HEDD WYN

GB
1992
2hrs 03mins
Dir: Paul Turner
Starring: Huw Garmon and Sue Roderick

A Welsh farmer becomes a First World War poet

This Welsh anti-war biopic is based on the life of Ellis Humphrey Evans, killed in the First World War, and posthumously awarded the Chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod of Wales. Evans’ bardic name Hedd Wyn (pronounced ‘Hairth Win’) means ‘Blessed Peace’. The film unsurprisingly features a Welsh railway with atmospheric scenes depicting the main character leaving for France filmed on the Llangollen Railway at Llangollen station. The train is formed of ex-LMS Class 3F ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T No.7298 on BR non-corridor stock but what is more surprising is the fact that the loco appears as number ‘7470’ in mock ‘GREAT WESTERN’ livery. This was probably a good way of depicting an older GWR tank loco as the 3F itself was not built until 1924. A later low-level run by of the train reveals its true identity as the number 7298 is still on the smokebox door. There are also a number of scenes filmed onboard the non-corridor stock.

Mock GWR ‘Jinty’ Tank No.7470 at Llangollen.
The later scenes filmed at Llangollen are particularly atmospheric
Ellis Evans leaves for a war from which he would not return. Llangollen again, on a cold morning.
This final low-level shot shows that loco ‘7470’ is really 7298
There is also this scene in the film whereby a young man is using a railway line as a footpath! Presumably this too was filmed on the Llangollen also.