Railways in Pop Culture

[philden]

The single version of 'Sound Of The Suburbs' by The Members contained a station announcement at Staines. It doesn't seem to be on the version I have on a CD compilation though.

 

[jopsuk]

Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuz94ZIPfJk

For fans of rare traction, the train in the video is a Class 210

 

[adrock1976]

Some ones I can think of from the top of my head:

Nene Valley Railway - used in the 1983 James Bond (with Roger Moore) film Octopussy.

Hue & Cry's "Looking for Linda" (circa 1988) - contains the lines "...'Is this one for Paisley? Oh you've got to help me'/(She used to work there a long time ago)" and also "Then she kept running straight down to Leeds Central/Took Intercity and left her remorse"

The Monkees "Last Train to Clarksville"

 

[tigerroar]

Minder on the Orient Express, loads of train footage, really good movie and some wonderful aerial footage of Folkestone and the Harbour branch.

If this was a competition I'd win

https://youtu.be/SMcvgtMWP6U?t=39m4s

 

[Ash Bridge]

Some ones I can think of from the top of my head:



Hue & Cry's "Looking for Linda" (circa 1988) - contains the lines "...'Is this one for Paisley? Oh you've got to help me'/(She used to work there a long time ago)" and also "Then she kept running straight down to Leeds Central/Took Intercity and left her remorse"

I always thought it was Leith Central?

(Sorry pedant mode is currently switched on)

 

[Harbon 1]

It's surely Czech, mostly looks like Praha Hlvani to me - but yes, at the end could be the smaller Masarykovo.
Deep and original lyrics in the song, I must say - not.

No thats a tune! Each to their own

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno (can't find the video online annoyingly) features a brief Class 50 at New Street.

Quadrophenia also features a Class 50 at what I think was supposed to be London Victoria.

The Feeling - Blue Piccadilly mentions the line '12 stops and home', which was also the name of the album, was written about how the recording studio was 12 stops away from where they lived. The lyrics go: "And that's when/The blue Piccadilly takes me away from the city/Maybe someday you'll forgive me/Twelve stops and home"

Elbow - Station Approach is filmed, weirdly, on a model railway, with blue/grey Mk2s and a Class 31.

There also used to be a video called "Girl on Train" (which I can't find) which was a song with the video filmed on a Deltic ECS working with Cargo-D Mk3s.

 

[Cowley]

The infamous scene in one of the Jackass movies featuring a model train and volcano.
If you haven't seen it. Then don't.

 

[Harbon 1]

"Theme from S-Express" by S-Express has lots of HSTs going past on it.

 

[plcd1]

The intro to the Likely Lads - couple of bits of Tyneside railway scenery plus some buses.

The HST whoosh in "Theme from S'Express" by S'Express

The tube train noises in This City never sleeps by the Eurythmics (track from their second album)

The glimpses of the DLR in the video to Passion by Gat Decor.

More DLR toing and froing in the video to "Gotta get thru this" by Daniel Bedingfield.

Multiple railway scenes in episodes of the Professionals.

Bodie and Doyle gallavanting around searching coaches at Temple Mills carriage sidings. Class 302 whizzes past.
Doyle nearly getting flattened by a Class 31 freight somewhere near Old Oak / Willesden by the looks of things.
Someone with a fatal infection getting off a train at Paddington and umpteen people dropping like flies not long afterwards.
Bodie tailing a suspect spy on a RT bus and then 72 stock on the Jubilee Line in NW London. There's an episode featuring 73 stock and A stock - don't ask! Let's say the continuity was a tad ropey.

Others have mentioned the Class 210 with a starring role alongside Bronski Beat complete with tiny glimpse of the AEC Southall site I believe.

James Bond having a love of long distance train journeys across Europe and Asia.

Jason Bourne using Eurostar, AVEs and changing from Waterloo Main line to Charing Cross tube in a nanosecond.

Also need in Agatha Christie's Marple and Poirot who use trains and both investigate murders on trains. Also steam train action in several editions of Foyle's War as well.

 

[Harbon 1]

Me again...

The last episode of 'Life On Mars' featured much 47 action towards the end.

 

[theageofthetra]

I've always wondered where they filmed that. Thanks

Do you or anybody know where they filmed Frank Spenser hanging off the side of the train in Some Mothers?

There were a couple of episodes of SMDAE with railways. The one where they stay in that crummy hotel is Herne Bay station but I think the episode you refer to was the one with him meeting some MP? That was filmed on the fledgling West Somerset because apparently BR thought it too dangerous to film on their stations.

 

[mikeg]

As for film references, what about Carnforth station's role in 'Brief Encounter'?

So much is it associated with this, that the station picture on NRE is even a still from the film! http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/CNF/details.html

 

[Cowley]

There were a couple of episodes of SMDAE with railways. The one where they stay in that crummy hotel is Herne Bay station but I think the episode you refer to was the one with him meeting some MP? That was filmed on the fledgling West Somerset because apparently BR thought it too dangerous to film on their stations.

Ah thanks for that Mr Tra. You've reminded me of a couple of others too:

The Flockton Flyer - filmed at The West Somerset
Gods Wonderful Railway - filmed at The Severn Valley

 

[50039]

There was a programme on kids tv in the 70s - think it might have been called 'Changes' or something like that - opening credits featured a blue western bursting out of a tunnel before the shot was frozen... memory is pretty vague on this.... might have also had a 47 but it's all a bit hazy...

 

[Ash Bridge]

Ah thanks for that Mr Tra. You've reminded me of a couple of others too:

The Flockton Flyer - filmed at The West Somerset
Gods Wonderful Railway - filmed at The Severn Valley

You have just jogged my memory with your mention of the West Somerset, anyone seen the 1973 movie "The Belstone Fox" starring amongst others the late Eric Portman and a then rather young Dennis (Minder) Waterman, there was a scene shot near Crowcombe Heathfield where the fox leads a pack of hounds onto the railway just as a blue livered class 35 Hymek is approaching on a short rake of wagons and brakevan, an in cab shot shows the driver make an emergency brake application but without success, resulting in a complete bloody wipeout of the pack, this scene rather upset my daughter the first time she saw it, but at least the fox got away. I think this was filmed around 1972 a year or so after the Minehead Branch had closed.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

People keep mentioning films.

So how come no one mentioned D318's star appearance in the 1967 film "Robbery"

Or, more importantly D316 masqerading as the historically accurate D326 in Phil Collins potrayal of Buster Edwards in the film Buster. Both of course reflecting the great train robbery.

 

[theageofthetra]

What about Amberley chalk pits museum in the Zorrin airship scene in A View to a Kill? -can't recall if any of the narrow gauge lines feature.

 

[mirodo]

Six pages in and no mention of Trainspotting at Corrour?

 

[Clarence Yard]

Supertramp 'Rudy' has class 50 and station announcement noises in it.

And the then young trainee who made that announcement is still on the railway, as one of it's expert timetablers.

 

[Cowley]

And the then young trainee who made that announcement is still on the railway, as one of it's expert timetablers.

Wow. Didn't expect that. Was it recorded at Paddington or Reading would you know?

 

[Marklund]

"Theme from S-Express" by S-Express has lots of HSTs going past on it.

Also has a Class 56 cut away diagram on the cover

 

[yorksrob]

The intro to the Likely Lads - couple of bits of Tyneside railway scenery plus some buses.

The HST whoosh in "Theme from S'Express" by S'Express

The tube train noises in This City never sleeps by the Eurythmics (track from their second album)

The glimpses of the DLR in the video to Passion by Gat Decor.

More DLR toing and froing in the video to "Gotta get thru this" by Daniel Bedingfield.

Multiple railway scenes in episodes of the Professionals.

Bodie and Doyle gallavanting around searching coaches at Temple Mills carriage sidings. Class 302 whizzes past.
Doyle nearly getting flattened by a Class 31 freight somewhere near Old Oak / Willesden by the looks of things.
Someone with a fatal infection getting off a train at Paddington and umpteen people dropping like flies not long afterwards.
Bodie tailing a suspect spy on a RT bus and then 72 stock on the Jubilee Line in NW London. There's an episode featuring 73 stock and A stock - don't ask! Let's say the continuity was a tad ropey.

Others have mentioned the Class 210 with a starring role alongside Bronski Beat complete with tiny glimpse of the AEC Southall site I believe.

James Bond having a love of long distance train journeys across Europe and Asia.

Jason Bourne using Eurostar, AVEs and changing from Waterloo Main line to Charing Cross tube in a nanosecond.

Also need in Agatha Christie's Marple and Poirot who use trains and both investigate murders on trains. Also steam train action in several editions of Foyle's War as well.

There's an episode of Poirot which has the preserved 4SUB unit looking resplendent. According to my parents, Foyles War used to use the SR era frontage of the old Hastings station on occasion. I don't think it's replacement has proved as suitable as a backdrop !

 

[Cowley]

What about Amberley chalk pits museum in the Zorrin airship scene in A View to a Kill? -can't recall if any of the narrow gauge lines feature.

My friend used to live there when they filmed that. He used to have a walk around to check everything was safe and sound at night once the filming had stopped and the other people would position the life sized (and apparently very very lifelike) models of Grace Jones that they used in the explosion scene so that if he opened a door they would topple out on top of him .

Thought of a few more things that were filmed at the Mid Hants around the time I volunteered there: Children of Men - a pretty good film. Bullseye (Roger Moore and Micheal Caine) - possibly the worst film ever made.
A whole live (obviously) episode of Going Live with Sarah Greene, Philipe Schofield etc. The train was pulled by the S160 and the 2-10-0 WD both in blue.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Also has a Class 56 cut away diagram on the cover

Awesome!

 

[kevconnor]

The video for Badly Drawn Boy's All Possibilities (Link) is him busking outside Waterloo Station.

Or the video for Elbow's Station Approach (Link)which to quote from Guy Garvey

The first track off Elbow’s second LP Leader’s of the Free World describes that familiar feeling of returning home to the city that you love, documenting singer Guy Garvey’s walk from Piccadilly Station along Station Approach: ‘The streets are full of goths and Greeks/ I haven’t seen my mum for weeks/ But coming home I feel like I/ Designed the buildings I walk by.’

If anyone can recognise the locomotive (if indeed it is a genuine one) in the video would be grateful for the info.

 

[Sloppyjag]

One which sticks in my mind is the opening credits of Crossroads (literally the first few seconds) which featured a 47 hauling a DMU and brake van. I used to tune in just for that then switch over to something else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynHL2e4ztII

 

[theageofthetra]

One which sticks in my mind is the opening credits of Crossroads (literally the first few seconds) which featured a 47 hauling a DMU and brake van. I used to tune in just for that then switch over to something else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynHL2e4ztII

And the lovely MG Maestro. Wonder if that car still exists

 

[kevconnor]

Alternatively from Literature my favorite has to be Simon Armitage's description of the post privatisation rail industry. From his 1996 book All Points North, please see attached.

 

[stanpotts]

Not much, but from The Who's double album Quadrophenia, the final track on the first disk "I've Had Enough" ends with the sound of a diesel locomotive giving a blow on the horn before rushing by. The first track on the second disk "5:15" then starts with the ambient noise of a station and a slam door being closed. 5:15 being about a train journey to Brighton while somewhat intoxicated (for it was the 70's) "Out of my brain on the train".

The liner notes from my copy say that to record the sound of a train passing at speed one of the sound engineers stepped onto the line to 'encourage' the driver to sound a warning...

 

[crosscity]

Wow. Didn't expect that. Was it recorded at Paddington or Reading would you know?

A friend who was very knowledgeable about all things Western Region and came from Berkshire and liked Supertramp said the announcement was recorded at Didcot even though It is clear that it's for the 1945 from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads.

 

[MonsooN]

How about the bridge scene from Stand By Me?

Also the music video of Aerosmith's Livin' on the Edge. The guitar solo features the lead guitarist, Joe Perry, playing his guitar on a train track while a huge freight train heads towards him. He carries on playing and coolly steps aside at the last second before the train hits him.