Titfield Thunderbolt...

I've been making use of a day off with a cold by rewatching this classic film, and ended up searching around for a few bits of trivia. Was quite interested by the IMDB article which says there were two 14xx tanks used for filming with the numberplates swapped; facing in opposite directions to speed up filming. It says that the additional loco was 1450... Has anybody else heard this? Or is there any proof? Quite interesting...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046436/trivia

Anybody else got any fun nuggets of info about the film?

Other ones I've heard:
- Lion's tender was fairly badly damaged when it was hit by the coaches in one scene.
- Stanley Holloway was a dab hand at driving Lion.
- The driver, fireman and guard in the earlier scenes are real BR employees rather than actors...

 

For more info on the film and the locations try the facebook group about the Titfield Thunderbolt
https://www.facebook.com/groups/392335160901770/?fref=ts

 

Says you have to join the group to view.

Must admit, I don't find Facebook useful for this kind of thing.

 

Lion was indeed damaged during after the coach and break van push. This was never repaired and is still visible if you go she her in Liverpool.

 

An interesting site with a few then and now shots
http://www.reelstreets.com/index.php/component/films_online/?task=view&id=1031&limitstart=0

 

Yes you have to join the group, but how much trouble is that? And if you don't like the group you can always leave it. Many groups on facebook are private, it helps to avoid erroneous posts or blatant advertising.

 

Presumably you first have to join facebook itself, and that's what some of us are seriously uncomfortable about.

 

Its no trouble, but as I say I don't think facebook is the right medium. IMHO Facebook is for ephemeral stuff: selfies, pics of food, holiday snaps etc, not for ongoing collections.

 

Have a look at this site.
http://homepages.which.net/~gordon.dudman/titfield2.html
Also try Simon Castens, who owns a bookshop called the Titfield Thunderbolt, has written a book on the subject, called
"On the trail of the Titfield Thunderbolt". He is very knowledgeable on the subject and is a really nice chap!
Cheers,
Owd Sweedy.

 

I joined Facebook as two of my grandchildren and a good friend in the United States used it. I stayed a week, I thought it ghastly. Don't think you can opt out that easily either. Yes, you can remove profile and details and close the account but, in my opinion, see what happens if you try to log in again at a future date . It still thinks you are with them. So much, sadly, of the web has 'memories' it seems.

 

Thanks for the tips, gang! Does anybody know if there's any truth or proof for the 1450 rumour?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

For anyone seriously interested in the Liverpool & Manchester Railway's loco Lion I'd recommend a small (28pp) book by Adrian Jarvis and Len Morris: 'Lion - the story of the oldest working locomotive in the world' published by Merseyside County Museums in 1980. There may be a more recent edition.

It seems to cover everything, except why it was given that weirdly shaped outer firebox top in 1930.

 

I have heard the rumour that 1450 was used as a stand in. I think they faced different ways. Having 2 locos and 2 brake vans means they didn't have to take them for turning and could shoot however it suited them. I believe Lion had to turned, so she had to venture onto the mainline at a steady 15mph to go to a triangle.

 

1401 is definitely in the film. The other 'branch' loco was renumbered as 1401 to enable quicker filming.

1462 appears on the turntable during the midnight theft, and once it leaves the rails, was played by the lorry dressed up as 1462.

The rumour of 1450 being 1401's opposite number is a new one to me. Appears on the imdb trivia page. Am not sure if this was started because 1450 was renumbered as 1401 for the NNR's 'Titfield Thunderbolt' special in 2012?

Simon C would probably know but I've misplaced his number.

 

The two 0-4-2T's used were 1401 and 1456. The latter being used for banking and shunting duties.

 

Thank god for the EU and the 'right to be forgotten', eh…?



Simon

 

I was wondering the same, I can't remember the number of the 2nd loco quoted in the past, but it definetly wasn't 1450, presumably those updating IMDB and the like are not as informed on such things as your average NP member.