Get Carter opening train scenes

[C J Snarzell]

I've actually started to watch a film a night during the UK epidemic and I watched the Brit flick classic Get Carter last night.

I've always been fascinated by the opening scenes where Jack Carter makes his journey from London to Newcastle. One of the biggest movie twists of all time is the fact that Carter's fate is sealed the moment he steps on to the train & he is sharing the carriage with his eventually killer (clearly dispatched by the Fletcher brothers).

The film was shot on location in late 1970 and the footage on the train is interesting - the layout of the carriages, the restaurant area where Michael Caine appears to be eating a bowl of soup and of course the outside scenery - the power stations & the approach into Newcastle where there seem to hundreds of old style signals littering the skyline.

I'm also curious to see that the film depicts the train journey to take all day when a standard LNER service in 2020 from King's Cross to Newcastle would take under 3 hours.

Very much a film of it's time but the railway footage is quite interesting - I've often wondered if those sequences where in fact shot along the East Coast Line or may somewhere closer to the actually film studios in London.

CJ

 

[John Webb]

"Horton's Guide to Britain's Railways in Feature Films" (Glyn Horton, Silver Link Publishing, 1st Edition, 2007) says that the scenes were filmed on the East Coast main line, including Stoke Bank, Doncaster and around Newcastle, the final scenes being the sidings at North Blythe coal staithes.

 

[delt1c]

An all time classic movie. It was ground breaking when it was made and pushed the boundaries for future movies. The Music in the opening scenes will never age and matches perfectly to the footage. As an aside does anyone know which Deltic it was ?

 

[swt_passenger]

"Horton's Guide to Britain's Railways in Feature Films" (Glyn Horton, Silver Link Publishing, 1st Edition, 2007) says that the scenes were filmed on the East Coast main line, including Stoke Bank, Doncaster and around Newcastle, the final scenes being the sidings at North Blythe coal staithes.

The “final railway scenes” but there’s then a significant jump down the coast, about 35 miles from North Blyth to somewhere near Hartlepool, where the beach aerial ropeway was...

 

[rogercov]

There's some pictures on reelstreets.com which you may find helpful:
https://www.reelstreets.com/films/get-carter/

 

[C J Snarzell]

This film is 50 years old this year.

I still love the scene where Carter throws Corrie's Alf Roberts off the multi-story car park when he exposes him as a paedophile. Maybe Len Fairclough should have gone over the side instead!!!

CJ

 

[falcon]

It was all filmed on the East Coast Mainline.
The train is supposedly going north to Newcatle from London. But the initial few seconds of the journey is shown travelling in the wrong direction and out of sequence.

The first part (the out of sequence and wrong direction) shows Carter in the first class compartment and through the window can been seen the brick wall with British Oil Cake Mills on it (BOCM). That building is at Selby and the train is heading south not north.

After that point the sequence and direction are correct showing the first power station which is Little Barford just beyoned Sandy.

The stewards in the resaurant car are Brian Haniford (back to you) and Jimmy Stevenson (cloth in hand) both Kings Cross catering stewards.

The bridge(sunset) and the semaphores are just entering Doncaster.

The second power station is Eggborough near Selby.

As far as Caters fate being sealed from the onset with his killer sat in the coach opposite, it was never made clear enough in the film for my liking that he was the killer. Most people I know have no idea at all that Carters killer was in the coach at the begining of the film. It became an internet revelation as I remember.

 

[vidal]

As far as Caters fate being sealed from the onset with his killer sat in the coach opposite, it was never made clear enough in the film for my liking that he was the killer. Most people I know have no idea at all that Carters killer was in the coach at the begining of the film. It became an internet revelation as I remember.

Along with the man in the bar scene with six fingers!

James

 

[Rhinojerry]

Thanks for that Falcon,will have to watch again,never spotted that.Great film though.

 

[randyrippley]

...............As far as Caters fate being sealed from the onset with his killer sat in the coach opposite, it was never made clear enough in the film for my liking that he was the killer. Most people I know have no idea at all that Carters killer was in the coach at the begining of the film. It became an internet revelation as I remember.

I was aged about 14 when I first saw it and thought the link was obvious

 

[Cletus]

One of the biggest movie twists of all time is the fact that Carter's fate is sealed the moment he steps on to the train & he is sharing the carriage with his eventually killer (clearly dispatched by the Fletcher brothers).

The number of times I've watched this film and I'd never realised that!

 

[Railwaysceptic]

The number of times I've watched this film and I'd never realised that!

Neither have I! I'm now going to watch the film again! I haven't seen it since it first came out.

 

[Serathor]

The number of times I've watched this film and I'd never realised that!

Embarrassed to say, Me neither, I am going to have to re-watch it again.

Definitely the ECM as there is a shot from the the front of the Locomotive that JC/MC is on, with a Class 55 coming the other way.

Also a bit of Trivia for fans of the film. There is a pub Still there in Newcastle that claims to be the one that JC/MC went into as soon as he got of the train. The pub in question is indeed opposite the railway station. However it is the pub that was used in the funeral wake scene. NOT the pub that he 1st walked into. As that has long been knocked down and is now a Hotel.

They have a shrine in the corner of the pub, to the film. With pictures etc - However I didn't have the heart to tell them.

https://www.getcarter.xyz/locations/arriving-in-newcastle/

 

[C J Snarzell]

Embarrassed to say, Me neither, I am going to have to re-watch it again.

Definitely the ECM as there is a shot from the the front of the Locomotive that JC/MC is on, with a Class 55 coming the other way.

Also a bit of Trivia for fans of the film. There is a pub Still there in Newcastle that claims to be the one that JC/MC went into as soon as he got of the train. The pub in question is indeed opposite the railway station. However it is the pub that was used in the funeral wake scene. NOT the pub that he 1st walked into. As that has long been knocked down and is now a Hotel.

They have a shrine in the corner of the pub, to the film. With pictures etc - However I didn't have the heart to tell them.

https://www.getcarter.xyz/locations/arriving-in-newcastle/

I believe the pub that Michael Caine walks into after getting off the train closed not long after filming wrapped up & the whole site was demolished.

The terraced streets where Jack's brother lived where also under going demolition during filming which was why the funeral cortege goes through the ginnels. Apparently this lead to an angry scene with a local woman who kicked off because she felt the houses were good enough to be filmed from the front!!
CJ

 

[Busaholic]

I believe the pub that Michael Caine walks into after getting off the train closed not long after filming wrapped up & the whole site was demolished.

The terraced streets where Jack's brother lived where also under going demolition during filming which was why the funeral cortege goes through the ginnels. Apparently this lead to an angry scene with a local woman who kicked off because she felt the houses were good enough to be filmed from the front!!
CJ

Good for her. A woman after my own heart!

 

[Busaholic]

I've actually started to watch a film a night during the UK epidemic and I watched the Brit flick classic Get Carter last night.

I've always been fascinated by the opening scenes where Jack Carter makes his journey from London to Newcastle. One of the biggest movie twists of all time is the fact that Carter's fate is sealed the moment he steps on to the train & he is sharing the carriage with his eventually killer (clearly dispatched by the Fletcher brothers).

The film was shot on location in late 1970 and the footage on the train is interesting - the layout of the carriages, the restaurant area where Michael Caine appears to be eating a bowl of soup and of course the outside scenery - the power stations & the approach into Newcastle where there seem to hundreds of old style signals littering the skyline.

I'm also curious to see that the film depicts the train journey to take all day when a standard LNER service in 2020 from King's Cross to Newcastle would take under 3 hours.

Very much a film of it's time but the railway footage is quite interesting - I've often wondered if those sequences where in fact shot along the East Coast Line or may somewhere closer to the actually film studios in London.

CJ

I don't know how long the journey from London to Newcastle took in 1970, but in 1980 I used to attend a monthly meeting held near Stockwell tube station with various people from all over England who worked for the Probation Service on housing issues, which started about 10 a.m., and the Newcastle rep used to arrive around 11 a.m., having got a train from Newcastle about 6 a.m. He always left about 3.30 p.m. IIRC he said the journey down the ECML took about four hours on the fastest train?

 

[swt_passenger]

I believe the pub that Michael Caine walks into after getting off the train closed not long after filming wrapped up & the whole site was demolished.

Definitely did. In 1971 I’d just started 6th form, and I recall being flung out of the “long bar” when attempting to have an underage drink. Not the best choice of location for a 16 year old, we quickly found somewhere much less strict.

 

[AY1975]

The film was shot on location in late 1970 and the footage on the train is interesting - the layout of the carriages, the restaurant area where Michael Caine appears to be eating a bowl of soup and of course the outside scenery - the power stations & the approach into Newcastle where there seem to hundreds of old style signals littering the skyline.

The coach in which he travels looks like a Mark 2A (or maybe 2B or 2C) Corridor First or Brake First, and the restaurant car is obviously a Mark 1 (probably a Restaurant Buffet). I would guess that it was filmed only a few months before the first Mark 2D air-conditioned coaches entered service on the East Coast Main Line.

You can see the train journey scene at

I'm also curious to see that the film depicts the train journey to take all day when a standard LNER service in 2020 from King's Cross to Newcastle would take under 3 hours.

I would guess that in those days it would have taken about 4 hours. What happens in films doesn't necessarily reflect what would happen in that kind of situation in real life, though.

 

[Cletus]

The man on the train and the assassin definitely look very similar. Same ring on middle finger on right hand? So it must be true

 

[High Dyke]

The bridge(sunset) and the semaphores are just entering Doncaster.

I'd disagree about the bridge. It's South Parade, Grantham (Br.239). The brick built bridge was replaced in 1972 by the current structure. The train is approaching Grantham South on the Down Fast.

 

[WesternLancer]

I'd disagree about the bridge. It's South Parade, Grantham (Br.239). The brick built bridge was replaced in 1972 by the current structure. The train is approaching Grantham South on the Down Fast.

So is that superb display of semaphore signals Grantham?

 

[C J Snarzell]

So is that superb display of semaphore signals Grantham?

Is that the sunset footage?

The film makers give the impression that the train is entering Newcastle.

I also love the old retro lighting columns on the platform at Newcastle - the ones with the huge rectangular bowls. They were at most of our stations at one time but sadly few if any remain now.

CJ

 

[High Dyke]

It was all filmed on the East Coast Mainline.
The train is supposedly going north to Newcatle from London. But the initial few seconds of the journey is shown travelling in the wrong direction and out of sequence.

The first part (the out of sequence and wrong direction) shows Carter in the first class compartment and through the window can been seen the brick wall with British Oil Cake Mills on it (BOCM). That building is at Selby and the train is heading south not north.

Agreed.

• The two-track tunnel sections, about @1'07" onwards are Welwyn South & Welwyn North tunnels.
• Overbridge @1'40" - Biggleswade?
  
• Overbridge @2'02" - Approaching Grantham, to the left is a brake van in the Down Sidings whilst to the right is the Aveling-Barford factory.
• Overbridge @2'06" - Belton Lane, Great Gonerby and Peascliffe Tunnel.

So is that superb display of semaphore signals Grantham?

No, but judging by the fact that the train arrives in Newcastle during darkness are they on the approach to either York or Darlington?

 

[WesternLancer]

Agreed.

• The two-track tunnel sections, about @1'07" onwards are Welwyn South & Welwyn North tunnels.
• Overbridge @1'40" - Biggleswade?
  
• Overbridge @2'02" - Approaching Grantham, to the left is a brake van in the Down Sidings whilst to the right is the Aveling-Barford factory.
• Overbridge @2'06" - Belton Lane, Great Gonerby and Peascliffe Tunnel.

No, but judging by the fact that the train arrives in Newcastle during darkness are they on the approach to either York or Darlington?

Thanks - great - yes obv edits from different places but for that bit I couldn't see the join as it were!

 

[Man of Kent]

Journey time in 1970 would typically have been around 4 hours 20.
1000 ex Kings Cross did it in 3 hours 50.

 

[Taunton]

Surprising that by 1970 a major station like Newcastle still had a NER Tangerine running in board, 6 years after the corporate image came in.

 

[alistairlees]

So is that superb display of semaphore signals Grantham?

I thought that was Doncaster. The clips through the train windows are not necessarily in the correct sequence, nor do they necessarily make sense to the continuity spotters.

 

[70014IronDuke]

The coach in which he travels looks like a Mark 2A (or maybe 2B or 2C) Corridor First or Brake First, and the restaurant car is obviously a Mark 1 (probably a Restaurant Buffet). I would guess that it was filmed only a few months before the first Mark 2D air-conditioned coaches entered service on the East Coast Main Line.... .

BREL Derby Litchurch Lane was definitely churning out Mk 2Ds when the film was shot - one a working day was the scheduled production. I started there in Dec 1990, when this was shot. But I don't know where they were going at the time.

 

[70014IronDuke]

The man on the train and the assassin definitely look very similar. Same ring on middle finger on right hand? So it must be true

From what I remember reading, the film was v low budget. They just filmed the actors going up on the train - and not wanting the palava of signing/paying extras, used the killer in that role as he was in the group. One was not supposed to notice that. (I certainly didn't until it was pointed out somewhere.) REmember, this was long before youtube and even videos - most people only saw a film once and that was it. There was no going back to watch the beginning again.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Surprising that by 1970 a major station like Newcastle still had a NER Tangerine running in board, 6 years after the corporate image came in.

That's actually a very good point. It is just possible, I suppose, that that clip was inserted from library footage - if the director said afterwards: we need to show clearly he's arriving at Newcastle, after, somehow, they'd failed to shoot that part of the arrival? Unlikely, but makes you wonder.

Perhaps the powers that be up in Geordieland were staunch NER conservatives, and just avoided corporate image standardisation for as long as possible?