I was watching a favorite old train movie yesterday, "The Titfield Thunderbolt", made by Britain's Ealing Studios in 1952. In the movie (inspired by the then-fledgling Festiniog Ry.), townspeople save their local branchline and operate their own railway under a temporary light railway order. A local bus company competitor manages to wreck their little train, so the ancient Titfield Thunderbolt (actually the 1830-something "Lion") is removed from the local museum museum to continue the service. All sorts of perils ensue, but the railway receives a permanent LRO in the end. The website below has more details about where the movie was filmed, etc.. Apparently the little ex-Great Western 0-4-2T was scrapped later, but the Lion still exists and in fact operated in the 1980s. The movie surprisingly predicts what actually did occur in the UK preservation movement some years later.

http://eis.bris.ac.uk/~liserc/tit.html
ryarger@rypn.org

A couple of photos from the movie here. Incidently, the "squire" in the movie who financed the railway's saving looks a lot like the late Nelson Blount.

http://homepages.which.net/~gordon.dudman/titfield2.html
ryarger@rypn.org

Have seens this movie many times since I was a little kid. Remember the hard "coupling" they do towards the end? Well it did damage to either the locomotive or tender, and it is still visible today.

The LION was used as a stationary boiler was sort of forgotten until the LMS restored her for an anniversary celebration.

Joshua

joshua@joshuakblay.com

Conrad Milster made me a copy of this great a few years back. Its actually really realy fun to watch, interesting British pluck characters and great old time "Toonerville" style short line operation. Think I'll watch it again tonight!

I received a new DVD edition of this film as a Christmas gift. I watched it last night - what great photography of British branch line steam from the 1950s.

Wesley

An absolute classic, worthy of viewing by every die-hard railfan!
Probably says something about why the Brits have so many successes, while we Yanks forecast doom and gloom in preservation operations.

Speaking as a Brit I'm delighted The Titfield Thunderbolt has such strong American fans.

Just a minor correction to Bob's original post though. The film was actually inspired by The Talyllyn Railway in Wales, which was the first railway in the world to be saved by a preservation society. The screenwriter of the film T.E.B. Clarke rode on the Talyllyn in the early 1950s, and several of the stories he heard then found their way into the film. Most notable was the filling of the locomotive with water from a local stream using pots and pans borrowed from a local farm when the loco water supply failed. Although in the case of the Talyllyn it was not due to someone shooting the water tank full of holes with a shotgun!

If you are interested in reading about the early days of this pioneer railway then get hold of a copy of L.T.C. Rolt's book 'Railway Adventure'. Tom Rolt was the General Manager for the first two years of operation by the preservation society, and the book tells the story of the struggles of the 'amateur' enthusiasts as they kept the train running in those early days.

Ian Drummond

I just finished watching the movie, thanks to Netflix.
I haven't seen such a good movie in years!

My favorite lines have to be:
"But we ARE running at a profit".
"Dreadful! The next thing you know we'll be nationalized!"

Just finished watching this movie thanx to Netflix...I had forgotten how enjoyable it was! I particularly like the last chapter where they are making a run to Mallingford to try and make up time. Does anyone know when was the last time the Lion was under steam?