The following dialogue is from alt.railroad.steam. Seems to me that
histo presto authenticity in rolling architecture is as controversial,
for some folks, as for static architecture.

"Saw a trailer for the film when I was in the local cinema last night for
Gosford Park.

Interesting how in this trailer Charlotte is seen managing to travel over
Glenfinnan Viaduct behind the KI No 2005 before it was built, and is seen
attempting to blow up a BR Standard 9F that the Nazis have managed to
commandeer from the French before the British even built it!!!  Nice clips
of the K1 and the 9F though - can any of the Video companies over here
persuade the producers to release some of the miles of film they will have
shot, but not used, for us steam fans to see.

Hope the military hardware is a bit more authentic or should we anticipate
the Royal Air Force to be flying Buccaneers and V Bombers too!"

~ reply
"With most films, it is easy to detect historical inaccuracy, but I think
that this is the wrong focus for railway enthusiasts.  I give all credit to
directors who make the best representation possible within the limitations
of vanished equipment and locations 60 years later.

My own criticism is for the novel in which the main plot point was the
Irish terrorists sneaking into England inside the tender of the steam loco
carrying the international soccer team across Irish Sea on a train ferry.

IIRC the film 'Cassandra Crossing' was very much pulp: purporting to be
Europe, but very USA (or Canada?), both in equipment and ethos."

~ reply
"Is it that difficult to find stuff that at least looks foreign, rather than
British?   If it had looked vaguely foreign I probably wouldn't have noticed
as I have only an outline knowledge of overseas prototypes.  I could tell
you that a locomotive was probably French if I saw one but not whether it
was built pre or post war and so would accept the situation.

However when it shouts wrong period and/or wrong country, rather than
looking as if they haven't tried, I feel we can criticise.  The film makers
spend a considerable amount of money on trying to get things to look
authentic but some howlers still creep through.

The classic of all time I feel has to be the power station quite clearly
visible in the background in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines,
that you feel they should have noticed.!!"

XXX

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