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Title: DIAMONDS WERE FOREVER: A Celebration of Glasgow Steam

Reference number: 6861

Date: 1989

Director: d. Eddie McConnell

Sponsor: Channel Four

Producer: Eddie McConnell

Production company: International Film Associates (Scotland) Limited (IFA)

Sound: sound

Colour: bwcol

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 50.49 mins

Description: A television documentary shown on Channel 4 about the North British Locomotive Company based in Springburn, Glasgow and its influence across the globe.

Credits: with special thanks to Glasgow District Libraries, The Mitchell Library, Springburn Library, Scottish Film Archive, Murray and Barbara Grigor, Glasgow Museum of Transport and Mark O'Neill, Gerard Hutchison
original music by Nicky Ash
excerpts from Symphony No. 1 'The Titan' by Gustav Mahler
additional music Las Voces del Tiempo
research Murdoch Nicolson
photography Mark Littlewood, Norrie Halley, David Oldney, Eddie McConnell
camera assistants Alan Stewart, Bruce Phillips
gaffer electrician Alex MacKenzie
sound recordists Phil Croal, Stewart Bruce, Geoff White
film ed. Bert Eeles
dubbing ed. Neil Castell
dubbing mixer Richard King
p. man. Eric Coulter
narrated by Ron Donachie
written by Douglas Eadie
p. and d. Eddie McConnell
an International Film Associates (Scotland) Limited Production
Copyright Channel 4 1989

Shotlist: [shotlisted from VHS copy]

Warning: The copyright in this video will be infringed by unauthorised copying, broadcasting, transmitting to subscribers in a diffusion service and by causing it to be seen or heard in public. Panamint Cinema.DIAMONDS WERE FOREVER (1989) Directed by Eddie McConnell as seen on Channel 4. Courtesy McConnell Film Associates.

(0.00) [COL] steam train pulling out of station LNER 2005. West Highland Line Loch Eil. gvs and aerials, much filmed in the style of a 'phantom ride' (3.20) DIAMONDS WERE FOREVER: A Celebration of Glasgow Steam (3.30) shot of steam carriage '761' running along track, as seen in c/u from the alongside (3.39) Murdoch Nicolson Technical Librarian gvs Murdoch sitting in office consulting the Archives of the North British Locomotive Company and its predecessors. He notes '28 thousand steam locomotives are catalogued here, by number, class and technical specification'. Shots of librarian looking at some of the Archive, preserved in the Mitchell Library, including a huge glass neative (4.14) the history of 'diamond plates' is explained, and then shows us one 'North British Locomotive Company 1950 No. 26514'. Consults various records (5.16) [BW] still of steam engine getting hauled onto ship (5.41) [COL] giant crane at Finnieston Dock and the Clyde beyond (5.56) [BW] still of Walter Neilston, Glasgow Engineer and entrepreneur, followed by stills of equipment, men in yard, locomotives (6.33) [COL] steam locomotive, the 'F.G. C.A. Lopez'. Various other engines running along track, possibly in Africa (?) (7.03) [BW still] Henry Dubs, works manager and partner, and then a still of James Reid (7.25) stills of Neilson, Dubs and Reid, the pioneers of Glasgow Steam. Stills of women who worked as tracers. Various still images are shown depicting the history of the company - including employees at the works, export of locomotives abroad, scenes across the world (9.40) photo of people who were supplied with locomotives from Glasgow - such as Chinese, heads of state, military leaders. Stills of Malayan railway, South America, includes a shot of Laurence of Arabia (11.52) [COL] steam locomotive running in desert-like landscape (12.28) c/u diamond badge on one red loco 'North British Locomotive Co. 1951 No. 27051' (12.34) [BW] still of loco 62063 pulling away slowly - commentary mentions that 'in 1963 the North British Locomotive Company went out of business' (12.47) [COL] Spring 1987, and gvs 'Straw Loco' made by George Wyllie in streets of Glasgow, gvs cheering crowds (13.24) i/v talking head with George Wyllie about his work(13.37) intercut with shot of the loco being craned on the Clyde (14.50) c/u question mark - why did locomotive building disappear from Springburn (15.00) [BW moving image] gvs engineering works, stamping hot metal, making engines. Commentary notes 'inflexible management bred inflexible workforce'. [COL] c/u moving wheels on a locomotive (16.18) Martha Miller Former Design Tracer i/v, including comment "we could feel the work drying up long before others" (16.35) Joseph MacKay (aged 91) Former Locomotive Worker interview (16.45) Robert Kenny Former Locomotive Worker i/v including comment 'the fact is you didn't appreciate the beauty and the value of the steam engine' (17.07) continued interviews (18.26) i/v George Wyllie interview (18.44) shot of locomotive wheels turning in workshop 'Highland Railway 103', an older man shows a smallboy around the loco on display, various c/u components shining (19.52) George Wyllie talks about growing up with his dad who was an engineer (20.05) loco moving along in c/u gvs as it pulls slowly into station and gvs platform. gvs various components, the coal being fed into the furnace. 'West Highlander' loco 'West Highlander 2005 LNER' shots of trainspotters with cameras (22.27) view as the steam train pulls away from station and along the tracks, aerial shot travelling along (22.55) different loco pulling past level crossing '45428' (23.29) Boat of Garten station, 'No 60' at platform 'Strathspey' and ints driver moving adjusting the control, hooting the whistle, shots as it moves along, as seen from putting head out drivers cabin, coal being loaded in (24.04) train moving along , aerial shot (24.32) unid. station, as it pulls to standstill (25.26) ints cafe on board train, looking through carriage window (25.39) steam train pulling away again (same one that just pulled in) gvs as it moves along track (26.15) gvs steam train moving along c/u wheels Steam Engine 'Maude' Built Glasgow 1891 - still going strong. Scottish Railway Preservation Society (27.37) loading the furnace with coal and further gvs moving along (28.42) George Wylie Sculptor talking head, regarding the human contact made when constructing something (29.04) [BW] making locos in the past, metalwork (29.28) [COL] getting aboard the loco. the stemtrain is like a big sculpture. talking head 'being exhibited all over the world' , some BW intercut footage (30.22) children abroad in Paraguay, where a loco is on tbe track '58 Republica del Paraguay' and the loco moving along there - gvs YPACARAI station [the wood burning locomotives built at Springburn still operate there] (32.08) gvs River Parana, between Paraguay and Argentina is only now being bridged [the area will be flooded and so will go the steam train and the ferry both built in Glasgow on the Paraguay side]. gvs people putting wood into the loco, a man from Great Britian has travelled wanting to see this, and other visitors (34.27) the engine loco train pulling away from ENCARNACION station gvs as it travels along. Some trainspotters take photos. Horse and cart taxis await to meet the travellers as they come off the train (38.05) sign reading City of Melbourne 'Welcome to our nuclear free zone' gvs 1988 Australian bi-centenary celebrations - the jewel in the crown of a Festival of Steam was the City of Melbourne. Exts Flinders Street Station. Ints various steam locos built in Glasgow, including 'R707 City Of Melbourne, whihc moves slowly along track. Gvs locomotive No 26997, North British Loco Co. is polished up and restored. Gvs as it pulls away and travels along railway line - shot taken from alongside as it moves at speed (44.02) driver is interviewed. gvs miniature railway, various locos on display, crowds (45.29) spectacular aerial shots of steam locos running along track alongside one another (48.22) static loco, model loco, on display in museum (49.01) librarian in office again, he locks a couple of the 'diamonds' away in his desk drawer (49.17) Commentary:- 'Take away the locos and there's nothing left, that was Springburn's life. Shot of a book closing, various BW still images of the works and the people who worked there ecs (50.49)