GB 1964 1hr 32mins Dir: Alvin Rakoff Starring: Kenneth More and Billie Whitelaw
A struggling middle aged provincial actor searches for bigger and better things in the capital
This kitchen-sink comedy must have been a breath of fresh air at the time of its release, and it still seems quite fresh today. It opens with a scene filmed at London St Pancras station with a split-headcode Class 45 and a Class 27 at the buffer stops. The 27 is a very rare beast but look closely and some Class 127 DMU vehicles can also seen amongst all the coaching stock. There are also some shots overlooking the approach to London Paddington in the Royal Oak area with much to interest the rail enthusiast. A Class 52 ‘Western’ diesel-hydraulic can be seen hauling an express and a former GWR tank loco can made out, though the latter is far from clear. An earlier railway scene was filmed at night on the platform of an unknown station, with Kenneth More boarding a train formed of Mk1 coaching stock.
This first railway scene in the film shows Kenneth More boarding a train at an unknown station
This is Royal Oak on the approach to Paddington, with Westbourne Bridge crossing the scene. The goods yard in the forground is host to a healthy number of wagons while passenger trains pass on the main lines. The canopy in the centre background belongs to Platform 1A, the extension built to platform 1 to handle milk and parcels traffic. The spire belonged to the now demolished Holy Trinity Church on Gloucester Terrace.
In this elevated view of London St Pancras, a Class 45 stands in the centre whilst on the left of the shot is a Class 27. The latter is rare on film and even rarer in London, for they were all transferred north of the border in 1969. Class 127 DMU vehicles can also be discerned in this shot.
The Class 27 is to the left, and the Class 45 to the right, the latter having worked in on 1M11. The four-wheel open wagons are of interest whilst above the Class 27 to the top left is a Class 127 DMU. Marvellous stuff indeed!!
In this busy scene at platform level, a Class 45 is visible on the left through the crowd
In this similar view of Royal Oak, Ranelagh Bridge is in the foreground with a Class 52 hauled express on its way into Paddington
The Class 52 ‘Western’ diesel hydraulic forms the centrepiece of this cropped image. The ex-GWR tank loco is visible to its left.
