Trains in movies

[Surreytraveller]

Not really a film but 456013 was used in a Colgate Total Advert recently

Perhaps Colgate should produce a NSE brand of toothpaste with grey, white, red and blue stripes?

 

[Surreytraveller]

The only bit about Skyfall which annoyed me was when Bond split the train with the digger, and the broken brake pipe didn't stop the train.
But if they were going to use a Jubilee line train, then why not set that scene on the Jubilee line rather than the District ?

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Perhaps Colgate should produce a NSE brand of toothpaste with grey, white, red and blue stripes?

Like Pepsi used to with their cans of cola in NSE colours.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Like Pepsi used to with their cans of cola in NSE colours.

I think there is another famous brand of cola that currently has trains in a very similar colour scheme

 

[jamesthegill]

I think there is another famous brand of cola that currently has trains in a very similar colour scheme

Both the full fat and the diet versions, now that a GN 387 has come down south!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Does anyone else here remember the episode of "Dempsey and Makepeace" in which the Waterloo and City Line had been extended by several stations...?

 

[nicolaboo]

From Level 42 video of 'Something about you'. Song is from 1985.
Throughout the song they are in compartment stock.

 

[HaggisBotherer]

The only bit about Skyfall which annoyed me was when Bond split the train with the digger, and the broken brake pipe didn't stop the train.

That happened in Paddington 2 as well. I mean, for goodness sake, I was so angry. It's absolutely ridiculous that, in a good, old-fashioned bit of escapist cinema fun like Bond or Paddington, the film-makers should be so ignorant as to ignore the laws of train braking!

Whatever next? They'll probably be inventing all sorts of fictional gadgets and weapons that could never exist in real life. Or gratuitously ignoring the laws of nature by showing that bears eat marmalade sandwiches. But those things are small fry compared to ignoring how train braking works, the ignorant so-and-sos...

From Level 42 video of 'Something about you'. Song is from 1985.
Throughout the song they are in compartment stock.

I've just watched the video and I got angry all over again! The exterior shots show a Class 86 in electric blue with SYP and a mixture of maroon and blue/grey stock, which of course is all wrong for a video shot in the 1980s. On top of that all the interior shots are clearly shot on a line with no OHL and the footage shot from the cab is on the (pre-electrification) East Coast Main Line (Peasecliffe tunnel in at least one shot).

I mean... these pop video producers have absolutely no idea. Do they know nothing about railways? Good grief. How on earth do they get away with it? ... etc etc etc... ad nauseum... zzzz......

 

[mallard]

If you are 'reasonably familiar with the London Underground' then you will know the giant hoops that any and all intending film makers have to jump through to be able to produce things on the network.

Yeah, no. The average Londoner who's familiar enough with the system to say "that's the wrong train" is not familiar with the business/logistics of filming on the Underground. I'm specifically talking about non-enthusiasts who noticed the problems.

There are very strict rules and regulations that have to be followed, and for many scenes the only way of filming them is to use one of two areas on the network - Charing Cross (disused) or Aldwych (disused).

I'm fully aware of the fact that there only two disused-but-available-for-filming stations on the network. The typical TV viewer/moviegoer is not. Besides, calling these "the only way of filming" is disingenuous. I've seen plenty of TV shows (fewer movies) filmed at "ordinary" stations (Maybe filmed during the night? I'm not sure how the legalities of having "bystanders" in your recording work.) When filming takes place on National Rail infrastructure this seems to be the preferred method...

with Sherlock it's the best that could be done

Well, apart from setting the story on the Jubilee line... That really wouldn't have altered much, especially if, as you say, they built their own carriage mockup rather than using actual withdrawn D78 stock (Did they not even use real seating/fittings/etc? The filming timeline matches up very well with the first few batches of stock withdrawal.).

As for your film depicting a 1972 stock train in 1971... again, what's the alternative? At the time of that film being shot the 1938 stock unit was out of commission undergoing a heavy overhaul at Acton Works.

Thanks for the extra information that's not available to the general public there... That explains why the 1938 stock wasn't used. As I previously said, using the 1972 stock to represent 1959/1962 stock is not at all unreasonable and the unpainted aluminium finish and slightly worse-for-wear interior probably matches the film's aesthetic better than LT Red and an immaculately preserved interior. I pointed it out as a fairly obvious "mistake" in a film that's otherwise very historically accurate. You (and others) seem to be misunderstanding me; I'm not "attacking" filmmakers or the Underground in this case, I'm simply saying that even in a film that obviously went "above-and-beyond" to get things right (which I respect immensely) it still proved impossible/impractical to make everything perfect. Unfortunately, when you're striving for accuracy it often makes the few inaccurate details stand out more.

the costs of firstly transferring the 1972 stock unit off the branch and then getting the 1938 stock onto the branch are not insignificant

Of course not, but it's been done for far briefer appearances than the fairly extensive tube scenes that appeared in "The Bank Job". Again, I suspect that the use of 1972 stock was not entirely based on cost; see above for why an immaculately preserved 1938 train may not have been the best thing for the film.

As you've stated, you're doing nothing more than 'guessing', and clutching at straws...

Yes, absolutely. I made that abundantly clear, as you've obviously noticed. Congratulations on your English comprehension...

...maybe go and research just how much of a challenge some of this stuff is.

As I obviously don't have access to the same level of "insider information" you do (which is quite interesting; thanks! it's a shame you had to present it in such a confrontational manner), I apologise for the fact that my best guesses and personal observations don't match up with such industry secrets...

 

[Silver Cobra]

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned the Sacha Baron Cohen film 'Grimsby' (could be because the film wasn't that good ). While this observation is not specifically about a train, one scene in the film depicts Grimsby Town station as being on an overhead-electrified line and showed an EMU passing through. Of course, Grimsby Town station isn't on an electrified line. It would be interesting to know which station subbed in for Grimsby Town for the particular scene.

 

[sprinterguy]

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned the Sacha Baron Cohen film 'Grimsby' (could be because the film wasn't that good ). While this is not about a train, one scene in the film depicts Grimsby Town station as being on an overhead-electrified line, which of course it is not. It would be interesting to know which station subbed in for Grimsby Town for the particular scene.

Literally two seconds Googling reveals multiple sources that confirm that it was filmed at North Weald on the Epping & Ongar Railway, though I can't vouch for the overhead electrification, which is of course absent at that location.

 

[Chris217]

Back to The Darkest Hour
Winston Churchill gets on at
St James's Park going to Westminster.
Walking through the subway we clearly see a brown band for Bakerloo Line.
This station is not on the Bakerloo Line!
The scene of the journey on the train
uses 5mins of time to complete,whereas the actual real journey time is around 2mins.
Also,and you have to have a sharp eye for this one....when he gets off,he gets off at
St James's Park!!!!!
The LU rounded although fuzzed out of focus shows a 3 part station name upon opening of the train doors.
I love this film even with its inaccuracies.
But makes me wonder how much better it could have been if producers did their homework properly for the authenticity value rather than lazy filming.
I suppose most of the time its
make do with whatever they can get
to get it as close as?
Incidently, the scene with Churchill meeting the French President at the
airport in May 1940 has a C47 plane
in the background which entered service
in 1941.

 

[J-Rod]

I swear to you, half the time I read this forum to read people's completely overblown reactions to things.

...anyone want to talk about The Railway Children film at all...?

 

[Chris217]

I swear to you, half the time I read this forum to read people's completely overblown reactions to things.

...anyone want to talk about The Railway Children film at all...?

That's hilarious.

 

[J-Rod]

Back to The Darkest Hour
Incidently, the scene with Churchill meeting the French President at the
airport in May 1940 has a C47 plane
in the background which entered service
in 1941.

To be fair though, could have been there to represent a BOAC or KLM DC-2 or DC-3 (unless it was sporting full on Normandy invasion stripes - dunno, not seen it!) which were very much in service at the time.

Also, I think they'd have been hard pushed to find some French airliners from the era..! *stops self before he launches into 'where to find a possible candidate as it might get a bit boring for all concerned*

Ooh, kettle's boiled.

 

[J-Rod]

To be fair though, could have been there to represent a BOAC or KLM DC-2 or DC-3 (unless it was sporting full on Normandy invasion stripes - dunno, not seen it!) which were very much in service at the time.

Actually, just found the scene on youtube. See what you mean, the correct plane would have been something like a Bristol Bombay (none exist any more) or a Lockheed Electra (obtainable but a bit of a fuss to get hold of one). Therefore a DC-3 (or C-47) would be a good substitute seeing as there's loads knocking about and it was an aircraft that was in service at the time, just not with the RAF (BOAC had a few though).

I do think that's a valid point though, whether it be planes OR trains. Most of the time it's a compromise between what would be accurate and what would be doable/obtainable.

(Still, they could have just re-shot the bloody window scene in Quadrophenia though. Would have taken like...10 mins)

 

[jh64]

Avengers Infinity War has an IEP-lookalike going through Edinburgh Waverley, but with nothing connecting the coaches for the dramatic effect of seeing Cap standing in the shadows.

 

[HaggisBotherer]

Back to The Darkest Hour
Winston Churchill gets on at

.... sniiiiiiiiip...

But makes me wonder how much better it could have been if producers did their homework properly for the authenticity value rather than lazy filming.

What, you mean authenticity like none of that ever happened at all, making all the tedious OCD nitpicking over trainspottery details utterly irrelevant.

There are all sorts of real world innaccuracies in every film. Why? Because films are entertainment - nothing more.

Is there any chance that we all might just be able to accept that and move on?

 

[Chris217]

Quadrophenia...That's another one full of mistakes.
Class 50 going from Paddington to Brighton?
Or a series 3 Bristol VR/ECW in a film that
was based in the late 60s

 

[anamyd]

I mean... these pop video producers have absolutely no idea. Do they know nothing about railways? Good grief. How on earth do they get away with it? ... etc etc etc... ad nauseum... zzzz......

Maybe there were too few Pete Watermans...?

 

[J-Rod]

What, you mean authenticity like none of that ever happened at all, making all the tedious OCD nitpicking over trainspottery details utterly irrelevant.

There are all sorts of real world inaccuracies in every film. Why? Because films are entertainment - nothing more.

Is there any chance that we all might just be able to accept that and move on?

Without wanting to become one of your dreaded 'trainspotters' (do they hang over you bed like Nosferatu, perchance?), I for one think there is a debate to be had about this. So don't be so dismissive.

Oh and... ha... ironically, I corrected your spelling of 'inaccuracies'. You're welcome.

 

[Chris217]

Funny how some errors are passed off
as entertainment though.
Especially when they know it's wrong...
Like Bohemien Rhapsody for instance.
Queen are talking about writing a new song,We Will Rock You which came out in 1977.
And Freddie Mercury has a moustache
which he doesn't grow until 1980 !
Pure mistake or what?

If a film of a subject you knew quite a lot about came out. You would watch it with interest and obviously spot any mistakes.
Most can be forgiven as it is for entertainment purposes only.
Although some may be let down for its inaccuracies.

Quadrophenia's mistakes as is The Darkest Hour are both great films when you overlook the gaffes.

Just makes you wonder whatever's next.
Slam Door EMU's at Penarth!

 

[Chris217]

Funny come to mention mistakes.
On tv,North West today they always seem to show the same railway footage whenever something happens on the railways up here.
Usually a pair of 170/3s of TPE.

New footage required me thinks.
Just lazy programming!

 

[Acey]

It's not so much the inaccuracy's of rolling stock etc that bothers me,it's when you watch a film set during almost any period and the train/bus rolls into view as clean and shiny as a new penny,in fact shinier than the day it left the manufacturer .as if ! Some years ago I had to take an 8 car VEP unit from Grove Park Depot to Canon Street Station which had been transformed into Hastings for the occasion ( it was for the shooting of a BR advert ) as is usual in these things the stock that was allocated for us to use was filthy ,covered with that horrible brown brake dust ! the film crew had a fit when they saw it and then spent the next hour or so feverishly scrubbing one whole carriage until it was reasonably clean ,which in turn caused a delay to their carefully planned schedule ,still the film crew catering van was a bit of a change from cheese and pickle sandwiches !

 

[LAX54]

Then there was the remake back in the early 2000's of MURDER ON THE ORIENT Express, with the use of a Class 47 in bright EWS livery and Mk1 or 2 stock, and on a very quiet single line somewhere !

 

[Chris217]

In the film
From Russia with Love
A railway journey between
Istanbul and Venice in
One scene shows a steam engine
hauling BR mk1 coaching stock!

That's hilarious.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Funny come to mention mistakes.
On tv,North West today they always seem to show the same railway footage whenever something happens on the railways up here.
Usually a pair of 170/3s of TPE.

New footage required me thinks.
Just lazy programming!

I'm still waiting for the North West morning travel news to stop showing four-rail electrified track when there are train delays. I suspect a photo supplied by (a) London and (b) someone who neither knows nor cares.

 

[Sandfield]

The most authentic film featuring railways in the UK was the Ladykillers from 1955. Wonderful shots of the climb out of Kings Cross.

I seem to remember that there was a DVD which also showed outtakes from the film which were even better.

 

[J-Rod]

It's not so much the inaccuracy's of rolling stock etc that bothers me,it's when you watch a film set during almost any period and the train/bus rolls into view as clean and shiny as a new penny,in fact shinier than the day it left the manufacturer

Oh that's true, didn't think of that. Anyone would think transport from the past was pristine all the time!

Unlike 'regular' homes of the past, which were grimy, grotty ****holes. Because squalor and poor people.

 

[HaggisBotherer]

Without wanting to become one of your dreaded 'trainspotters' (do they hang over you bed like Nosferatu, perchance?), I for one think there is a debate to be had about this. So don't be so dismissive.

My point is that every film is full of 'errors', it's the highly selective pedantry of the train spotter brigade banging endlessly on about the railway parts (yet about nothing else) that I find so bizarre. Films are entertainment, they are expensive and time-consuming to make, so compromises are made which 99.9999999999999999999% of the audience neither notices nor gives a toss about.

Oh and... ha... ironically, I corrected your spelling of 'inaccuracies'. You're welcome.

I'm sure that must make you very proud of yourself.