For the 21st
anniversary
of the 1960 opening of the LCLR, BBC Radio Humberside asked if it
could
do a live outside
broadcast
of its popular Saturday morning programme (presented by Chris
Yates,
who was very much a
local
personality at the time). BBC’s engineers used a
system which
involved a
radio mike on the train
transmitting to a mobile studio which was travelling on the
roadway through
Humberston Fitties
parallel
to the line.
The mobile studio arrives outside the North Sea Lane terminus
of the LCLR
note the imposing “Railway Station” sign!
The mobile studio takes up its position beside the track as Chris
Yates interviews driver
Richard Shepherd. The ex-Ashover coach and open saloon form the
train.
Chris Yates with radio microphone and transmitter has a word
with Jurassic!
Fame time for young passengers on the platform at South Sea Lane.
A further interview for Richard Shepherd at South Sea Lane.
For the broadcast on the return journey Chris Yates travelled in
the cab of the Simplex loco and
interviewed Richard – keeping the balance between the noise of the
loco and interviewer’s and
interviewee’s voices must have tested the skills of the BBC’s
engineers
as their mobile studio
paced the train, seen here nearing North Sea Lane terminus.
The event was deemed to be a great success.
All photographs and captions by Chris Bates