Warner Brothers

THREE different train scenes decorate this 160 minute, old-time comedy, from the mid-sixties. Two steam locomotives and a rocket-car-on-rails (for heaven’s sake) provide the motive power when the going gets tough.

Not obscure by any stretch of the imagination, The Great Race is more famously known for it’s exotic automobiles and all-star cast.

As always, I will concentrate on the railroad bits and happily, all three machines shown are still in existence with the two steam engines currently in operation as of 2024.

Starting with the rocket car, let’s take a glance back from when Hollywood still knew how to create a fun and entertaining movie. MAAAAAAXXXXXX!!!

Blast Off! With a tremendous display of pyrotechnics, Professor Fate (played by Jack Lemmon) and Maximilian “Max” Meen (played by Peter Falk) hurtle down the track somewhere along the Sierra Railroad.

Our first “train scene” is at about the 16 minute mark. Fate is trying to outdo his bitter rival, The Great Leslie (played by Tony Curtis) by setting a new land speed record.

Three local boys are fascinated by the rocket car, but are chased away by a grumpy Professor Fate.

Distracted, Max watches the departing kids, gets a reminder tap from Fate and barely gets back in position for his photo.

After having their portrait taken, Fate marches over to the reporters to smugly announce, “Gentlemen, I intend to cover the measured mile in approximately 12 seconds” (300 mph) which gets him only derisive laughter from everyone present.

“Activate the Rocket!” As the two rocket pilots gear up, Max strikes a kitchen match and lights the fuse. The onlookers are still laughing at them (no one had traveled anywhere near that speed in 1910).

These are the best close up shots of the rocket car. Is that a cool contraption, or what?

Spectators scramble for cover as the rocket car begins to fly down the track.

“Professor! 150!; AHAhahaha!” Professor Fate chortles in triumph!

“300! HaHA, They’ll erect a monument to me!!” Overcome by maniacal joy, Fate doesn’t realize they have become airborne. Note the tall railroad trestle beneath them.

Too late, both realize they have joined the birds. Of course, the rocket soon expires, sending them plummeting to earth, landing in a farmer’s mud hole…to a triumphant fanfare! End of first train scene at 18:30.

The Rocket Car is still around in an Orlando Museum!

Now 77 minutes into the feature, Professor Fate drives the Hannibal Twin 8 onto the Sierra Railroad tracks. “Look Out For The Cars.”

“Hey, Professor, Where’re we going?” “We save 15 miles by following the tracks, Max.” “Oh, terrific!”

Of course Fate’s cunning plan backfires and they shortly find themselves being pushed by a train in the opposite direction.

Whistling great shrieking warnings, comes Sierra Railroad #3, the “Movie Star locomotive”, a 1891 Rogers 4-6-0 product. Fate and Max wince at each fresh blast of the chime whistle.

Trivia: When Professor Fate and Max are being chased by the train, the car was attached to the front of the locomotive by a short bar. The track was also prepared so as to protect the car’s tires.

The horse-drawn Leslie Special arrives at Grommet (a hole in the wall?). Southern Pacific RR #315 is there to greet them with some much-needed gasoline.

SP #315 was in actuality, a narrow gauge steam locomotive on the Universal Lot (rented out to Warner’s). It is the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad #5, a 2-6-0 built in 1875 by Baldwin. The combine and coach were hand-built by Universal on old SP flatcars.

5 is still with us and can be found in this museum in Nevada City, CA. Anyway. Back to the story.

“You M. Dubois?” “I beg your pardon?” “Gasoline’s consigned to M. Dubois.” “I’m M. Dubois” “What did I tell ya, I TOLD ya not to trust her!” “What happens if I don’t sign? “You don’t get no gas”.

Yes, it’s none other than Natalie Wood (WOOF!!) playing the treacherous suffragette Maggie Dubois, who has consigned the badly-needed gasoline under her name, MUCH to the displeasure of Leslie’s boon companion, Hezekiah Sturdy (played by Keenan Wynn). Note the gas cans behind the conductor on the train.

“If she goes, I stay.” Hezekiah is finally convinced by Maggie’s charms to help her board the train back to New York. “This race ain’t the right place for a woman”.

Good view of the hand-built coach (which could be dismantled into smaller sections for filming and storage around the studio).

All Aboard! Here are the best (rear 3/4) views of NCNGRR #5 in the movie leaving the studio station.

Leslie watches as the train pulls out; But what’s this? It’s Maggie Dubois – I thought she got on the train back to New York?

As the train pulls away, Maggie gives Leslie some cockamamie story about how Hezekiah had enough and was going back to New York. In the bottom two photos, you can clearly see the narrow gauge (3 feet between the rails).

“That dirty, double-crossing, female. Hey, Boss!, Hey, Conductor!”

Yep, M. Dubois handcuffed Hezekiah to a seat handle, so she could continue in the race with Leslie. This ends the final train scene at the 81 minute mark.

Great, entertaining movie. The train scenes are such a small part of it, but it was fun to research and dig for the details. “Then you handcuffed Hezekiah to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.” “It was the Southern Pacific!” “Well, what difference does THAT make?”

Here’s what IMDb has to say about The Great Race:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059243/

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