Harry Potter and the disappearing train
FOR fans of the Harry Potter books, a glimpse of the magical Hogwarts Express would be a truly spellbinding experience. But when railway enthusiasts in Lancashire attempted to show off the maroon locomotive stored in one of their sheds, they received a legal thunderbolt from the makers of the current GBP 100million film. Warner Brothers threatened to sue the Carnforth Station Railway Trust if it shows the train (pictured above) which was used in the movie version of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone. The station, which was the scene of the classic British film Brief Encounter, is currently being renovated and the trust, set up to bring it back to life, had hoped the steam engine would help in its GBP 1.6million regeneration. But Warner Brothers, which owns the rights to the Harry Potter brand, threatened them with legal action and ordered the train, owned by West Coast Railway, to be locked in its shed. Away from filming, the train had been used for nostalgia trips but the colours were changed and the Hogwarts nameplate removed. Chairman of the trust, Peter Yates, 54, said yesterday: 'The train is just sitting there doing nothing and I thought it would be the ideal way to attract more people to the station. Considering the film made hundreds of millions of pounds in its first month, it seems a little uncharitable that we cannot use it.' Many Potter fans are disappointed. One family travelled from Newcastle upon Tyne last week only to be told the train was off limits. Mr Yates said: 'They were extremely disappointed.' A spokesman for Warner Brothers said the train, which in the JK Rowling book, right, transports Harry from Kings Cross Station to Hogwarts School, could not be displayed for copyright reasons. Harry Potter and the disappearing train - Daily Mail 31st December2001
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