buried in it. Sign for Kirkby Stephen West. Shot of a man sitting on a train looking at a map. The train drives past the River Eden. Various shots of the town of Appleby. Shots of different train stations as the commentator explains how vitally important they are to the inhabitants of these isolated places. Another shot of the River Eden. Shot of people getting off the train at Carlisle station. The train drives past the camera followed by a shot of the inside of the carriage. Shot of someone shovelling coal into the engine followed by children sitting in the train. The train can be seen driving over a bridge in the distance, with the moors in the background. The end credits state that it was 'Filmed by kind permission of British Railways and with the co-operation of railway staff.'

Featured Buildings

Blea Moor Tunnel; Dent Head Viaduct; Chapel-le-dale St Leonards’ Church; Risehill Tunnel;

Keywords

Bridges; Dynamite; Countryside; Midlands Railway; Moors; Mountains; Railway; Rivers; Station; Station Master; The Long Drag; Trains; Train Station; Train Track; Tunnel; Yorkshire; Yorkshire Dales; Yorkshire Moors;

Other Places

Horton-In-Ribblesdale; Carlisle Midland Railway line; Western Yorkshire; Hellifield; Yorkshire Dales; Cumbria; Dent; Vale of Dent; Garsdale; West Moorland; Kirkby Stephen West; Appleby; Garsdale; Carlisle;