Spotlight on the Railways

Series

Series Name

Rhodesian Spotlight

Issue

Issue No.

52

Length of issue (in feet)

808

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1Research in Agriculture
2. 2New Northern Producer
3. 3Tea From Nyasaland
4. 4Farming as a Fine Art
5. 5Spotlight on the Railways

Story

Story No. within this Issue

5 / 5

Summary

Rhodesian Spotlight synopsis: A survey of Railway progress includes the work of the Central Training Centre where pupils include Italians and Greeks the hude task of maintenance , the building of the new Lounge-Diner combinations, and innovations on the Wankie Section which include Central Traffic Control.
Rhodesian Spotlight Commentary - This week the Spotlight falls on the Rhodesian Railways, the organisation which really tries its hardest though probably earning more kicks than Wappence. Well the Railways of course have a tremendous job to do and here we get a glimpse of how young trainees are introduced to the practical side of their training. They learn, the various parts of an engine and the function they fulfil.
Although it is only 2 years old, 1400 recruits have already passed through the railway training centre at Raylton, getting a thorough training covering a wealth of subjects bearing on Railway operation. This centralised training scheme has met with unqualified success. Recruiting is a problem in an expanding country requiring expanding Railway services and a number of Italian and Greek immigrants are receiving lessons in English, in addition to their railway training. The indications are that these young men from foreign lands will become first class railwaymen.
Another major problem of the Railways is of course maintenance. The life of engines and rolling stock is measured in hundreds of thousands of miles. But periodic complete overhauls, though costly and comprehensive, are thoroughly worthwhile and economic in the long run. Engines are completely dismantled, overhauled and reassembled.
Even the steel wheels, which one might imagine to be indestructible, have to be put into lathes periodically and tuned up, to save unnecessary wear and tear on the permanent way, and to provide comfort. And so it is with a thousand and one parts which the workshops have to keep in tip-top operating condition. Coaches, the part of the Railways we come into contact with most closely, have to undergo similar treatment. True they are not dismantled so drastically, but they provide the workshops with numerous tasks to keep them in trim.
We can give full marks to the Railways for designing and building combination lounge - diners for Europeans, and composite diners for Europeans and Africans each planned for different kinds of run. They will certainly being a new touch of luxury to long-distance travel. The first lounge-dining combination is already in service to the North. The lounge car is ideally suited to comfortable conviviality - a welcome escape from the compartment, and there is more scope for conviviality at the modern cocktail car - ideal for an aperitif on the way to a meal in the diner.
For further innovations we enter a new tunnel, on our way to Wankie’s new station. This today is one of the Railway’s most interesting sections. Not only are there new stations and tunnels but a new system of operation is being introduced. Central Traffic Control is being put into 200 miles of the line between Bulawayo and the Falls. Signals and points will be operating from Dett. This intricate system when installed will be largely automatic with numerous built in safety devices to make it virtually fool proof. It will even think for itself and refuse to operate unless it is safe to do so. Phones along the line will be available to drivers to get in touch with control, and it’s a long way on the road towards Railway automation. Along a 200 mile stretch, the press of a switch will operate unseen signals and points resulting in fewer delays and speedier operation.
So all in all the Railway story is a story of enterprise, and long term plans to move more goods and passengers over greater distances with greater efficiency.

Keywords

Railways

Written sources

Movietone boxfile no.1   Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Central African Film Unit

Length of story (in feet)

382

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name

British Film Institute (BFI)

Email

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nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk

Web

http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web

Phone

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Fax

020 7580 7503

Address

21 Stephen Street
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Notes

The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).

Series held

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