GB
1979
1hr 38mins
Dir: Michael Apted
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave and Dustin Hoffman
A fictionalised account about what happened to Agatha Christie during her real-life disappearance in 1926
In this drama York station was disguised as ‘Harrogate’, with much of the railway scenes shot in the bay platforms at the north end of the station. LNER A3 Class 4-6-2 No.4472 Flying Scotsman and ex-LNER J72 Class 0-6-0T No.69023 where the locos used. Interestingly, No.4472 was given a split personality for filming, as No.4474 Victor Wild on one side, and No.4480 Enterprise on the other, though only the Victor Wild side is visible in the completed film. In the scene at the end, Venessa Redgrave departs ‘Harrogate’ on a short train that includes the Pullman Cars Topaz, Zena and Rosalind. In fact, Pullman cars Cygnus, Topaz, Rosalind, Perseus and Zena were all involved in filming which saw Cygnus temporarily repainted on one side umber and cream and renamed Anne. This information is taken from Coupe News 57 which states that filming took place at York on 26th, 28th, 29th and 30th November 1977. Upon completion of filming in the Scarborough bay platforms, No.4472 hauled No.850 Lord Nelson, along with Pullman cars Cygnus, Rosalind, Zena and Perseus, to Carnforth. This working was, incidentally, the final working of a 12-wheel Pullman car on Britain’s main rail network, with car Rosalind taking the honours.
