single line working film

[sn]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZIO6RnjmBU&feature=relmfu

 

this seems to be filmed on the s&d

[The Stationmaster]

My word, that must be the one that got away- I wonder where that was dug out from? When it was first shown (i think the audience either was or included those who starred in it) it was greeted by laughter because of the rather important bit which had been missed out - I'd heard it wasn't right but I didn't think it was that bad. I'm not sure if it was spliced in somehow or if they had a completely new go but a proper version appeared in due course.

 

But for all that it's a nice scene of a railway that is long vanished (and I don't just mean the S&DJtR).

[buffalo]

...this seems to be filmed on the s&d

Often wondered whether this film was still available. It was filmed on Sundays in late September and October 1956. There's a photo at "Boiland" in Ivo Peters' An English Cross Country Railway. "Averton" is really Shepton Mallet and "Boiland" is Binegar.

 

I hope, Mike, you're not going to leave it at that and will explain all that is wrong in due course?

 

Nick

[The Stationmaster]

Often wondered whether this film was still available. It was filmed on Sundays in late September and October 1956. There's a photo at "Boiland" in Ivo Peters' An English Cross Country Railway. "Averton" is really Shepton Mallet and "Boiland" is Binegar.

 

I hope, Mike, you're not going to leave it at that and will explain all that is wrong in due course?

 

Nick

 

It's always nice fun to tempt (not tease) Nick. It is reasonably obvious to those who care to think about it a bit although you might not understand the detailed significance of course - however a hint is that in order for SLW (Single Line Working) to take place it has to be put in at both signalboxes

[buffalo]

First question, then. How did the pilotman get from Averton to Boiland between 1:50 and 2:10?

[Rugd1022]

Blimey, we were shown that (on an original film print!) at Traction Trainee School at Euston way back in 1983!

[chrisf]

Available on the DVD "Points and Aspects", volume 8 of the BTF collection issued by BFI.

 

Chris

[The Stationmaster]

First question, then. How did the pilotman get from Averton to Boiland between 1:50 and 2:10?

 

Exactly so! I haven't gone much beyond there but that is such a huge error it sort of turns you off watching the rest! The simple fact is that according to the film SLW has not been introduced as the Forms have not been delivered and signed at Boiland and the Handsignalman on the catchpoint hasn't received one either - and that's just the start of what hasn't been done but we suddenly arrive at a freight train going through the section 'in the wrong direction'.

 

I must sit down at sometime and go through the whole thing but such was the howler of omission at that stage that the film was withdrawn and a revised version produced.

[RailWest]

The first time that I saw this film, it was in an audience that included many ex-S&D staff, so you can imagine that a certain amount of friendly banter took place :-)

 

It is claimed that the makers of this film wanted it to be 'generic' for the fairly-new BR, so that the SLW process would not appear to be specific to particular pre-nationalisation company. Clearly they failed when they stuck a S&D 7F on the train! But it is good for the 'record' of the signalling equipment.

 

Chris

[Captain Kernow]

the film was withdrawn and a revised version produced.

So that leaves me wondering whether the version that's on the archive DVD for sale now (or indeed the VHS version of the film that I have) is the original or the amended version - will have to watch it, I suppose, to find out!