"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.
Director: Geoffrey Jones
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There is something almost visceral about the first ten minutes of this short feature that really captures the thrills, speed and even the filth of steam railways. Maybe it’s the high-speed score, or the rapid-fire editing or just the sheer pace as these steam trains race, always…
