ON THE BEAT

GB
1962
1hr 46mins
Dir: Robert Asher
Starring: Norman Wisdom and Jennifer Jayne

A Scotland Yard car park attendant dreams of becoming a policeman like his father

This Norman Wisdom comedy features a memorable railway scene that is now considered a classic. The sequence sees Norman Wisdom handcuffed to a suspect on the wrong side of a set of tube train doors. Obviously, a lot of this sequence uses a mix of studio filming, sets and back projection but the platform scenes are real and used the Waterloo & City Line platforms at Bank with a Class 487 EMU. The opening sequence showing a number of railway lines within an industrial complex is believed to be the Slough Trading Estate and there are several shots of the railway viaduct in Windsor. Situated at the end of the short branch from Slough, this structure is in the background of a number of scenes and although semaphore signals are visible no trains are seen.

These sidings formed part of the once sizeable Slough Trading Estates railway
As did these. This shot is just around the corner from that seen above.
norman Wisdom clings to the side of a Class 487 EMU as it departs from Platform 7 of Bank station, on the Waterloo & City Line.
Norman Wisdom on the beat. There are quite a few scenes filmed in Windsor whereby the viaduct forms part of the backdrop. This is perhaps the clearest. Note the semaphore signals on the right.