The LNER Encyclopedia

I dusted-off the old gramophone yesterday and enjoyed an hour or two of Transacord vinyl - haven't done that for ages. I wonder if anybody out there knew Peter Handford and has memories of him? He lived for many years, and had his sound studio, in Suffolk, not far from what would become the Mid-Suffolk Railway ( again ) not long after his death. I think he gave talks to local RCTS groups, etc, at which he played 'unreleased' recordings?

I to also have several of his Transcord railway sound recordings that have subsequently appeared on the cd format over the last 25 years that include Steam on the Lickey, LMS Steam, GWR Steam and a compilation cd of steam from around B.R. although I never did manage to get hold of a copy of the LNER Steam cd. Also I believe he also occasionally worked in the film industry on movie sound recordings and from memory was involved in the sound recording in the film Out Of Africa in 1985.

I remember hearing that he had passed away back in 2007 and hearing a short tribute that was aired about him and his sound recordings in an obituary piece on BBC radio 4 several days after his death was announced.

There are archived over 1,500 sound recordings - uncatalogued at present. Many, alas, are now in unplayable condition without 'baking' the tapes - an expensive process. However, I hope to catalogue the collection at some point and will let you know if there is anything of LNER interest that has been unreleased to date. ( On a tangent note, does anybody know if sound recordings of the GWR gas turbines exist, maybe on a film soundtrack? )

Mickey wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 7:54 pm ... Also I believe he also occasionally worked in the film industry on movie sound recordings ...

Not occasionally. He was a legend in this industry for his skill at recording in the open air in real time during filming, and has an extensive credit list, including the British Army Film Unit following the D-Day landings, (no script and the hostile critics have guns and are prepared to use them).

The magic of the railway recordings is how well they keep alive the once everyday music of the railway. DCC sound is laughable by comparison...

Coincidentally I was having a conversation about Peter Handford on Saturday 5th January on the Waverley Reunion rail-tour, when a handful of around 20 of us took the minibus excursion from Carlisle to Tweedbank following the track of the old Waverley Route. It seems somewhere like Whitrope Summit evokes strong memories for a few people of Handford’s recordings of struggling V2s at unearthly hours on the climb whether north or southbound.
So for the past couple of weeks yours truly has dusted off the old LPs and annoyed the neighbour’s mutts....wonderful sounds indeed.

I hope to buy a couple of guides to such recordings this weekend from a dealer with a stall at Stafford Railwayana Auction so will advise you next week of any more info I can provide. Good to know there’s still an interest out there!

And should you be in the area this year please try and visit the Whitrope Heritage centre....well with a Google to begin with

Update for those who may wish to know about the man and his recordings.
A rather smart 106 pp book entitled “Transacord. Sounds of Steam” was published in 2011 by The Record Press
(ISBN 978 0 9563531 3 9)
This includes a CD with 9 tracks showcasing the master’s work and is a concise history of the Transacord story wth a discography and brief biography of PH for £15.99
My copy was obtained from Stewart Blencowe Books

www.stewartblencowebooks.co.uk