The Titfield Thunderbolt

While many people will buy this Studiocanal edition to add the nice 4k scrub up to their collection, the package as a whole is well rounded and interesting. Before turning to the extras, however, it's worth noting that this is a lovingly restored version that really brings the pop back to the Technicolor. The tones are, at the risk of coming over all Christmas carol, deep and crisp and even. The sound is probably as good as you could ever expect from a film of this vintage.

There have been releases of The Titfield Thunderbolt before, so most of the extras here aren't new to this edition but Tim Dunn on the Railway That Sparked The Titfield Thunderbolt is a lovely addition. He heads to Talyllyn Railway, which delightfully is still in operation and which was the inspiration for TEB Clarke to write the film.

Contemporaneous British Pathé short The Titfield Thunderbolt is a lovely time capsule look at the film which works well in tandem with The Making Of The Titfield Thunderbolt. The other standout extras are those that involve cinematographer Douglas Slocombe in anecdotal mode as he chats to Mathew Sweet. In one, he talks about Charles Crichton, going beyond working method to what he was like as a person, while the other features interesting 16mm footage that the cinematographer shot while scouting.

There's a featurette on the locomotive used in the film, along with now and then footage showing changes - or not. The obligatory trailer and stills gallery round out the package on the disc. Additionally, there is a 32-page booklet and a poster included, although my review copy did not include these.

All in all a first-class package.

Reviewed on: 26 Jun 2026