This film is part of Free
Railways for Ever!
Sir John Betjeman reminisces about the phasing out of the mainline steam operation.
Overview
11 August 1968 is a highly significant date in British railway history, marking the official end of regular mainline steam operation. As we see the last steam train crossing the Pennines and hear the Edwardian music-hall song ‘Watching The Trains Go Out’, Sir John Betjeman begins to reminisce. His nostalgic verse and prose recall the great trains of old and look forward to railways for ever as he moves through a photographic exhibition in Kingsway.
Related
The Kiss in the Tunnel The Kiss in the Tunnel
Comedy 1899 2 mins Silent
A snatched kiss in a railway tunnel, played by real-life married couple GA Smith and Laura Bayley
The Great Barrier The Great Barrier
Western 1937 81 mins
Ambitious, stirring British Western that pits man against the elements in the battle to drive a railway through the Canadian Rockies
The Liverpool Railway Centenary The Liverpool Railway Centenary
Non-Fiction 1930 1 mins Silent Location: Liverpool
Transports of delight as the Liverpool and Manchester Railway celebrates its centenary
Journey on the Coronation Scot Journey on the Coronation Scot
Amateur film 1937 12 mins Silent Location: Euston Sta
Princess Alice' hauls her passengers to Scotland aboard the streamlined Coronation Scot in this dazzling film from the late 1930s
The Ghost Train The Ghost Train
Comedy 1931 39 mins
Surviving footage of the first sound version of Arnold Ridley's famous railway station comedy thriller
Pathways of Perfection Pathways of Perfection
Travelogue 1937 17 mins Silent
The Royal Scot, the Flying Scotsman, the Cornish Riviera and the Golden Arrow: famous trains considered to be upholders of a great British tradition
On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.
Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.
All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.