Goodnight Mister Tom
Contents
Filming on the SVR
The fictional village in the book is Little Weirwold, although in the film the station had a 'Weirwold' running in board which may be seen in the screenshots below.
Filming on the SVR mainly took place at Arley. The locomotive used was GWR Mogul 7325, 'weathered' in an attempt to camouflage the post-War BR livery.[2]
The train which brings a group of evacuees including William to Little Weirwold at the outbreak of the War consisted of 7335 and three GWR carriages, 5883, 9654 and 1086. It is first seen travelling north in open countryside before entering platform 2 at Weirwold (Arley). After the evacuees decamp, the train is seen leaving the station northbound.
The train arrives
Evacuees on the platform as the train leaves
Some months later, at the time of the Dunkirk evacuation, William is summoned back to London by his mother. The train to collect him arrives at Weirwold’s Platform 1 travelling southbound, 7325 having been turned to face chimney first again.
The return train arrives
The train pulls to a stop watched by William and Tom
Tom, standing by the Weirwold running in board, watches the train depart
After he boards, the train leaves Weirwold travelling southbound. A busy London station was needed for the next scene, with Loughborough station on the Great Central Railway being chosen. The same coaches were used; however 7325 was not able to follow the film crews. Instead, 7325's number plates were temporarily transferred to GCR resident 'Modified Hall' 6990 Witherslack Hall, with a number of other differences being visible to the experienced eye!
7325 (6960) arrives in London (Loughborough)
Knowing that William has previously been abused at home and having received no news from him for some weeks, Tom travels to London to seek him out. The night time arrival of his train in London again featured 6990 as 7325 filmed at Loughborough.
There is a final scene with 7325 again seen arriving at Platform 2 at Weirwold travelling northbound.
2019 re-creation
During the "Step Back to the 1940s" event in June/July 2019, 7325 was available for footplate visits and photographs outside for the first time in many years when displayed in the dock platform at Kidderminster. The platform included a "Weirwold" running in board in tribute to the film.