Rugd1022 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Having watched this lovely old film on dvd this afternoon I noticed a few nice images in some scenes which I hadn't really picked up on before. Obviously, the joy of having things like this on dvd is being able to pause, rewind and have another look, so I thought I'd share these few snippets on here! Some of the 'mainline' scenes were filmed in the west end bay at Bristol Temple Meads (renamed 'Mallingford' for the film), giving a brief but tantalising glimpse of Bath Road Shed and the odd loco moving in the background. One clip shows a tender loco drawing past with a rake of ex- GWR coaching stock in tow, the first vehicle (a 70 footer by the looks of it) was still in chocolate & cream livery, followed by various Collett coaches in sparkling new crimson & cream, which really stood out. The contrast between the two liveries is striking and in model form would probably look a little odd to some folk, and being so used to seeing black and white photos from this period it was nice to see the contrast in colour. Later on there's a scene filmed at Limpley Stoke where the Camerton Branch joins the mainline, and just as the branch train approaches an unlined black 43xx Mogul with large early crest on the tender shoots past, with four very dirty chocolate & cream Colletts (or possibly Hawksworths?) in tow, each one having double waist lining. Bearing in mind this is four and a half years after nationalistion, the GW livery on the coaching stock is quite striking, even with a layer of dirt on their sides and roofs. The chances are their numbers would have had the 'W' prefix but it's hard to tell from the dvd. Right at the end of the film the branch train arrives in the bay at 'Mallingford' and we see a couple of close ups of 5036 'Lyonshall Castle' in lined green livery, looking quite dirty overall, although the green has a nice oily sheen to it and the orange / black / orange lining stands out nicely. Viva le British Railways, Western Region Nidge 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1993 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 The opening scene is a nice shot of Midford viaduct on the S&D 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted January 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2011 The opening scene is a nice shot of Midford viaduct on the S&D ... with a nice picture of a Bulleid West Country crossing it, I seem to remember... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Nevard Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 THis old thread might be of interest too http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/7874-titfield-thunderbolt-then-and-now/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2011 Viva le British Railways, Western Region Nidge There speak s a man of impeccable taste And I have to see it was quite a thrill seeing the steam roller from 'Titfield Thunderbolt' in steam at 'Steam' a few years back although it has changed a bit having gained (technically I think it was 'regained') a canopy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir douglas Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 the dried out water tower emergancy with all those buckets of water from the stream to the engine was in the film because it was seen being done by the talyllyn railway a few years before 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted January 22, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 22, 2011 the dried out water tower emergancy with all those buckets of water from the stream to the engine was in the film because it was seen being done by the talyllyn railway a few years before And I organised exactly the same thing to a Class 50 on the Up Penzance to Bristol 'Perishables' at Taunton one night, when the driver would otherwise have failed the loco, due to lack of coolant. A bucket chain from the upside gents to the loco solved the problem! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I don'y know who has the rights, (it was Rank),, it may be with the BFI archive these days, but Ealing Studios shot a lot of material for the film that was not used, or was edited so as not to show how the stock was being pushed by the diesel they had with them. It was, I believe, a small 040, and propelled Lion and stock in several scenes, and allowed stock to be moved for rehearsal and re-set before takes, rather than leaving an engine in steam. It also delivered the stock to shooting sites, and was used in clearing up. Outtakes existed of all these scenes, some with the film's producer Sir Michael Balcon in camera.( He is a station passenger in one scene as well. Stephen 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hale Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Hi, Everyone viewing the Thunderbolt takes a different memory away with them, my 'moment' was the realisation that the opening shot featured a light Pacific with a cut-down tender and must have been one of the very first as the film was shot in '52 and released in '53 (source BFI archive) DesA. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Viva le GWR BLT ....! I suppose the scandal was the scrapping of those coaches afterwards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted January 23, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2011 Viva le GWR BLT ....! I suppose the scandal was the scrapping of those coaches afterwards. I take it you mean the ex Upwell coach? The story is that the coach having been restored together with a restored LT&S coach were left in a siding with notices saying that they were earmarked for preservation. But the notices were only placed on one side of the coaches. Whoever sent them for scrap only saw them from the other side and did not read the notices. Well thats the official story anyway. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Sounds deeply flawed doesnt it Phil. BR had a crap reputation for preservation in those days.....The Scottish engines laid aside for preservation for example then cut up. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach bogie Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 There were some out takes /deleted scenes some of which were release on one of the Steam on 35mm volumes. The cameras used were a three film/Tripan system new to the Ealing boys and with being on location it is a fair assumption that there would have been many camera tests at the time. A few years ago the film rights had been taken over by Canal+. Many years ago my father was working at one of the studios when he met Dougy Slocombe, the cameraman on Titfiled and he showed my Dad items from his own home 16mm colour film collection that included behind the scenes footage that he took at the time - this never been released as far as I know. At one of the Swindon Works canteen dances, I was introduced to a signalman who worked the Westbury area in the 1950's. He recalled that Lion and it's train would appear at Westbury with a 14XX coupled at the Brakevan end, to turn on the triangle. Like many I have visited the area and compared to the film and clearly Lion's train was turned completely at least once as some of the shots, the train is heading back to Monkton Combe/Titfield. I am always surprised that I have never come across any photographs taken on Westbury shed as Lion/14XX were taken there, again info from the signalman and from my Grandfather who was a Swindon driver at the time. I did discover some shots on the net of Lion at Landudno Junction shed with a train of Liverpool/Manchester coaches. They were taken during filming of Coronation in 1937 where Coronation/LNWR 4-6-0/Lion all ran alongside each other on the LLandudno to Colwyn Bay 4 line section at the time (bet Coachman/Larry wished he'd been able to photo that!). links below http://www.6g.nwrail...ffphotopage.htm http://www.6g.nwrail...uk/lastdays.htm Regards Mike Wiltshire 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.A.C Martin Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Several outtakes of The Titfield Thunderbolt found its way into Dad's Army episodes - probably the most notable is the opening sequence in an episode, where 1401 plus the Wisbech coach and blue/grey Toad brakevan can be clearly seen. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Thanks for the link 'coach bogie' http://www.6g.nwrail...ffphotopage.htm. The fifth picture from the bottom must surely be an empty stock working out of Llandudno Junction as the train not only consists of LNWR luxury 12-wheel 10pm stock, but there is also an LNWR diagram M11 push pull open saloon trailer 4th coach from the loco. How tidy places looked in those days. What is this current love affair with trees anyway? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted January 23, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2011 Sounds deeply flawed doesnt it Phil. BR had a crap reputation for preservation in those days.....The Scottish engines laid aside for preservation for example then cut up. What made it worse was that both coaches had been restored. There were two Wisbeach & Upwell bogie coaches IIRC the 'Titfield' coach was not the one restored and subsequently destroyed but was disposed of after film making. It was grounded and subsequently rediscovered and is now operated on the North Norfolk Railway. ADDENDUM: I have found the relevant details, The Titfield coach was W&U # 7, this is the coach now preserved on the NNR. The coach that was destroyed was # 8. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 23, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2011 . At one of the Swindon Works canteen dances, I was introduced to a signalman who worked the Westbury area in the 1950's. He recalled that Lion and it's train would appear at Westbury with a 14XX couipled at the Brakevan end, to turn on the triangle. Like many I have visited the area and compared to the film and clearly Lion's train was turned completely on at least once as some of the shots the train is heading back to Monkton Combe/Titfield. Regards Mike Wiltshire The traincrew for the filming were Westbury men. I don't know who the Driver was but the Fireman was 'Moocher' Green - who later became a Driver at Westbury - and is fairly clearly visible in one of the shots of 'Lion' working the Inspector's train, albeit he's dressed up to look like the Bishop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 And I organised exactly the same thing to a Class 50 on the Up Penzance to Bristol 'Perishables' at Taunton one night, when the driver would otherwise have failed the loco, due to lack of coolant. A bucket chain from the upside gents to the loco solved the problem! If there were any stray passengers on the platform that night, it must have looked quite comical to them CK Going back to the film.... the scene where the 'borrowed' 14xx Tank bowls along the street (and I know it was just a mock up, you can see the 'road' wheels underneath!) always makes me realise just how big these 'little' engines are in real life. Nidge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 The 0-4-2T bowling along the road was a credit to British film makers at a time when other Brit movies were 20 years behind Hollywood with wood & cardboard battleships in bathtubs and cigarette style smoking chimneys. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 The traincrew for the filming were Westbury men. I don't know who the Driver was but the Fireman was 'Moocher' Green - who later became a Driver at Westbury - and is fairly clearly visible in one of the shots of 'Lion' working the Inspector's train, albeit he's dressed up to look like the Bishop. The driver was Ted Burbidge. He was over 90 years old when I interviewed him for Steam World in the early 1990s. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Jackson Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 There is a scene, can't remember how far into the movie, but it's overlooking the engine shelter/shed at titfield station, and far in the distance puffs of steam can be seen passing, Any clues? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Andrews Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 What I would like to know is how the opening shot was arranged for the the tank engine to simultaneously pass under the bulleid Pacific. Was this just stop footage from someone else or was it shot just for the movie? How many takes did they need? Was it just any old train on the upper level or did they plan to have the bullet Pacific there etc. Presumably they timed exactly how long it would take for the tank engine to get to the point where it emerged.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted September 1, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 1, 2021 5 minutes ago, David Andrews said: What I would like to know is how the opening shot was arranged for the the tank engine to simultaneously pass under the bulleid Pacific. Was this just stop footage from someone else or was it shot just for the movie? How many takes did they need? Was it just any old train on the upper level or did they plan to have the bullet Pacific there etc. Presumably they timed exactly how long it would take for the tank engine to get to the point where it emerged.... I think it was filmed on a Sunday and the S&D train was at the disposal of the film makers, so both trains could be timed as required. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted September 1, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 1, 2021 7 minutes ago, Andy Kirkham said: I think it was filmed on a Sunday and the S&D train was at the disposal of the film makers, so both trains could be timed as required. Some of the out takes still survive. The branch had by the time the film was made been closed to passengers. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Out takes on YouTube: 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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