Railway with a Heart of Gold

One genuine incident was the derailment of locomotive Sir Haydn on a down train due to the poor state of the track.

The rest of the film is of far higher quality than most British railway documentaries made by enthusiasts at the time.

[9] Davidson decided to make the film after he discovered the Talyllyn Railway whilst on holiday in Wales.

[6] The film was produced, directed and shot by Davidson over a period of six months in the summer and autumn of 1953, though it was not released until 1965.

[6] Chris Leigh wrote of the film: "[Davidson] deserves our gratitude, for he has produced a fine record of the start of preservation, absolutely unique, the reality behind The Titfield Thunderbolt, which itself was inspired by the early days of the Talyllyn.

[10][11] The title of the film has been adopted as a slogan of the Talyllyn Railway, and appears in their literature and promotional material.

Loco No. 2 Dolgoch in 1951, showing the neglected state of the track at the time. By the time of filming some improvements had been made, but much work was still required
A screenshot from the film, showing Sir Haydn off the track after Davidson recorded the derailment