TRIVIA: Non-authentic trains in films, TV shows and other media

[Logan Carroll]

If I recall correctly, the first Harry Potter film, set in 1991 had newer stock on the platforms at KGX than the last one, with Mk2s on the platforms in the last one, in the scene set in 2017, in GNER livery no less. That’s why I think some rail experts or at least enthusiasts should be used in films with trains.

The average viewer doesn’t even know this is when the Harry Potter films were set never mind what specific livery’s were in use at the time.

Complete waste of money to hire a rail advisor and digitally alter stock for something no-one will get except the most pedantic of rail enthusiasts.

 

[xotGD]

The average viewer doesn’t even know this is when the Harry Potter films were set never mind what specific livery’s were in use at the time.

Complete waste of money to hire a rail advisor and digitally alter stock for something no-one will get except the most pedantic of rail enthusiasts.

A film about wizards and people say that the depiction of the railway is the unrealistic bit!

 

[contrex]

Can I roll out my one about Eddie Shoestring alighting from a 4-VEP at Bristol Temple Meads? It hasn't had an outing in a while.

 

[Chris217]

Anyone seen the Sky mobile data advert on TV.
The fella runs for a train that happens to be a class 168 DMU as its pulling away.
The driver looks out of his window and stops his train for him which turns out to be a class 165.
Also,notice both trains in the station are 168326 in different liveries lol

 

[TheEdge]

That's the sort of thing no one else will notice. And it's fairly minor compared to some mistakes.

Worse offender is Paddington 24/7. No excuse for a documentary about the railways to have so many basic continuity errors.

 

[Bodiddly]

The brilliant two part Great Train Robbery (A robbers/Coppers tale) used class 37075 rather than a class 40. Although it was numbered D326 so at least someone did think about it.
Small detail easily picked up by a geek like me!

 

[Jagdpanther]

There is an HST passing the background in a scene in Quadrophenia set in the 1960s

 

[yorksrob]

There's a film with Michael Caine called "The Great Train Robbery" which is set on a Victorian London - Dover boat train. The story is set heavily around activity happening at Ashford (Kent), which in the film becomes a simple two platform halt with no through roads and a Lady in Victorian dress wandering up and down the platform !

 

[steamybrian]

There's a film with Michael Caine called "The Great Train Robbery" which is set on a Victorian London - Dover boat train. The story is set heavily around activity happening at Ashford (Kent), which in the film becomes a simple two platform halt with no through roads and a Lady in Victorian dress wandering up and down the platform !

I have seen the film several times. It was filmed in Ireland for which all the stock and infrastructure was 5 feet 3 inches broad gauge...!

 

[yorksrob]

I have seen the film several times. It was filmed in Ireland for which all the stock and infrastructure was 5 feet 3 inches broad gauge...!

My observations were possibly quite Ashford-centric in that case (having spent my first twenty years living there !).

I enjoyed the film though.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

If 'The First Great Train Robbery' is being referred to it starred Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland:

The First Great Train Robbery - Wikipedia

 

[yorksrob]

If 'The First Great Train Robbery' is being referred to it starred Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland:

The First Great Train Robbery - Wikipedia

I knew it was someone famous !

 

[pitdiver]

Not quite railway but in the recent film Dunkirk there is a scene showing a small boat moored at the quayside which is is identified as Weymouth. Unfortunately you can see in the background quite clearly Weymouth Pavilion Theatre which was not opened until 1960. Furthermore where the boat was moored shows pontoons next to the quay. These were not installed until the 1990s at the earliest

 

[CW2]

In the film adaptation of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" the central character George Smiley is working in an office located near "Liverpool Street" station, with "St Paul's Cathedral" visible in the background. At one point a train is seen passing on the viaduct, composed of SNCF compartment stock.

 

[SargeNpton]

James Bond From Russia With Love: In some night scenes the Orient Express heading at speed towards Venice looks suspiciously like Southern Region stock.

 

[AM9]

James Bond From Russia With Love: In some night scenes the Orient Express heading at speed towards Venice looks suspiciously like Southern Region stock.

That's before we mention GoldenEye.

 

[Gloster]

James Bond From Russia With Love: In some night scenes the Orient Express heading at speed towards Venice looks suspiciously like Southern Region stock.

You can also see a Midland Railway design signal box and the loco is definitely an LMS type.

 

[Ashley Hill]

The BBC news website carries an article about investment on the line accompanied by a photo of an APT lookalike train. Is this just an artist impression or laziness on BBCs part?


Not my photo.

 

[tetudo boy]

The BBC news website carries an article about investment on the line accompanied by a photo of an APT lookalike train. Is this just an artist impression or laziness on BBCs part?

View attachment 89164
Not my photo.

Laziness probably.

 

[jfowkes]

Laziness probably.

It's not laziness.99.9% of the readers of that article will honestly not care or even notice. Spending any time at all hunting down an "accurate" image would just be wasting time.

 

[tetudo boy]

It's not laziness.99.9% of the readers of that article will honestly not care or even notice. Spending any time at all hunting down an "accurate" image would just be wasting time.

You may be right.

 

[swt_passenger]

The BBC news website carries an article about investment on the line accompanied by a photo of an APT lookalike train. Is this just an artist impression or laziness on BBCs part?

View attachment 89164
Not my photo.

No, I don’t think it’s the BBC’s fault, because IIRC the stock image is from an older EWR release, someone’s also mentioned this explanation in the main EWR thread; indeed there’s a reference in that thread back in 2014 to the EWR consortium using an APT image...

 

[contrex]

It used to be a running joke on the uk.railway Usenet group that the BBC News website used a picture of a 4-VEP to illustrate any news story about UK railways, years after all the slammers had been withdrawn.

 

[trainmania100]

Tonight's episode of JoJo and GranGran on cbeebies had what appeared to be a London Overground 378 in 2 car formation.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Watching a re-run of a Series 5 episode of "Allo, Allo" on the "Yesterday" TV channel just now.

The plot line features café owner Rene Artois and many of the rest of the cast who are supposedly all on an overnight sleeper train travelling from occupied France to Geneva.

SNCF loco 230 G 353 (the number is painted on the front buffer beam) is briefly featured.

Is it plausible that this would have worked an overnight sleeper train to Geneva during WW2?

 

[83A]

There is an episode of The Crown where the scene was around the 1930s. The train used was a 9F with MK1s, looked like the GCR.

But hey. Who cares ?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Watching a re-run of a Series 5 episode of "Allo, Allo" on the "Yesterday" TV channel just now.

The plot line features café owner Rene Artois and many of the rest of the cast who are supposedly all on an overnight sleeper train travelling from occupied France to Geneva.

SNCF loco 230 G 353 (the number is painted on the front buffer beam) is briefly featured.

Is it plausible that this would have worked an overnight sleeper train to Geneva during WW2?

The class was built in 1915 and lasted in service until 1970, so as long as such a service did exist in the war then yes, I think it's possible.

 

[Gloster]

The class was built in 1915 and lasted in service until 1970, so as long as such a service did exist in the war then yes, I think it's possible.

...Although I think that the class of loco was normally used on the former PO and État lines; it was a PO design. Still, that is closer than most TV programmes. It is possible that any French night train would only run as far as the last station in France.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

...Although I think that the class of loco was normally used on the former PO and État lines; it was a PO design. Still, that is closer than most TV programmes. It is possible that any French night train would only run as far as the last station in France.

True - and it was probably chosen as being one of the very few operating SNCF stream locomotives.

Wartime, though... Switzerland was neutral and was used as a diplomatic middleman quite heavily wan't it? I am now wondering if a limited through service might well have been running to and from various capitals for the duration?

 

[Gloster]

True - and it was probably chosen as being one of the very few operating SNCF stream locomotives.

I doubt that they sent a film-crew to France to take a few seconds (?) of film: more likely they just got hold of some stock/library pictures. I suspect that a substantial proportion of the colour library pictures of ‘French steam engine hauling old passenger coaches’ is of 230G353.

Through trains might have run between countries within the Axis block, but in and out of it I would expect that it was necessary to change trains and walk across the border. There was a desire to avoid any sort of smuggling, while the convenience of passengers was not considered in wartime (is it ever?)