16mm film, original master 'Slip coach to Bicester'

Filmed in 1960 on the Varsity line (Oxford to Cambridge line). Footage of Oxford station, showing platforms access with coats of arms for Monmouthshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, shots taken from platform of slip carriage marked 'slip', railwayman coupling carriages, passengers boarding, railwayman locking carriage door from outside, train departing station, shots from carriage's window of station clock and departing station, detail shots of equipment in guard's coach to uncouple slip coach during travel, shot of Bicester North station, railway guard operating the equipment to release slip coach, footage of slip coach uncloupled from train, decelerating and coming to a halt, shots showing slip coach being re-coupled to another train, train led by locomotive No. 5023 departing station. A film made for Railway Roundabout BBC TV, by John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse. This is the original master film reel, black and white, silent. Duration: 4 minutes

This film is part of the Railway Roundabout collection donated by the makers of the programme, John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse. They produced films on contemporary British and foreign railways for the BBC Children's programme 'Railway Roundabout, broadcast monthly between 1958 and 1962 on BBC Television. The commentary was created and broadcast live, so the original films in the collection are silent. The Railway Roundabout collection includes the original masters, prints, some offcuts and working material for Railway Roundabout programmes as well as other films (non-Railway Roundabout) made by the John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse and a small number of films made by others. The collection also includes the original un-edited audio recordings made between 1960 and 1965 by John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse for the BBC radio programme Railway Roundup. Additionally, John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse were both photographers, their respective photographic collections are held by the National Railway Museum. This film is titled 'Slip Coach to Bicester' on title frame on film, 'By Slip Coach to Bicester' on Railway Roundabout 16mm masters list, 'The Bicester Slip Coach' on BBC Programme Index. First broadcast on 15 November 1960 on BBC Television. A slip coach or slip carriage: term for passenger rolling stock that is uncoupled from an express train while the train is in motion, then slowed by a guard in the coach using the brakes, bringing it to a stop at the next station, to be slipped from its train. This allowed passengers to alight without the main train having to stop, improving the journey time.