Phil Collins goes train robbing in the Midlands
midlandsmovies • June 16, 2020
Phil Collins goes train robbing in the Midlands
With a brand-new remastered edition of Buster coming to BluRay this month, we take a look back at the 80s film and its unlikely production connection with the Midlands region.
The British comedy Buster was a surprisingly controversial film when it was released in 1988 where musician Phil Collins starred as real-life Great Train Robber Buster Edwards.
Accused of glamorising crime – which resulted in Prince Charles and Diana avoiding the premiere, at Collins’ advice no less – it also featured a famous soundtrack with two huge hit singles. Written by Collins, "Loco in Acapulco" was performed by the Four Tops and his own performance of his track "Two Hearts" even received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
The film played loosely with facts and transformed Edwards into a loveable rogue who, in 1960s Britain, worked as part of an East End gang who robbed a Royal Mail train of £2.6 million. But Edwards, along with a number of his counterparts, subsequently fled abroad to avoid the authorities, and for a time lived the life of riley off the proceeds.
And in the film, the real Buster Edwards in fact plays a small cameo seen walking out of an airport with his girlfriend, played by Phil Collins’ wife (!). Not the most subtle rebuttal of criminal behaviour.
Yet with strong support from the likes of Julie Walters, Larry Lamb and Sheila Hancock, the film was a success. But although the film’s exciting train robbery scenes are set in the real location of the heist in Buckinghamshire, it was in fact shot in the Midlands on the Great Central Railway.
The Great Central Railway (GCR) is a heritage railway in Leicestershire and is named after the company that originally built the stretch of railway. Running for just over 8 miles between Loughborough and the north of Leicester, the track provided a perfect location to recreate the retro heist.
With period signalling, locomotives and rolling stock, it’s the only double track mainline heritage railway in the world giving it even more realism for films set in the past.
The GCR’s website explains how it has “an extensive collection of steam and diesel locomotives, passenger carriages, freight wagons – even a post office train”. Perfect for the robbery in Buster in fact!
Filmed at Swithland Sidings, the original type of locomotive involved in the Great Train Robbery had been withdrawn from service and scrapped by the time of filming. A sister locomotive D306 (40106) had also been withdrawn but had been preserved by enthusiasts on the GCR.
“But I’ve never heard of it” I can hear you say. Never heard of it? Well, we bet you have seen a film or TV series situated on the railway line at some point. TV’s The Crown has scenes set on the line whilst Ricky Gervais’ Cemetery Junction (2009) significantly featured the track and its stations.
Control (2007) which was also filmed partly in Nottingham had a number of scenes on the GCR and other films made on the line include The Hours (2002) with Nicole Kidman, Enigma (2001) and Shadowlands (1994) with Anthony Hopkins.
Again, bringing it back to the Midlands, the recent 2018 biographical comedy-drama Stan & Ollie about the lives of double-act Laurel and Hardy was partly filmed in Birmingham theatres, but its train station scenes were again filmed on this adaptable historical railway.
Fancy a visit in the future? Well, each of the stations between Loughborough and Leicester have plenty of additional attractions at each location. Loughborough has a café, emporium, retail outlet, ticket office, Loco Shed and museum. Quorn has a café, turntable and restored cattle docks. Rothley has a miniature railway, the C & W works and a café. And Leicester North has a platform café and here you can see the train change ends.
A filmmaker yourself and want to use the line? Well, it’s not too much of a stretch and you could get the chance to film on diesel locomotives, railcars and modern carriages, as well as those that were used in the 50s, 60's and 70s. Shoots could also include other additions seen on the line including over and under bridges, a level crossing, a tunnel and cuttings and embankments.
Please call to arrange a visit to the railway on 01509 632 315 or email at filming@gcrailway.co.uk
Back to Buster however. In the end, it mostly avoided a critical mauling and we can only wonder what would have happened if Phil Collins-lookalike Bob Hoskins, the actor the production originally had in mind, had taken on the role. But it was Collins, who was in fact a childhood actor who had attended the Barbara Speake Stage School and appeared on a stage version of Oliver as the Artful Dodger, who surprisingly nailed the role.
Especially since he gave up acting as a young man after saying he knew he was a better drummer than he was an actor!
Buster: The Special Digitally Remastered Edition is available on BluRay from the end of June 2020
Michael Sales
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