Foyles War

[Mags22]

Watching a repeat last night and thought that the Triumph motorcycle a guy was working on was a later model than the era represented,3 number,3 letter number plate?

[Jomlett]

Either this talkboard or another has recently mentioned 3 number/letter reg plates and the reply was 1932 when the 3,3 started.

[Mamyalynne]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Motoring/Question1349920.html

[Jomlett]

Thanks, Mamya. I'll use Search next time!

[Mick-the-Miller]

It's a drama series not a documentary - I imagine the Producers try to make it as authentic as possible but they can't be expected to get every detail correct!

[New Judge]

There are some particularly huge gaffs when it comes to trains and producers often get minor details with other transport wrong - particularly London buses. There are not many roadworthy London buses from pre-1945 and they often use those produced just after the war. Needs must.

[inksplotter]

You and Foyle could make a good team, New Judge. He arrests them, you sentence them.

[New Judge]

I don't think the current sentencing guidelines would suit the 1940s, inky !

[heathfield]

One of my pet grumbles is seeing trains with British Railways color schemes and logos when a story on TV is supposed to be taking place in pre-nationalisation days.

[Ken4155]

Mick The Miller; ".....they can't be expected to get every detail correct!" I beg to differ, of course they can. I dare say the researchers are quite highly paid personnel and, with information literally at their fingertips, they ought to be expected to get details bang on in period dramas.

[New Judge]

The problem is, Ken, that a lot of the required vehicles, especially for dramas set in earlier times, are simply not available. I have already mentioned the pre-1945 London bus problem.

Heathfield's gripe with railway liveries is particularly relevant. But once again, despite the vast number of heritage railways operating across the country, to get a locomotive, carriage set (not to mention a station or two) which precisely maps the area and the era is extremely difficult. Many heritage railways use post-nationalisation rolling stock (it's more robust, more plentiful and easier to maintain under heavy usage). All in all it's very difficult. I work as a volunteer on one of the country's foremost heritage railways which is used for a lot of filming work. The producers do all they can to get their scenes as authentic as they can, but they usually have to sacrifice some authenticity for the sake of practicality and, of course, cost. As an example, despite being set in Yorkshire, railway scenes for the lavish (and presumably high budget) Downton Abbey are filmed on the Bluebell Railway in East Sussex. "Downton" station is in fact the railway's Horsted Keynes station. Everything there is painted in Southern Railway green and cream and is mainly representative of the railway's appearance in the 1930s and 40s. They usually use a locomotive more representative of the Downton period though not one which would have been seen in Yorkshire. Carriages used in scenes in the last series were actually the railway's "Chesham" set which, before saving for preservation, actually ran on the Metropolitan Line of London's Undergound!!

It would nearly always possible to obtain the authentic motive power and rolling stock as there is plenty available across the country representing nearly all geographical areas and eras. But the cost of doing so for a day or two of filming is prohibitive. Most producers and location managers concentrate on what they think are the important aspects of their scenes because they know that there are not too many "enthusiasts" like us who will pick holes in their productions !!!