Universal Television

I want to dedicate this movie review to two people. First, Jim Tiroch, whose Cinetrains blog was a tremendous help researching this movie.

Second, my old roommate at college, John C. Mendenhall, Jr. “Mongo” used to walk around our dorm room in his shorts going, “HONK! HONKHONKHONKHONK! HOOOOOOONNNKKKK! just like the truck in this film.

Duel is an early example of what we now call “road rage”. Our protagonists are:

1 – David Mann (played by Dennis Weaver — MCCLOUD!!) driving his red 1970 Plymouth Valiant 4-door, California License Plate 149 PCE.

2 – “The Truck Driver” (played by Carey Loftin) driving a 1955 Peterbilt 285 with oil tanker trailer who is never actually seen clearly. The entire plot of the thing is the truck driver suddenly goes bonkers after being passed by the little red car.

Okay, you get the idea. Now, lets examine the train stuff. Southern Pacific Railroad provides the motive power, rolling stock and location (I believe the train scenes were filmed on SP’s line from roughly Saugus to Palmdale, California.). There are 3 separate encounters between combatants with Espee freight which we’ll examine.

Yaaarrrrgh! Dennis Weaver makes a great face inside his car as an SP freight train rolls by in the background. How about that triangular vent window to the left of McCloud’s snarling countenance? You don’t see those anymore…

The first train scene is 51 minutes in. Driving along, Mann is pacing SP #6909, an EMD SD35 built in January 1965.

Stopped by the gates, he watches #6909 and sister locomotive #6907 blur past with both wearing Espee’s ubiquitous “Bloody Nose” paint scheme.

THUNK! Uh-oh, the evil truck has the Valiant trapped between its bumper and the passing train! I’m not sure if this consist has HELPER engines mid-train, or just the way they cut the film.

It appears to be the last locomotive is SP #8435 an EMD SD40. I love that freshly-painted D&RGW box car…the Action Road!

Finally the caboose passes (an Espee standard bay window type) and the crossing gates lift. Notice the truck’s front end, has a section of railroad rail, welded on as a front bumper!

Mann drives the Valiant up into the scrub brush. Curiously, the truck continues on without confronting McCloud as the train continues down the track.

The Peterbilt is playing mind games with the Valiant.

The second train scene happens at the 59 minute mark. Once more, Mr. Mann is trying to outrun the psycho trucker. This time he attempts a little subterfuge, hiding trackside at a private crossing (note all the junked cars behind him). The deception appears to work as the tanker rolls on by without stopping.

McCloud takes a little cat nap, only to be jolted awake by the appearance of a train. SP #3928, an EMD SD9 built in January 1956, is the only engine in this consist I can identify. In later years, SP enginemen referred to this particular model of locomotive as “Cadillacs” for their superior riding characteristics on rough track. Once this second train is gone, Mann continues up a side road.

“You take the high road, and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland beforrre you!” Filmed in the same spot, McCloud’s Valiant comes swooping along the tracks on a curve. A few minutes later, he appears above (high road), this time with old tanker-bottom in pursuit. Bastard.

Back along the tracks, we get our best front view of the Peterbilt. Note the single blat air horn (I hear you, John!). The license plates seen on the truck’s front bumper are: (right side) Wyoming 2-471, ’71; Nevada 20864M, ’71; Idaho 4017, ’68; (left side) Arizona MC 58387; Montana 4091, ’71; New Mexico 5312. The trailer has plate WM 3227, California.

The above link is the IMDb trivia for this movie. Fascinating reading, partly because this was Steven Spielberg’s movie directorial debut, so this film has been analyzed to DEATH.

The final train scene begins at 75 minutes with a pair of SP EMD locomotives. The lead engine, SP #8485 is an EMD SD40 built June 1968. I don’t see a number on the second unit, but judging from the fans, turbo stack and trucks, this might be an EMD SD39.

Second frame is an SP #3954 EMD SD9, built in March 1956 and an SP #5321 EMD SD39 built in 1970.

Third frame is McCloud pacing the first three units

Fourth frame is the mad trucker coming up on the outside next to an SP #3958 EMD SD9 built March 1956 and GE U30C SP #7931 built Oct 1969. U-Boat sighting!

Our final train shot of the movie finds our Saltpeterbilt pulling away from the six unit lashup. AND…it’s not train-related, but quite the cool spot — Dennis Weaver walking up to Chuck’s Cafe (he has to go pee). This funky building is apparently still around as Le Chène, a French Restaurant at 12625 Sierra Highway, Agua Dulce, CA.

Here’s what IMDb has to say about Duel:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/

If you have ANY information about this movie you’d like to share, please contact me at: Lindsay.Korst@gmail.com, or leave a comment.  Thanks and enjoy the blog!

THE END