DavidB-AU Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 A short film about a ride on a new BRC&W Diesel Multiple Unit (later class 104) on an excursion special from Norwich. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXtK_h9rygk Note Spooner Row at 4:55 and compare it with a photo taken 51 years later. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spooner_Row_Railway_Station.jpg BTW, am I the only one that wants to tell those kids to shut up? Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 19, 2011 A short film about a ride on a new BRC&W Diesel Multiple Unit (later class 104) on an excursion special from Norwich. BTW, am I the only one that wants to tell those kids to shut up? Far too many BT Films were/are spoiled by appalling soundtrack. The credits show a Paul le Saux as the writer here, and he has worked similar negative magic on a number of such otherwise-rather-sweet shorts. I think of the dreadful poetry that accompanies Elizabethan Express. But then these little films were presumably made for showing in cinemas in support of the A & B movie - just fillers, really - so the lowbrow stuff is what was expected there. Priceless film of its era, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Not a 104 but a 108? And they travelled a long way from Norwich! Nice film though, and wasn't the railway impeccably tidy then? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted February 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 19, 2011 I recall this film being used as a test transmission on BBC2 before full broadcasts commenced, then as one of the regular "On the hour every hour" trade test transmissions during the day when there was no programming. The commentary was missing however and only the music - which was continuous - featured in the BBC2 version IIRC. Or perhaps I simply blanked out the inane (if at least somewhat accurate) drivel. Some classic footage including of a brand new dmu "letting off steam" before departure and of infrastructure now long gone. The sudden jump from Norfolk to somewhere totally unrelated at around 8m 40s is a bit of a continuity gap as is the jump from there (which might be on the Penrith - Workington line) to what I suspect might be the approach to Derby in the closing seconds. No wonder they had packed lunches! The unit also appears to be class 114 or 118 not 104. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmustu Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Its neither a 104 or 108. It is a 114 unit. Cracking little film, I noticed that the driver and guard in this film are the same ones that appear in Diesel Train Driver, a film made for training staff on the then new dmu's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Delightful film. How neat and ordered everything was kept in those days. However,the destination's not Derby. Any ideas of where the junction/sidings around 5m40s are? Looks like an ex-MR signalbox on the right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 It's a mixture of stuff filmed in different places, isn't it? The views of the harbour early on look like Woodbridge in Suffolk, whilst the Brittanias on expresses look like the GE main line. Yet, towards the end, there are some shots of what appears to be the bowstring girder bridge at Hagg Bank, on the Newcastle- Hexham via North Wylam route, followed by what could be views from the Lake District. Took me back, though, to travelling from Llanelly (as it then was) to Tenby in the front seats of a Swindon Cross-Country, in the days when some still had buffets- it would have been about 1960, so around the same time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted February 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 19, 2011 Certainly starts off in East Anglia, I thought the scenes with boats in look like crossing Reedham swing bridge and then at Oulton Broad (although could well be at Woodbridge), there are some scenes on the Norwich-Ely line including as mentioned above, Spooner Row and the Norwich Main Line (the water troughs look like Halifax Junction, Ipswich). Not sure where they get to up north although I thought some of the scenes looked like North Eastern territory, e.g. the Tyne Valley line, but the closing shot is of the signal gantry at East Suffolk Junction, Ipswich. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 The lake District shots are on the Keswick - Workington Line - the stretch along Bassentwaite Lake with Skiddaw in the background. I must say I would' nt fancy that DMU journey given the mileage they "covered" and only that packed lunch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Lovely film of good 'ol England at its best. Should be mandatory viewing for those who think things are so much better now the railways are modernised.....not. The commentry about the line bending then going up hill might sound niave today but it was a familiar reaction from many people on their first journey in the front of a DMU. A cast iron bridge over the single line section looked very much like those on the GWR Ffestiniog-Bala line. I wonder if the 1959 date is correct though. The passing trains were mostly made up of blood & custard stock with very few maroon coaches. Maybe the answer is they were Gresley wooden coaches. On other parts of the BR system maroon was in full swing three years after the livery change it was usual for two thirds of the train to be maroon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I enjoyed the film too. The Verbal and Music Soundtrack are all part of its period charm (although it would be very easy to make ribald jokes of the script)! Good quality and worth watching, thanks. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Nice to hear the sound of brand new class 40's whistling away at Norwich Station at the beginning of the clip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Nice to hear the sound of brand new class 40's whistling away at Norwich Station at the beginning of the clip. "What's that whistling sound Daddy" "Damned sound chips on the next layout, son. Why, they're even noisier than you inquisitive little blighters" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted February 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 20, 2011 The lake District shots are on the Keswick - Workington Line - the stretch along Bassentwaite Lake with Skiddaw in the background. I must say I would' nt fancy that DMU journey given the mileage they "covered" and only that packed lunch fantastic, recognised the Wetheral viaduct and station at about 8:00 too, I sort of have a love/hate relationship with the 'received pronunciation' of these old films - its not the kids fault!- I would certainly love to see a 'cab view only edit' I've said it before and I'll say it again the 'front view' out of MU stock of 1st gen. is the reason for my own and I think many other's fascination of railways, which was totally lost in the 2nd gen. stock. EDIT: Its neither a 104 or 108. It is a 114 unit. Cracking little film, I noticed that the driver and guard in this film are the same ones that appear in Diesel Train Driver, a film made for training staff on the then new dmu's. yep totally in the 114 camp here, similar outward to the 108 but extra window mid-ships is give away- these were in west/south yorks by the end of DMU's they were built to a much heavier spec than the 108 and travel seemed much more refined, especially in the trailer cars due to the longer wheelbase and heavyweight construction, they didn't bounce like the Met-camms and 108's - or the 141's but thats a different story Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 The film is available to buy on the BFI DVD "Reshaping British Railways". It is volume 4 of the British Transport Films collection. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 The film is available to buy on the BFI DVD "Reshaping British Railways". It is volume 4 of the British Transport Films collection. Chris Cheers for that info Chris, having watched it again I could be tempted into buying, its a rather charming little film and full of little bits of modelling inspiration. I suspect the DMU used on the keswick - Cockermouth line would have been one of the omnipresent Derby Lightweights, not that you ever got to see the unit for that section of the film! Edit: order now placed with Amazon, its currently at £7.99. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I travelled in the cab of a Cravens DMU with an inspector in 1960 from Rochdale to Oldham Mumps, and it was fascinating seeing how the line twisted and turned. Also the country aspect differed so much from the industrialised scene on the rest of the loop, a thing that hadn't fully sunk in before travelling in a DMU. For those who werent around, I'm afraid travel in the front of a DMU wasn't half as enchanting by 1969. Apart from the rough ride and cramped seating, the view forward was of dereliction and despondency (well at least on the North Wales to Manchester route). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 ... I'm afraid travel in the front of a DMU wasn't half as enchanting by 1969... the view forward was of dereliction and despondency (well at least on the North Wales to Manchester route). Yeah, most depots have drivers that evoke those sentiments Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Cracking bit of film that! I can thoroughly recommend the complete BTF box set to anyone who might be tempted, there are some real gems hidden amongst the more well known films. I see Edwin Astley is credited with the music - he went on to do the theme music to numerous ITC series... Danger Man / Gideon's Way / The Baron / The Saint / Department S / Randall & Hopkirk Deceased. Also pop pickers, his son-in-law is a certain Pete Townsend! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Yes I got the complete box set last Chrimbo and there's some great stuff on there, from the stilted yawnfest to the absorbing enthral-o-rama. The sheer volume is a little off putting though, there's something like 40+ hours in there! I'm about half way through, I should really watch one a week or something. The one about brocolli surprised me the most - a seemingly boring subject about getting the green vegetable across the country to London turns into a fascinating bit of film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Yes I got the complete box set last Chrimbo and there's some great stuff on there, from the stilted yawnfest to the absorbing enthral-o-rama. The sheer volume is a little off putting though, there's something like 40+ hours in there! I'm about half way through, I should really watch one a week or something. The one about brocolli surprised me the most - a seemingly boring subject about getting the green vegetable across the country to London turns into a fascinating bit of film. Except that 'brocolli' in this case isn't a green vegetable, but the one we more normally refer to as 'cauliflower'.... The various industry film units (both in the Nationalised and private sector) produced lots of excellent stuff, and many production staff cut their teeth on them before venturing into film or television. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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