Hello all:

I was looking for old instructional films tonight and came across the website British Pathe (www.britishpathe.com). The first two films I came across were gems, and they undoubtedly have more on their site.

The first is The Engine Driver (1947). The film follows a Driver through his turn with a passenger train. In my opinion, the cinematography is excellent.
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/a-cla ... ine-driver

The next is Locos Go on Test (1948). This film describes in some detail the testing on a roller test stand of locomotives at the testing facility in Rugby. In the film I believe A4 Sir Nigel Gresley is on the test stand.
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/railw ... go-on-test

Enjoy!
Steve Piwowarski

Thank you, Stephen, and you're right, the photography in "The Engine Driver" is great.

As a fellow who attempted and failed to sell a television series on the adventures of railroad men (for lack of a better description, we'll call it an action-comedy), I can not understand why we have so ignored this as subject matter for film and television work in this country. This is not to say some things on this line haven't been made, but they tend to be either over-dramatic or have howling inaccuracies in them; the most recent example was "Unstoppable," which had to have that domestic strife going on, and that crazy business of the train balancing on one set of wheels as it came off the former B&O bridge between Benwood, W.Va. and Beallaire, Oh. The domestic angle is understandable, but the balancing act was just too much!

Then again, there is that "Eighth Commandment of Hip-Hop" mentioned in this earlier thread:

viewtopic.php?t=30108

I wondered about the British hoghead when he stepped on 4 railheads walking to his engine.

Have you seen this one?

Last days of British steam leading up to 1968 with a look at the first days of preservation, a group of teenagers buying and running their first loco.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ0oKi0xBig