GB / US 2006 2hrs 18mins Dir: Tony Bill Starring: James Franco and Tyler Labine
American pilots join the First World War with the Lafayette Escadrille, the 124th air squadron formed by the French in 1916
The railway scenes of this war drama were all filmed on the Bluebell Railway, though you would never know it. Kingscote station was used to depict Lincoln, Nebraska, with BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No.73082 used for the scene. The loco was renumbered 2759 and adorned with ‘Union Pacific Eastern’ insignia, though the Camelot nameplates from its BR era were retained! Computer imagery was added so that when the train departs, instead of revealing the down platform we see typical Midwest prairie land. Horsted Keynes was likewise transformed and became ‘Paris’ with computer generation giving it various architectural delights and making it appear as a major station. In these scenes two locomotives were used, namely ex-GWR ‘Dukedog’ 4-4-0 No.3217 Earl of Berkeley and ex-SR E4 Class 0-6-2T No.32473.
Kingscote station masquerading as Lincoln, Nebraska, with BR Standard 5MT No.73082 in the platform. Note the Camelot nameplates on the running frame. Straightforward enough so far, perhaps, but things are about to get very interesting indeed….
As Camelot begins to pull out we start to see things a little differently. The US style number (sorry #) on the cabside along with Union Pacific Eastern branding on the tender isn’t normal for a start. I think the carriage behind has also been ‘decked out’ somewhat for it looks like it may have had a verandah fitted.
This is a close up of the carriage in its Union Pacific Eastern livery. Can anyone enlighten me further as to which vehicle this really was?
Oh my word. This is Kingscote on the Bluebell Railway with platform 2 giving way to a mid western prairie landscape complete with wind pump!!
GWR ‘Dukedog’ No.3217 Earl of Berkeley arrives into Horsted Keynes which, with a little bit of French signage and some actors with berets has been transformed into Paris.
The French destination boards read such exotic names as Limoges, Nantes, Bordeaux and Montauban. Not a Southern Railway green sign anywhere in sight.
In one of the biggest transformations in railway history Horsted Keynes has become the centre of fine arts, fine wine and even finer women. If you squint hard enough it really could be Paris. The locomotive is E4 Class 0-6-2T No.32473 draped with five French tricolores but with Southern Railway coaching stock behind!
