Railway writing

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Enid Blyton was a great writer about railways. Whether going to school, coming home for the holidays, spook trains or toy trains, railways were often at the heart of her stories.

I am Plotting and Scheming, and it would help me greatly if all you lovely people would list what you consider to be some of the most memorable railway scenes, other than from the schools and F5 books.

All aboard for Toyland!

Viv

[Jen-Jen]

Hi Viv!
I'm a railway fan myself, and my favourite Blyton railway scene is in Secret Seven on the Trail- the whole mystery in that book is to do with trains. I just love it when the kids are in the shed building there own railway and playing with the farm sets and they suddenly come to the realisation that the 'trucks' in the note could refer to train trucks.

Also I have one of Enid's short stories at home that is about a boy who sees a carriage break away from the train and has to run all the way to the signal station to warn the guard there. I can't remember the title off the top of my head, but when I get home, I'll look it up for you.

And I've another one about a mischievious toy tunnel, that deliberately moves itself so that the train hits into it every time.

[Julian]

There is a short-story called The Train That Broke in Half in The Smugglers' Caves and Other Stories about a shy and timid boy who likes the watch the railway grounds and then "saves" a train...

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Hi Viv!
I'm a railway fan myself, and my favourite Blyton railway scene is in Secret Seven on the Trail- the whole mystery in that book is to do with trains. I just love it when the kids are in the shed building there own railway and playing with the farm sets and they suddenly come to the realisation that the 'trucks' in the note could refer to train trucks.
.

Yes -that is a terrific one. I read it again last night. Can anyone else come up with some more train scenes? (Book and chapter reference would be helpful!)

Thanks

Viv

[Julie2owlsdene]

I remember when I was around 11, reading a book,( Blyton, as I didn't read anything else,) and she described the small scenic railway journey from Carbis Bay to St Ives. I can't even remember now exactly which book it was. But that railway has lovely scenery. It actually goes from St Erth to St Ives, and goes by the sea. Now and then they put steam on it. As a kid I remember steam journey's they were the best. Both my hubby and myself enjoy riding the steam trains from Swanage to Corfe Castle, and before they were damaged in the floods, the Severn Valley Railway.

[Lucky Star]

The Sea of Adventure has a wonderful description of the train journey up to Scotland. It begins on the platform and covers sleeping and eating on board a train. Its the one where Lucy-Ann explains her fear that the train might come in two when crossing from one carriage to another. Thats something that probably would'nt apply to todays modern trains but I vividly remember having the same apprehension as a child on the train home from school.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Hi Viv,

Reprints of A Non Stop Run (Birn Brothers, 1929) were available at this year’s Enid Blyton Day. The book consists of short stories, articles and poems which contain a wealth of information about railways in the 1920s.

Train trips feature in many of the Barney (or “R”) Mysteries and Blyton makes some interesting comments about trains being delayed waiting for a connection, or about carriages being shunted off during the course of a journey:

The Rockingdown Mystery – In Chapter 2, Roger and Diana go to meet Snubby at the station and there are some delightful descriptions of a train “giving itself a little shake” before starting off, and then “steaming off importantly.” Snubby doesn’t turn up, having caught a bus when the train had to wait for a connection at a previous station.

The Rilloby Fair Mystery – Chapter 2 has Snubby getting into conversation with an elderly gentleman on a train – a very entertaining episode.

The Rubadub Mystery – In Chapter 3, Snubby describes how carriages are shunted off or added during the train journey, and Diana remarks that Snubby makes it sound “like a maths problem.” Then Roger joins in and Miss Pepper remarks, “This sounds like a riddle now…If we shunt off six and add two, and leave five somewhere, and forget to take on the rest, please tell me the name of the engine-driver!”


A few more:

The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage – In the chapter “Very Strange Discoveries” (the chapters are not numbered in my edition), we learn that steam-trains slow down and stop on a piece of track near Peterswood, probably to get water.

The Castle of Adventure – In Chapter 13, Jack and co. hurry to catch the train from the station near their holiday cottage. Blyton writes, “But they needn’t have hurried, really, for the leisurely little country train always waited for anybody coming along the road.” It is twenty miles to the nearest town, and the train takes an hour to get there.

“Hurry Secret Seven, Hurry!” is a short story involving a train. It was first published in Enid Blyton’s Magazine Annual No. 4 (1957) and was reprinted in The Big Enid Blyton Book (Hamlyn, 1961.) The Secret Seven have to try to open the gates at a level-crossing to let a train through and prevent an accident. We’re told that the train is the six-fifteen, and that Colin’s father is on it.

Some of Enid Blyton’s fantasy books and short stories contain details of bizarre train trips. In The Enid Blyton Book of Brownies (in the chapter called “Their Adventure on the Green Railway”), Hop, Skip and Jump go on a train and end up driving it themselves, with the help of convenient wheels labelled “Turn to the left,” etc. Needless to say, the journey ends in disaster!

Good luck with your "Plotting and Scheming"!

Anita

[Rob Houghton]

one of the most memorable train scenes in a Blyton book for me would have to be where Jo drives the train in The land of Do as You Please, chapter 12 of The Magic Faraway Tree.

I always used to love this episode, where Jo and Dick drive the train through stations without stopping etc. Its a thrilling yet amusing piece of writing and it was always the best part of the book for me as a child...(and nowadays too!)

[Lucky Star]

with the help of convenient wheels labelled “Turn to the left,” etc. Needless to say, the journey ends in disaster!

Good luck with your "Plotting and Scheming"!

Anita

I have this vision of Viv crouching by the tracks with a Zorro mask and cutlass waiting to ambush the Swanage Steam Railway train. If so the above driving instructions may prove useful to her.

[Anita Bensoussane]

[Robert:] one of the most memorable train scenes in a Blyton book for me would have to be where Jo drives the train in The land of Do as You Please, chapter 12 of The Magic Faraway Tree.

Yes, that's great fun to read and is rather similar to the Book of Brownies episode. I also love the easy-to-fly aeroplane flown by Jo in The Enchanted Wood - it really makes me laugh:

"He climbed into the aeroplane and had a good look at it. There were five handles there. One had a label on it that said 'UP.' Another had a label that said 'DOWN.' A third had one that said 'STRAIGHT ON,' and a fourth and fifth said 'TO THE RIGHT' and 'TO THE LEFT.'...Jo had pressed the handle labelled 'UP' and before anyone could say another word the shining aeroplane had risen upwards...The aeroplane rose up and up. It circled round when Jo pressed the handle labelled 'TO THE RIGHT.' It flew straight on when he pressed the third handle. And it flew down when he pressed the 'DOWN' handle. It was just as easy as that!"

Anita

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

I have this vision of Viv crouching by the tracks with a Zorro mask and cutlass waiting to ambush the Swanage Steam Railway train.

Not quite - but it is to do with Swanage railway!

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/

At present I have two "Storyboards" of Blyton books; one of the F5 at Corfe Castle Station, and a Malory Towers one at Norden Station (see my website for pictures).

I am trying to persuade the Railway to allow me to instate two more, one at Harmans Cross Station, and the other at Swanage itself. I want scenes from books that most people may know, but won't seem too out of place to those who don't know their Blyton.

Harmans Cross is largely unmanned, and is controlled by a committee of dedicated volunteers who built the whole station from scratch (it was never a station in Blyton's time). They are understandably very precious about what happens there. I am thinking about suggesting the scene from the S7 where they lay out the railway tracks and farm set in the shed. Painted at the back of a rain shelter, it could be made to look like the S7 meeting shed, with you the viewer peering in at their game.

Swanage is a bit more tricky, since the station itself is just too busy for any more clutter. There is a picnic area on the far side of the tracks, where something may be allowed. I'm torn between Jo and his engine, and FFO looking out for Fatty in disguise. This area is prone to vandalism.

I've mislaid my copy of a non-stop run; it is probably just buried in the pigsty I call home at the moment. Certainly there were some lovely bits in it I'd like to show the railway bosses - if I can find it!

Any more suggestions and ideas are welcome

Viv

[Moonraker]

I am trying to persuade the Railway to allow me to instate two more, one at Harmans Cross Station, and the other at Swanage itself. I want scenes from books that most people may know, but won't seem too out of place to those who don't know their Blyton.

Blimey, Viv. It's no wonder the media are convinced that Corfe Castle is Kirrin! Are you trying to make out Peterswood is in Dorset too...?

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Are you trying to make out Peterswood is in Dorset too...?

Don't be daft! This is the railway line that Blyton used on her frequent visits to Swanage.

The idea is to make a storyboard trail that brings some of Blytons best loved books to life in a simple, cheap, and accessible way for families to enjoy, free of charge. Blyton will never become Disney (at least in the forseeable future ) and there is little prospect of a museum, so this is the best I can do.

I want to use the best known series, regardless of where they are set. Malory Towers is represented - and that is firmly Cornwall! Who knows where the Faraway Tree is (oh, I forgot, it's in your back garden....)

Viv

[Rob Houghton]

Good idea!!

We could reproduce Corfe castle in fibre-glass, get some life size costumes of Big ears, Moon Face, the Famous Five...Have rides based on The Faraway Tree, Wishing chair and Adventure books, have picnic tea hampers for hire, and islands in the middle of lakes where visitors could row to, and Viv could be in charge of the gift shops and ginger-beer tasting!

Anyone interested in dressing up as an Enid Blyton character?!

Where can we build it? We could all put some money towards it!
Wouldnt it be great to have a real-life 'Blytonland'?!

seriously though, Viv, I think you're doing a great job to highlight the works of Blyton in Dorset - keep up the good work, and who knows, one day a Blytonland could be a reality!

[hobbes]

Keep promoting Blyton Land Viv. I was surprised how little official recognition there was of the blyton connectection. I would have thought the local council would have wished to promote the links like Thirsk pushes James Heriot and gateshead promotes its world of cookson.

The National Trust map does mention the blyton link though.

I suppose a noddy toy train would be the most commercailly obvious sign.