Railways in Pop Culture

[Alfie1014]

The the's 'Last Train to Dawn' filmed on the SVR I think, very 80s not sure you'd get away with tieing your duetting partner to the tracks these days!

 

[Poolie]

The late, lamented Kevin Ayres and this....

https://youtu.be/CnzZZVkFBEk

 

[GatwickDepress]

"I'm Alan Partridge" has a memorable scene at Norwich railway station where Alan's trying to flog copies of his autobiography to disinterested commuters.
There's a few shots of an Anglia Railways InterCity set, with DBSO at the country end; always a very smart livery for the venerable stock of the time, I thought.
It also led to this memorable scene:
[youtube]Dh-9NNyBipk[/youtube]

The BBC adaptation of Hanif Kureshi's "Budda of Suburbia" has some lovely shots of EPB's.

Madness's opening for their "Our House" video has an EPB in rail blue rattling behind the chimneys of a typical London working class house, with an imposing industrial building in the background. Very simple juxtaposition but very effective too.

The late, lamented Kevin Ayres and this....

https://youtu.be/CnzZZVkFBEk

I used to listen to that all the time, thanks to my father's music collection. I can't think of a song that manages to capture the rhythmic pace of railway travel in quite the same way as Ayers managed to.

 

[matt_world2004]

The last train :about a load of passengers who get frozen on a train and defrost in a world where all the train franchises are managed by southern.

 

[Cowley]

The Stone Roses 'She bangs the drum' (Elephant remix) has a very atmospheric bit of Valentia engined HST racing past about 3:30 minutes in, and a bit further on too.

Supertramp 'Rudy' has class 50 and station announcement noises in it.

Alabama 3 Have quite a few train references in their songs, 'Have you seen Bruce Richard Reynolds' is quite a song (it's a cover actually). The singer from Alabama 3 is Reynolds son...

Clockwise - the film, for the bit where Cleese gets on the wrong train and then leaves his speech on it by accident, the start of the meltdown process. I love all the blue and grey coaches everywhere.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Sheena Easton 9-5 (search the video on Youtube for the Bluebell Railway)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The video for "Yashar" by Cabaret Voltaire was filmed at Sheffield Victoria station and features a 76 and a load of HAA hoppers.

 

[AM9]

'Matthew And Son' by Cat Stevens is centered around humdrum commuting and jobs:
"... Watch them run down to platform one
And the eight-thirty train to Matthew & Son ..."

Similarly, the chorus in 'Nine To Five' by Sheena Easton:

"...My baby takes the morning train
He works from nine till five and then
He takes another home again
To find me waitin' for him ..."

 

[physics34]

Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuz94ZIPfJk

Thats what I was thinking of.... oh and Waterloo concourse on the video of West End Girls by Pet shop Boys.

 

[Altfish]

Frank Sidebottom's version of Waterloo Sunset (needless to say called Timperley sunset) references Timperley Metro Station

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Also, Blur. The cover of the "Modern Life is Rubbish" LP is a Terence Cuneo painting of an A4, and the song "Tracey Jacks" on "Parklife" includes the line:

"Tracey Jacks got on the first train to Walton... and stood on the seafront."

Makes sense, with the band being from Colchester.

 

[Howardh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF5bV6oWXJg
Please, please please can anyone identify the country, station(s) and companies in the above?
Thanks - been driving me mad for years!

 

[70014IronDuke]

That was the one masquerading as a Russian loco wasn't it? I'm sure it's preserved somewhere.

A couple from me, Waterloo Sunset from The Kinks, Ray Davies was apparently inspired by the last Bullied Pacifics working out of Waterloo Station around 1967, .... .

Are you sure Ray Davies said that?

I am pretty certain it reminds many of us who were around at the time of the Bulleids' last weeks, so it's easy to see where this idea may have originated.

But I've never seen a reference to Davies himself that he even knew the difference between a Bulleid and a bullet.

It would be interesting to know if he did, however.
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"You said no strings could secure you at the station.
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows.
I walked into such a sad time at the station.
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning."

Cream - White Room

Great, great lines, I agree - but penned by 'the fourth member of Cream' - poet Pete Brown, originally a mate of Ginger Baker, who hit if off with Jack Bruce when it came down to matching lyrics and music. Pete talks about it in the video "the making of Disraeli Gears" .

 

[Ash Bridge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF5bV6oWXJg
Please, please please can anyone identify the country, station(s) and companies in the above?
Thanks - been driving me mad for years!

I would go with Czech Republic, the logo on the electric loco at 1:04 into the clip is that of Czech Railways, and the terminal could be Praha Masarykovo?
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Are you sure Ray Davies said that?

I am pretty certain it reminds many of us who were around at the time of the Bulleids' last weeks, so it's easy to see where this idea may have originated.

But I've never seen a reference to Davies himself that he even knew the difference between a Bulleid and a bullet.

It would be interesting to know if he did, however.

I'm sure it was a magazine article where I first read this a few years back, it could well have been from the 'Railway Magazine' which for the last decade or so is the only one I have subscribed to, I mentioned Bulleid Pacific's specifically as I assumed during 1967 they were the only remaining steam types bar the odd BR standard type still to be seen around Waterloo.

 

[rebmcr]

Not UK railways, but Dave Gilmour's track 'Rattle That Lock' off his recent solo album is built around the SNCF tannoy jingle!

 

[Beebman]

Not UK railways, but Dave Gilmour's track 'Rattle That Lock' off his recent solo album is built around the SNCF tannoy jingle!

Talking of SNCF, the music video of 'Out of Time Man' by the French band Mano Negra has early 1990s shots of trains including a CC 7100 electric locomotive going round on a depot turntable at the 1.35-1.40 mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCIhi0kj3SE

 

[bnm]

Breakthru by Queen was on on a preserved line (Gloswarks?)

Breakthrough was filmed on the Nene Valley Railway and featured Collett GWR 2884 Class, number 3822. Currently undergoing overhaul at Didcot Railway Centre.

A favourite railway themed song of mine is 'Inter-City Baby' by The Kensingtons. It recounts a journey from Taunton to Leicester to see a girlfriend.

https://youtu.be/VVowJYdWTrc

 

[Spamcan81]

Those of a certain age will remember this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E-ga4mb9TU
this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeRSk_cpz2Y
and this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7_IMEvr9ek

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The video for "Yashar" by Cabaret Voltaire was filmed at Sheffield Victoria station and features a 76 and a load of HAA hoppers.

Correcting myself here: the locomotive briefly glimpsed is in fact a class 20 on a steel train- I'd misremembered the video and the date of release - the video was in fact shot after the closure of the Woodhead route, the song being released in 1983, not 1980 as I'd originally thought.

 

[Controller1701]

I think you will find this was a Watford DC lines 501, the video was filmed in that wonderful suburb of London known as Willesden. I have only ever counted 3 coaches on that set and there were no 3 EPB's only 2 and 4 car versions

Paul

 

[Ash Bridge]

Correcting myself here: the locomotive briefly glimpsed is in fact a class 20 on a steel train- I'd misremembered the video and the date of release - the video was in fact shot after the closure of the Woodhead route, the song being released in 1983, not 1980 as I'd originally thought.

I watched the clip after reading your first post and noticed a brief flash of what looked like a 20, I never commented because I wasn't sure if I'd seen correctly myself, I wonder if BR granted them permission to shoot on the then derelict Victoria station?

 

[158747]

Princess of the Night by Saxon

 

[2HAP]

Last train to Glasgow Central, Billy Connolly.

 

[70014IronDuke]

I would go with Czech Republic, the logo on the electric loco at 1:04 into the clip is that of Czech Railways, and the terminal could be Praha Masarykovo?
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It's surely Czech, mostly looks like Praha Hlvani to me - but yes, at the end could be the smaller Masarykovo.
Deep and original lyrics in the song, I must say - not.

I'm sure it was a magazine article where I first read this a few years back, it could well have been from the 'Railway Magazine' which for the last decade or so is the only one I have subscribed to, I mentioned Bulleid Pacific's specifically as I assumed during 1967 they were the only remaining steam types bar the odd BR standard type still to be seen around Waterloo.

Bulleids were indeed the only SR locos at the end, AFAIR. There were a few Ns and Us, and maybe the odd Q1 and USA tank towards the end, but I don't think they ever worked to Waterloo in the last months. (In truth, of course, even most of the Bulleids were probably built post-1948.) The rest were standard 5s, 4s and tanks. Maybe one or two LMS 412xx tanks lasted to the end too. Difficult to remember exactly. (I did 'do' Nine Elms about 10 days before the end, but don't think I have any lists.)

No doubt that Bulleids dominated the enthusiasts' minds and imaginations down there in the last few years, for sure. but Ray D himself?

One reason I doubt he had a clue is because he doesn't mention anything about the trains, or locos, in the song. If he was so moved by the end of steam, i'd have expected him to at least mention it - not necessarily the technical details, but some reference to it, the men working the locos and to them disappearing.

OTOH, more or less any spotter/enthusiast - i suspect even staff - who knew the place would connect the song with the demise of steam in general, and Bulleids in particular.

I remain very sceptical until I see hard evidence from RD himself, I'm afraid.

 

[Jimini]

Turn back time by Aqua (also the soundtrack to Sliding Doors) is filmed at quite a few different locations on the tube.

 

[MonsooN]

The Top Gear episode where they had a race from King's Cross to Edinburgh between the Tornado, a Jaguar and a Vincent Black Shadow.

 

[SeanG]

Has to be Get Carter doesn't it?

 

[theageofthetra]

The train passing over the Byker viaduct in the titles of What Ever Happened to the Likely Lads.

Am surpised no one has mentioned The 39 Steps or The Ladykillers yet.

 

[70014IronDuke]

In "Blow Up" - famous for its scene with Jimmy Page, who strums on with "Train Kept a'Rollin" I think it is, while Jeff Beck smashes up his guitar - there are some decent shots of 2 HALs ? (the 60xx and 61xx units) rumbling over viaducts somewhere in the Charlton area.
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Get Carter opening sequence

It shows Ferryhill, I believe - but ignores Darlington (in the dark, i suppose). :roll:

Love the face of the fellah in the bar outside NEwcastle Central - the casting person who found him deserves an Oscar!
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.........
Clockwise - the film, for the bit where Cleese gets on the wrong train and then leaves his speech on it by accident, the start of the meltdown process. I love all the blue and grey coaches everywhere.

My daughter got me to watch this film for the first time a couple of months back. Not a bad film all told. Trains scenes pretty good - I was chuffed with myself for recognising it was Hull Paragon - considering I've only been there twice in my life - and getting on for 50 years ago.

 

[Cowley]

My daughter got me to watch this film for the first time a couple of months back. Not a bad film all told. Trains scenes pretty good - I was chuffed with myself for recognising it was Hull Paragon - considering I've only been there twice in my life - and getting on for 50 years ago.

I've always wondered where they filmed that. Thanks

Do you or anybody know where they filmed Frank Spenser hanging off the side of the train in Some Mothers?