THE VULTURE

GB / US/ CAN
1967
1hr 31mins
Dir: Lawrence Huntington
Starring: Robert Hutton and Diane Clare

A mad scientist turns himself into a half-man, half-bird monster to avenge the death of his ancestor

This horror film has a good shot of a maroon-liveried Class 52 ‘Western’ arriving into Chippenham station with a rake of maroon Mk1’s, some of which have the short-lived enamel bodyside destination boards. A shot of the train departing is also shown but despite the use of Chippenham, the entrance scenes use Maidenhead station, a fair distance from the Wiltshire town! It is possible that the footage at Chippenham was taken by ITC, as similar shots of a Class 42 ‘Warship’ diesel-hydraulic-hauled express departing Chippenham station appears in Video 125s Diesels & Electrics on 35mm DVD, and in part was used in the 1970 movie One Brief Summer (qv). If this is the case, which seems likely, then these unused stock images were interspersed with the actual Maidenhead shots.

A maroon-liveried Class 52 ‘Western’ arrives into Chippenham working 1B08. Although the station is still very much open, BR rationalisation has seen the track removed from this platform which is a little awkward for it is home to the main entrance!!
This is the station approach in Maidenhead with the Jubilee Clock Tower in the background
Turning around now, and this is the station entrance at Maidenhead
The train pulls out of Chippenham. Note the yellow enamel destination board on the side of the carriage.
Panning around we see the train passing Chippenham West signal box, which closed in 1966.