British Transport Films

A musical illustration of life, where road traffic chaos breeds anger and frustration, but the rail network is fast, smooth and relaxing.

Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire - eleven Midland counties which can offer the holidaymaker a variety of pleasures and some of the lovliest English countryside.

Snowploughs are readied to rescue a snowbound train - in one of the most popular of all British Transport Films.

Lively holiday in Blackpool, with jazz accompaniment.

A study of the development of British Rail's hovercraft services in the Solent and across the Channel, using SRN6, HM2 and SRN4 air-cushion vehicles.

Examines Britian's industrial heritage, concentrating on the period between 1708 and 1850, and showing many examples of surviving relics of the period.

Film showcasing the tourist attractions, culture and natural beauty of Ireland.

The operation of the London Transport central Lost Property Office at Baker Street. Collected in BFI's "London on the Move."

All freight movements over Britain's rail network are monitored and controlled by an advanced computer-based system known as TOPS (Total Operations Processing System). The film follows the progress of a wagon load of equipment from Truro to the Midlands and shows how TOPS makes it possible to accommodate a last minute change of plan.

When Joe Miller breaks his ankle on the shop floor, he is sent with some trepidation to the British Railways rehab centre, a cross between a modern gym and an old-school metalwork classroom.

Donald Houston plays a Welshman who tells the story of what it's like to live in small town Wales and how the train service helps.

This fly on the wall-style documentary from 1961 won an Oscar for best documentary, and shows the changing patterns of human emotions during 24 hours in the life of Waterloo Station.

Journey into Spring is a 1958 British short documentary film directed by Ralph Keene, and made by British Transport Films. The film -- partly a tribute to the work of the pioneering naturalist and ornithologist Gilbert White (1720-1793), author of The Natural History of Selborne -- features a commentary by the poet Laurie Lee, and camerawork by the wildlife cinematographer Patrick Carey. The journey suggested by the title is through time rather than space. In fact, two such journeys are made: the first back to the eighteenth century to pay tribute to the work of White, and the second studies the changing natural landscape near White's home town of Selborne in Hampshire between a typical March and May. It was nominated for two Academy Awards -- one for Best Documentary Short, and the other for Best Live Action Short.

Training film for drivers on the introduction of the new locomotive.

England is eighteen hours behind you and the Leda is in sight of Bergen. Your shipboard reverie is about to become reality. The fjords, glaciers and waterfalls, with the lovely melodies of Edward Grieg to reflect the changing moods of western Norway. Produced by British Transport Films in association with the Bergen Steamship Company.

Part of BFI collection "London on the Move". Informational film about the London Underground’s ticket machines and automatic barriers.

The conflict between the running of an efficient bus service and the increasing motor car traffic in Britain's towns. Describes the traffic problem and some of the measures taken to help overcome it from the point of view of different members of the community; the ways in which the planning of new towns and the rebuilding of town centres can take into account the needs of all road users, and the particular contribution the bus can make as the best user of road space per passenger carried.

"Rail" captures British Railways at a major turning-point in its history. In certain respects, this was a period of considerable upheaval and loss. There was a facing-up to the increasing need for a big modernisation drive. Full and speedy electrification, or the wider promotion of diesel-power on remaining lines, became a matter of top priority. Geoffrey Jones recorded a rapidly disappearing world of everyday steam travel, with its labour-intensive rail workforce : some of the footage in "Rail" (recognisable from "Snow") dates from around 1962.

Southampton, a deep-water port with four tides a day, is an ocean terminal for the world's largest liners. Their coming and going, and the people who work with them are the subject of this film as they reflect in their personal lives some of the drama and romance of its situation. Among them are a tug skipper and his crew, a stewardess on a Cape ship, an assistant wharfinger in charge of handling baggage and freight, a taxi driver, and a pilot taking a great liner down Southampton water at night.

Comprising train and track footage quickly shot just before a heavy winter's snowfall was melting, the multi-award-winning classic that emerged from the cutting-room compresses British Rail's dedication to blizzard-battling into a thrilling eight-minute montage cut to music. Tough-as-boots workers struggling to keep the line clear are counterpointed with passengers' buffet-car comforts.