Two grand old ladies of the big screen have teamed up with relative newcomer Gwyneth Paltrow for their latest movie.

And unlike their co-star, there is little chance of these two blubbing at any awards ceremony.

In fact the couple from Ingrow, near Keighley, are a director's dream. No tantrums or forgotten lines and, with just a four-figure fee, they come pretty cheap, too.

The 1886 Midland Railways carriage and an 1888 East Coast Joint Stock model appear in Miss Paltrow's latest film, Possession.

The carriages - from the Victorian Carriages Trust Museum of Rail Travel, based at Keighley and Worth Valley Railway - made the 50-mile journey to the set at North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Paul Holroyd, from the trust, said: "They were transported by road using a special trailer with tracks on the back.

"The carriages are delicately winched up rails running up to the trailer. It takes around an hour and a half to load them."

Mr Holroyd added: "There were little modifications, such as curtains and lamps to make them appear as though they were first-class carriages." He said the six-wheeled rolling stock were far from novices when it came to filming.

Among their combined list of film and TV appearances are The Railway Children, Timewatch, Woman In White, Jude and the Virgin and the Gipsy.

And they were joined for their latest feature by two carriages from Embsay-based Stately Trains.

Owner Stephen Middleton said: "These Great Eastern Railway carriages date back to 1889 and 1896.

"One of them is believed to have been used by Princess Alice, Queen Victoria's daughter." Their own credit list includes Dales Diary, Watercolour Challenge and Songs of Praise.

Possession is adapted from the Booker Prize-winning novel by A S Byatt.

"The film cuts between the present day and the 1860s and that is when the carriages come in," said Mr Holroyd.

He said the trust's carriages paid their way through screen appearances.

"Although we can receive grants for capital works, we are dependent on raising our own money to cover day-to-day running of the museum.

"Hiring out the carriages provides us with more income than we get through attendance fees."