British Locomotives (1959), part 2/2

A promotional film made for the Locomotive and Allied Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain with remarkable rare colour footage of British locomotives in Britain and around the world in the 1950s.

Published Crown copyright material has protection for 50 years from date of publication. Copyright on this film has thus expired.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• british
• locomotives
• colour
• rare
• railways
• steam
• diesel
• electric

[Gannett2011]

Does anyone have any information about the music over the closing scene of the film (the Deltic running down the line)? If anyone knows the name of the composer, the title or even just the music library it came from, that would be great. Also, any info on the name of the narrator?

Thoroughly enjoyed this film!

[DavidBromage]

@Gannett2011 The narrator is Brian Sanders. He was an actor with the Donald Wolfit Shakespeare Company.

[chanctonbury63]

@Lawrence5987 I never saw sticking ones head in the sand as a patriotic stance. Maybe you subscribe to the `as long as its British everythings all right` club. Ive got a bit more ambition than that. In the 60s I was an adviser to Harold Wilson for many years, so yes I bear the burden of responsibility heavily. Late night cabinet meetings were a tough call whilst being at Primary school in Twickenham and having all that homework to do together with bed by 9pm.

[Lawrence5987]

@chanctonbury63 Get off your cynical bandwagon with your anti patriotic stance- I bet you were one of the many that created the 'lazy and disorganised' chaos we bore witness to during the strikes and walk-out's of the '60's and '70's-and it is you, and many like you, that foreign investors see in a bad light and not the hard working, honest, reliable and intelligent TRUE British individuals!

[chanctonbury63]

@Lawrence5987 The Government should NOT be throwing OUR tax money at industries

that cannot stand on their own 2 feet. I grew up through all that bullshit in the 60s and 70s. We were bancrupt. Who says youve got to make things at a loss to be successful as a nation? Car producers dont just not invest in this country because its too expensive. They also see us as a lazy disorganised lot. Theyd far rather go somewhere else.

[chanctonbury63]

@DavidBromage Thank you! Ive waited decades to know his name. Bloody mans voice was everywhere when I was a kid. Anadin adverts, the lot. Jaunty nasal optimism got right up my hooter!

[Gannett2011]

@DavidBromage - thanks! I hear his voice in alot of these 16mm promotional films from that era, and was curious as to who he was.

[gregrudd]

@Lawrence As far as diesels were concerned in the 50's the best of the British Kit ie English Electric were to considered to technologicly up to 10 years behind EMD Alco and GE equipment. Sulzer field engineers discovered this when they had the chance to look over an EMD G8 in Africa.

[Lawrence5987]

Sad to think that British design, manufacture and know how was at the fore front of technology and being the envy of the world, and now we've had to succumb to government after government destroying a once very proud nation with ship building, locomotive works and the eventual demise of our motor industry being decimated. No wonder our trade deficit is how it is with our governments' not investing in OUR country's skills and businesses!!!

[mensamoo]

I was on the deltic footplate at Shildon last month. Great film