GB
1961
1hr 50mins
Dir: Ralph Thomas
Starring: Peter Finch and Mary Peach
A Labour MP faces political and personal problems
This impressive drama was based on the 1959 book of the same title by Wilfred Fienburgh and features scenes that were filmed at both London Euston and Halifax stations. Several locomotives appear in the Euston scenes, all of which are ex-LMS in origin. There is a good shot of rebuilt ‘Royal Scot’ Class 7P 4-6-0 No.46126 Royal Army Service Corps pulling away on an express and a going-away shot of a Class 5MT ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 leaving in the pouring rain. In addition, what appears to be a Stanier Class 4P 3-Cylinder 2-6-4T creeps into shot in one view. Incidentally, ‘Royal Scot’ No.46126 was the main loco in the 1949 Ealing film Train of Events (qv), but this shot is not an unused clip from that film, as in the 1949 film the loco was painted in early BRITISH RAILWAYS black and was very clean. The sharp eyed will also notice that the shot of this loco curiously appears twice in this film! Euston station masquerades as ‘Earnley’, and it is where Peter Finch boards the trains for ‘London’! In order to simulate a journey up north the station frontage of Halifax, West Yorkshire, appears in a number of shots, with the platform level views of Euston then blended in where appropriate, though there is one overall view of Halifax station looking south from the station approach bridge in the pouring rain.
