Elizabethan Express
Encyclopedia
Elizabethan Express is a 1954 British Transport Film
that follows The Elizabethan, a non-stop British Railways service from London to Edinburgh
along the East Coast Main Line
. Although originally intended as an advertising short, it now acts as a nostalgic record of the halcyon years of steam on British Rail
ways and the ex-LNER Class A4
.
It was directed by Tony Thompson, with a tongue-in-cheek poetic commentary written by Paul Le Saux. It is also notable for its music by Clifton Parker
, who also wrote the score for Blue Pullman
and several other British Transport Films
. He was later to write the music for the 1959 version of The Thirty-Nine Steps
, which also features an A4.
' era of the early 1950s. Departure from both ends was in mid-morning, for a teatime arrival. It ran only during the summer months, including in 1953 and 1954. It was able to make the 393-mile journey from London to Edinburgh non-stop by using LNER Class A4
steam locomotives equipped with a corridor tender, enabling a change of crew en route. It also required drivers to take up as much water as possible at the troughs
, since the journey called for over 11,000 gallons of it.
The journey time of 6 hours 30 minutes gave an end-to-end average speed of just over 60 mph, regarded as a creditable achievement given the poor state of British Railways infrastructure in the immediate postwar era. At the time this was the longest scheduled non-stop railway journey in the world.
60017 Silver Fox, although the film makes a point of featuring many railway employees, for example the maintenance men, the driver and fireman and the station master at Waverley Station
"who has a very high sense of occasion". The train completes its journey in its timetabled 6hrs 30mins.
It is still highly regarded for its well-filmed sequences by cinematographer Billy Williams
showing the operation of the East Coast main line and the Gresley A4 as it was in mainline use, for example the water scoop and corridor tender, although the whimsical verse commentary dates the work considerably. The film also offers a social record of the different hierarchies existing within the railway, as well as the fashion and people in the 1950s, albeit in a romanticised portrayal.
British Transport Films
British Transport Films was an organisation set up in 1949 to make documentary films on the general subject of British transport. Its work included internal training films, travelogues , and "industrial films" promoting the progress of Britain's railway...
that follows The Elizabethan, a non-stop British Railways service from London to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
along the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
. Although originally intended as an advertising short, it now acts as a nostalgic record of the halcyon years of steam on British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways and the ex-LNER Class A4
LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
.
It was directed by Tony Thompson, with a tongue-in-cheek poetic commentary written by Paul Le Saux. It is also notable for its music by Clifton Parker
Clifton Parker
Clifton Parker was an English composer, particularly noted for his film scores. During his career, he composed scores for over 50 feature films, as well as numerous documentary shorts, radio and television scores, over 100 songs and music for ballet and theatre.- Life :Edward John Clifton Parker...
, who also wrote the score for Blue Pullman
Blue Pullman (film)
Blue Pullman is a 1960 short documentary film directed by James Ritchie, which follows the development, preparation and a journey from London to Manchester on new British Rail Blue Pullman units....
and several other British Transport Films
British Transport Films
British Transport Films was an organisation set up in 1949 to make documentary films on the general subject of British transport. Its work included internal training films, travelogues , and "industrial films" promoting the progress of Britain's railway...
. He was later to write the music for the 1959 version of The Thirty-Nine Steps
The 39 Steps (1959 film)
The 39 Steps is a 1959 British thriller film directed by Ralph Thomas, starring Kenneth More and Taina Elg. It is a remake of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film, based on the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan....
, which also features an A4.
Background
The Elizabethan was a daily non-stop service in celebration of the new 'ElizabethanElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
' era of the early 1950s. Departure from both ends was in mid-morning, for a teatime arrival. It ran only during the summer months, including in 1953 and 1954. It was able to make the 393-mile journey from London to Edinburgh non-stop by using LNER Class A4
LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
steam locomotives equipped with a corridor tender, enabling a change of crew en route. It also required drivers to take up as much water as possible at the troughs
Track pan
A track pan or water trough is a device to enable a steam railway locomotive to replenish its water supply while in motion...
, since the journey called for over 11,000 gallons of it.
The journey time of 6 hours 30 minutes gave an end-to-end average speed of just over 60 mph, regarded as a creditable achievement given the poor state of British Railways infrastructure in the immediate postwar era. At the time this was the longest scheduled non-stop railway journey in the world.
Synopsis
The film follows the preparation behind the service, as well as focusing on one particular journey. The 'star' of the film is the Gresley A4LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
60017 Silver Fox, although the film makes a point of featuring many railway employees, for example the maintenance men, the driver and fireman and the station master at Waverley Station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...
"who has a very high sense of occasion". The train completes its journey in its timetabled 6hrs 30mins.
It is still highly regarded for its well-filmed sequences by cinematographer Billy Williams
Billy Williams (cinematographer)
Billy Williams OBE, BSC is a British cinematographer.Williams was responsible for shooting a number of films, including Women in Love , Gandhi , for which he won an Oscar, and On Golden Pond . Williams joined his father, also named Billy, as an apprentice cameraman, remaining with him for four years...
showing the operation of the East Coast main line and the Gresley A4 as it was in mainline use, for example the water scoop and corridor tender, although the whimsical verse commentary dates the work considerably. The film also offers a social record of the different hierarchies existing within the railway, as well as the fashion and people in the 1950s, albeit in a romanticised portrayal.