THIS IS ENGLAND

GB
2006
1hr 42mins
Dir: Shane Meadows
Starring: Thomas Turgoose and Vicky McClure

An 11-year old boy gets involved with skinheads in the Thatcher era

At the start of this drama there is a montage of clips from news stories of the 1980s and among them is a very brief rear-view shot of the planned destruction of Class 46 ‘Peak’ No.46009 in the staged ‘nuclear crash’ at the Old Dalby test site. It is a very interesting glimpse of a scene that is of historical importance today but is erroneous for the movie, which centres on young skinheads in 1983. The Old Dalby test crash took place in 1984. For the record, the Class 46 had in tow a train of three Mk1s; SK No.25254, TSO No.4514 and SK No.25564.

This is England. And this is it. The brief railway scene in the film. 46009 is about one second away from total destruction as it is driven remotely into the nuclear flask blocking its path. RIP.