Trains on tv or film

[SM Chobham Int]

ive just watched the new BBC drama gold digger....... 3 times they showed an exterior of an HST for a journey to or from Paddington & Devon which is ok despite them being recently replaced....... but each time the interior shots were in a Thames Turbo (or similar)

Has there ever been a UK rail scene that is correct ? I certainly can’t remember one and regularly tut at the tv......

The ultimate for me was “Mrs Biggs” where they met on a commuter train from Reigate to London which was a Western (class 52) arriving a 4 platformed London terminal.........

 

[Cowley]

ive just watched the new BBC drama gold digger....... 3 times they showed an exterior of an HST for a journey to or from Paddington & Devon which is ok despite them being recently replaced....... but each time the interior shots were in a Thames Turbo (or similar)

Has there ever been a UK rail scene that is correct ? I certainly can’t remember one and regularly tut at the tv......

The ultimate for me was “Mrs Biggs” where they met on a commuter train from Reigate to London which was a Western (class 52) arriving a 4 platformed London terminal.........

This one has been done plenty of times before (I’ll look for a recent one in the morning when I get a minute), and the general consensus is basically:

Any normal person watching a film couldn’t give a monkeys if they’ve used a class 37 in that shot when it should’ve been a class 40 (and that they’ve used post the TOPS style numbering), and if Paddington Station should almost certainly have had more than 4 platforms...

(Although quite a few people will also say that it’s actually quite important)

 

[Mag_seven]

Any normal person watching a film couldn’t give a monkeys if they’ve used a class 37 in that shot when it should’ve been a class 40

It would be important if you were making a film about Class 40s though.

But as you say in the context of say drama, it really isn't that important.

 

[Spartacus]

These days I tend to think as long as the time period and general area's correct they've done ok, but too often you see things set pre-WWII using postwar stock, which given the amount of stock running from the big 4 era in big 4 liveries now, I think that's being very lax.

 

[SM Chobham Int]

Yes I do get that - but in last nights that a long distance journey was being done on a local train with 6+4 seating commuter train is very poor even to a non train person.....

 

[sprinterguy]

Yes I do get that - but in last nights that a long distance journey was being done on a local train with 6+4 seating commuter train is very poor even to a non train person.....

The vast majority of viewers will be focused on the dialogue and storyline to the extent that most details of the immediate surroundings will be overlooked. I presume that in this case, as in most, the train journey was there purely to move the plot forward, and as such the type of train pictured isn't of any real importance.

For reference, here's the most recent, and open, discussion on the same topic:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trains-in-movies.175150/

 

[SM Chobham Int]

Ok I can certainly see this has been covered before..... but like a couple of my examples all saying about errors !!

Part of my original question - has there been any rail scene that is accurate ?

I know it doesn’t matter to 99.9% of those watching, but nonetheless interesting to most of the remaining 0.1% on here.......

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

The vast majority of viewers will be focused on the dialogue and storyline to the extent that most details of the immediate surroundings will be overlooked. I presume that in this case, as in most, the train journey was there purely to move the plot forward, and as such the type of train pictured isn't of any real importance.

For reference, here's the most recent, and open, discussion on the same topic:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trains-in-movies.175150/

Thanks for that link, I just put some posts there.

 

[MP33]

In the episode of the Sweeney when Reagan is chasing a suspect at Peckham Rye station. There is a train leaving the station, notice at the rear someone is holding open a door. They are thinking the Actor is a late running passenger.

 

[43055]

ive just watched the new BBC drama gold digger....... 3 times they showed an exterior of an HST for a journey to or from Paddington & Devon which is ok despite them being recently replaced....... but each time the interior shots were in a Thames Turbo (or similar)

The internal shots are on a chiltern 165. Central line trains were passing outside as well.

 

[sprinterguy]

The internal shots are on a chiltern 165. Central line trains were passing outside as well.

Chiltern seem to be particularly amenable to TV filming. I suppose in this particular instance, if we were to really press the accuracy point, it's a shame that they couldn't spare a mark 3 set.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

In the episode of the Sweeney when Reagan is chasing a suspect at Peckham Rye station. There is a train leaving the station, notice at the rear someone is holding open a door. They are thinking the Actor is a late running passenger.

I remember that episode and station. (It also had June Brown aka Dot Cotton in it.) There was another Sweeney episode, or may have been a film, that was filmed around Barnes/Mortlake, using the foot bridge there.