British Transport Films Vol 14: The Road Ahead

You get the impression that the BFI are scraping the barrel a bit with this selection. The late 70s are certainly not the "classic" years of the BTF. It's about a 50/50 split between good and dull. Some like Five in a Million or Speed the Payload are good. Electrification at Industrial Frequency is technical but interesting. The carriage cleaning film is good and contains many chemicals that are probably banned today. The HST coupling fim is still used today and has never been bettered. Diesel train driver is only part 2 of 4 but the other 3 are available elsewhere. Safe on the track is a silent teaching aid with a new soundtrack added. Without commentary its inclusion on this set is baffling! I've waited a long time to see Flashing Yellows but was thoroughly disappointed. A very low tech film using Hornby track and miniature home made signals.Safe at Work is a film containing a group of Bit-Part actors playing a group of senior managment discussing how to improve safety,I don't see any merit in including this film. The other films are the sort of slide show presentation type with commentary.Sadly Railbus for the 80s is one of these. It's interesting but a proper film would have been better.I'm hoping the BFI will continue releasing other BTF compilations as there are still some non DVD and unreleased gems in their archive.

Another great dvd from BFI. British Transport Films are for anyone with an interest in the railways of our country in the British Railways era.

The first listed of ‘14 films never before released on DVD’ to quote the blurb is ‘Contact with the Heart of England’.Very unfortunately for Vol 14 this film features in Vol 12.This seems incredibly sloppy.Doesn’t the BFI keep a list of films already issued ?I’m normally a great fan of the British Transport Film DVDs but for me the recent releases have emphasised too much the 1970s.Let us have more of the great films from the 50s and 60s ......... ‘Travel Game’ I remember seeing on TV, ‘The Lake District’ narrated by Sir Michael Redgrave or something on Sealink and the ferry services.

This is the 14th Volume that I have purchased from the British Film Industry of their British Transport Film series.A great film for transport fans showing how the British Railway system has evolved over the years through research and design. A great value for money purchase to add to your collection and hopefully there will be many more to come.

Only if you lived through the decades recorded will you understand the somewhat patronising tone of these short films. If you can overlook that then these films are a lovely record of railway life

Some absolutely ridiculouse and boring in the extreme articles. Would not have bought if I had known.

Another brilliant collection of films. If you're a railway enthusiast these are essential. It's fascinating to see the railways of yesteryear.

A good and varied overview of the later years of British Railways