Colin's still a little shy

THE North Ipswich rail workshops were in lockdown as filming for Colin Firth's The Railway Man took place.

There’s not much to see of the movie being shot at the old railway workshops. Wooden fences (circled) screen the set and only crew members (below) have been spotted. . Picture: Sarah Harvey

THE North Ipswich rail workshops were in lockdown yesterday as filming for Colin Firth's The Railway Man took place.

However, the star of the film was nowhere to be seen.

The Pride and Prejudice star was confirmed as being on site yesterday, with filming getting underway at the still operational QR work site.

About a dozen production trucks were at the workshops assisting with the filming of the Second World War drama.

QR workers on site were fenced off from the film set, which was closed to non-approved personnel.

Railway workers said temporary fences had been erected around the filming area.

The film site was hidden away inside the QR workshops, with buildings and trees restricting vision onto the set.

That didn't stop local celebrity hunters taking to the bikeway overlooking WM Hughes St, searching for a glimpse of the British superstar, while marquees and caravans blocked the view of the set from across the river at the Ipswich Rangers clubhouse.

The Railway Man, based on an autobiography of the same name by Eric Lomax, tells the story of a British soldier captured in Singapore by the Japanese and forced to work on the Thai-Burma Railway.

Australian Nicole Kidman will star alongside Firth, as well as Swedish Avengers star Stellan Skarsgard.

While there was no sign of Firth yesterday, he's been invited to make an appearance at the Ipswich Cup by Mayor Paul Pisasale.

Originally published as Colin's still a little shy