Re: The Password is Courage

Actually, it's to very little effect! But it does make me feel a bit better!

My biggest yelling fit was at an episode of Dad's Army. The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard were lined up by the railway to salute the King's Train as it passed. Given that Walmington-on-Sea is supposed to be on the south coast of England and that Dad's Army was set during the second world war, I was somewhat surprised to see an A4 in late British Railways livery heading the train. I was even more surprised when it picked up water from the troughs and drenched the platoon!!!! ;-)

If I see another wartime (or earlier!) film with BR Mk 1 coaches I am going to scream!

Three of the worst examples I have seen of late were some wartime film on Channel 4 that has a wartime munitions train in Northern France being hauled by Class 9F 92240.

The Joan Hickson era version of Miss Marple in the 4.50 from Paddington where the locomotive changed design (but not number) at least three times during its journey, at one point it was even a Southern Region loco.....

The appaling 2001 TV movie remake of Murder on the Orient Express which had the Orient Express hauled through Turkey by and EWS liveried class 47/7....

Dear oh dear.....

Regards John M Upton

My Fotopic Collections: South Central/Southern, Model Railway & Other Rail Pictures:

Not to mention the Titfield Thunderbolt running across the village green!

And the LA streetcars in Roger Rabbit had clearly-visible rubber tyres, fake overhead wiring and rails painted on the road.

Why does it matter ? Its a **drama**. It needs to evoke the idea of a train or a railway journey.

Do you get upset that Brief Encounter is filmed in Carnforth, yet probably portrays somewhere a lot further south ? Or do you think its a darned good film of its period ?

Do you also scream when the actor playing Henry V is the wrong height, or incorrect eye colours ?

Even if its a documentary, it depends on what the documentary is trying to portray. If its about the details of railway operation, fair enough it should be 100% correct. But, if its about, say, evacuations of children from WW2 London, the documentary is probably about their experiences, not the details of trains.

You do wonder why those with an interest in railways get a press as sad anoraks !

- Nigel

North American locos only blow specific signals as all whistle signals in North America have a meaning as defined by the rule book.

So, North American locos do blow their whistles far more often than they do in the UK.

Rule 14 of CROR reads: -

___ ___ o ___ (#) (i) At every whistle post. (#) (ii) At least one-quarter of a

grade, (except within limits as may

instructions) to be prolonged or

movement until the crossing is fully

(#) (iii) At frequent intervals when

curvature or other conditions.

Notice item iii?

But they do tend to blow far too often in movies.

-- Cheers

Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

It's not just railways. They're just the ones you notice :-)

I get equally irritated by historical inaccuracy in things rural - like farm tracks and fields that are clearly contemporary to the filmmaker rather than being appropriate to the period being depicted. As a general rule, film and TV makers tend to be very good at historical accuracy for costumes and road vehicles (including horse-drawn vehicles where appropriate), and usually do a pretty good job with buildings and urban scenes as well. But, out in the countryside, anachronisms abound.

Incidentally, railway modellers aren't immune to this either - the majority of historical layouts seem to be rural-based, but when I visit an exhibition I usually see several examples of inaccurate scenic modelling surrounding the tracks :-)

Mark

Your item ii appears to be soemwhat garbled.

Almost 40 years ago when I travelled to Montreal in the dome car of the Turbo Train, the whistle was being sounded almost constantly in rural sections because of the frequent level crossings. Even though whistles are no longer sounded within many urban areas, there are still plenty of crossings between towns, e.g. between Port Hope and Oshawa. Also, the right-of-way is generally not fenced off in N. America.

Recently, a trainload of Chinese immigrants' families travelled to Ottawa to hear an apology from PM Harper for the treatment of Chinese in the late 19th/early 20th century. As the train passed through Cobourg, I heard it whistling continuously through the 4 crossings and station. It's surprising how one misses that since the whistles were silenced about 3 years ago.

It is very atmospheric! The execrable TV remake starring Burton and Taylor was filmed on the Southern Electric in daylight. No atmosphere whatever!

Rule 14L:

___ ___ o ___ At least one-quarter of a mile from every public crossing at

grade, (except within limits as may be prescribed in special

instructions) to be prolonged or repeated according to the speed of the

movement until the crossing is fully occupied by the engine or cars.

How's that?

-- Cheers

Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

Much better, now how about similarly clarifying #iii ? Keith

Ah, that's more intelligible.

I like blowing the whistle when I'm driving my train simulator!

------------------------------------------

Rule 14L iii At frequent intervals when view is restricted by weather,

curvature or other conditions.

------------------------------------------

Pretty much self-explanatory I think.

-- Cheers

Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

If you can't see, whistle.

CN finally managed to close a double-track crossing in Cobourg that had no lights or barriers and was situated on a curve, limiting visibility. It only led to one house, and the cheapest solution was to buy and demolish the house. It provided relief from whistles for hundreds of residents of a nearby housing estate. I could hear it from at least a mile away. Now there are no routine whistles within the town limits on CN or CP.

What's so reassuring is that Enzo was once in charge of Britain's nuclear arsenal :o)

(kim)

Are you referring to the recent "Chronicles of Narnia"?

(kim)

LOL

Good heavens... they never gave me *that* much responsibility....

Sidewinder missiles? Now that's a different story! ;-)