Railways featured in films and music

[firbeck 859]

Starting off on a local note, I recall a scene in the 60's film 'Sons and Lovers' where the character, ostensibly DH himself, caught a train out of what was probably meant to be Vic Station, where it was actually filmed I have no idea.

One of my favourite war films is 'The Train' starring Burt Lancaster, it hasn't been shown on TV for ages, I don't know why, it's a classic. Many elderly French locos were destroyed making the film, very sad to see, the Spitfire used in the tunnel attack however, was the famous MH434, still flying out of Duxford and used in many films.

Another one of my faves is 'The War Lover' with Steve McQueen. On the railway journey from Cambridge to Liverpool St he announces that he's going to 'have a word with the engineer'. The next thing you see is Steve McQ driving a B1 into Liverpool St with the actual footplate crew, and McQ, clearly loving every moment of it.

I could go on but let's hear some other views, this site seems to have gone into hibernation at the moment.

[FLY2 10,108]

The Train is one of my favourite films ever Firbeck . A great storyline.

[firbeck 859]

Apparently based on fact, as Labiche, Lancaster is superb, thinking about it, I'd like to watch it now, perhaps I can persuade the powers that be to get it on DVD for my birthday next week, any offers?

[Cliff Ton 10,458]

Maybe not quite what you were thinking of...

The great St Trinians train robbery (1966) features a lot of railway footage, shot apparently at the old Longmoor military site.

At least two Ealing comedies also include railways:-

Titfield Thunderbolt, a pre-Beeching attempt to save local lines

Ladykillers, where Alec Guinness meets a gruesome death caused by a semaphore signal

[benjamin1945 16,139]

Brief Encounter 1945,Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson,filmed i think at Carnforth station?

[firbeck 859]

Brilliant railway stuff every one of them. The Titfield Thunderbolt and Ladykillers were both filmed in colour, very rare at that time in this country.

[firbeck 859]

Brief Encounter 1945,Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson,filmed i think at Carnforth station?

It was, one of my happy hunting grounds in the late 60's. I went back to Carnforth Station a few years ago and the cafe has been restored back to it's original configuration as it was during the making of the film, quite amazing, but clearly, a bit off track and struggling as a tourist attraction. Carnforth sheds, adjacent to the station are closed to the public along with the WCML platforms, so much history to see and experience, but, who knows about it.

[Cliff Ton 10,458]

Somebody posted a Youtube clip here earlier in the year, which was an old b/w film shot in a railway carriage, and you could see through the windows they were on the GC line going through Broad Marsh and Weekday Cross.

And in Saturday Night Sunday Morning, there's the sequence on the Castle looking south where you can see all the old goods sidings and railway buildings on what is now Castle Marina.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

There's a good book on this subject - 'Horton's Guide to Britain's Railways in Feature Films' by Glyn Horton, published by Silver Link in 2007.

Of a couple of films mentioned above, it says of 'The War Lover' it was filmed with B1 no. 61378 and that some attempt was made to give the loco a 1940 look, with NE on the tender and the 6 removed from the cabside number.

'Sons and Lovers' - it says 'Bestwood' station in the film is Longmoor Down on the Longmoor Military Railway (see the St Trinian's film mentioned above). It says some other scenes were actually filmed in Nottinghamshire, with a distant view of a colliery, and night scenes filmed at Weekday Cross junction, with a passing local hauled by a J6.

THE classic train film is the Will Hay comedy 'Oh Mr Porter'! Another good one is 'The Love Match' with Arthur Askey - railways and football- what more could you want!

Also I'd mention 'Train of Events', which has some good sequences with Jack Warner as the engine driver. Apparently he fell into a turntable pit while filming and was troubled by the back injury he suffered for the rest of his life.

[BulwellBrian 107]

Sometimes I think film makers are blind. You see trains going into a tunnel and coming with a totally different engine on the front.

One of my favorite railway films is "The Railway Children". The original not the TV remake.

I understand that some of the fast trains going through Carnforth were actually shot at Watford Junction.

[Karlton 582]

#1FIRBECK. Its funny you should mention 'Sons and Lovers Firbeck, I've just brought the book from a charity shop (Monday) just gennit a squirt of ddt ready to read, looking forward to it.

[Commo 1,292]

Firbeck, a bit late to let you know now but "The Train" was on last Saturday afternoon, first time I had seen it and cannot remember ever having seen it on any TV channel before now. I did enjoy it but was saddened by the number of locos destroyed, no CGI in those days!

[firbeck 859]

#1FIRBECK. Its funny you should mention 'Sons and Lovers Firbeck, I've just brought the book from a charity shop (Monday) just gennit a squirt of ddt ready to read, looking forward to it.

Now, now, our youth is the manager of Age Concern in Chelmsford, he gets me loads of books and I haven't contracted Ebola yet, cough, cough.

Continuity with locos in films is always a good laugh, watch 'The Great Escape', they change with every scene, all the carriages are marked up Deutsche Bahn as well, not a swastika to be see anywhere on the trains.

A good film, in it's various remakes, to watch, is '39 Steps'. If you've read the book, Hannay catches the Scottish bound train via the Midland from St Pancras, the famous version with Kenneth More has him leaving Kings X pulled by an A4 and wrestling over the Forth Bridge. The later version with Robert Powell tries to stick to the book but features him on a train hauled by a Standard Class 2-6-0 painted up in LMS colours with similar rolling stock filmed on the Severn Valley Railway, well, at least they tried.

[firbeck 859]

Firbeck, a bit late to let you know now but "The Train" was on last Saturday afternoon, first time I had seen it and cannot remember ever having seen it on any TV channel before now. I did enjoy it but was saddened by the number of locos destroyed, no CGI in those days!

I bet that was on Sky, talking of CGI, have you watched 'The Pacific', the CGI was amazing. I've just read the book, it's something else, different in some respects from the TV series, but I've been curled up on the settee for the past few evenings reading it, fantastic, 'The Horror, The Horror'!!!;

[Karlton 582]

FIRBECK I started work from school as a cleaner at Colwick Loco late became a passed cleaner Whoooooooooooo.

I remember a few names Saddle tank B1 B2 Jazzer pilot for shunting round the yard. Austerity I seem to remember had a long box; As a passed cleaner we did get the odd job on footplate firing. a little chap by the name of george mallard was our foreman. some of the drivers would let us drive them from the coaling plant to the sheds. or over to the ash pits. what an experience for a youn lad. Sadly the loco shut down. end of a dream.

[Commo 1,292]

Firbeck, re #14, it was on TCM and I watched it because the review in Radio Times gave it a good write up as a marvellous and rarely seen film, based on the same story root as the recent The Monuments Men but The Train was a much better offering. Watched it instead of the England v South Africa match!!

Didn't see The Pacific, not something that Mrs Commo would be comfortable with!

[DAVIDW 1,681]

"Somebody posted a Youtube clip here earlier in the year, which was an old b/w film shot in a railway carriage, and you could see through t4he windows they were on the GC line going through Broad Marsh and Weekday Cross."

'Twas me ! The film was They Knew Mr Knight from 1940s . As well as the above it featured Victoria Station , though the internal shots were studio mockups . The thread is here and links to youtube clips on second page of it .

http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11782&hl=knight

[firbeck 859]

I think at about the same time as 'The Train' 'Von Ryan's Express' was released, I recall going to see it at the Odeon with my pals, must have been about 1964. I recall my brother going to see 'The Train' and telling me how superior it was. An embarrassing film, basically how a hand full of American prisoners show the Brits what to do, not good but plenty of railway scenes, they show it on Film 4 every other week. Apparently Frank Sinatra didn't like the pro-American script either and insisted on getting killed in the end, much to the chagrin of it's Hollywood mentors.

[Cliff Ton 10,458]

If nobody else is going to mention it.......

http://youtu.be/Lwab4b7_7qA

[Commo 1,292]

It would be rude not to Cliff!

I have most of the Paul Temple serials on CD, luv em!

[FLY2 10,108]

I like Von Ryan's Express. Every time I watch it, I'm yelling like an idiot at the end.

"Come on Frank. Come on Frank" I'm convinced he'll make it one day. !!!!!!

[firbeck 859]

Agreed, it should have been the dodgey Italian with the eye patch to succomb though, not fair on our Frank after all he'd done. I liked the loco pulling the persuing German troop train, it was one of those strange Crosti boiler efforts, as fitted to, unsuccessfully, some of our locally based 9F's and how horrible they looked too, 92020-29 I think they were numbered.

[Chulla 4,946]

A little surprised you didn't think much of Beyond the Blue Horizon, Firbeck - did you listen to all of it?

Never mind, try this one.

Melissa. If you are reading this then play it - deffo brillo!!

[firbeck 859]

Looking at that picture of Grand Central Station brings to mind the scene in the film 'Fisher King' when everyone at rush hour breaks into a spontaneous dance, incredible.

Sorry mate, I didn't care for that music much either, each to his own.

[firbeck 859]

Now here's a conundrum for you. Legend has it that Paul Simon wrote 'Homeward Bound' on Carnforth Station, the Essex version of the story is that he wrote it at Brentwood station when he was performing and staying at the Railway Inn there. I've heard other stories that he wrote it at Clapham Junction or even Blackburn, does anybody have any other theories.