Tales Of The Unexpected Episode "Galloping Foxley".

[STEVIEBOY1]

Good Morning,

I was watching, last night, a very old repeat episode of Tales Of The Unexpected Episode "Galloping Foxley", By Roald Dahl. I think it was originally made in the late 1970s. Part of the story featured some railway scenes, at what I assume was an outer suburban station in the South East of England as the protagonist was supposed to be a regular commuter to London, it later transpired that Cannon Street was the London Station.

I just wondered where the rail scenes were filmed?, there was no overhead electric wires or 3 rd rail, the train shown, appeared to be Blue/Grey Stock hauled by possible a class 37 Diesel. Not what one would expect to have gone to Cannon Street on a regular basis. I think the only non electrified lines at that time would have been part of the Hastings, East Grinstead, Uckfield and Marsh Link Lines.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

IMDb suggests that the episode in question (first aired 1980) may have been filmed on or around Downham Market railway station.



(Pic from Tales of the Unexpected "Galloping Foxley" episode. Featured actor is Anthony Steel. Source: IMDb).

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Many thanks for the info (and the great photo)

 

[Royston Vasey]

Look at that beautiful ex-works unrefurbished skirted bufferbeam 37/0!

 

[Gloster]

It was made by Anglia Television, so a nearby station would be logical.

 

[Cowley]

Look at that beautiful ex-works unrefurbished skirted bufferbeam 37/0!

That’s a proper Stratford special isn’t it?

 

[Royston Vasey]

That’s a proper Stratford special isn’t it?

They knew they were coming!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

At that time, the late 1970s and early 1980s, would that type of loco had been used on that route which would have been Liverpool Street to King's Lynn and also on the Liverpool Street to Norwich, before they were both electrified? Now the main services to King's Lynn are from Kings Cross.

 

[Gloster]

I don’t know what the filming for the programme involved, but the TV company quite likely had a loco and crew hired for a day, rather than using a service train. The programme is on Facebook, but that means I can’t watch it, nor can I be a***d to, even if it does have that fine actor and gentleman Sir John Mills in it.

 

[xotGD]

The guys in the bowler hats - standard attire for 37 bashers back in the 80s!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The guys in the bowler hats - standard attire for 37 bashers back in the 80s!

Indeed. They can't have been commuters, surely? When was the last time anyone's seen a stereotypical "City Gent" type on a train, complete with bowler, briefcase, rolled-up umbrella and a copy of the "Daily Torygraph"?

 

[Trackman]

I remember this when it was first aired, think it was about a uni/high school skivvy (or fags I think they called them) and the guy with white hair was brutal with him.
It's actually a true story, as Roald Dahl states in the intro.
---
Going slightly OT, we did one of Roald Dahl's stories for O level lit- It was the one about a guy who would bet on anything about his American lighter that would not fail, it was called 'Man from the south' I think his original story changed a bit for the TV 'unexpected series.
---
The class 37 looks ex-works.

 

[Gloster]

According to Wikipedia the TV version had a slightly different ending to the short story. Interestingly, considering the libel laws, it seems that the original story actually names the public school that Dahl attended as the location of the flashback.

As BR probably supplied a special train, it most likely wanted to look at its best and so had a pristine loco. I think that Downham Market only had a two-hourly service at the time the programme was made, so there would have been some nice long gaps between trains for filming.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

According to Wikipedia the TV version had a slightly different ending to the short story. Interestingly, considering the libel laws, it seems that the original story actually names the public school that Dahl attended as the location of the flashback.

As BR probably supplied a special train, it most likely wanted to look at its best and so had a pristine loco. I think that Downham Market only had a two-hourly service at the time the programme was made, so there would have been some nice long gaps between trains for filming.

Yes the ending was slightly different to the short story, but only slightly.

 

[Royston Vasey]

I was really disappointed by the ending. No juicy payoff at all... was he supposed to just take the flamboyant fella at his word? Are we expected to wonder if he was or wasn't Foxley? The tap of the cane on his shoulder was a nice touch though.

Maybe TOTU is from a simpler time, I really want to like the stories, but most of them seem to end with a "meh"!

 

[Busaholic]

Indeed. They can't have been commuters, surely? When was the last time anyone's seen a stereotypical "City Gent" type on a train, complete with bowler, briefcase, rolled-up umbrella and a copy of the "Daily Torygraph"?

They'd have been 'extras.' Wonder how many 'takes' it took? In answer to the last question, there was still a smattering of such men into the early 1980s, almost all working in the Square Mile. Many walked over London Bridge having arrived at the station of that name, but still a few from Liverpool Street.

 

[Trackman]

IMDb suggests that the episode in question (first aired 1980) may have been filmed on or around Downham Market railway station.

I've found/seen the programme, it is Downham.
Must have been one hell of a commute as it terminated at Cannon Street! (as in the programme)
Syphon NB (non boilered) and no ETH ; 37 action throughout - people would pay good money for this today!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I've found/seen the programme, it is Downham.
Must have been one hell of a commute as it terminated at Cannon Street! (as in the programme)
Syphon NB (non boilered) and no ETH ; 37 action throughout - people would pay good money for this today!

I know, it would have been an interesting journey, trundling around the the North, West and South London Lines

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

They'd have been 'extras.' Wonder how many 'takes' it took? In answer to the last question, there was still a smattering of such men into the early 1980s, almost all working in the Square Mile. Many walked over London Bridge having arrived at the station of that name, but still a few from Liverpool Street.

I was working in the City from 1977 and at that time, there were still some gentlemen dressed that way.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I was really disappointed by the ending. No juicy payoff at all... was he supposed to just take the flamboyant fella at his word? Are we expected to wonder if he was or wasn't Foxley? The tap of the cane on his shoulder was a nice touch though.

Maybe TOTU is from a simpler time, I really want to like the stories, but most of them seem to end with a "meh"!

Probably at the time, it was a bit more powerful then.

 

[Gloster]

Anglia TV probably just wanted a contemporary BR train and weren’t particularly interested in what type it was: as long as it had blue and grey coaches they would be happy. They also probably didn’t want to have to travel too far from their base in Norwich. BR could offer them a reasonably quiet station, so giving longish gaps for takes, that was fairly close by. BR just supplied a loco that was based nearby and familiar to the crew, although they made sure it was a shining one. (Few non-enthusiasts probably noticed that it was a Stratford Special, but it would still produce a good impression.) If Anglia had really wanted a Southern Region train, BR could either have sent a 33, an Uckfield DMU or a 4-CEP (with a diesel), but all that would have cost extra. Or they could have arranged for filming at an SR station. But all that would cost more.

From what I was once told by a SR Special Class Reliefman who had once done the BR overseeing for a short bit of filming, film crews were a nightmare to work with. They were so wrapped up in their world that they were oblivious to normal safety and liable to wander about without paying attention to the trains, leave cables trailing, stand in dangerous places while absorbed in discussions, etc. And add a juice-rail if you really want to do the filming at an SR station...

 

[xotGD]

I've found/seen the programme, it is Downham.
Must have been one hell of a commute as it terminated at Cannon Street! (as in the programme)
Syphon NB (non boilered) and no ETH ; 37 action throughout - people would pay good money for this today!

Bowler hats littering the lineside, blown from the heads of city types flailing from the droplights.

 

[MotCO]

They'd have been 'extras.' Wonder how many 'takes' it took?

If they had to re-run the train sequences, would they be able to reverse, or would they have to go up the line to a suitable junction, come back down on the down line, then find another junction to reverse again so that it could pass through the station the right way again. Presumably, it would depend on the signalman and other services.

 

[Gloster]

If they had to re-run the train sequences, would they be able to reverse, or would they have to go up the line to a suitable junction, come back down on the down line, then find another junction to reverse again so that it could pass through the station the right way again. Presumably, it would depend on the signalman and other services.

I don’t know what the train sequences involved, but if it is only the train running in and stopping at the platform, they could probably reverse out a bit and then do a second run in. If such a movement wasn’t normally authorised, it could be specially authorised for the filming. It would then be done with agreement between the BR overseer, the signalman and the traincrew. Depending on how far the train had to back, it might well be necessary to Block Back to the next signalbox. It was all part of a day’s work for a signalman to do unusual or unsignalled movements when necessary: the main worry is preventing the TV crew getting in the wrong place.

 

[Trackman]

Bowler hats littering the lineside, blown from the heads of city types flailing from the droplights.

Sounds hellfire to me. Formal business dress and Bowlers for the charter. Just need to figure out the path and see if there is any interest for the 'Galloping Foxley' railtour

Maybe TOTU is from a simpler time, I really want to like the stories, but most of them seem to end with a "meh"!

The Roald Dahl one we did for O level lit wasn't ; the twist was right at the end, I will have to source the TOTU programme, I have seen it a long time ago , but it was slightly different in the book - same plot though.
I've found his book of his short stories, will have a read when I've time - also in that book is Galloping Foxley so I'll see how that pans out too compared to TOTU prog.

I don’t know what the train sequences involved, but if it is only the train running in and stopping at the platform, they could probably reverse out a bit and then do a second run in. If such a movement wasn’t normally authorised, it could be specially authorised for the filming. It would then be done with agreement between the BR overseer, the signalman and the traincrew. Depending on how far the train had to back, it might well be necessary to Block Back to the next signalbox. It was all part of a day’s work for a signalman to do unusual or unsignalled movements when necessary: the main worry is preventing the TV crew getting in the wrong place.

It may have been a 'one shot' *

My late father was an actor, I tagged along with him to Lime Street one day for Brookside (around 1985).
They were short of extras so my dad had a word and I was drafted in, thing was I had to a sign disclaimer as I wasn't insured.
For the hell of me, I cannot remember which platforms they used but it was sealed off from the public.
It took 8 hours of filming for 8-10 minutes of TV, at least they had a catering van on the platform.
The extras who were dressed as station staff could press the TRTS button (train ready to start) as many times as they wanted.
* The only thing about 4pm, the class 86 and it's Mk3's had to leave, so they set up multiple cameras to capture it.

Confusing reigned when I said to my friends I would be on TV. I'm sure they think soaps are real!
Sequence on events:
Shot 1: Me on Train
Shot 2: Me walking up and opening door to said train
Shot 3: Sinbad pushing by me at the ticket barriers
Shot 4: Me walking on the passageway to the main concourse.
Shot 5: Me on train again - as directed - settling down for a journey ..taking coat off.

 

[Gloster]

It may have been a 'one shot'

I know they were a bit more careful in the days when they used actual film, but as they would have probably paying for the train and staff for a whole day, they might as well get their money’s worth. The shot the Reliefman told me about apparently took the whole day as they were constantly retaking the few seconds of film as the train had to stop with the rear coach to within an inch or two of a chosen spot. He said that after all that, when he saw the programme they only showed the train once it had come to a stop.

 

[Trackman]

Update:
I've read the short story, the ending (or twist) is the same as in TOTU.
Some dates have been changed and some other details, but it did mention Foxley's first name.
---
I also read 'Man from the South' what I did for O Eng Lit.
It's got to be about 40 years ago since I last read it, I read the first line and straight away knew the rest of the sentence and the next paragraph.
Spooky what the brain does.