• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Harry Potter fans fuming after oncoming train blocks Hogwarts Express

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Paul_10

Member
Joined
24 Feb 2011
Messages
736
I know some people find it amusing but I actually have sympathy with those who missed this steam train because of the passenger train especially the younger children who were there. It's unlucky but people will say cant the scotrail train not slow down until the steam train has went by etc.

The bigger issue here and always the case with these steam trains going by is the risks some people take just to take a photo, I rather see crowded platforms than people standing where they shouldn't. I guess it's harder to enforce common sence when it goes by stations which are not staffed but sometimes it does feel like an accident waiting to happen
 

Darandio

Established Member
Joined
24 Feb 2007
Messages
10,674
Location
Redcar
I know some people find it amusing but I actually have sympathy with those who missed this steam train because of the passenger train especially the younger children who were there. It's unlucky but people will say cant the scotrail train not slow down until the steam train has went by etc.

The interest was created by media hype which was false anyway. I'm 99% certain that these children wondered what on earth went past them because it wasn't the right colour. What did go past is what the majority of adults didn't expect to see either.
 

Jozhua

Established Member
Joined
6 Jan 2019
Messages
1,856
Some people joking that "scotrail says trans rights" LOL. (No comment on the current JK Rowling debarcle, I just thought it was funny.) But, if we can get the millenials engaged in rail by tying them in with buzzfeed quizzes about wether they're huffelpuff or slytherin, then why not. Maybe some MEGA LOL reaction gifs from Friends, who knows.

Btw, I'm a Zoomer. That's right millenials, ya'll are getting it from both sides now ;)

Typically the savvy commuter type looking up their platform at Euston.
Closet nerds ;)
 

pieguyrob

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2018
Messages
571
Has anyone at a preserved railway or mainline charter company thought of promoting "Barry Potter's express, to the Big Pink Paradise, incorporating the Hurricane Hand Dryers"?

Personally I don't think Horwich Parkway or Bolton have the same appeal as the West Highland Railway, but, you never know!

Oh for 10p you can get your Jerry the Berry chews from an old condom machine!
 

Journeyman

Established Member
Joined
16 Apr 2014
Messages
6,295
It's worth pointing out that the promoters of the Jacobite have never claimed any Harry Potter connection.
 

LRV3004

Member
Joined
17 Mar 2015
Messages
433
Will ScotRail now be handing out free holidays to Hogwarts Castle to all those who had their view blocked by the 334 unit?
 

geoffk

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
3,223
Hall 5972 used in the films is on static display at the Warner Bros studio near Watford.
 

Parham Wood

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2011
Messages
329
Very poor of the press to print such an incorrect article but I wonder if they imagined quite how many people would turn up, although past numbers attracted to Flying Scotsman should have alerted them, if of course they had been aware of this.

However the responsibility is with the people who attended. They should have followed COVID rules. There is no excuse for acting like sheep, although l large proportion of the population in my view seem to be adverse to taking any personal responsibility for COVID or for that matter a lot of other things.

Since most people there I think were not rail enthusiasts and most of these were probably not regular rail travellers I think they would be unaware of any danger they might have posed to themselves or others (in terms of being hurt by the passing train). Or indeed of the penalties for any trespass and what constituted trespass on the railway.
 

Journeyman

Established Member
Joined
16 Apr 2014
Messages
6,295
So why the big 'Harry Potter' thing with these people, is it just because it's a steam engine?

No, it's the route it takes, with the Glenfinnan Viaduct being prominently visible in Chamber of Secrets, and much of the scenery featuring in other films.

Also, the Jacobite is operated with maroon Mark 1s which are very similar to those in the films, so it does look a bit like the Hogwarts Express.

I'm actually very glad they've never claimed any Potter connection. They clearly don't need to, as the trains fill months in advance anyway.
 
Last edited:

vlad

Member
Joined
13 May 2018
Messages
749
It's worth pointing out that the promoters of the Jacobite have never claimed any Harry Potter connection.

Their brochure (here) says:
West Coast Railways, operators of ‘The Jacobite,’ provided the steam engine and carriages for the ‘Hogwarts Express’ as seen in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and others in this wonderful series of films.

Even if you argue that the Jacobite itself isn't the same, they certainly sell enough Harry Potter-themed stuff on board to make the line so blurred it's barely visible....
 

Darandio

Established Member
Joined
24 Feb 2007
Messages
10,674
Location
Redcar
I'm actually very glad they've never claimed any Potter connection. They clearly don't need to, as the trains fill months in advance anyway.

No, not claimed at all. Apart from just about everywhere they discuss the Jacobite (and anywhere else they can!) whether it be the service page or media release. All of these are just a handful of snippets from various pages and there are plenty more.

We cross the 21-arched Glenfinnan viaduct (a location made famous in the Harry Potter films) which overlooks Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument.

West Coast Railways supplied the engine and carriages used in the filming of the "Harry Potter" films. This journey lives on, with two trips a day, using some of the actual carriages used in the filming of these magnificent movies.

Take a ride on The Jacobite steam passenger service from Fort William to Mallaig in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. The 'West Highland Line' route was featured in the Harry Potter films as the setting for the Hogwarts Express - most notably the viaduct at Glenfinnan.

Departing from Fort William twice daily in the summer months, to Mallaig this 84 mile round trip takes you past a list of impressive extremes including the 21-arched Glenfinnan viaduct (a location made famous in the Harry Potter films).

This one was slotted in a page for both the Scarborough Spa Express and Dalesman!

Some of these carriages served throughout the golden age of rail and some even featured in the Harry Potter movies and have all been lovingly restored.

Not only are they claiming the connection, they are dining out on it! Rightly so too if it helps.
 

Journeyman

Established Member
Joined
16 Apr 2014
Messages
6,295
No, not claimed at all. Apart from just about everywhere they discuss the Jacobite (and anywhere else they can!) whether it be the service page or media release. All of these are just a handful of snippets from various pages and there are plenty more.









This one was slotted in a page for both the Scarborough Spa Express and Dalesman!



Not only are they claiming the connection, they are dining out on it! Rightly so too if it helps.

It's been a while since I've been on it, to be fair!
 

yorksrob

Veteran Member
Joined
6 Aug 2009
Messages
38,818
Location
Yorks
Having seen a snippet of the film, I hope they've got the correct Bournemouth Blue moquette in the carriages !
 

awsnews

Member
Joined
13 Mar 2019
Messages
315
45212 went south today, it seems to have passed through the Glasgow area without the level of interest seen last time. Garelochhead Station had a grand total of 3 people watching.
 

d9009alycidon

Member
Joined
22 Jun 2011
Messages
837
Location
Eaglesham
In this mornings Sun there was a small piece in the inside pages announcing that West Coast Railways would not publish any further timings for the Jacobite Steam locomotive workings through Glasgow due to the volume of people that turned out for that run. Hmmmm.
 

AM9

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2014
Messages
14,191
Location
St Albans
In this mornings Sun there was a small piece in the inside pages announcing that West Coast Railways would not publish any further timings for the Jacobite Steam locomotive workings through Glasgow due to the volume of people that turned out for that run. Hmmmm.
I agree with that, - many of those people will travel miles by road, clutter up roads near the stations/sighting points for an hour or two, yet don't contribute a penny to the railway, - national or heritage.

If the crowds continue to create safety hazards, WCR might find getting paths more difficult in the future.

I remember when Flying Scotsman went down to Penzance in October 2018, we were travelling back to Paddington.

I knew that we would pass the loco and there were crowds on both platforms at Cambourne and Redruth.

I think it was Cambourne where we stopped to much tutting and shaking heads from the hoardes on the Up platform.

I was following FS's progress on RTT, I think it was just after leaving Redruth that it passed us.
 
Last edited:

hst43102

Member
Joined
28 May 2019
Messages
945
Location
Tyneside
Simple solution to stop the crowds. Stick a 37 or 47 in front of the black 5 and nobody will turn up!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top