Identify location in Blue Pullman film

[LWB]

I’ve just been watching the ‘Blue Pullman’ BTF film. Can anyone identify the junction and/or box at around 20:45 in? Are all the lines gone now?
The whole scene is so evocative of England and its railways in that era. Not a lineside tree to be seen!

 

[edwin_m]

I stumbled upon the last bit of what I guess is the same film on a high-numbered Freeview channel last night. The bit I saw was filmed mainly between Wellingborough and Bedford. Much of it was from a train pacing it on a parallel track, particularly on the sections where the fast and slow lines are vertically separated. Some of it was also from an aircraft and I recognized where the Higham Ferrers branch diverged just south of Wellingborough. This section of the main line is very recognisable today, with the fourth track currently being reinstated but mostly now with electrification masts, but the branch has gone.

 

[LMS 4F]

I haven't seen the film but I did see the Blue Pullmans through Bedford all those years ago.As I recall there was a working up to London mid morning and a return late afternoon, Manchester being the other startand finish of the journeys as I recall.

 

[LWB]

Thank you very much for that information. It was the aircraft footage that caught my eye - sad that the branch has gone but that’s life!
I watch ‘Talking Pictures’ (YouView 84) a lot. They do the British Transport Films and Post Office Films from time to time.
Thanks again.

 

[Taunton]

Sounds like a different film from the one I know and which we have discussed in the past (can you give a link) which is the run between Paddington and Birmingham. The driver, who is extensively covered in the film, in the special Pullman white jacket uniform, most unfortunately lost his life in the collision about a year later between the Pullman relief set headed by a Western diesel and a loco approaching Birmingham.

 

[hexagon789]

Sounds like a different film from the one I know and which we have discussed in the past (can you give a link) which is the run between Paddington and Birmingham. The driver, who is extensively covered in the film, in the special Pullman white jacket uniform, most unfortunately lost his life in the collision about a year later between the Pullman relief set headed by a Western diesel and a loco approaching Birmingham.

I think that one is called 'Let's go to Birmingham' a roughly 3-min speeded-up can view.

The film the OP describes is the 26 minute 'Blue Pullman', filmed in 1960 and documenting the introduction of the trains to service with test runs, demonstrating many of their features and finishing with a high-speed run along the MML into St Pancras. The film is accompanied by a magnificent score composed by Clifton Parker (he did other BTF films such as the Elizabethan Express'.

 

[LWB]

Correct!
I only have a phone and find posting links difficult but a YouTube search of ‘Blue Pullman’ film brings the right one up immediately.

 

[John Webb]

I would agree that the junction seen from the air was the Higham Ferrers branch. Closed to passengers 1959 and to goods in 1969.
The junction was, according to my railway atlases, known as Irchester Junction.

 

[hexagon789]

Correct!
I only have a phone and find posting links difficult but a YouTube search of ‘Blue Pullman’ film brings the right one up immediately.

If it's the top result - 8 mins 40; that's not the full film. The full 26 mins were on YouTube and few years ago, but it's now blocked in the UK. One can of course buy it on DVD

 

[WesternLancer]

If it's the top result - 8 mins 40; that's not the full film. The full 26 mins were on YouTube and few years ago, but it's now blocked in the UK. One can of course buy it on DVD

well worth getting the BFI DVD that has this on
see
https://shop.bfi.org.uk/dvd-blu-ray/bfi-dvd-blu-ray/british-transport-films.html

Though there are other cheaper sources selling the same product.

 

[LWB]

As per one of my posts above, I recorded the full one off Talking Pictures (Freeview 81) along with The Elizabethan, Snow, Snowdrift at Bleath Gill and The Night Mail.

 

[Sprinter107]

I wouldve liked to have seen the 'Let's go to Birmingham' a bit slower, especially between Leamington and Snow Hill. It wouldve been nice if the not speeded up version was available.

 

[hexagon789]

well worth getting the BFI DVD that has this on
see
https://shop.bfi.org.uk/dvd-blu-ray/bfi-dvd-blu-ray/british-transport-films.html

Though there are other cheaper sources selling the same product.

The one I have has four films:

Coronation Scot
Elizabethan Express
Blue Pullman
InterCity 1250

I wouldve liked to have seen the 'Let's go to Birmingham' a bit slower, especially between Leamington and Snow Hill. It wouldve been nice if the not speeded up version was available.

Not quite the same, but if there's still a version on YouTube, you can change the playback speed in the options.

 

[LWB]

From the junction it is still possible to trace the course of the old trackbed up until a new business park next to the A45 and then it disappears☹️

 

[jimm]

If anyone missed Blue Pullman on Sunday, Talking Pictures TV will be showing it again next Monday, the 25th, at 11.30am.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I've only seen the short You Tube section. There's a scene of the Pullman overtaking a freight train and I'm pretty sure this is on the Up South of Irchester with the freight on the goods lines where they diverge to the East but while both routes are on the same level. Not sure if it's the same scene as identified as Irchester Jct (which is the same area) but I suggest that the freight is on the up goods, not the Irchester branch.
Lots of black smoke from the freight loco; might have been for the camera. On the other hand (it's a bit grainy on You tube) it might be a Crosti being, well, a Crosti. That's what they did a lot, from a chimney just in front of the cab. Star engines.
Of course, the goods lines are currently being re-doubled and electrified. Who would have thought that, in 1959?

 

[70014IronDuke]

I haven't seen the film but I did see the Blue Pullmans through Bedford all those years ago.As I recall there was a working up to London mid morning and a return late afternoon, Manchester being the other startand finish of the journeys as I recall.

The times changed a bit early on, but IIRC it settled to something like 07.20 dep Man Central and got into St Pancras about 10.30 - 10.40. Up to Sept 62, with steam timings it overtook a semi-fast at Bedford (approx 08.00 ex Nottingham), which of course was diverted into the station.

It then did a turn to Leicester, Loughboro and Nottingham, departing St. Pancras about 11. 30 or so, turned at Nottingham to return around 13.45? So it would have headed south through Bedford at about 15.00.

It departed St Pancras at 18.10 to Manchester Central, passing Bedford at about 18.48, overtaking the 17.25 semi-fast ex St Pancras at Kettering and passing Leicester at about 19.32 non-stop. (Again, up to Sept 62 - steam timings for the non-Pullman trains.)

Sorry, these times are from memory - but the 18.10 departure from St Pancras I'm pretty sure is correct.

 

[WesternLancer]

This may be of interest - follow the link to 'films' then 'B' for Blue Pullman - page has stills inc of the camera mounted on the helicopter for the scene under discussion
http://www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk/

 

[WesternLancer]

This may be of interest - follow the link to 'films' then 'B' for Blue Pullman - page has stills inc of the camera mounted on the helicopter for the scene under discussion
http://www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk/

The photographer - or one of them, David Watkin, went on to win an Oscar (for Out of Africa I think, not checked)

 

[edwin_m]

This may be of interest - follow the link to 'films' then 'B' for Blue Pullman - page has stills inc of the camera mounted on the helicopter for the scene under discussion
http://www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk/

I couldn't decide on some of the shots whether they were from a train on the parallel track on one of the sections where it is higher, or the helicopter virtually hedge-hopping.

 

[bnm]

If it's the top result - 8 mins 40; that's not the full film. The full 26 mins were on YouTube and few years ago, but it's now blocked in the UK.

A VPN will sort that.

 

[hexagon789]

A VPN will sort that.

I think I'd rather just have the DVD copy, the picture and sound are much better and the score is well worth the better sound quality