BritishTransportFilms

A film of its time, and should be viewed as such, showing people how to use a Londom Bus.

Training video from 1954 brought to you by CineStar Visuals

An insufferable journey by 'The Pain Train' shows how seconds lost by staff, for one slight reason or another, can quickly add up; causing a train to be seriously late even on a relatively short journey.

Instructional film produced for British Railways Western Region on lifting safely brought to you by CineStar Visuals.

This film wad shown to all recruits to London Transport's railway departments and teaches common-sense practices to be followed when working on London Transport electrifed track, or in depots. London Transport's 'four-rail' permanent way is explained in detail, and it is shown that both negative and positive current rails are dangerous. Correct behaviour when working or walking on or near the track is shown, and examples are given of methods of handling

The dramatic story of the outstanding engineering feat of Thomas Andrew Walker in the the last century which enabled the building of the famous Severn Tunnel - the longest underwater tunnel in the world to be completed at this time. The film is in particular a tribute in sight and sound of the unique group of six magnificent Cornish beam engines which kept the tunnel free of water for over seventy years before being replaced by electric pumps.

The transporting of a distillation colurm, 137 feet long, 500 miles by road from Greenwich to Grangemouth in Scotland. The commentary, spoken by the rigger in charge and one of the tractor drivers, expresses the humour and resourcefulness with which these transport workers tackle their job; and the camera has captured moments of beauty as well as some amusing episodes in this journey of the longest load to travel by road in Britain.

Produced for televising by the BBC during the evening that the Plan was debated in Parliament 5 minutes A short film illustrating the reconstruction and electrification of the main railway line between Manchester and Sheffield and presenting this as an example of what the British public may expect from the Plan for the Modernisation and Re-equipment of British Railways

A freight train travelling between Kirkby Stephen and Barnard Castle becomes snowbound in the Westmorland hills. The Motive Power, Operating and Engineering Departments go to work with the snowploughs to reach the trapped train. The team dig clear and thaw out moving parts, and finally two rescue engines help to clear the line.

Through the forward-looking windows of the new diesel multiple-unit trains reveals a new world of signs, signals and railway sights to those who ride behind the driver. For children, particularly, find this is a fascinating experience. This film communicates something of their excitement and wonder as well as some of the wry, un-conscious humour with which their pertinent and amusing questions and comments are so often interlerded. Further Notes: Duncan Wilcox advises that the North Eastern views were taken on the Newcastle to Carlisle line. The bridge with the wrought iron arch suspending the railway was on the North Wylam line, where it crossed the River Tyne. The film cuts just before the westbound train trails over the junction with the line that runs (still) via Blaydon. The long scene showing a curving station with painted edge stones, starts just before Great Corby. The train runs over a level crossing before going round a curve and over Corby Burn viaduct. On other side of the viaduct is the crossing at Great Corby, the train runs past the signal box at the crossing, past the small goods yard and then over the River Eden viaduct and through the station at Wetheral. There are then some rather nice views of the Cockermouth Keswick and Penrith Railway including the station at Penruddock. The train runs past Blencathra with its destinctive 'Saddle Back' and you get views of the slopes of Skiddaw accross Bassenthwaite Lake. The short tunnel scene is probably Whitchester tunnel, just before Haltwhistle, on the Newcastle - Carlisle line. You get a really short glimpse of the River South Tyne once the train has left the tunnel.

An excursion train equipped with cycle vans takes a party of cyclists and their machines from Willesden and Watford to Rugby, where they split up into separate parties and tour the countryside of Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. They visit, amongst other places, Kenilworth Castle, a country pub, the church at Stanford-upon-Avon and the site of the Battle of Naseby, before returning home by train in the evening.

Number 73020, a standard Class 5 locomotive, has been in traffic for sixteen days, and goes back to the sheds for cleaning inside and out and a detailed mechanical check-up. A team of men, each with his special job, takes over. Before they are reassembled, the parts are inspected; then steam raising begins again. After vacuum tests by the crew, coal is taken on, water topped up, and less than twenty-seven hours after entering the sheds 73020 is back on duty.

Trams in London are a thing of the past - buses have taken over - but many Londoners, and especially the Cockneys, will always remember them with affection, and in song. The film, completed in London's 'Last Tram Week', takes you round the streets of South London and along the Embankment with two Cockneys who remember a song about trams they sang in the music halls fifty years ago. Finally, 20,000 Londoners cheer and sing their goodbyes to the trams which for ninety-one years had rattled and clanged their way past - particularly through the colourful and lively part of South London near the Elephant & Castle. Possibly one of the most memorable of the early B.T.F. films.

This film comes via CineStar Visuals. A film to tell gangers and lengthmen how the Hallade Track Recorder makes a continuous record of the movements of a train during a journey and so shows up the good and bad places in the track. Hallade records are of value to all permanent-way men because they help in the detection of track faults.

After the last train at night and before the first in the morning, 800 heroes are hard at work making London's Underground fit for people like you and me to travel on, and taking in their stride (and having plenty to say about it) a broken rail discovered at 3.30am.

The extension of the electrification of the Southend line from Shenfield to Southend. The last steam train leaves Liverpool Street and makes its way for a new stage in the modernisation plan for British Railways. How it was done and the men who did it.

The true story of a farmer who decided to sell his land in Yorkshire and move his entire stock - cattle, pigs and poultry, machinery, ploughs and tractors - south to Sussex by rail in December, on - as it turned out - the coldest night of the year. In this filmed record, A.G. Street, writer and broadcaster, discusses some of the unusual problems of the move with Inspector Barr of British Railways.

Whilst not a British Transport Films production this delightful short film from 1963 deserves to be here. John Betjeman looks at the Evercreech Junction to Burnham-on-Sea railway line in Somerset. Betjeman provides a unique profile of a working steam branch line railway as he travels along the original part of the Somerset Central Railway. Examining towns and stations along the way, Betjeman laments the tragic decline of steam railways. The journey culminates with a stroll around Highbridge Wharf, sentimentally narrated with a poem that sums up Betjeman's despair; 'Highbridge Wharf, your hopes have died...'.

On the concourse and platforms of a large railway station you can hear the rhythm of the city and watch the most poignant moments of private lives become public property: grief and joy, meeting and parting, high comedy and near tragedy. Here, for a brief moment, the traveller may confront the station staff with a personal crisis while his neighbour looks on, or passes by to catch a train. To the accompaniment of Ron Grainer's music, and Julian Cooper's songs, this film captures the atmosphere of London's Waterloo station. The first cinema film directed by John Schlesinger. Awarded fourteen international film honours, including the British Film Academy Award, and the Grand Prix and the Venice Film Festival.

Rather than post all of these separately, it was thought it would be a change to group these videos into one long film. Under the British Railways modernisation plan diesel traction is taking the place of steam on many lines. The following films are part of a complete visual unit of films, filmstrips and wallcharts which is being used in the mobile instruction coaches and in motive power schools in which men are trained to drive multiple unit diesel trains. Part 1: An Introduction To The Diesel Train Part 2: Driving The Train Part 3: Dealing With Faults Part 4: Operational Requirements

Not a British Transport production but one from BBC Scotland. West Highland is an impression of life in a day on the West Highland Line

Candid cameras follow the adventures of the staff at a Midland boot factory on their day off. They participate in the fun and pleasure of the train journey to Town, and in a sight-seeing trip round the capital. Lunch is followed by an afternoon cruise on the Thames from Richmond to Hampton Court, with tea in the Tilt Yard. Afterwards, amid the noise, the bustle and the lights of a West-End saturday night our party enjoy what few hours remain of their day. Review (from The Reel Image website): British Transport cameramen follow an annual works-outing to the capitol city. Using two narrators, one the voice of the outing's organizer, the other that of a journalist assigned to cover the various events visited in the London area including a trip up-river to Hampton Court Palace, where it is wryly observed: "There is more of a thirst for tea than knowledge!". Probably made in late 1949 or during early 1950 since one of the London cinemas is showing "East Side - West Side (M-G-M 1949) starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, James Mason and Ava Gardner. A production of which one critic said: "No company is quite so adept as M-G-M at presenting basically uninteresting material with such style"! At the Palladium, Jack Benny was top of the bill with Phil Harris and Rochester. Nearby Harry Roy and his band were providing dance music. A visit to the Tower of London prompts the journalist to describe the guards as 'Corn beef eaters', to which the other narrator muses, "I wish I'd thought of that joke!". Nothing earth-shatteringly interesting about the original premise for this works-outing release. What is interesting today is the London of the 50's. The cars, buses and The West End. More of social document now than an exaltation to use British Transport (sorry Robert!) The print is not quite so good as Groundwork For Progress but it suffices. It is slightly grainy and the print is a tad lacking in contrast and brilliance. Pretty typical of this sort of DCR release in fact. I found it quite interesting in some ways and in fact ran it twice. Spot the British Transport camera team (seen twice) in the bows of the Thames pleasure craft transporting the outing to Hampton Court.

This government–sponsored film promoted recruitment to the postwar railways, at a time when young boys still dreamed of driving a train.

This film is shown to all new recruits to London Transport's canteen service. It opens by revealing the complexity of the canteen organisation. After this, conditions of work in various canteens are contrasted and explained, the aims of training are dealt with, and the new employees are shown how they should fit in with their fellow canteen workers. Advice is given about coping with some of the difficulties which arise on the job, and the film ends by emphasising the importance to transport workers of efficient and friendly canteens.

This is the story of a lorry's solitary journey with a new propeller for a trawler laid up in a port on the rugged sea-coast of Wales. For the lorry-driver and his mate it is all in a day's work; minor mishaps are overcome on the journey from Preston through the beautiful Welsh countryside. The story ends with the trawler on its way to sea.