What are your favourite film or television scenes involving the railway??

[merlodlliw]

The Flintshire County Council Cinema at Mold, used to run railway evenings
on a Sunday night once a year.

The last one I saw was "Oh Mr Porter" a Will Hay classic about ten years ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh,_Mr_Porter!

I forget the evening presenters name,he travelled the Country giving the same show. He would sit down near the screen, show & explain many shorts of the railway, Duke-dogs on the Cambrian etc, then finish with a feature.


M

 

[yorksrob]

Theres a nice episode of "The Sweeney" where Regan (John Thaw) and Carter (Dennis Waterman) are chasing a villain around a South London station somewhere (not sure - possibly Pecham Rye?) with some nice shots of 4SUB's whizzing around.

Oh yeah, and some nice internal shots of EPB's in the "Buddha of Suburbia". The programme was made in the 1990's and the trains were luckily the same ones which would have been in use when the story was set (early 70's). A very nice shot of one going under a bridge jarred a bit though as it was in NSE livery !

 

[EbbwJunction]

The Flintshire County Council Cinema at Mold, used to run railway evenings on a Sunday night once a year. The last one I saw was "Oh Mr Porter" a Will Hay classic about ten years ago I forget the evening presenters name,he travelled the Country giving the same show. He would sit down near the screen, show & explain many shorts of the railway, Duke-dogs on the Cambrian etc, then finish with a feature.M

This would have been John Huntley; I've seen a couple of his shows at the St David's Hall in Cardiff - they were very good!

I've also been reminded of scene in "North West Frontier" which starred Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall.

This is when our hero and heroine are in a station trying to get away, and a train approaches very slowly. As it gets nearer, we see that everyone on the train is dead .... later, there's a scene when another train is found with everyone having been killed by the baddies as well.

 

[SteamontheMet]

The LadyKillers.

Some Great Shots of Copenhagen Fields and the Kings Cross Tunnels.

Narrow Margin.

A great film involving a woman who is Witness to murder trying to escape two hitmen trying to silence her, she escapes on a Via Rail Canada train travelling through the Rockies enroute to Vancouver, With some great shots of the train snaking its way through river canyons.

Done the Route on several occasions.

 

[merlodlliw]

This would have been John Huntley; I've seen a couple of his shows at the St David's Hall in Cardiff - they were very good!

I've also been reminded of scene in "North West Frontier" which starred Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall.

This is when our hero and heroine are in a station trying to get away, and a train approaches very slowly. As it gets nearer, we see that everyone on the train is dead .... later, there's a scene when another train is found with everyone having been killed by the baddies as well.

Spot on John Huntley, that's the man, he would also show a scene I forget
if he ever used slides, anyhow he would ask if anyone knew,where the scene was. It was a good 3 hours, thanks for the reminder. Was St Davids hall equipped with a projection suite, I have passed it many times, on my numerous visits to Cardiff.

 

[33056]

My favourite has to be the Great St Trinian's Train Robbery with the Austerity Saddle Tank, Hamshire Unit and Wickham inspection trolley chasing each other round and round the Longmoor Military Railway.

The First Great Train Robbery, set in the 1890's is another good one, filmed in Ireland with stations such as Moate masquerading as Ashford (Kent).

 

[Rugd1022]

Theres a nice episode of "The Sweeney" where Regan (John Thaw) and Carter (Dennis Waterman) are chasing a villain around a South London station somewhere (not sure - possibly Pecham Rye?) with some nice shots of 4SUB's whizzing around.

Oh yeah, and some nice internal shots of EPB's in the "Buddha of Suburbia". The programme was made in the 1990's and the trains were luckily the same ones which would have been in use when the story was set (early 70's). A very nice shot of one going under a bridge jarred a bit though as it was in NSE livery !

That Sweeney episode is the very first one 'Ringer', filmed in 1974, and yes the chase sequence was at Peckam Rye

In the second series there's an episode called 'Faces' where a blag was filmed at Southall Gasworks, at one point a Western is seen (and heard!) passing on the mainline into Padd.

Nidge

 

[delt1c]

Debbie does Dallas , where she gets railed

 

[merlodlliw]

Debbie does Dallas , where she gets railed

A very Essex response, white handbags at dawn.

 

[The Planner]

does anyone remember the made for tv movie 'the runaway train' made in the late 70's early 80's i believe.

Jon Voight and Eric Roberts, not a bad film. I second the Get Carter motion, fantastic film regardless.

 

[StoneRoad]

I quite agree with the St Trinians chase around Longmoor - I bet the operating notice for that lot made interesting reading!

Has anyone seen an old B&W film called "The Phantom Light" - there are some scenes filmed on the Fewtin Cog (but the continuity leaves a lot to be desired, provided you know the FfR around Tan y Bwlch!)

I think my fav railway film has to be "Titfield Thunderbolt"

 

[yorksrob]

That Sweeney episode is the very first one 'Ringer', filmed in 1974, and yes the chase sequence was at Peckam Rye

In the second series there's an episode called 'Faces' where a blag was filmed at Southall Gasworks, at one point a Western is seen (and heard!) passing on the mainline into Padd.

Nidge

Cheers - I didn't realise it was the first ever episode. Classic telly indeed

 

[kennethw]

suggest North West Frountier Kenneth Moore/Lauren Bacall where much of the action takes place on line with locomotive Empress of India AKA Victoria "only good enough for shunting" taking Hindu prince away from Moslem invaders. some classic Indian railway scenes

 

[CompactDstrxion]

The Mission: Impossible Eurostar scene was always gripping until I realised it was lacking overhead lines!

 

[TGV]

The Mission: Impossible Eurostar scene was always gripping until I realised it was lacking overhead lines!

You beat me by ONE MINUTE! I was scrolling through the posts thinking that nobody had mentioned it...

Surely the most error-strewn railway scene from any movie? If anyone has a scene with more mistakes, here's your challenge. Let's start with the obvious and work down...

1 - It was a TGV Atlantique (not a Eurostar as it should be) running on a track with NO overhead lines. FAIL. Even if it had been a 373 - there was no 3rd rail and it was going way to fast for 3rd rail anyway.
2 - It wasn't the line to the channel tunnel - it was actually "filmed" (i.e., the background without the TGV) in Ayrshire and the TGV was CGI'd in later.
3 - The "channel tunnel" wasn't the channel tunnel - it had no Dollands Moor yard, no le Shuttle terminal and no redcution of speed on entry, but it was supposed to be the Channel Tunnel as described in the script and the news report at the end of the movie.
4 - The little helicopter used in the movie can't fly at 300km/h so wouldn't be able to keep up with a TGV flat out.
5 - The train is running on the RH track...
6 - In the tunnel another train passes right next to the one Tom Cruise is on... the Channel Tunnel has separate bores... And the horn tone was all wrong.
7 - The helicopter would be of course utterly detroyed when it's rotor clipped the tunnel wall.
8 - When Tom Cruise climbs on to the roof of the power car (holding on to the pantograph that's not being used), he got there through a small hatch door. Now, TGV and Eurostar power cars do indeed have a small hatch beneath the pantograph well, but it's usuall locked out of use when not in depot for obvious safety reasons. The real clanger here is that he was in a baggage compartment when he opened it from the inside... in reality, he'd be between 2 motor-block control units.
9 - It seems that the TGV braked to a standstill from 300kmh in a time that would suggest a VERY effective emergency stop, yet the helicopter doesn't run into the back of it except of course at the last second when the battered blade stops about 1" from Cruise's neck.

I actually love the movie, but every time I see that scene, it makes me cringe.

 

[tbtc]

2 - It wasn't the line to the channel tunnel - it was actually "filmed" (i.e., the background without the TGV) in Ayrshire and the TGV was CGI'd in later

I thought it was near Dumfries, but (given you seem to know a lot about the film), I'll bow to your knowledge

 

[TGV]

I thought it was near Dumfries, but (given you seem to know a lot about the film), I'll bow to your knowledge

Yes, that's the line - I think they set up camp in Ayrshire and filmed all the way down to Dumfries. There was an article in the local paper about it at the time. They filmed, I think, local trains from a helicopter, then in post-production they sped up the footage and computerised a TGV on top of it.

 

[AJP62]

I remember watching Quadrophenia when it first came out in the late 70s. Set in 60s West London when what should pass in the background, around what looked like Kensal Green, but an HST on GWML!

Don't think many others in the cinema spotted it.

 

[mrcheek]

Im disappointed that nobody has mentioned this:
One of the all time great comedies.
One of the all time great rock songs.
And Bristol Temple Meads....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTd1SSYYyss
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh, and this scene from Chaplin's "The Great Dictator"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg-3AdzjhYI

 

[Polls]

Indiana Jones and the last Crusade at the beginning with the young Indy running away from the baddies on the train full of Zoo Animals.... ah and the trains in the Harry Potter films are amazing!...are they real though?

 

[ainsworth74]

the trains in the Harry Potter films are amazing!...are they real though?

It is indeed a real train:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_4900_Class_5972_Olton_Hall

 

[Polls]

It is indeed a real train:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_4900_Class_5972_Olton_Hall

Wow that is awesome. Gosh they dont make em like they used to eh? Does it fly too? haha

 

[kennethw]

Europeann steam - The Train 1964 B/W Burt Lancaster. An art loving German officer empties the Louvre to take paintings back to Germany. BL as LaBiche is part of the resistance and from the time Papa Boule takes the art train out, the film is never far from the railway. Boule sabotages the engine by cutting off the oil feed to the bearings, scenes of BL recasting them. Night time sequence of the train running to Metz, then apparently to Germany Major crash involving 3 locomotives following further sabotage.
Film ends with sabotage involving removal of chairs and keys so the engine cannot be rerailed

Von Ryan's express - Italian state railways shot on board POW train which is destined for Germany but hijacked and by impersonating German officers, redirected to Milan and Switzerland. Towards the end they are pursued by a German troop train headed by a Franco Crosti locomotive
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Indiana Jones and the last Crusade at the beginning with the young Indy running away from the baddies on the train full of Zoo Animals.... ah and the trains in the Harry Potter films are amazing!...are they real though?

Yes indeed, the owners of one locomotive received some flack re unauthentic livery, but in defence pointed out the monies received from the film company went a long way towards meeting the running costs of the locomotive
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
[QUOTE
I've also been reminded of scene in "North West Frontier" which starred Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall.

This is when our hero and heroine are in a station trying to get away, and a train approaches very slowly. As it gets nearer, we see that everyone on the train is dead .... later, there's a scene when another train is found with everyone having been killed by the baddies as well.

[/QUOTE]

put up a post about this. Only one train shot up which was supposed to be the last departure
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

titfield thunderbolt or buster

Definetely not buster because the great train robbers were a bunch of thugs, the driver of the hijacked train never worked again

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

That Sweeney episode is the very first one 'Ringer', filmed in 1974, and yes the chase sequence was at Peckam Rye

In the second series there's an episode called 'Faces' where a blag was filmed at Southall Gasworks, at one point a Western is seen (and heard!) passing on the mainline into Padd.

Nidge

There was another episode called 'Poppy' where they filmed scenes in Farrington station. I seem to recall James Booth (Private Hook in Zulu) stepping off a BR EMU, though confusingly it is listed as a tube station.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZtRXvb3SM0
Did BR run in there in the 1970s?

Re Young Ones, nice find, I didnt realise it was filmed there. Isnt this the one where Vivian sticks his head out the window of a HST and has it knocked off by a signal?

There was rather an obscure but good British horror film from 1973 called 'Death line', set on the London Underground. One of the central characters was the decendent of a group of long forgotten Victorian navies, who were buried alive in a cave in whilst constructing a new tube line. Over the years they evolved (or devolved) into a race of canibals, who nip out onto the platform everytime they want a snack. Rather amusingly, the only word of English the last survivor knows is 'Mind the Doors'.
http://www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk/deathline.shtml

 

[subway156]

The Train, just can't be beaten. However, The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3, the original one from the 70's is an awesome look inside the NY subway system. The newer one with John Travolta is revolting.

 

[SouthernCDiv]

I think it was due to the popularity rise of reality based shows such as X Factor etc...which caused that.

co written by Richard Spendlove, who is now a presenter on BBC Local Radio on a saturday night, and ex SignalMAN (NOT Signaller ! )
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The Fourth Protocol, strangely leaving Kings Cross in the rush hour in daylight, and arriving at Colchester at the dead of night in platform 2, with a deserted station, could have been a Class 312 unit, can't recall the last regular rush hour service Kings Cross - Colchester

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

The Train, just can't be beaten. However, The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3, the original one from the 70's is an awesome look inside the NY subway system. The newer one with John Travolta is revolting.

Yes, Pelham 123 was a damn good film. I really cant understand hollywoods penchant for remaking (badly) classic films. Assault on Precinct 13 was also pretty appalling.

 

[The 158 Man]

Back To The Future: Part III.
Silver Streak.
Oh Doctor Beeching!

 

[route:oxford]

For UK Railway, my favourite TV Programme involving railways has got to be the BBC adaption of "The Box of Delights" starring Patrick Troughton back in 1984.

Heading across to the mainland, it has to be "Caught on a Train" by Stephen Poliakoff starring Dame Peggy Ashcroft.

 

[tbtc]

The Fourth Protocol, strangely leaving Kings Cross in the rush hour in daylight, and arriving at Colchester at the dead of night in platform 2, with a deserted station, could have been a Class 312 unit, can't recall the last regular rush hour service Kings Cross - Colchester

Talking of "mistakes" in films (which may be a whole separate thread...) I remember The 39 Steps where the main character jumps off the London to Edinburgh train ON THE FORTH BRIDGE. Must have take a detour, eh?