The Thirty Nine Steps

Film poster for The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)

The Thirty Nine Steps was a 1978 film featuring Robert Powell as Richard Hannay. During the film Hannay flees to Scotland on a train, but is forced to make a daredevil escape on a bridge after police board the train.

Contents

Filming on the SVR

The escape scene was filmed on Victoria Bridge using LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443 (in MR livery as No 644) and five of the SVR's LMS carriages with 'Midland' stickers applied. The scene also featured the first film speaking part for an SVR 'extra' - the driver shouting out "Come on, there's another train due, come on!" was the SVR's John Price. Another SVR volunteer, Barrie Geens, played the part of a policeman during the search on the train, for which he was paid £7 a day for the week, plus "lots of free food".

Earlier scenes for the film were also shot on the SVR. These included Hannay boarding the train (filmed on the island platform at Bewdley), the train on the journey north filmed crossing Oldbury Viaduct, and passing through a station at speed (Bewdley again). The train is then stopped at another station (Highley) where the police come aboard the train.

A television spin-off Hannay, also featuring Robert Powell, was filmed on the SVR during 1987.

Gallery

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  Robert Powell as Richard Hannay hanging from the underside of Victoria Bridge

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  SVR volunteer John Price as the driver during filming

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  Preparations for filming at Victoria Bridge

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  SVR volunteer Barrie Geens as a policeman during filming

See also

List of film and TV productions filmed on the Severn Valley Railway

Links

The Thirty Nine Steps on the Internet Movie Database
Stills taken from the film on ReelStreets.com