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
ex-Ashover coach and open saloon form the train.
Chris Yates with radio mic 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