Irish railways that appear in films

[Colin R]

Hi Guys to kick this one of we already have The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, I will follow this up with the First Great Train Robbery with Sean Connery.

However I am not sure what locos and rolling stock was used in that film and if any of it still survives?

A third film with even less information was the one based on the West Clare Railway, All I know was that one of the steam locos got an unsual livery for its appearance in the film that in fact saved it from the scrap man. Does anyone know the name of the film and what it was all about?

A forth film I recalling seeing once had Spencer Tracy in it, I think it was black and white he play the role of a priest I think chasing a villian around Ireland after he had murdered someone, the Sci fi effects for the time where very good, the closing bit of the film had the villian struck down by a thunderbolt or hand of god after Spencer Trancy denounced him as a murderer, all good stuff. 

I am sure there are other films showing Irish Railways but I don't know the names of them, any help would be appricated with the films and rolling stock that can be seen in them.

 

Colin Rainsbury

[Galteemore]

First Great Train Robbery used RPSI 184 (lightly modified with cosmetic frames etc) and 186. Fake carriages were constructed on old under frames. These kicked around in a siding at Bray until the early 80s. The movie ‘Michael Collins’ also features RPSI 171 and 461.
 

184 also featured in the 1960s ‘Darling Lili’ and was in the remains of its beige livery from this when rapidly overhauled for Great Train Robbery work in 1978. It was in very poor health and was effectively a smoke machine pushed by a heavily disguised A class - which apparently worked regular trains in between filming whilst so costumed !

 

Downpatrick was used for filming Spike Milligan’s ‘Puckoon’.

 

http://railwaymoviedatabase.com/darling-lili/

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Galteemore

[minister_for_hardship]

The West Clare one was called "A Minute's Wait" part of a three part film entitled "Three Leaves of a Shamrock". It's a stage Irish skit with the usual theatre sorts in attendance.

There were railway sequences on Into The West, Darling Lili, Michael Collins, The First Great Train Robbery, loads more thaf others can fill in.

2 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

 

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by minister_for_hardship

[jhb171achill]

54 minutes ago, Colin R said:

Hi Guys to kick this one of we already have The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, I will follow this up with the First Great Train Robbery with Sean Connery.

However I am not sure what locos and rolling stock was used in that film and if any of it still survives?

A third film with even less information was the one based on the West Clare Railway, All I know was that one of the steam locos got an unsual livery for its appearance in the film that in fact saved it from the scrap man. Does anyone know the name of the film and what it was all about?

A forth film I recalling seeing once had Spencer Tracy in it, I think it was black and white he play the role of a priest I think chasing a villian around Ireland after he had murdered someone, the Sci fi effects for the time where very good, the closing bit of the film had the villian struck down by a thunderbolt or hand of god after Spencer Trancy denounced him as a murderer, all good stuff. 

I am sure there are other films showing Irish Railways but I don't know the names of them, any help would be appricated with the films and rolling stock that can be seen in them.

 

Colin Rainsbury

The "Quiet Man" was filmed (as far as the railway scenes were concerned) in Ballyglunin station in. eastern Co. Galway, between Athenry and Tuam. The train was the regular Sligo - Limerick set, and some of the "extras" in the cab are the actual CIE locomotive crew. The loco is an ex-GSWR 4.4.0, then common on this line along with J15s and all sorts of other relics, and the carriages are ex-GSWR six-wheelers as was also the norm.

This in itself is of interest, with the possibility of a JM Design 4.4.0 and the carriages available in kit form from Studio Scale Models and also Worsley. Even more so, the forthcoming Hattons "Genesis" project for RTR 6-wheelers bear more than a passing resemblance to these 1880s-era GSWR vehicles.

The black and white one was filmed on the Dublin (Harcourt Street) to Bray line in 1959, some months after the line closed, and featured regular CIE stock and a silver "C" class diesel from Bray. It was filmed in and around Carrickmines station.

The "First Great Train Robbery" used the RPSI's two J15s, 184 & 186. While the latter had already clocked up big mileages in RPSI terms by that stage, 184 hadn't turned a wheel and was in very ropey order indeed. the film company paid for its restoration and the repaint of both into a fictitious livery, which they would carry for some time afterwards.

The coaches used were built on the chassis of scrapped CIE "tin vans", laid aside after the deliveries of the "Dutch" and "BR" genny vans 1969-72. As mentioned elsewhere, they were shoved into a siding at bray afterwards until scrapped. Only one of these had an actual interior!

I'm aware of the West Clare one, but can't remember the details. Yes, one locomotive was still there and serviceable, and would certainly have been scrapped otherwise, as the three "F" class diesels had already been delivered, as had all four railcars.

[NIR]

I think a railway location appears in Odd Man Out (1947), shot on location in Belfast

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_Man_Out

Edited December 14, 2020 by NIR

[airfixfan]

There is also a film that features Carlingford station in an old B/W film that I saw many moons ago.

[Edo]

Im pretty sure a very dirty CIE train appears in one of the Pink Panther films as one of the bad guys escapes from the train via a helicopter......was it the Mullingar - Athlone line?

Just looked - definitely an A class - dont know about the carraiges.....The Pink Panther Strikes again (1976)

Edited December 14, 2020 by Edo

[Billycan]

Three photos in the NLI collection of a film crew working at Westland Row.

Film company working with spectators, Westland Row Train Station, Dublin City, Co. Dublin.

Film company working on platform no. 2, distant view, Westland Row, Dublin City, Co. Dublin.

Film company working on platform no.1 with spectators, Westland Row, Dublin City, Co. Dublin.

 

 

 

 

[Niles]

I see a Dark Stranger (1946) features a GSR liveried 800 arriving at Kingsbridge; rare enough to see moving footage of a loco in the livery of Ireland's finest railway company. (Whereas say the GNR survived as an entity long enough for the cine enthusiasts to capture it).

Edited December 14, 2020 by Niles

[Galteemore]

Ireland’s finest railway company....now there’s a debate...

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Galteemore said:

Ireland’s finest railway company....now there’s a debate...

It's a tie! GNR & MGWR!

When I were a mere nipper, back in the day, I had a summer job on the Festiniog Railway on a track gang - I think it was 1975 or 6. There were two somewhat arrogant cockney types in amongst the gang of us, which had a crazy guy from Glasgow, me, someone else from Belfast who I never heard from again, and people from both Wales and all over the rest of England.

On hearing where myself, the Scotsman and the Belfast fella were from, they proceeded to run down Irish railways, insisting that if it was British it was best, or if it was English it was best. (They were beginning to irritate the whole lot of the rest of us). One of them insisted that the LMS, or was it the GWR, was the "best railway there ever was", after wittering on about it for ages; by this stage I had had enough and broke my silence to just say "Nonsense, it's not!". Yer man, who was in northern terminology a bit of a "buck eejit", says in his cockney accent "Oh! So what is?", followed by, in a sarcastic tone, "I suppose you'd say the Tralee and Dingle!".

Instantly, I retorted "That's one of them, yes"....and walked off. 

For the first time that evening, he was silenced...................

[geraghtyg]

Educating Rita. More info here... Click here

[Patrick Davey]

11 hours ago, airfixfan said:

There is also a film that features Carlingford station in an old B/W film that I saw many moons ago.

Saints and Sinners (1949) - the opening scene shows a train arriving at Carlingford from the Newry direction - this used to be on YouTube but I've just had a look and I can't find it immediately.

Also 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley' (2006).

[leslie10646]

1 hour ago, geraghtyg said:

Educating Rita. More info here... Click here

Super shots of Trinity, of course as well.

Now, "The Keeper" used the RPSI's platform a couple of years ago - about the late great Bert Trautmann of Manchester City - well worth a watch!

[Irish Rail]

NIR 071s and Gatwicks/Mark's 2 in the crying game passing over what I believe is Betty's town bridge in "the crying game" 1992 

[jhb171achill]

There was one - was it the "Blue Max"? which featured a low-flying aircraft going under a viaduct on the now-closed Mallow - Waterford line?

[Broithe]

40 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

There was one - was it the "Blue Max"? which featured a low-flying aircraft going under a viaduct on the now-closed Mallow - Waterford line?

 

https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ireland/blue-max-bridge-to-be-a-star-once-again-35925570.html

[leslie10646]

Well done, Broithe and JB - one of my favourite films. I seem to remember that the Irish Army did their stuff on both the Allied side and the German.

Now, the film stars James Mason (as Ursula Andress's husband, no-less) in which film, in which he also co-stars is the main Star going downhill drinking "Bush" - ie the revered waters of my home county (after distilling)?????? The man drinking the Bushmills should have won an Oscar for his work on the film.

[Galteemore]

And of course there were also English railways pretending to be Irish ! Cliddesden station masquerading as ‘Buggleskelly’ in Oh Mr Porter - with Basingstoke standing in for Belfast ! 

[Georgeconna]

10 hours ago, Broithe said:

 

https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ireland/blue-max-bridge-to-be-a-star-once-again-35925570.html

 

If you are every in Fermoy pop into the Blackwater Makers, Some Smashing stuff for sale. I got this for my 50th last August, Best of both Worlds!

I note the Artist did not go through the torture of the Lozenge Camo Pattern , Did that on a RC D.VII some years back only for it to collide mid air with a Pup. I blame me dad!

 

 

[Georgeconna]

Racking me brains on this one and came up with this, A Classic from 86. Soon to become a thing of the past.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by Georgeconna

[Georgeconna]

Another one Six Shooter.

 

[Georgeconna]

One more closer to home, Mask up for this one , Certainly a Cheery one too

From start to Finish filmed on the Cobh Flyer with some other bits added

 

[NIR]

A train of modern units passes prominently a couple of times in The Lobster (2015), looks like a location under the M50 at Blanchardstown

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lobster

Edited December 15, 2020 by NIR

[Barl]

1 hour ago, Georgeconna said:

 

If you are every in Fermoy pop into the Blackwater Makers, Some Smashing stuff for sale. I got this for my 50th last August, Best of both Worlds!

I note the Artist did not go through the torture of the Lozenge Camo Pattern , Did that on a RC D.VII some years back only for it to collide mid air with a Pup. I blame me dad!

 

 

My wife's aunt has a nice photo of this actually, I took a quick pic of it a while ago. Always thought it would make an interesting scene to model! 

A bit more modern but I think the scrapped MK3 coaches at Punchestown(?) feature in the Barry Keoghan movie 'Calm with Horses'.

I also remember seeing a random music video featuring an 071 but can't remember the name of it...

[Broithe]

1 hour ago, Georgeconna said:

I note the Artist did not go through the torture of the Lozenge Camo Pattern , Did that on a RC D.VII some years back only for it to collide mid air with a Pup. I blame me dad!

Richthofen brought down Lt Bird's Pup - you could have recreated that.
 

 

They seemed to get along OK afterwards, though.

[Galteemore]

There was an RAF station at Fermoy until 22 - wonder if any of them ever tried flying under the viaduct in their Bristol Fighters !

Edited December 15, 2020 by Galteemore

[Niles]

2 hours ago, Barl said:

 

I also remember seeing a random music video featuring an 071 but can't remember the name of it...

 

There's a Westlife video featuring a mkIII pushpull at Limerick, can't remember which song off the top my head.

[Wexford70]

There is a film made in Enniscorthy station called Underground (1969)

Never seen it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066505/locations

 

[jhb171achill]

The Corrs did an early music video inside the RPSI’s ex-GNR Directors Saloon No. 50, at Whitehead.

[Broithe]

There was a full-length concert on a Waterford train.

 

Featuring a driver on the 'opposite' train joining in a 'dance' section around twenty minutes in.

[Broithe]

3 hours ago, Galteemore said:

There was an RAF station at Fermoy until 22 - wonder if any of them ever tried flying under the viaduct in their Bristol Fighters !

A Brisfit is nearly five metres wider than a Dr1, though it may be a bit more directionally stable.

A lot of us will have made the old Airfix 'Dogfight Double'.

I can't find a picture with the Dr1's top wing properly visible, but an idea of the diminutive size of the Fokker in comparison to the Bristol is clear here.

[Galteemore]

And the RAF has looked rather poorly on such behaviour ....https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hunter_Tower_Bridge_incident

 

Back on topic, the RPSI has featured in many TV dramas such as ‘The Irish RM’ , ‘Aunt Suzanne’ and ‘My Dear Palestrina’. The late Tommy Dorrian, 8th Army Desert Rat, Belfast scrapman (who used to cover the old Belfast zoo loco with old scrap to hide it until its rescue!) and ultimately, legendary RPSI barman, featured as a costumed extra in the middle one of the trio.

Edited December 15, 2020 by Galteemore

[airfixfan]

The Railwaystation Man filmed at Cashelnagore. See it is up for sale again!

[DSERetc]

In the magazine of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, FIVE FOOT THREE, No. 42 Winter 1995/96, Peter Rigney has an article, FILMING 1995,  describing the activity of the RPSI in filming Michael Collins.

Also, in FIVE FOOT THREE, No. 52,  Winter 2005/6, there is an article,   Cameras, Continuity and Codology by "Best Boy" describing some of the events in 1978 before and during the filming of The First Great Train Robbery.