THE MAGNIFICENT TWO

GB
1967
1hr 40mins
Dir: Cliff Owen
Starring: Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise

A travelling salesman in Latin America is persuaded to pose as a rebel leader

This was the third and final film of the comedy duo’s trio and is often considered to be the best. The opening scenes depict Morecambe and Wise travelling on a train in Latin America. This is in fact a thinly disguised War Department Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST, with dummy headlight and cow-catcher and with nameplate covered over, hauling non-corridor suburban coaches on the Longmoor Military Railway. There is a clever attempt to superimpose a mountain backcloth in one distant shot of the train and the station where the comedians alight is an extensively dressed Oakhanger Halt, masquerading as ‘Campo Grande’. It should also be noted that the loco and coaching stock was branded Ferrocarriles de Parazuellia (‘Parazuellia Railways’ in Spanish).

Do not be confused by the rather convincing mountain backdrop, this is somewhere on the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire.
Oakhanger Halt, masquerading as ‘Campo Grande’
The Austerity Saddle Tank complete with ‘cow-catcher’ and headlight so as to look vaguely foreign.
The train draws into the platform of a dusty looking Oakhanger Halt