The Future of Rail - Quorn Transport Film

[@malcolmlowe2323]

What a truly fantastic film. Well thought out, Narrated and Edited. A modern film that takes you back in time. I worked on the railway for 42 years and loved every minute. I started as a Porter, Parcel worker (Nottm London Rd), Office Lad, Shunter, Guard and then progressed onto the Footplate as a Frieght Driver at Toton and finally to Passenger Driver at Derby. Times and shift working were hard, but I loved every minute. I'm so glad to have worked in a time when the Railway was still great.

[@marvwatkins7029]

Great music from the always dependable and talented Percy Granger.

[@rogerbrookes9913]

The clue is in all those preserved locos! All in the spirit of the BTF films, well done.

[@ulrichfrank4270]

Great subject and excellent photography.

[@peterhodes6708]

A lovely glimpse of a happier Britain. Thanks for posting.😃

[@fionamichaelpaterson4411]

Absolutely brilliant. Just watching this after changing sleepers on the Bodmin and Wenford in the rain.

[@bluenose1744]

How times have changed, maybe not for the better either. Thanks, enjoyed your video.

[@bobbieskilling6391]

Absolutely brilliant - Well done. As I said once before, Edgar Anstey (BTF) would be proud of what you've achieved.

[@Broadercasting]

Pitch perfect. Hats off to all those involved in the making.

[@NormanBurrows]

Excellent Jack. Absolutely spot on.

[@adrianpeters2413]

BRILLIANT..WOW ...EXCELLANT ... thank you ...

[@mikeyratcliff3400]

Superb! And hats off to the C&W dept for a most satisfying collection of unfitted and vac braked wagons of loveliness!

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Outstanding 👏👏 So beautifully scripted, filmed and narrated. The music is so on point. Well done 👍😀

[@QuornStation]

Thank you!

[@begudmaximan953]

It was a way of life, a big family of people and friends, my uncle was a signalman and as a young lad eleven years old, I used to accompany him to various signal boxes for a shift on occasions, everyone pulled together to kept the job on the move, with a good comradery evident, and everyone watched each others backs to ensure the job got done. Great memories. 🙂

[@QuornStation]

Agree, what great memories. We hope that this spirit is still alive at Quorn and Woodhouse and along the rest of the GCR. The film stars GCR volunteers who all came together to be part of it.

[@robertbruce1887]

An excellent documentary thoroughly showing the many layers of employees required to to keep an essential service such as the railway functioning.

[@hornet1068]

This has got to be the best New `Old Film` I have ever watched. Well done "GCR" keep up the good work, and thanks also to the "GCR(N)" and "Barrow Hill" for the awesome! Roundhouse shots. Loved It!

[@QuornStation]

That was a tongue in cheek reference to the "A Future on Rail" (1957), replace "power handle" with "twin-jib crane".

[@robridgway8574]

Yet another superb atmospheric piece of present day nostalgia. I never tire of watching these wonderfull films. the next is eagerly awaited.

[@whetstonelad]

It had me fooled into thinking this was an original 1950s BTF production but the excellent stereo track gave it away, as did the film-style 'blemishes'. I had to come to the comments to confirm my suspicions, that's how good your production was. I will say, as an ex-sound engineer, that your audio was clear and clean, so hats off to the sound team. Broadcasters and film makers could learn a lesson or two from you regarding clarity of sound and photography. Absolutely superb.

[@QuornStation]

That means a great amount, thank you!

[@JLfromEdinburgh1951]

It had me fooled too. As a railwayman from 1969 to 1982, I thought it was a genuine recruitment film from the 1950s -- when I was a child. I did wonder who QTF were, but thought they must have been a specialist film company who had made the film for British Railways. And I thought it an odd coincidence that some of the filming was at Quorn and Woodhouse station, which I knew was on a preserved line, but then thought it would be QTF's local station, so the natural place for them to go.

[@TinLeadHammer]

Yep, they should not have added those stupid blemishes. Also, fully justified text in the intro irked me as wrong, and monospaced typeface in the ending titles is a giveaway. Otherwise, perfect.

[@michaelthompson3102]

I did a double take when I spotted the open top Atlantean going over the bridge!!

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

An absolutely brilliant film, every bit as good as an original BTF production! 👏

[@Sharron-Idol]

What an amazing video! - Excellent production, entertaining, informative, motivational.. - A great job done well.

[@jonathanjennings4161]

Superb ...

[@Philfothergill]

Wow this is brilliant. Beautifully shot and very atmospheric. I’m a professional video producer and I am so impressed with what you have achieved here. Hope it gets folks interested in volunteering to work on the GCR. Well done.

[@QuornStation]

That means a lot from a professional, we're amateurs here so we've still plenty to learn!

[@stuartbroome1258]

You wouldn't think that is a "modern" film, magic, well done to all involved.

[@cliffyoung4612]

That was wonderful. 😀

[@joedowdenwatercolour9090]

Brilliant!

[@markjuergens4826]

Fun, I enjoy a look in to things gone by.

[@Flymochairman1]

Great film, QTF. It does depend on us, where there's still line and routes still unbuilt on. Nice work and all the best to all the concerns and associations involved in the Heritage movement and those who would see the GCR and other axed lines opened for business again. Cheers.

[@malhighfield]

Love the use of Grainger's 'Lincolnshire Posey' - one of my favourite wind band suites. A perfect fit for a superb film.

[@duncanross4185]

Excellent. Start at the bottom and work your way up through the many routes available. Sheer joy watching that.

[@johnsamson-snell9558]

Absolutely brilliant! Very well done!

[@tominnis8353]

A brilliantly executed and emotionally powerful film in the style of BTF. The music is well chosen and used to excellent effect. Have you thought about making a film along the lines of 'Diesel Train Ride'? You have an excellent fleet at your disposal on the GCR.

[@QuornStation]

Hello, thank you for your comment, we're glad you enjoyed the film. We have a number in the pipeline and one that is similar to 'Diesel Train Ride', watch this space...

[@stephenpearce3880]

I've just started to share some videos on a new amateur channel for GCR. I'll be updating these regularly. Thought you might be interested. Enjoy www.youtube.com/@GCRAerialExpress

[@tomhiggins4124]

Top film !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

[@buildingbuddy1]

Absolutely loved it. But I would so love to see it in full HD colour, as it would have looked then. Colourful, vibrant and green :)

[@petercooper2387]

Love the way they use 'The Lost Lady Found' from Percy Grainger's 'The Lincolnshire Posy' as an intro. The same piece of music was used on John Betjeman's 'Branch Line Railway' made in 1962.

[@Pesmog]

That was brilliant, I loved it. I looked hard and found only a couple of anachronisms for things that were not from that era, which is better than the TV usually manages. Thanks, as other have said, your best yet.👍 Can we hope that at some point in the future that QTF will attempt to recreate 'Night Mail' ? You guys uniquely have the equipment to do it, if not quite the scenery of the original.

[@QuornStation]

Thank you, we're glad you enjoyed. We have a number of films still on the cards, though we would never want to "re-create" any film as we could never live up to the original. We merely base our ideas upon originals to try and capture the spirit of the BTF and pay tribute. We do, however, have a number of films still on the cards and we're working on the script to the next one.

[@tompetty1880]

Just brilliant, thanks for creating and posting.

[@robertmarsh3588]

Wonderful film. If only we could really turn the clock back.

[@marcelwiszowaty1751]

Fantastic! Didn't know what to expect but what an excellent recreation... well done indeed!

[@jamier9627]

Fantastic brilliant so well done, I love all the BTF films you have recreated one perfectly. 👍

[@petermainwaringsx]

My grandfather worked on a rural length to the west of Swansea. When I was a kid back in the 50's, during the school holidays, I sometimes used to work with "the gang", on the length which was one hundred yards from my front door.

[@RailwayManiaNet]

Spectacular, your best one yet.

[@QuornStation]

Very glad you think so!

[@alanmusicman3385]

Really excellent! Well done - and not an abherent Americanism in it! So often when younger people create period pieces they unknowingly insert "I guess" or similar linguistic anomalies - but none of that here. This is a very faithful recreation of the BTF style in every respect. Two suggestions for any follow up - make the sound track mono, and - on many BTF films the narrator's booth is quite a lot more "live" (i.e. a bit more bathroomy sounding!) - but these are very minior things and what you have created here is simply....... superb! Thank you.

[@antonyjohnson4489]

I can only reiterate what others have said, a truly wonderful recreation of a brilliant BTF film. Interesting to note the attitude of some of the Conservatives at the time, who believed that the BTF films were "expensive propaganda". The films may in some cases have had socialistic overtones, but they serve as quaint reminiscences of an era when Britain was proud of its railways. It's a shame how things have changed, perhaps we should go back to restoring that pride but I won't hold my breath.

[@chairmakerPete]

If only the 1964 Labour government had stuck to its promise not to continue the Beeching cuts. Instead they carried on with great zeal, and didn't even secure the trackbeds as rights of way. Don't let politicians anywhere near running anything.

[@QuornStation]

We certainly have a lot of pride at Quorn and Woodhouse and along the rest of the GCR. Our motto is 're-creating the experience' and we like to think that this pride still remains prevalent along the line.

[@alanmusicman3385]

I think there is a resurgence of pride in our railways now. With lots of new trains appearing all the time and numerous major station refrurbs and line updates and reopenings it is turning around. The knowledge that rail has a key role to play in reducing carbon emissions is very evident in many of these investments. Of course there are still many problems to be addressed - the high comparative cost of rail travel is one and the madness of the ticketing system is another - but nonetheless IMO the tide has turned.

[@johncourtneidge]

Yes, and the cultural content of Percy Grainger's music and sharp contrast photography. In black and white. Greys too.

[@forrestrobin2712]

Looking forward to retirement from SNCF. I’m wondering which UK preserved railway I will volunteer at. Love what you’re doing at the GCR. Well done !❤

[@MrStephenDando]

As a huge fan of the BTF output I love the films of QTF. The recreation of a long past era is virtually faultless. Massive congratulations and thanks to all involved.

[@QuornStation]

Thank you!

[@gb5uq]

Beautiful

[@brooklynroad8581]

Excellent video and thanks for doing it. Better than BTF.

[@paulosborne6517]

Channeling John Betjeman's 'Branch Line Railway' with the use of Percy Grainger's 'Lost Lady Found' there... and the 'Ganger' checking the permanent way as he walks... Well, that is straight out of the BTF Line-Working films - which I love every bit as much as the more 'glamourous' public films.

[@QuornStation]

We are very glad that you noticed, but there were many more references made to a few other British Transport Films in this!

[@grandadchoochoo7569]

Superb! Cannes film festival candidate or the oscars!

[@QuornStation]

Not sure there is a "British Transport Film style" category in those, but if there is we'd be sure to enter!

[@dirkdeweerdt6956]

what a nice film

[@paulm4637]

Spectacular recreation. Thank you. -See you all in the year ahead ...

[@Kniferest]

Very well made film. I really enjoyed it. I liked the humour, not sure about the power handle though... 😀

[@QuornStation]

That was a reference to the original film BTF "A Future on Rail" (1957), just replace "power handle" for "twin-jib crane".

[@wilsonflood4393]

A beautful film. I command you to stop making us nostalgic.

[@R08Tam]

A capital film. I hope that frightful chap, Dr Beeching, reconsiders his plans.

[@robertbench4664]

I really enjoyed the recreated BTF you made.Its a shame the dmu can't run further than Leicester now.Even if they had left the route open as far as Rugby Central it would have made a great extra journey,even as the truncated route they left before full closure.They could even have conne ted it onto the west coast main line by there.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

Very few people are interested in that. The whole GCR was a terrible duplicate route and it all should have been demolished beyond repair and the land sold off, in my opinion

[@tingewickmax]

Great fun. Marvelous homage to BTF. Muir Mathieson would have approved your music direction. I hope to see this as a feature at my local picture house soon.

[@QuornStation]

Thank you, the music, narration and visuals were all treated with equal importance as they all compliment each other. Watch this space re picture house!

[@christopherbutler7588]

Great video thanks 😊

[@davepayne586]

i loved the old steam trains when i was a kid,all gone now

[@Steven_Rowe]

Sir John we miss you.

[@chrismccartney8668]

A superb recreation of BTF Film. All I would add would be train driven by Fife Robertson and his pithy comments..

[@marvwatkins7029]

And then Dr. Beeching and his axe (black) 'magically' appeared.

[@TB76Returns]

A brilliant pastiche of BTFs!

[@nicks4934]

Mr Colomondeley Warner?

[@neilscully6597]

Nice film. Just a pity that the recruitment team at GCR are so poor. I wanted to volunteer on loco overhaul as an engineer or on Signals and Telegraph but was met with complete indifference and offered a position as platform staff! Plus was told I would have to attend interview in the week when I was working. Subsequently I went to GWSR and was welcomed with open arms, I'm now a member of the Steam Dept management team and the Technical Director of Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd restoring GWR 2807. I'm happy where I am but it's a bit of a drive and I literally pass the GCR 40 minutes into my 2 1/2 hour drive. I know others who have had similar experiences so you need to sort out your recruitment or you will be in trouble.

[@polyrhythmia]

The narrator's voice sounds like what you might have heard back in the 50's. Aspect ratio is also vintage.

[@JohnSmith-bx8zb]

Yes the future for the Great Central should have been HS2

[@johncourtneidge]

Marvellous. An heroic age. Everything spotless, stations being reopened. And, then, Capitalism (greed) destroyed it all.

[@preetmatharu4607D]

Scene 5:22 ..the man ran towards the train .ohh shit I'm late again 😂😂😂

[@carausiuscaesar5672]

In my part of Canada 🇨🇦 trains are gone and replaced by trucks.

[@keithdeley7236]

How sad to see the state of the railways today absolutely crap we should go back to these days ?

[@AnthonyHigham6414001080]

I very much doubt a fireman or driver from that era would speak received pronunciation. The voice over sounds like a BBC announcer.

[@colinb8103]

But that was the problem ,the trains were empty

[@stevecallachor]

Noticed that the platform attendant swept the rubbish onto the perway, rather than scoop it up for disposal.. but in those days the onboard toilets discharged onto the track anyway. Stavros

[@paulknapper3633]

Flat bottom rail 😳

[@QuornStation]

That is correct - a mix of flat bottom and bull head rail features in this film.

[@paulknapper3633]

@@QuornStation But still a great entertaining film well done all 👍

[@QuornStation]

@@paulknapper3633 Both flat bottomed and bullhead rail were used on the GC.

[@nicks4934]

This is a spoof right?😂

[@marvwatkins7029]

Not much of a future in the near term.

[@jean-paul7251]

Voice doesn't suit. Too modern

[@telepater]

That was the thing that gave it away for me it just doesn’t sit with what is a truly wonderful film

[@martinchamberlain542]

I really think you ought to get a life. This is a really enjoyable homage to btf films, it’s a bit churlish to be so picky.

[@Chucklesrailarchive]

Ruined by all the silly video noise effects. Even all the 16mm l film purchased DIRECT from BTF long before video came about are not that bad.

[@johnrees]

Lovely video

[@hrxy1]

when passengers were passengers not fucking customers

[@telepater]

Thanks for making me laugh out loud. Although I’m not sure you are allowed to be quite so forthright . . . . .