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British Transport Films


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British Transport Commission (BTC)

British Transport Films was set up in 1949 by the British Transport Commission to make films about the general subject of transport. Its work included internal training films, travelogues, and industrial films promoting the progress on Britain's railways. Initially it made its films for the British Transport Commission. With nationalisation the two film units maintained by two of the Big Four railway companies (the LMS and the Southern Railway) were amalgamated into the new British Transport Films and their work continued. The other two Big Four companies had produced films but had employed external film units.

British Transport Films

But when the British Transport Commission was broken up in 1963 British Transport Films came under the auspices of the British Rail Board and so made films about the railways. However it also made films for London Transport, British Waterways, Thomas Cook (the travel company) and Thomas Tilling buses. British Transport Films continued to make films throughout the 1970s and 80s. But the tide was turning against nationalised industries and film units. Therefore in 1981, its film library closed and British Transport Films ceased to exist as a production unit in 1982. However its name continued to be used on internal films by British Rail until around 1986.

As a result the film archive was handed to its prospective owners. Railway films went to British Rail. But on the demise of the British Rail Board with privatisation, these passed on to the British Film Institute. London Transport films passed to the London Transport Museum and those for British Waterways to that organisation.

British Transport Films
www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk

British Film Institute (BFI)
www.bfi.org.uk

BFI Screenonline
www.screenonline.org.uk

London Transport Museum
www.ltmuseum.co.uk

British Waterways
www.britishwaterways.co.uk

Huntley Film Archives
www.huntleyarchives.com

British Pathe Ltd
www.britishpathe.com
        (c) The AJN Transport Britain Collection 2008                                                                                                                                                                                 A TRANSPORT BRITAIN WEBSITE