The Romance of Rail

The Railway Children (1970)

Embark on a journey along the tracks of 20th-century Britain; from Victorian lovers enjoying a risqué A Kiss in the Tunnel (1899) to the workers impacted by privatisation a century later. Our collection fuses documentary and drama and embraces the romance of rail alongside the harsher reality of life for those running the network. For the nostalgic among you there are hand-picked treats from the British Transport Films collection, and classic features such as The 39 Steps (1935), Brief Encounter (1945) and The Railway Children (1970). You’ll also find a selection of titles from partner archives around the UK, including the North West Film Archive, Yorkshire Film Archive and the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive. All aboard!

Ten to try

Conwy Castle: Panoramic View of Conwy on the L & NW Railway (1898)
An ethereal, hand-tinted ‘phantom ride’ around the north Wales landmark.

Building a British Railway (1911)
A new locomotive takes shape in Edwardian Crewe, once Britain’s railway capital.

George Bennie Railplane System of Transport (1930)
The future of rail transport, as imagined by an ambitious inventor in 1920s Glasgow.

Rome Express (1932)
A delightful comedy-thriller set on a VIP-packed express train.

Main Line Diesel (1946)
The Derby Works proudly present Britain’s first diesel locomotive.

Enginemen (1959)
Manchester railway workers discuss the end of the steam age in Michael Grigsby’s Free Cinema documentary.

The Signalman (1976)
A chilling premonition and an isolated railway line: Andrew Davies’ adaptation of a short story by Dickens.

Pickering Flyer (1987)
All aboard the North York Moors Railway for a nostalgic journey from Pickering to Grosmont.

The Apprentices (1988)
Two young apprentices learn the basics of driving a train for this edition of the ITV series Chances.

The Navigators (2001)
British Rail privatisation wreaks havoc for a group of Yorkshire track workers in Ken Loach’s blackly comic feature.