DAD'S ARMY & St. Trinans Rail Scenes.

[STEVIEBOY1]

Good evening, I am sorry if this may of been on this forum before.

I was watching a repeat recently of Dad's Army, it was the one when a train was coming through with King George VI on board. I just wondered where those scenes were shot. There was a small train with a little steam loco, I think called Corwyn? then a bigger main line looking train, with a Mallard/Bittern type steam Loco, I think that was superimposed. I also wonder where the St.Trinian's Train Robbery, railway steam and DMU Chase scenes were filmed, for me that was the best part of that film.

 

[43167]

Good evening, I am sorry if this may of been on this forum before.

I was watching a repeat recently of Dad's Army, it was the one when a train was coming through with King George VI on board. I just wondered where those scenes were shot. There was a small train with a little steam loco, I think called Corwyn? then a bigger main line looking train, with a Mallard/Bittern type steam Loco, I think that was superimposed. I also wonder where the St.Trinian's Train Robbery, railway steam and DMU Chase scenes were filmed, for me that was the best part of that film.

When Mainwairings lot are stood by the water trough.
I think the shot of the A4 is somewhere north of Berwick.

Not sure on the St Trinians film. Both classics though.

 

[generalvegitable]

Dads army was on the North Norfolk railway, the A4 was most likely an archive shot somewhere else.

 

[steamybrian]

The Dads Army epsiode was shot mainly at Weybourne station on the NNR.
The Great St Trinians Train Robbery was shot on the now closed Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

St. Trinians was shot on the Longmoor Railway, with a class 205 DEMU, a Wickham Trolley, and something else which escapes me at the moment.

 

[Oracle]

The Dad's Army scenes were indeed shot at the North Norfolk Railway...I was there doing a steam driving course in August 1979 and there were photos in Weybourne station including one showing the-then general manager I think it was, in Home Guard uniform who did the driving.

 

[43106]

St. Trinians was shot on the Longmoor Railway, with a class 205 DEMU, a Wickham Trolley, and something else which escapes me at the moment.

IIRC, the "...something else..." is probably a J94, 0-6-0ST, with the number 68011 which, I think, was a fake - I believe they were numbered 689XX, or thereabouts. Wasn't there a shunter as well?

 

[Royston Vasey]

The Dads Army epsiode was shot mainly at Weybourne station on the NNR.
The Great St Trinians Train Robbery was shot on the now closed Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire.

Why would the military have a railway... Perhaps training for the Strategic Steam Reserve!?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Many thanks for all the above info. Rgds Steve.

 

[CNX]

Here's another one, on a very similar theme to the original post.

In the pilot episode of Porridge, entitled 'Prisoner And Escort', many of the early scenes are located in a first class compartment of a loco hauled vehicle. But, when Barrowclough, Mackay and Fletcher are shown alighting from a train, it is from a 3 car high density suburban DMU.

Does anyone know at which station this scene was shot?

 

[flymo]

Just for you, a screen capture of the station in question from Prisoner & Escort- click for a larger version

This image is ©BBC

Something says Wales to me, don't know why. Anyone from the 'Guess the Station' thread in here?

(hope it is OK to post this screenie, if not please delete or modify as appropriate)

 

[paulravuslante]

Just for you, a screen capture of the station in question from Prisoner & Escort- click for a larger version
View attachment 6283http://http://www.offtherailsbackontrack.co.uk/porridge.htm
This image is ©BBC

Something says Wales to me, don't know why. Anyone from the 'Guess the Station' thread in here?

(hope it is OK to post this screenie, if not please delete or modify as appropriate)

I believed it was Ystrad Mynach from the first view and then looking at the page you got the picture from confirmed that it is Ystrad Mynach.

 

[flymo]

I believed it was Ystrad Mynach from the first view and then looking at the page you got the picture from confirmed that it is Ystrad Mynach.

Errr..... Twilight Zone time here I think. Not sure what the heck happened there but I took a 'capture image' from the DVD, saved it and uploaded it from my computer. Never seen that website before, certainly never added the link you have in the quote there, just the photo.

Spooky....hock:

 

[flymo]

Just trying again with a different screen grab to see how the image turns out.



©BBC

This is one shot of the train leaving the station.

 

[CNX]

Thanks for the info. Can't argue with the location, though its somewhat off route for a series that was supposed to be set in Cumbria. Brampton Fell would have been a bit more appropriate.

 

[Smethwickian]

Thanks for the info. Can't argue with the location, though its somewhat off route for a series that was supposed to be set in Cumbria. Brampton Fell would have been a bit more appropriate.

Definitely remember reading in a book about the series that those scenes were filmed in Wales, not Cumbria, because it looked similar enough.

Just a matter of distance and logistics, I suppose, in an era when the vast majority of film and production staff for a BBC show like this would have been London-based.

The book had loads of other stuff about buildings in and around the Home Counties used for exterior shots and the film set constructed at Ealing Studios - no actual prisons filmed at any stage, I recall, because officials didn't like the idea of filming a comedy in a real nick. The closest was a shot of a cell door in a police station somewhere in London beginning with S - excuse the memory if it has failed even that small detail - as part of the opening montage of various locks/keys/hands unlocking gates etc.

 

[flymo]

The closest was a shot of a cell door in a police station somewhere in London beginning with S - excuse the memory if it has failed even that small detail - as part of the opening montage of various locks/keys/hands unlocking gates etc.

The S would be Shepherds Bush. (I think ....)

As for Porridge, the movie this time, there is also a train scene with unit L435 disappearing into the distance. looks like a single line station.


© Carlton Visual Entertainment.
Any ideas where?, this was 1978/79.

Again, hope this is OK to upload this screen grab, this will be the last pic from me on this thread......promise!.

 

[steamybrian]

The movie film made in 1979 was made at Chelmsford Prison according to "google". It confirms that the TV series was filmed at Shepherds Bush Police Station although the exterior views are of Maidstone Prison.
The shot of unit L435 I would guess to be Wargrave Station. It is of GWR architecture and the unit with "L" prefix is from the London area (although could be out of area). It would appear that there is space for a second track and indeed Wargrave and the rest of Henley branch was originally double track.

 

[Terryk]

It was filmed at Wargrave. Several websites confirm this.

 

[LE Greys]

Dads army was on the North Norfolk railway, the A4 was most likely an archive shot somewhere else.

There's also a water trough in the episode (with obvious consequences for Mainwaring and his men) which they did not have on the Southern any more than they had A4s.

 

[Terryk]

The consequences were not so obvious for Mainwaring. Arthur Lowe had a clause in his contract that he could avoid a scene if he didn't like it. He therefore didn't get a soaking. He also refused to appear in any scenes which involved losing his trousers. Hence Jones had the grenade down his trousers when the U boat crew tried to escape in the famous "don't tell him Pike" episode.

 

[flymo]

The shot of unit L435 I would guess to be Wargrave Station. It is of GWR architecture and the unit with "L" prefix is from the London area (although could be out of area). It would appear that there is space for a second track and indeed Wargrave and the rest of Henley branch was originally double track.

It was filmed at Wargrave. Several websites confirm this.

Much obliged. Always wondered where this was, now I know. Ta.

 

[Smethwickian]

The movie film made in 1979 was made at Chelmsford Prison according to "google". It confirms that the TV series was filmed at Shepherds Bush Police Station although the exterior views are of Maidstone Prison.

Ah, now the Porridge film was a different kettle of fish. By that time the TV series had proved very popular so the powers-that-be relented and allowed filming in a wing of Chelmsford prison temporarily closed for a revamp or some such reason. It was also the film which used some exterior shots of Maidstone jail.

I'm sure I've read that the big outside doors shown clanging shut in the opening of the TV series, with the large HM Prison Slade sign, were actually a former asylum somewhere in the home counties.

 

[LE Greys]

I'm sure I've read that the big outside doors shown clanging shut in the opening of the TV series, with the large HM Prison Slade sign, were actually a former asylum somewhere in the home counties.

I've seen the same doors as HMP Brixton in a couple of Rumpole of the Bailey episodes. Just hope I only ever get to see them from the outside.

 

[TUC]

I guess the opposite side of the story are programmes that genuinely were filmed at the stations they claimed to be. The Doncaster station scenes in the first episode of 'Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads' appear to have genuinely be filmed at Doncaster, although the brief closing scene with Thelma at Newcastle looks suspiciously like Doncaster with a Newcastle sign stuck on!