Film about Hayes station showcased

  • 2021-08-16
A short film from the 1930s about a station based in Hayes has been showcased.

Fans of local history and steam locomotives alike will appreciate the chance to view part of a short 1935 documentary entitled “Trains at Hayes”. Promoters showcasing older films can sometimes use black-and-white poster printing services to create vintage-style advertisements to suit such venerable content.

Today, the station where the film was shot is known as Hayes and Harlington, a busy interchange on the Transport for London (TfL) line that takes passengers from Paddington Station out to Reading, and also to London Heathrow Airport. The station is currently undergoing refurbishments, including new lifts onsite.

Back when the film was made, the rail station was simply known as “Hayes”, and during the 1880s, it was part of the District Railways service, providing trains from Mansion house out to Windsor, before the route became uneconomical.

The black-and-white documentary was filmed from the roof of the nearby EMI building in Hayes, and it was produced by Alan Blumlein, who was the inventor of stereo sound, airborne radio and electrical television. Trains at Hayes was the first instance of moving pictures and stereo sound captured at once.

Those looking to experience the ground-breaking film by Blumlein will find it online and free to view as part of the EMI archives.