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Could you be thinking of The Happy Family in which Stanley Holloway is a train driver (or possibly guard)?
I seem to recall seeing a film sometime in the 1950's which featured Jack Warner as a train driver. Now I'm aware of the fact that JW played the part of a train driver in one of the anthology stories in Train of Events, but could he possibly have starred in another film in which he also played a train driver? I have searched the IMDB, but couldn't find what I was looking for there,which might suggest that Train of Events is indeed the only film in which he played a train driver. If anyone can throw any further light on this particular poser then I really would be most grateful.
Could you be thinking of The Happy Family in which Stanley Holloway is a train driver (or possibly guard)?
No,it was definitely JW, Captain Waggett. My only vague recollection of the film is of Jack Warner leaving the cab of his locomotive at the end of his shift ( It was a night scene as I recall) and heading home across the railway tracks. As I said it COULD be Train of Events, but the fact that that film contains interconnected stories of the train crash tends to steer me away from that particular film. Perhaps I should purchase Train of Events to see for myself.
Train of Events begins with the crash (at night), then flashes back the JW leaving the previous shift. It sounds exactly like the film you're looking for.Originally Posted by drumbeg
Well it ticks all the right boxes. I'll purchase Train of Events tomorrow. My sincere thanks to you,Captain Waggett.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUw-p8gTe3M
Was it the right film?
Frame.
That footage of the LMS steam locos is enough to warrant a purchase from me, that's for sure!
An OO gauge model or a copy of the film?
Regards,Frame.
Amongst my UK steam video collection, I have "Steam on 35mm, The 30s 40s 50s, with John Huntley" which contains several minutes of those scenes included during the opening credits, as well as numerous other shots that didn't make it. An LMS feast.
Interesting story about the engine actually used in the film .... because of the crash, it was decided that the actually engine number would be "disguised" to avoid any perception of a "jinxed" engine once it was back in normal traffic. In an early scene the engine is seen being turned, and moving off the turntable inside (assumedly, what is supposed to be) Willesden or Camden shed (the 1A or 1B shed plate is blacked out). As the front passes the camera, the "changed" number on the smokebox door can clearly be seen.
The engine, an LMS Royal Scot, had the original number 46128 (I think, "The Lovat Scouts"). It was decided to leave part of the original number, but if the leading digit had been removed, that would still leave the engine with its original pre-British Railways (1 Jan 1948) number (6128 - all LMS engine numbers had 40000 added to their LMS number (i.e. a leading digit 4) on nationalisation).
So, it was decided that the last digit would be blacked out (leaving it with a number akin to a GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank engine!!! A bit insulting).
During the filming of these early scenes, Jack Warner slipped on some oil and fell into the pit, hurting his back. It is said he spent making most of the rest of the film in considerable pain.
The number looks more like 46126 to me. What would this give? Would it be a similar kind of locomotive?
Nick
Yeh, same LMS class - (Rebuilt) Royal Scot. 46126 carried the name "Royal Army Service Corps" ..... and I think you might be right (must dig out my records :).
EDIT : My bad, you're correct .... "senior's moment" :). Good ole Google!
Last edited by Arthur Linden-Jones; 18-11-10 at 09:09 PM.
This may not be the film you are looking for as Jack Warner wasn't in it but "Time Bomb" (1952) aka "Terror on a Train" with Glenn Ford and a host of British actors including Victor Maddern, Bill Fraser, Maurice Denham and Sam Kydd (did he play the driver) is definitely worth a watch. Lots of steam traims.
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