Exchange of Goods

Here’s the sequel to Times of Austerity; a new J94 film entitled Exchange of Goods.  As the first film was very much about a contemporary restored loco in passenger service, I took a different approach to recreate the 1960’s and relive No. 22’s past glories.

Many Austerities spent the vast part of their working lives engaged in privately owned industries, where they would shunt wagons and make up freight trains that would travel down to exchange sidings for onward transit by a British Railways loco.  That is essentially the story depicted here, with the J94 collecting wagons and taking them down to Midford for collection by a BR class 14 and a Fowler 4F.  Some double heading is seen, as well as a couple of fast runs by the Austerity in fine form as it runs alongside the River Nene.  To provide a direct contrast with the previous film, I chose to work in black and white that was recorded onto a melodic and understated Beethoven soundtrack.

This was all filmed during the NVR’s Somerset & Dorset event in April; hence the appearance of Midford Station which is a nice touch.

Times of Austerity

I’m pleased to announce completion of the film centred around the Austerity J94 that I wrote about below.  Back in April I captured some great footage of this loco on freight duties, but decided to wait until I had some decent passenger workings to throw into the mix.  As it happened, I was so pleased with the footage taken around Yarwell and Wansford last weekend that I ended up devoting the whole film to last weekend’s activities and the freight doesn’t get a look in.  Not that the footage is going to waste; I have a cunning plan in mind and it doesn’t involve a cabbage.

I was lucky to get a windless day during filming of these scenes, thus providing some excellent sound effects provided by No. 22.  These are particularly prominent during the climb from Yarwell to Wansford Tunnel.  This meant choosing a muted, gentle background score that simply links the scenes together rather than dominate the soundtrack.  Bach’s Air on the G-string seemed the perfect accompaniment to the peaceful countryside and branchline scenes.  So I present Times of Austerity, starring No. 22.