GB 1972 1hr 27mins Dir: Sydney Hayers Starring: Nicky Henson and Julia Foster
A young policeman and a small-time crook both have affairs with the same girl
This drama was largely shot in southwest London and there are considerable railway scenes in the Queenstown Road, Nine Elms, and Stewarts Lane areas. There are plentiful shots of 2-car suburban EMUs, pre-war 4 SUB and 4 COR Southern Railway units, and later South Western express types of 4 CIG and 4 REP (?) passing through the landscapes, whilst Class 33 and Class 73 locomotives also appear for added interest. There is an additional chase sequence at the beginning that was filmed in one of the coal yards at Chelsea Basin with a whole plethora of 16-ton mineral and hopper wagons in evidence.
Police give chase through the coal yards at Chelsea Basin Goods. The care worn open mineral wagons were once such a familiar sight on Britain’s rail network.
Another view of the well-filled coal yards at Chelsea Basin, which remained open until final closure on 11th September 1981
This view overlooks the South Western main line as it crosses over the lines into Stewarts Lane depot, which is out of shot at the top of the picture. The EMU is in BR blue but appears to feature a blue and grey-liveried buffet, quite a rare combination. This may, therefore, be a 4 REP. Keep watching….
,,,,as the train continues its progress, a Class 33 just creeps into the shot top right. Keep watching….
….the train’s progress is followed as the camera pans round. The shot is held long enough for the 33 to come into view, running light engine. The road in the foreground is Ascalon Street, SW8, and the elevated signal box at Nine Elms with the derelict goods yards beyond are in the background.
This shot has been included as it shows the former South Lambeth Goods Depot on the left
There is much of interest in this view. The bridge in the lower left foreground is that seen in the pictures above, and takes the South Western lines across the lines into Stewarts Lane depot, which are bottom left. From this angle the depot is now creeping into shot top left. The nearest EMU is a 4 COR, with a suburban EMU just coming into view. The rail bridge crossing the centre of the shot carries the Chatham lines into and out of Victoria with a formation of 2-car suburban EMU’s crossing. The second bridge further back carries the Atlantic lines to and from Victoria.
This appears to be a view from the Nine Elms Estate with EPB’s or SUB’s passing on the embankment behind.
As Martin Potter jogs along Stewarts Road, a Class 73 crawls slowly along behind him. The bridge carries the South Western main lines and is again that seen in the earlier views. The 73 is on its way to the depot at Stewarts Lane, which is behind the camera.
As Martin Potter talks to Julia Foster a suburban EMU can be glimpsed in the background. This is a view from Patcham Terrace, SW8, and the train is on the Brighton lines just south of Battersea Park station.
The American car is an Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass and it is travelling down Stewarts Road with a pair of 4 CIG EMU’s to the right
The film ends with another panning shot packed full of interest. The blue & grey 4 CIG’s are on the lines to Stewarts Lane depot with the bridge in the centre taking Battersea Park Road across the tracks. The bridge beyond that carries the Chatham Lines and has 2-car suburban units crossing. The bridge in the very far distance forms part of the viaducts at Battersea Pier and takes the Brighton lines down to Grosvenor Bridge and across the Thames to London Victoria. The Battersea gasholders have been erased from the landscape as indeed have many of the buildings seen here. It looks liike a locomotive is peeping out from beneath the right hand arch of the second bridge.
