This film is part of Free
Elizabethan Express
Relive the summertime express between Kings Cross and Waverley, which covered 393 miles in just 6 hours non-stop.
Overview
From Kings Cross Station, London, to Waverley Station, Edinburgh is 393 miles. The Elizabethan, a summertime express, covered the journey in 6 hours non-stop, at the time the longest non-stop journey in the world to be timed at over 60 mph. This film captures the speed and excitement of one of those runs, recalling the glamour of the great days of steam, as well as the hard work of the men who maintained the service. The exciting footplate photography is a fine tribute to the top link drivers of Gresley’s mighty A4 locomotives.
Despite its classic status within the railway fraternity, the film proved controversial for its use of a rhyming commentary by Paul Le Saux, which was perhaps trying to emulate WH Auden’s famous recitation on Night Mail (1936). However, its 914 cinema bookings in 1954 and its numerous re-releases are testimony to the film’s lasting popularity.
Related
The Kiss in the Tunnel The Kiss in the Tunnel
Comedy 1899 2 mins Silent
A snatched kiss in a railway tunnel, played by real-life married couple GA Smith and Laura Bayley
Railways for Ever! Railways for Ever!
Documentary 1970 7 mins
Sir John Betjeman reminisces about the phasing out of the mainline steam operation.
The Great Barrier The Great Barrier
Western 1937 81 mins
Ambitious, stirring British Western that pits man against the elements in the battle to drive a railway through the Canadian Rockies
The Liverpool Railway Centenary The Liverpool Railway Centenary
Non-Fiction 1930 1 mins Silent Location: Liverpool
Transports of delight as the Liverpool and Manchester Railway celebrates its centenary
Journey on the Coronation Scot Journey on the Coronation Scot
Amateur film 1937 12 mins Silent Location: Euston Sta
Princess Alice' hauls her passengers to Scotland aboard the streamlined Coronation Scot in this dazzling film from the late 1930s
The Ghost Train The Ghost Train
Comedy 1931 39 mins
Surviving footage of the first sound version of Arnold Ridley's famous railway station comedy thriller
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.