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British Transport Films
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London's Railways in the 1960s 2010
The British Railways modernisation programme of the 1960s radically changed the rail network, and the British Transport Films unit and the TV news were there to capture it. Compiled here is never before released colour footage of Southern steam at Waterloo (with Nine Elms depot), all the major London stations, The Blue Pullman and early diesels, The Golden Arrow and Night Ferry service, goods and mail, steam on the Metropolitan Railway and building the Victoria Line.
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One Continuous Take: Kay Mander's Life in Film 2001
Kay Mander kept training and social issues to the fore in the 1940s with her innovative documentaries. Mander, now living in Kirkcudbrightshire, recalls her life and work, with clips from many of her films.
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Channel Tunnel: Tomorrow's Way 1986
Explores the possibilities of the upcoming Channel Tunnel between Britain and France. The final BTF production shot on film.
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Inter-City 1250 1982
A journey from London King's Cross to Peterborough on the fastest Inter-City Special - at a speed of well over 1250 mph! A sped-up four-minute High Speed Train journey promoting the use of the trains throughout the old Eastern Region, set to very early 80s synth music. One of the last BTF productions, and one of only very few to have a copyright date at the end.
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Round Trip to Glasgow 1982
British Transport film.
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A New Approach to Hong Kong 1982
A look at British involvement in the construction of the new double-track railway from Kowloon, on Hong Kong's harbour, to the Chinese border.
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Promises Promises... 1982
Features the 07.55 from Sheffield to St Pancras. The camera follows to Leicester, where a young man is late for a job interview thanks to a variety of incidents including a freight train blocking the line and an improperly secured door at Derby. The film is a modernised version of an older theme for British Transport 'Right Time Means Right Time', where the accumulation of many minor delays on the part of BR staff soon add up down the line to make a train very late.
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Who's in Charge? 1981
Based on the sequence of events which led to the deaths of two young trackmen, concluding with an enquiry into the reasons why they were killed. Intended for railway staff responsible for track maintenance, particularly those in supervisory grades.
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Track 125 1981
The complex technology of modern rail track is shown, covering component manufacturers, current methods of laying track and its maintenance.
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Speedlink: The Quiet Revolution 1980
British Rail film about the rail freight service Speedlink, and the various types of wagon used to transport different cargo.
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Current Affairs on the Midland 1980
A report on the progress of the Bedford/St. Pancras suburban electrification scheme. An internal BR staff film which would not have been generally shown.
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The Seaspeed Express 1980
The advantages and pleasures of crossing the channel by Hovercraft. In this film a sales executive, with his car and engineering samples, travels to Lille for a business appointment; and a family goes to Paris for a holiday. The former's journey is via Dover/Calais, and the latter's via Dover/Boulogne. Both demonstrate the benefits of using this modern, speedy method of reaching Europe. An impressionistic look at the hovercraft journey across the channel with no commentary, using the same footage was used to produce Seaspeed Hovercraft.
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TOPS for Industry 1980
A British Transport internal training film. Training for Overhead Power Supply (TOPS).
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Safe at Work? 1980
Made for senior and middle British Rail management and supervisory staff, to stimulate discussion and provoke action, by alerting them to their responsibilities for staff safety, and the pressing need to reduce accident figures.
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Emergency Coupling Class 253/4 1980
British Transport film.
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The 75 Tonne High Capacity Crane 1980
British Transport Film.
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Rail Report 13: On Track for the Eighties 1980    star_border 5.5
A review of innovation and development within BR and its businesses, including: modernisation of freight facilities and service to new companies; progress of the Bedford/St. Pancras electrification project; paved track and permanent way maintenance; Sealink's "Galloway Princess"; Seaspeed's SRN4; and the Research department's magnetically levitated vehicle. For general showing.
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Omnibus 150 1979
Film charting the development of the London bus from 1829 to 1979, with the 150th anniversary of Shilibeer's first service, featuring a procession of many of the Museum's historic vehicles. Collected in BFI's "London on the Move."
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The Beacons and Beyond 1979
South Wales is an area of great natural beauty - from the Brecon Beacons in the north of the area to the rugged coastline of Pembrokeshire in the south. It is a land of attractive market towns and ancient castles, of hill and forest landscapes. This film covers many aspects of life in a region whose abundant attractions for the holidaymaker are made readily accessible by rail and road.
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Robbie 1979    star_border 6
Young Robbie, a keen footballer and a railway enthusiast, is persuaded by his big brother to go through a hole in a railway fence on to the track for some reason. His laces become caught on the tracks and he has an accident so serious that he will never play football again. A film for showing to eight to eleven-year old children and their parents, which points out the folly of breaking railway fences and trespassing on the line, and illustrates the immediate dangers. Part of BFI collection "The Age of the Train".
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