Other reviewers covered everything great, about this movie. I saw it once, on broadcast TV, even before the advent of video tape,, and always wanted to own it. In the ensuing forty seven years,,, for some reason, it has NEVER been available in America; Region 2 - England - only. The Big Questions is -- WHY?? Why doesn't a multi-national outfit like Amazon, have an American format for this DVD? WHY???

In The Railway Children, a family move to the countryside after their father is wrongfully arrested and while trying to find out what happened to him, the children have adventures on the railway. I as doubtful about this one having seen a dreadful stage version of the story many years ago, but this certainly was a lot better than that. TRC is a children's film that both adults and children can enjoy. It's slightly dated inevitably and inevitably feels a bit sugary, however it manages not to drown itself in syrup like so many other of its kind. Railways have rarely looked cooler and while the adventures are thrilling, well directed and the story has heaps of charm, there's also a moving, more grown up storyline about their father. Therefore, this is a film with a universal appeal and that is why it's a classic. It's likely the best British children's film of all time and mostly it's aged very well.Although 2 of the 'children' are actually in their early 20s, the acting is all around good and Bernard Cribbins is a treat. It's well directed too and it's a shame Lionel Jeffries didn't do more directing. The cinematography fills the film with excitement and also conveys a sense of childlike wonder. The story/screenplay are what makes the film, and it manages to be charming and sentimental without grating songs, talking animals, fart and poop jokes, terrible child actors, pathetic audience manipulation and heaps of clichés like 90% of other children's films. The ending, when the father returns, is a Bambi style tear jerker that won't leave a dry eye in the house. TRC is a very good children's film overall, which although not targeted at me I could still appreciate and it's the rare children's film which I'm actually genuinely happy to watch. A superior kids movie and it's great this came out of Britain. A must for families wanting a break from DreamWorks factory products and railway lovers.9/10

As I suggested, or at least hinted, in my reviews of The Razor's Edge, 1946, and Limelight, 1952, Somerset Maugham may have seen himself as Larry Darrell, and Charlie Chaplin may have seen himself as Calvero. And so now, we may be seeing Edith Nesbit portrayed as Mrs. Waterbury. Now, since motion pictures began, if we could only count the perfect ones on the fingers of only one hand, perhaps this is one of them.Meanwhile, in the motion picture industry, producers will ask performers to consider, shall we say, mature roles, and it could be that the Director, Lionel Jeffries, sometimes thought otherwise. Thus, it is said, for example, that he told Sally Thomsett, who was actually of young adult age, that after hours during production, no smoke, no drink. Later on, during later years, both Jenny Agutter and Sally Thomsett had to understand the studios and producers, even as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly did their best to negotiate through this as well.And even after all this, Judy Garland will always be remembered as the one who sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and Jenny Agutter will always be remembered as the one who said Daddy! My Daddy!As we know, there are trolls who will insist upon such maturity their way instead of what this film presents, and so to paraphrase Franklin Roosevelt speaking at one time at Madison Square Garden, one can welcome their attitude, and still prevail.

The book "The Railway Children" is a children's book published in 1906 by Edith Nesbit, an early British socialist who had very strong views about the importance of family values for the upbringing of children, and the story it told was presumably intended to be contemporary. Somewhat surprisingly, it seems to retain a significant appeal for today's children a hundred years later.A film adaptation of an Edwardian classic children's story with the principal roles those of the children, does not sound very exciting to most film-goers in this day and age. But a really great performance by Jenny Agutter who (near the start of her long and distinguished acting career) played the part of the oldest girl Roberta (Bobby), combined with remarkable work by the script-writer and director Lionel Jeffries and outstanding photography by Arthur Ibbetson, have made this a film that is still not to be missed, and one which most of its viewers find quite memorable. It is remarkable that this book, set in the year 1905, was filmed five times between 1951 and 2000, (four of them by the BBC for British television), and all of these versions are not only still greatly admired but also very highly regarded (something that user comments on this database will confirm), even though this may seem almost inconceivable for a nostalgic period story designed to appeal primarily to children. Since I have not seen the four BBC TV versions, these comments relate exclusively to the 1970 film version produced for showing in cinemas. Unlike most films of children's books, 'The Railway Children' may appeal more to adults than to children. The structure of family life has changed so much in the last century that many children may feel totally lost by the way in which it is depicted in the film, whereas many older adults may find it has a considerable nostalgic appeal. Perhaps compensating for this, the children featured in the film are full of life and vitality, whilst the adult characters although well rounded tend to mostly be 'stuffed shirts'. The story is a mature one, which deals with love, support and encouragement, it is not only timeless but capable of appealing to all ages. It can fairly be described as sentimental and more than a little idealised, but it is never in any way mawkish, and that rarely justified adjective 'uplifting' fits it like a glove.Spoiler Ahead.The film starts with its upper middle class Edwardian family celebrating Christmas in a comfortable and fairly spacious London home when two unexpected visitors call and take Father (who is a senior government officer) away with them. Mother has to move to a very small cottage alongside the railway in a remote part of Yorkshire and the children gradually build a new life mainly associated with the railway and the few trains that pass. This life proves quite eventful in small ways and the elder daughter Bobby grows up rapidly as she takes over more responsibilities from her mother. At one point she averts an accident to the train when her sharp eyes spot that a landslide has created a natural hazard. Father's story is never given much emphasis, but he is never forgotten and it gradually becomes apparent that he is incarcerated and suspected of treason. Finally these suspicions are cleared up (we are not told how or why) and he reappears unexpectedly at the local station to rejoin his family.For many years this film was not available in any home video format in North America, but Anchor Bay created a DVD from it three years ago, so they clearly recognised that this quite simple film has not yet lost its appeal. For anyone who has not got one already, I would very strongly recommend rushing out to buy a copy of this DVD whilst it is still available - you would be most unlikely to be disappointed unless you have become totally cynical, or your minimum requirements for a film include buckets of blood and/or intense sex scenes.