Turning a Terrier in 1979...
Nick Jones explains...
"The engine was the 'Terrier' no 32678, formerly on display at Butlins, which had been chosen by the BBC to be in a period drama, the story of the wrongly convicted and hanged 'Wiltshire Murderess', Constance Kent. The filming took place at Crowcombe station, and, as far as the WSR was concerned, involved a down train arriving in the up platform, so the loco had to face chimney toward Minehead. I remember that Joss Ackland was one of the actors involved, but cannot recall any others of the cast. The scene had the actors arriving at Crowcombe and alighting. A small 'set' was built into one of the ex GWR camping coaches, to give the effect of a compartment interior."
"As the 'Terrier' was non-functional, motive power was provided at the rear of the train by, I think, one of the Park Royal DMUs. Obvously, the DMU was kept out of shot at the rear of the train. A smoke bomb was provided in the smokebox of the engine. I guess this would not have fooled may in the know about railways, but the effect was good enough for the programme's production team and, no doubt, the majority of viewers."
"Several of us on the railway at the time had been involved with the filming of the Southern TV series 'The Flockton Flyer', so we all felt quite used to the 'ways' of TV people. Everything was laid on for the loco to be turned to point the way that the crew wished several weeks in advance, but the actual turn could not take place until the end of the week immediately before the recording at Crowcombe.
The facilities arranger from the BBC - a chap called Jeremy Silberston - arrived at Minehead towards the end of that week to check that all was well, but he discovered that the engine still had not been turned. I remember being on the receiving end of a bit of an 'artistic tizzy' about this, providing one enduring memory from my time on the WSR! Anyway, as you can see, the loco did get turned, Harry Lee is pictured in charge of the event, which occurred early one morning."