GB
2022
1hr 38mins
Dir: Morgan Matthews
Starring: Jenny Agutter and Tom Coutenay
The adventures of three children evacuated to Yorkshire during the war
This family drama was fuelled more by nostalgia than the real need to produce a ‘sequel’ to Lionel Jeffries classic childhood tale from 1970, but such is the pulling power of E Nesbit’s original story that, like it or not, such sequels are made. Like the 1970 film the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway played centre stage, and Oakworth station again featured prominently, but by both need and necessity the film veers too far from the original story to be a real joy. Three steam locomotives are predominantly used throughout the film; USA Transportation Corp S160 Class 2-8-0 No.5820, LMS Class 4F 0-6-0 No.43924, and LMS 5XP ‘Jubilee’ Class 4-6-0 No.45596 Bahamas. BR Standard Class 2MT 2-6-0 No.78022 also makes a very brief appearance. It can be easily observed that both 43924 and 45596 Bahamas had LMS decals placed over the BR emblems that they were carrying, whilst their numbers were amended to 3924 and 5596 respectively. Meanwhile, No.5820 which had been built as part of the war effort, did not leave the Lima Works in Ohio until 1945. The BR Standard seen in the film is of course a post war locomotive. However, as already mentioned under The Railway Children, such inaccuracies can be overlooked.