Railway footage in feature films and television...

[lmsforever]

Looking at the shot with coaches in they are quad arts  many times I rode in them and to North Woolwich  ,in the seventies I was involved in pest control and gained a contract to decimate pigeons living the Millenium Milll.The dockers union were against us doing this work but we kept them happy by having a boat in the dock behind in case a bird was not dead and fell in the water.I had to go to a PLA furnace to cremate ten bags of the deceased it nearly started a strike in the docks as the shop steward against us worked there ,but the manager smoothed things over .Made me realise why the docks were failing but had a good day there and a boat as well. 

Looking at the shot with coaches in they are quad arts  many times I rode in them and to North Woolwich  ,in the seventies I was involved in pest control and gained a contract to decimate pigeons living the Millenium Milll.The dockers union were against us doing this work but we kept them happy by having a boat in the dock behind in case a bird was not dead and fell in the water.I had to go to a PLA furnace to cremate ten bags of the deceased it nearly started a strike in the docks as the shop steward against us worked there ,but the manager smoothed things over .Made me realise why the docks were failing but had a good day there and a boat as well. 

[TJ52]

I heard you the first time!

[lmsforever]

In one shot there is a train with Quad Arts  a set of coaches that were used out of Liverpool St  coaches that I rode in many times including a trip to Woolwich very comfortable but a tight fit in the compartments especially in the rush hour! The flour mill reminds me of a job I did there in the seventies when I was involved in the pest control business.I gained a contract to decimate the pigeon population much to the annoyance of the dockers union who called us murderers but backed by the council we carried on .We had a small boat in the dock behind to pick up any birds that fell there manned by a bored docker who we kept happy with beer!  On the Monday I had to take a load of bags filled with dead birds to an incinerator but the operators refused to handle them but the manager negotiated with them plus a crate of beer got the job done 

In one shot there is a train with Quad Arts  a set of coaches that were used out of Liverpool St  coaches that I rode in many times including a trip to Woolwich very comfortable but a tight fit in the compartments especially in the rush hour! The flour mill reminds me of a job I did there in the seventies when I was involved in the pest control business.I gained a contract to decimate the pigeon population much to the annoyance of the dockers union who called us murderers but backed by the council we carried on .We had a small boat in the dock behind to pick up any birds that fell there manned by a bored docker who we kept happy with beer!  On the Monday I had to take a load of bags filled with dead birds to an incinerator but the operators refused to handle them but the manager negotiated with them plus a crate of beer got the job done 

[RJS1977]

Very strange things can wind up being burnt in incinerators... One of the coal-fired power stations my father used to work in wound up cremating an elephant!

[Fat Controller]

The first photo looks like an open hearth steelworks, and the fifth is a blast furnace plant. I cannot identify either works from those photos. I’ll try and catch the film to see if that helps with locations.

 

.

Given the name of the studios, I wonder if they're former GKN plants?

[62613]

In one shot there is a train with Quad Arts  a set of coaches that were used out of Liverpool St  coaches that I rode in many times including a trip to Woolwich very comfortable but a tight fit in the compartments especially in the rush hour! The flour mill reminds me of a job I did there in the seventies when I was involved in the pest control business.I gained a contract to decimate the pigeon population much to the annoyance of the dockers union who called us murderers but backed by the council we carried on .We had a small boat in the dock behind to pick up any birds that fell there manned by a bored docker who we kept happy with beer!  On the Monday I had to take a load of bags filled with dead birds to an incinerator but the operators refused to handle them but the manager negotiated with them plus a crate of beer got the job done 

In one shot there is a train with Quad Arts  a set of coaches that were used out of Liverpool St  coaches that I rode in many times including a trip to Woolwich very comfortable but a tight fit in the compartments especially in the rush hour! The flour mill reminds me of a job I did there in the seventies when I was involved in the pest control business.I gained a contract to decimate the pigeon population much to the annoyance of the dockers union who called us murderers but backed by the council we carried on .We had a small boat in the dock behind to pick up any birds that fell there manned by a bored docker who we kept happy with beer!  On the Monday I had to take a load of bags filled with dead birds to an incinerator but the operators refused to handle them but the manager negotiated with them plus a crate of beer got the job done 

Wouldn't they be quin-arts from Liverpool Street? The Royal Docks were dying due to the way trade was changing, e.g., containerisation. In 1969, I went for an interview for an MN cadetship, aboard m.v. Akaroa in KG5 dock. It was becoming quite quiet even then

[Pacific231G]

Given the name of the studios, I wonder if they're former GKN plants?

There was a connection but I doubt if it related to the shots mentioned. 

The studio was bought by Archibald Nettlefold in 1926 and took his name. He was indeed part of the Birmingham family of industrialists who were the N in GKN (Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds) . Archibald himself was though a theatrical producer and "recreational farmer" However, by the time this film was made the studios were owned by Ernest G. Roy and had three sound stages (the familiar soundproof spaces used for film production and different from "shiny floor" TV studios)  two of them in hangars built by Vickers-Armstrong who had used the site for aircraft production during the war.  

 

The generic shots of industry and railways in this film (and many others) were almost certainly "stock" shots. These were and are filmed by companies specialising in this kind of work, listed in catalogues, and sold to film producers to include in their movies. Major features tend to shoot such material themselves using a "second unit" following very specific requirements from the director but lesser films like this one (along with most routine made for TV films) wouldn't have had the resources for this and the stock shots would probably have been chosen during post-production with relatively little regard to authenticity;heavy industry is heavy industry and a train is a train. The notorious British  train and signals that appear in one shot in From Russia with Love was certainly a stock shot,included because the editor found they needed an extra shot of a train on top of those filmed in Turkey. I think they inverted the colour to make the coaches green rather than BR maroon.

 

Wouldn't they be quin-arts from Liverpool Street? The Royal Docks were dying due to the way trade was changing, e.g., containerisation. In 1969, I went for an interview for an MN cadetship, aboard m.v. Akaroa in KG5 dock. It was becoming quite quiet even then

In my own brief foray into the MN as an engineering cadet from 1967-1970 I remember joining a ship in Tilbury in 1969 and it was fairly busy with pre-container era cargo ships. Signing off it at KG5, after a short tour of various ports on both sides of North Sea, we were one of only two ships in a dock with a capacity of about twenty and even then, before the container revolution, the Royal Docks' business had moved down river and they were clearly doomed.

Comparing British working methods at the time, even for tradtional cargo handling, with those in Hamburg and even more in Rotterdam I was amazed that any British ports survived at all. The ship was in Tilbury for about a week unloading a hold; it took Rotterdam twelve hours to carry out the same job.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Pacific231G

[brianusa]

On a recent Father Brown episode set in the 'fifties, a train arrives at Horsted Keynes(?) still bearing SECR on the tender(592).  A bit of a stretch even for TV!  Although I don't suppose it bothered anyone over here!

 

Brian.

[298]

On a recent Father Brown episode set in the 'fifties, a train arrives at Horsted Keynes(?) still bearing SECR on the tender(592). A bit of a stretch even for TV! Although I don't suppose it bothered anyone over here!

 

Brian.

Father Brown tends to frequent the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway, and from what I've seen is good at staying within the time period (which is fortunate because their coaching sets are formed of Mk1 stock anyway).

 

But if it was 592 then it probably was on the Bluebell, has it visited anywhere else?

Edited January 20, 2019 by 298

[Kelly]

Watched the series 'Bletchley Circle' recently on Netflix. The obvious clanger was the Southern on the loco tender and Southern Railway on the coaches in several scenes when they travel by train, when it is in the mid-50s by that point and that would have gone by then most likely.

[Nick Gough]

Father Brown tends to frequent the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway, and from what I've seen is good at staying within the time period (which is fortunate because their coaching sets are formed of Mk1 stock anyway).

There was a 'SPAD' at Winchcombe in one of the new episodes this week.

Father Brown prevented a man from jumping off the platform in front of a non-stop train. Unfortunately, in close up shots of the two, immediately before and after the train's passing the starter signal can clearly be seen at 'danger'!

[Harlequin]

In the film "The Halfway House", shown on Talking Pictures TV yesterday, there's a shot of GWR Mogul 6364 pulling into "Ynysgwyn", the station for "Cwmbach" village (filmed at East Anstey according to IMDB).

 

6364 has the GWR roundel on the tender and is hauling 3 or 4 coaches, the first of which is solid coloured (all brown?) and also shows the GWR roundel.

 

There's some odd-looking apparatus fixed to the tender's nearside, just behind the loco cab. I have no idea what it is.

 

The film is set in 1942/43 and was released in 1944 - so probably filmed in 42/43.

 

I found some more info, including images, here: https://www.reelstreets.com/films/halfway-house-the/

Edited January 20, 2019 by Harlequin

[jamie92208]

In the film "The Halfway House", shown on Talking Pictures TV yesterday, there's a shot of GWR Mogul 6364 pulling into "Ynysgwyn", the station for "Cwmbach" village (filmed at East Anstey according to IMDB).

 

6364 has the GWR roundel on the tender and is hauling 3 or 4 coaches, the first of which is solid coloured (all brown?) and also shows the GWR roundel.

 

There's some odd-looking apparatus fixed to the tender's nearside, just behind the loco cab. I have no idea what it is.

 

The film is set in 1942/43 and was released in 1944 - so probably filmed in 42/43.

 

I found some more info, including images, here: https://www.reelstreets.com/films/halfway-house-the/

I've not seen the film but could the odd looking thig be a tablet catcher for single track lines.

 

Jamie

[The Stationmaster]

I've not seen the film but could the odd looking thig be a tablet catcher for single track lines.

 

Jamie

 

Definitely automatic token exchange gear.  Several locos were so fitted for the Minehead branch after the fast crossing loop connections were provided.

[lmsforever]

Watching the opening scenes of Vera tonight  York station then a 31 on three mk2s inter  city livery stops at a small station not a good representation of modern travel but good programme though.

[russ p]

Watching the opening scenes of Vera tonight  York station then a 31 on three mk2s inter  city livery stops at a small station not a good representation of modern travel but good programme though.

I think he walked into Newcastle central then was on York footbridge

[DaveF]

Watching the opening scenes of Vera tonight  York station then a 31 on three mk2s inter  city livery stops at a small station not a good representation of modern travel but good programme though.

 

 

I think he walked into Newcastle central then was on York footbridge

 

 

I thought both the station and footbridge was also Newcastle.  The small station is, I believe, on the Weardale Railway - but I cannot remember which station.

 

David

Edited January 20, 2019 by DaveF

[russ p]

There was definitely some York footage looking south of the footbridge towards the current platform five

[PatB]

Some bits of Vera are geographically doubtful. A lengthy in-car conversation that appeared to take place while endlessly circulating across the Tyne and High Level bridges, and someone heading north out of the city past the Gateshead Flasher both spring to mind.

[jamie92208]

Some bits of Vera are geographically doubtful. A lengthy in-car conversation that appeared to take place while endlessly circulating across the Tyne and High Level bridges, and someone heading north out of the city past the Gateshead Flasher both spring to mind.

I seem to remember that they've used the Weardale railway before. At least the young man didn't arrive in a class 141 like happened in that episode. The other thing that I noticed was when the brother of the first victim set off back home from 'Peyton' he appeared to be boarding a train on the Tyne and Wear Metro though I may have misread the storyline.

 

 

Jamie

[Rugd1022]

A couple of screen grabs from 'The Ipcress File' (one of my favourite films, ever) shot at Marylebone in 1965...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lmsforever]

This afternoon in Father Brown he was at Kembleford a station on the GWR,  unfortunately the stationmaster was killed and the local bus company owner tried to burn down the station.Model railway layout also featured not to bad construction with an auto train moving about.Not sure were it was filmed but you could see stored rolling stock in the distance and the weather was lovely and a good story as usual.

[298]

This afternoon in Father Brown he was at Kembleford a station on the GWR,  unfortunately the stationmaster was killed and the local bus company owner tried to burn down the station.Model railway layout also featured not to bad construction with an auto train moving about.Not sure were it was filmed but you could see stored rolling stock in the distance and the weather was lovely and a good story as usual.

Toddington, I think. It was on in the canteen at work so I didn't hear much of the plot, but did wonder if the Police inspector would take a break from the continual murders to investigate the theft of the brown BR(W) totem..

[lmsforever]

Weardale has been used several times in Vera suppose its close to area used by the tv company., mark you when we went on holiday to Northumberland didn't see to many bodies thank goodness.

[brianusa]

On TCM recently an easily forgotten film, 'Grounds for Marriage' featured a toy manufacturers showroom train layout.  It featured both Lionel and American Flyer trains and was quite extensive for such a short screen time.  Certainly bigger than the layout featured in the better known 'Holiday Affair' which also had the added attraction of a young Janet Leigh.

 

Brian.