A Steam Train Passes- DVD Review.

A Steam Train Passes, is a short film made in 1974. Here's a review by me-

The film starts off with a newsreel clip from 1943. It is of 3801 being built. It is titled "Monarch of the Rails" and what a name, for a clip about a C38! We see 3801, completely grey, blasting out of Sydney on one of it's first trips! The newsreel clip finishes with 3801 pouring into the night, with two raucous, but beautiful, blows of it's whistle.

The film goes from 1943 to 1974 and it is now at the now demolished Enfield Roundhouse. A cat strolls past loco 1709 and all is silent, until the fireman of famous loco 3801 comes to light up its fire. This is done and the big green giant stirs and starts to hiss. Soon the loco is awake and the fireman feeds the furnace coal. The driver checks the engine and give a signal to the fireman that all is well. The driver then climbs aboard 3801, releases the brakes and opens the regulator. 3801 begins to move out of the roundhouse and on to the turntable. '01 is turned and drifts onto the mainline, steaming past rusted steam locomotives to collect it's train.

Now 3801 is speeding out of Sydney, with a chorus of whistles. It steam through the outer Sydney suburbs and its black smoke can be seen over the houses. The gleaming iron horse steams across the Hawksbury River Bridge and in this special scene, the camera is on the front of 3801 (looking up to the nosecone) and the engine is going so fast that the camera is slightly shaking!

3801 is soon in the country side, steaming past fields. A man is waiting at a country station, waiting for 3801, but when the 38 comes, it does not stop. It blocks the view of the man and when it passes, the man is mysteriously gone! 3801 comes to a water tower and takes on water. As this is happening the driver cooks breakfast (Bacon & eggs) on the worlds hottest stove- the furnace of a steam train. The next stop for 3801 is a station next to a pub. Some world war 2 solders are having drinks in the pub, but when the steam train comes they run off to try and catch it. But they are to late, 3801's whistle blows and it steams off. It passes a church, that is being used for a wedding.

It is getting dark and a signalman (in polona signal box) is about to have his tea. He hears the sound of 3801 and goes out to give the signal that all is clear for it to go on. 3801 screams past him into the night. It is now completely dark and people are waiting in a waiting room on another country station. They hear the whistle of 3801 and walk out onto the station. The people board the train and 3801 steams off. As it chugs into the darkness, we see the man that was waiting on the station earlier, that disappeared and the WW2 solders that missed the train, both on the train! How did they get on!?

This film is very famous. I highly recommend it to anybody (even non train enthusiasts)!