MELBA

GB
1953
1hr 52mins
Dir: Lewis Milestone
Starring: Patrice Munsel and Alec Clunes

The life of Australian-born soprano Dame Nellie Melba

This highly-fictionalized musical biopic includes an early scene filmed at a railway station in ‘Australia’ as Nellie begins her journey to Europe and stardom. As the film is a UK production this will be a British station but it is unclear as to where this was filmed. It is purported to have been on the Longmoor Military Railway, but this appears not to be the case and its identity remains unknown. The locomotive at the head of the arriving train can also not be identified, whilst the rear coach is a former GWR ‘Toad’ brake van! There is a further scene at the end of the film with Dame Nellie arriving at a London terminus by train. This is said in the film to be Victoria but the red suburban carriages in the platform would suggest otherwise.

Passengers wait patiently at a country station, the identity of which remains unknown
The arriving train is just creeping into the left of this shot. The Westinghouse pump on the side of the locomotive is the only clue to its identity.
The train departs with a GWR ‘Toad’ brake van on the rear in use as passenger accomodation!!
This is the London arrival scene, but again it is unclear where this was filmed. Can anyone advise?