The Titfield Thunderbolt location

[Arthur Linden-Jones]

Originally Posted by alan gowdy Excellent info Moon Raker. Are the two entrance gateposts at Monkton Combe station still there? When I visited they were literally the only remnant of the station recognisable from the film and placed rather incongruously in front of a garage.

From my post in another thread http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/fi...underbolt.html

Click on the link Live Local Search

Originally Posted by Arthur Linden-Jones Live Local Search Monkton Combe (above link) ... follow the unsealed track/road up from the centre bottom of the screen, to a white building with a brown roof. Next to that building is one of 2 adjacent grey buildings. In front of the left hand building, a very close discerning observation will reveal the original cement/stone? gateposts to the entrance to "Titfield" station.

[Alan F]

There is a fairly recent (2005) picture of the gateposts here:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/47857

A quick look at the film would have told the photographer/caption writer that the posts were from the station yard, not the level crossing.

[Moon Raker]

I will check out whether those two iron gate posts at 'Titfield Station' are still in position when I am next able to drive into Bath. And then I will post an update here. Unfortunately the main road into Bath (the A36 for those who know this region) is currently closed at Limpley Stoke due to subsidence near the viaduct so that leaves me with a big detour. Incidentally I am also lucky in living quite close to the National Trust owned village of Lacock. And that is currently being used to film The Cranford Chronicles, starring Dame Judi Dench. You might like to know that each Lacock household is given £100 by the film Company as compensation for the disruption caused by filming. Though any Lacock business which opens when they should not is fined £1000! To cover some other points raised above - as Lacock is often used to film period dramas then they use straw (or similar)to hide the yellow street lines. No problem with TV aerials at Lacock though - the N.T. ban them from every house - but they do get cable TV instead. The medieval village of Lacock, and especially Lacock Abbey (where William Fox Talbot 'invented' photography) is often being used for film/TV sets - recent examples include Harry Potter, Pride & Prejudice, Emma and Moll Flanders.

[alan gowdy]

Originally Posted by Alan F There is a fairly recent (2005) picture of the gateposts here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/47857 A quick look at the film would have told the photographer/caption writer that the posts were from the station yard, not the level crossing.

Changed a bit... only the clouds look the same:

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...ld/Gatesx2.jpg

The farm raided for water containers is Brett Farm, on a hill just across the river valley from the station. Indeed, the section of track running for a few hundred yards south of the station is used in the film to depict locations several miles apart. Very economical! I must dig out some location photos I took a while back and do then-and-now comparisons with screengrabs.

If I can find them

[alan gowdy]

... incidentally, two things struck me when I had a quick run through of the film this morning. Firstly, the summer weather in 1952 was glorious and secondly, the notion that the local population would give up so much of their free time either to help or hinder the venture was quite preposterous.
Still, it's long been one of my favourite Brit comedies for its charm and warmth.

[alan gowdy]

In the meantime:

Image of Map composite - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I hope the resolution has not suffered too much in being converted from bitmap to jpg

[CaptainWaggett]

Originally Posted by alan gowdy ... incidentally, two things struck me when I had a quick run through of the film this morning. Firstly, the summer weather in 1952 was glorious and secondly, the notion that the local population would give up so much of their free time either to help or hinder the venture was quite preposterous. Still, it's long been one of my favourite Brit comedies for its charm and warmth.

The only person in the village who actually uses the train to get to work seems to be Naunton Wayne though it's never made quite clear why he's in favour of it at the start since it doesn't seem terribly practical to use a form of transport that runs for the squire's personal convenience.

I'm always amused by John Gregson's speech at the meeting when he says that without the train, Titfield will be full of cars and buses and zebra crossings.It's all right for him since he seems to be the only person in the village who actually has a car.

One thing always puzzles me. At one point the barmaid says that, with all the tourists, she's used up her 'quota'. Was there still drink rationing at the time? Just for bars? Some special railways allowance?

[alan gowdy]

I reckon rationing might well have still been in force for alcoholic drinks at the time the script was written.

[CaptainWaggett]

Are the museum and police station meant to be in the village or the town? If the latter, how do the various Titfielders get there in the middle of the night?

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett One thing always puzzles me. At one point the barmaid says that, with all the tourists, she's used up her 'quota'. Was there still drink rationing at the time? Just for bars? Some special railways allowance?

Was there ever any rationing of alcoholic beverages during the war?
There was often a shortage, especially of spirits, but I've never heard of them being rationed. Except by a barmaid or publican who thinks you've had enough

Maybe in this case she meant her quota of goodwill or something like that

Steve

[CaptainWaggett]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Was there ever any rationing of alcoholic beverages during the war? There was often a shortage, especially of spirits, but I've never heard of them being rationed. Except by a barmaid or publican who thinks you've had enough Maybe in this case she meant her quota of goodwill or something like that Steve

Having just looked it up, I find that beer wasn't rationed (just watered down) . I think you're right about spirits too (in the book of Whisky Galore the landlord imposes an unoffical ration to make it the legal stock go further). But the barmaid definitely says it as if it's something everyone will know about. Maybe branch lines were only allowed a limited stock?

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett Having just looked it up, I find that beer wasn't rationed (just watered down) . I think you're right about spirits too (in the book of Whisky Galore the landlord imposes an unoffical ration to make it the legal stock go further). But the barmaid definitely says it as if it's something everyone will know about. Maybe branch lines were only allowed a limited stock?

Chief Recorder: Your Captain is not an unreasonable man?
Bob Trubshawe: The skipper? No, unless he's had a few?
Conductor 71: Pardon? 'ad a few?
Bob: Beers. Scotch being hard to come by
[slightly paraphrased]

Steve

[alan gowdy]

Not rationed eh? That's a surprise. Mind you, I suppose they needed it to take their minds off the horrors.

[Nick Dando]

The whisky in Whisky Galore is being exported to America, presumably to generate much needed money to support the war effort. Luxury goods such as spirits would be a good money earner for the government in the free world and would have commanded a premium in the war years due to its rarity, and the danger attached to its transportation. It was a prime black market item, as witnessed by Private Walker of Dad's Army, and this spiv culture certainly lasted on into the mid-Fities until rationing was lifted.

Didn't the Stanley Holloway character, Walter Valentine, only drink spirits, or did he drink beer as well?

Nick

[CaptainWaggett]

Indeed. In fact the reason the island has run out is because it's not rationed -presumably if it had been, they wouldn't have drunk it all! So the pub landlord can only get hold of a few bottles at a time. Presumably that's the 'quota' the Tifield barmaid complains of, but then how she allocates it is up to her. The whisky also runs out in Rosamund John's hotel in The Way to the Stars (again, this is blamed on the Yanks!)

We only ever see Valentine drinking spirits on the train - I don't imagine it would have been possible to rig up pumps in the makeshift bar though maybe there are bottles.