The Railway Children (1970 film)

The Railway Children
Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	December 21, 1970; 55 years ago
Founder	Lionel Jeffries (director and screenwriter)
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Key people	Lionel Jeffries, Bryan Forbes (producer)
Products	Family drama film

The Railway Children is a 1970 British family drama film adapted from the 1906 novel by E. Nesbit. Marking Lionel Jeffries's debut as a director and screenwriter, the movie features performances by Dinah Sheridan, Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett, Gary Warren, and Bernard Cribbins. It premiered in the United Kingdom on 21 December 1970 and achieved both critical acclaim and lasting popularity. Jeffries personally secured the adaptation rights and developed the screenplay.

Plot

Set in 1905, the Waterbury family, formerly prosperous Londoners, encounter adversity when Charles Waterbury, employed by the Foreign Office, is apprehended on charges of espionage. Consequently, the family moves to a rundown residence near Oakworth railway station in Yorkshire. The children—Roberta (known as Bobbie), Phyllis, and Peter—find comfort in observing passing trains and form friendships with station porter Albert Perks and a senior gentleman who regularly boards the 9:15 train.

Mrs. Waterbury supports her family through writing and educating her children at home. When she becomes ill, Bobbie reaches out to the elderly gentleman, who promptly provides assistance. Later, with their mother’s guidance, the children help a displaced Russian author searching for his relatives. After averting a train disaster caused by a landslide by creating makeshift warning signals, the railway company rewards them with lifetime train passes and engraved watches.

The siblings also arrange a surprise birthday celebration for Mr Perks, who initially declines their generosity but eventually expresses gratitude. Discovering through old newspapers that their father was wrongfully convicted of spying, Mrs. Waterbury suspects a jealous coworker is responsible. Bobbie enlists the elderly gentleman’s aid once more; he becomes convinced of Charles’s innocence.

When a boy named Jim is injured during a paper chase near the railway tunnel, the children tend to him at home. Jim turns out to be the gentleman’s grandson and forms a close bond with Bobbie before returning home. Ultimately, Bobbie returns to the station to find her father freed and cleared of charges, joyfully reunited with his family at Three Chimneys.

End credits

During the credits, the entire cast breaks the fourth wall to perform a curtain call. The camera slowly tracks along railway tracks toward a steam locomotive adorned with flags where all cast members gather, waving and cheering. At the beginning of this sequence, a voice calls out "Thank you, Mr Forbes" in tribute to producer Bryan Forbes. The final shot shows Bobbie Waterbury holding up a small slate inscribed with "The End" in chalk.

Cast

Jenny Agutter as Roberta 'Bobbie' Waterbury
Sally Thomsett as Phyllis Waterbury
Gary Warren as Peter Waterbury
Dinah Sheridan as Mother, Mrs. Waterbury
Bernard Cribbins as Albert Perks
William Mervyn as the Old Gentleman
Iain Cuthbertson as Father, Charles Waterbury
Peter Bromilow as Doctor Forrest
Ann Lancaster as Ruth
Gordon Whiting as Russian
Beatrix Mackey as Aunt Emma
Deddie Davies as Mrs. Nell Perks
David Lodge as Band Leader
Christopher Witty as Jim
Brenda Cowling as Mrs. Hilda Viney
Paddy Ward as Cart Man
Erik Chitty as Photographer
Sally James as Maid
Dominic Allan as CID Man
Andy Wainwright as Desk Sergeant
Lionel Jeffries as Malcolm (Voice)
Richard Leech as Doctor (Voice)
Amelia Bayntun as Cook (uncredited)
Bob Cryer (Chairman of the K&WVR) as train guard (uncredited)
Paul Luty as Malcolm (uncredited)
Graham Mitchell (K&WVR Guard) as Train Guard (uncredited)

Previous adaptations

The story was first transformed into a radio play in 1943 and later adapted into a television serial in 1951 for Children's Hour, with Jean Anderson in the lead role. This 1951 script was subsequently revised for a 1957 television version, which was filmed along the now-defunct Cranleigh line, featuring Anderson once again. In 1968, a seven-episode TV series aired with an updated script and starred Jenny Agutter, utilizing the Oakworth station on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway as a filming location.

Development

Lionel Jeffries came across the novel while returning from the United States during the production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Borrowed from his daughter, he admired the story’s tone despite differences in character traits. Jeffries identified a gap in family-oriented cinema and saw potential to develop such content.

He obtained film rights under a six-month option for £300 and penned a screenplay that remained true to E. Nesbit’s original narrative. Financing was provided by producer Bryan Forbes at EMI Films, who was an advocate for family-friendly movies and encouraged Jeffries to take on directing duties. This project became part of Forbes’s first—and ultimately only—production slate at EMI.

Jeffries recognized the challenge of creating a Victorian-era film that contrasted with prevailing cinematic trends but aimed to deliver an authentic representation akin to a documentary of that period.

Casting

Although 20 years old, Sally Thomsett was cast as the 11-year-old Phyllis. Her contract included clauses preventing disclosure of her actual age and forbade smoking or alcohol consumption on set. Seventeen-year-old Jenny Agutter portrayed Roberta, her older sister, reprising the role she had performed in the 1968 BBC Television adaptation. Gary Warren took on the role of their brother Peter. Dinah Sheridan played Mother, while Bernard Cribbins was chosen as Perks the porter; director Jeffries selected Cribbins for his "lovely calm comedy" style instead of assuming the part himself.

Filming locations

Drawing inspiration from the BBC’s 1968 version, Lionel Jeffries selected the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) to represent the fictional "Great Northern and Southern Railway." At that time, heritage railways were scarce in Britain; KWVR was unique in offering a tunnel necessary for several key scenes. To enhance its appearance, canvas extensions were temporarily added to make the tunnel seem longer.

Four preserved locomotives from Worth Valley Railway featured prominently: MSC67 served as the local engine; 5775 (L89) portrayed the Old Gentleman’s engine; 52044 (preserved as L&Y 957) represented 'The Green Dragon' express; and 4744 (69523/1744) played the "Scotch Flyer." These engines were painted in liveries inspired by historical railway companies of the era. As of 2021, locomotive 957 had returned to service following an overhaul; 5775 was undergoing refurbishment; 4744 remained under maintenance; and 67 was exhibited at Middleton Railway.

Period-appropriate rolling stock from Metropolitan and London and North Eastern railways appeared throughout, predominantly adorned in white and maroon colors reminiscent of the Caledonian Railway. The Old Gentleman’s Saloon was actually a North Eastern Railway Director’s Saloon, currently reserved mainly for special events at KWVR.

Additional filming sites included "Three Chimneys," located in Oxenhope near Oxenhope station; Doctor Forrest’s surgery scenes were shot at the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth; children’s bridge sequences took place at Wycoller, close to Colne. Mytholmes Tunnel near Haworth featured prominently, including scenes such as the memorable landslide filmed nearby. Visitors can access a tourist brochure titled "The Railway Children Walks," available at KWVR stations and Haworth Tourist Centre.

Scenes depicting the Waterburys’ London residence were filmed at 4 Gainsborough Gardens in Hampstead, situated in north-west London.

Box office

In 1971, the movie secured the ninth position at the UK box office and managed to recover its production expenses within the domestic market. It stood out as one of the rare profitable projects during Bryan Forbes's leadership at EMI Films, yielding a profit of £52,000 by June 1972. By 1994, Forbes stated that the film had generated profits exceeding £1 million.

Critical reception

The film has been met with overwhelmingly positive acclaim since its debut, maintaining a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Home media

To commemorate its 40th anniversary, a Blu-ray and DVD edition was released on 5 May 2010, showcasing a digitally restored print alongside fresh interviews with Sally Thomsett, Jenny Agutter, and Bernard Cribbins. A director's commentary by Lionel Jeffries was intended but remained unfinished due to his passing in February 2010.

Awards and nominations

The Railway Children earned three nominations at the 24th British Academy Film Awards: Bernard Cribbins for Best Supporting Actor, Sally Thomsett for Best Newcomer in a Leading Role, and Johnny Douglas for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music. Despite these nods, all awards were ultimately claimed by contenders from films such as Kes and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Merchandise

Hornby Railways released a 00 gauge train set featuring a London, Midland and Scottish Railway 0–6–0 tank engine in GN&SR colours, accompanied by two period-specific coaches and a station model. Currently, Bachmann Branchline offers a more precise 00 gauge set that includes a GWR 5700 Class locomotive painted in GN&SR brown livery, two LMS Period I maroon and white carriages, plus a replica of Oakworth station.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary in 2010, Jim Shipley authored The Making of the Railway Children, which explores filming experiences and local interviews. An updated second edition was released in 2012 featuring additional details about actor Gary Warren’s subsequent life.

BBFC complaint

In 2013, the British Board of Film Classification received concerns claiming the film might promote children trespassing on railway lines. The BBFC acknowledged that while the children did trespass, their intent was to alert an oncoming train to a landslide ahead. Another scene depicted them walking along tracks to reach the station. The BBFC also pointed out that the film is set during the Edwardian era, when railway restrictions were less stringent.

Legacy

The film has left an enduring mark on British cinema and its viewers. In 1999, it was placed 66th by the British Film Institute (BFI) in its list of the Top 100 British films. Total Film ranked it as the 46th greatest British film of the twentieth century in 2004. The BFI also featured it in their 2005 compilation titled 'The 50 films you should see by the age of 14'. In 2008, it achieved 30th place on Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest Family Films, positioned ahead of Monsters, Inc. but behind Men in Black and Ghostbusters.

A restored digital version premiered at the Bradford International Film Festival on 28 March 2010 to mark its four-decade milestone.

Jenny Agutter returned to participate in a new television adaptation of The Railway Children in 2000, portraying Mother. Promotional efforts highlighted her involvement across productions separated by a generation.

In 2021, BBC Radio 4 aired The Saving of Albert Perks, a monologue featuring an adult Roberta revisiting Oakworth accompanied by two Jewish refugee children from Nazi Germany's Kindertransport.

Sequel

Filming for a follow-up, titled The Railway Children Return, commenced in May 2021, featuring Jenny Agutter and taking place primarily around Oakworth. The film was officially released on 15 July 2022.

External links

Locomotive MSC67