For those with any interest in this, I think I have tracked down the Station at the end of the film. There is this interesting link on the films creation (
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9cW ... el&f=false) which suggests that the opening and closing train sequences were appropriated from earlier filmings with the 'saucy' part inserted between
(thanks to Stephen Lea (Alias Compound on RMWeb) for this)
I think there is a good case to be argued that the station is that at Eshalt .... (thanks to Simon alias 6571 on RMWeb)
The fact that the trains are different entering the tunnel at the start and leaving at the end would support this reading and suggest that the entry tunnel could be at a completely different location filmed on a differrent day etc etc.
Stephen has also had a go at breaking the two trains down ....
It goes in a 0-4-4T and comes out a 4-4-0! I've not seen this version of The Kiss in the Tunnel before - stunning Midland footage!
The carriages fascinate me, of course. All six-wheelers. The first train is, from the engine:
D504 third brake
D493 third
2 x 29 ft 4-compartment first of 1875
2 x D493 third
D504 third brake
The 29 ft firsts are interesting vehicles. They date from Clayton's first years as Midland C&W Superintendent, before the Litchurch Lane works were opened. During this period, large numbers of carriages were ordered from outside builders, including these, 50 of which were built by Metropolitan and 50 by Ashburys. They were the outcome of a bit of a saga, beginning with them being ordered as 5-compartment third class carriages. Built as 4-wheelers, they were converted to 6-wheelers c. 1880. Many other carriages built around the same time were renewed in 1898-1900 (by square light clerestory stock) but these firsts continued in use into the 20th century [Lacy & Dow, Vol. 1 pp 51-52]. They can be readily distinguished in train photos by their lower roofs (10 ft radius giving 7'1" internal height at centre compared to 8 ft radius, 7'4" internal height for carriages built from c. 1880) and individual steps to the doors, rather than continuous upper footboard. The ones in the film have been given gas lighting. The fact that there were so many of these firsts goes some way to explain why, when 31 ft 6-wheelers were being built in the 1880s, there were a great many D493 thirds and D504 third brakes but only 200 D516 composites - very little first class accommodation.
The rear third brake has footsteps in a diagonal line across the carriage end, with a long handrail on the roof - the latter can be seen on the other carriages too. This indicates that they have steps at each end and standard long buffers - i.e. not a close-coupled set.
The second train is made up of a pair of close coupled sets. Looking at the leading D504 third brake, there is a short handrail on the roof and a curved handrail on the carriage end. This indicates that there are steps on both sides in an inverted V - compare Lacy & Dow, Vol. 2 p. 268, fig. 346, showing train of close coupled 6-wheelers at Castle Bromwich. (The close-coupled ends had no steps.) The next two carriages are 4-compartment firsts but with a continuous footboard. This indicates that they are to D292, 30 ft firsts built in 1883 for close coupled (short buffered) trains. Apart from being a foot shorter, it has all the standard features of the 31 ft 6-wheelers including the higher roof. (I'm trying to work out how to make one for a Birmingham set by slicing up Slaters 6-wheeler parts.) The full makeup of the train, from the engine, is:
D504 third brake
2 x D292 first
D493 third
D504 third brake
D504 third brake
2 x D292 first
D493 third
D504 third brake
i.e. two identical close-coupled sets. The bulk of the short-buffered carriages were built to Lots 73-75 in 1883, being allocated to Leeds & Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester South District, Otley-Ilkley, and Sheffield. More short-buffered thirds and third brakes were built up to 1892 but no more firsts. From the quantities built, Lacy & Dow reconstruct the formations of the sets for the various areas [Vol. 2 p. 264]. The photo p. 268 confirms BT/T/F/T/BT for the Birmingham area; I've recently seen a photo of a K&WV train made up BT/T/F/F/T/BT, which looks like one of the Otley -Ilkley sets. I suspect that the nine-coach Leeds-Bradford sets and the ten coach Manchester sets were found to be insufficiently flexible and so may have been re-formed using additional third brakes to make shorter sets such as the BT/F/F/T/BT sets we see in the film. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to help to narrow the location down between the West Riding (where the film makers were based) or the Peak Forest or Dore & Totley lines, where the Manchester sets might have ventured.
The 4-4-0 is a 6'6" slide-valve engine. I'm inclined to think its one of the first series, 1312 Class. Above footplate level, the frames don't seem to me to extend very far forward from the smokebox. According to Summerson Vol. 3, in 1892, 1902, and 1908 the 1312 Class were all at Liverpool. Not sure how this helps with identification...
Fascinating stuff
when it was first on the go as they had not been oiled properly and the bearings have become worn and this showed as a fine brass dust on the surface of the wheels, the nickel silver coupling rods being of a harder material. At least it was that way around - easier to replace bearings than rods!
