Tag Archives: 2-6-0 steam locomotive

Abbott and Costello meet the Keystone Kops 1955

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Universal – International

HEY, ABBOTT!! Southern Pacific Railroad trotted out at least two different steam locomotives, a short mix of freight cars and an ancient wooden caboose for filmmakers to use in this month’s movie. In addition, there is a brief scene at what MIGHT be Cucamonga, CA (judging by the depot sign) featuring an old heavyweight observation car.

A brief plot outline: It’s 1912. Harry (played by Bud Abbott) and Willie (played by Lou Costello) are swindled into buying the Edison Movie Studio (a la buying the Brooklyn Bridge) from a crooked movie director/con man. Now broke, the boys hobo west to Hollywood, hoping to catch said crook and get their money back.

Lots of harrowing stunts involving moving trains in this one, hopefully employing stunt doubles for A & C. Let’s check it out.

SP X2085 pops out of Chatsworth tunnel. After much squinting at various runbys, I believe this is an SP 2-6-0 “M class” Mogul with all Southern Pacific markings carefully painted out. The number 2085 does not match any steam locomotive on their 2-6-0 roster. More about that later.

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The Great Race 1965

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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.

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Wrong Train to Brimstone 1971

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Universal Studios

Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad #5, a 2-6-0 built in 1875 by Baldwin is the star of today’s feature. Currently restored and operating at the NCNG Railroad museum in Nevada City, California, #5 was a movie star at Universal Studios from 1940 to 1984 for countless films and TV shows.

The Alias Smith & Jones (1971-1973) western television series utilized the studio “railroad” (about 2,000 feet of track and a couple depots) at Universal for filming. Producers also dipped into stock footage from other movies for transition and action scenes.

Hats Off to Larry Jensen for all his books about Hollywood’s movie railroads, making it easier to identify what is what. All Aboard!

With a blast of its throaty chime whistle, #5 prepares to leave town. Note the star on the boiler front, elk on the headlight box, #8 on the sand dome and some sort of name plate on the cab side. It’s possible this shot is footage from another production.

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End of the Line 1959

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National Film Board of Canada

According to our narrator, the years 1955 – 1961 represented Canada’s phasing out of steam, to be replaced by diesels. Today’s short (30 minutes), is mostly interviews with people, both railroaders and those outside the industry, asking how they feel about this transition.

Fortunately, there is a good amount of steam footage as well as a smattering of first-generation diesels to examine. The highlight is a double-headed “farewell to steam” fan trip on Canadian National including several runbys for their fans.

Our feature is mostly steam on Canadian National Railways, but as the ending credits roll, we are treated to pacing shots of Canadian Pacific Railway steamers on two, separate trains.

En voiture!

A classic roundhouse view, with sunlight streaming through the windows, highlights a quiver of steam locomotives resting between assignments.

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Terror on a Train 1953

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Metro Goldwyn Mayer

This started out as a movie I was reviewing on YouTube. Halfway through grabbing screen caps, they took the video down, so I went out and bought the DVD. MUCH better scans that way. The title is rather misleading. The original name, “Time Bomb”, is more accurate as this movie evokes suspense rather than terror.

Filmed in Great Britain, Glenn Ford stars as the Canadian bomb expert Peter Lyncort, recruited to (hopefully) find and disarm a saboteur’s incendiary device on a trainload of mines headed to the Royal Navy at Portsmouth.

Even in the misty murk of a black and white picture, I was able to identify no less than four English steam locomotives. French actress Anne Vernon plays the saucy wife of Glenn Ford, “Janine”, so the movie is not a complete weinerfest. Diffusing a bomb has got to be a perishable skill. Let’s see if ol’ Peter still has what it takes…

Here’s a movie poster for the original title. It looks like Glenn Ford is throwing a football; LOTS of interesting detail on the EXPLOSIVES placard.

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Oklahoma! 1955

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RKO Radio Pictures
20th Century Fox

This is a train movie filmed twice! First, was in glorious CinemaScope, the Second in 70mm Todd A-O. Once they finished filming a scene in CinemaScope, they’d roll in the Todd A-O cameras and the actors would repeat their performance. What’s interesting about this process, is you get a slightly-different view of each scene. Double your pleasure, double your fun!

The star of our show is little Southern Pacific #1673, a 2-6-0 M-4 class Mogul, built by Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1900. For the movie, she was renumbered with a flamboyant #52 emblazoned on her tender with no RR reporting marks on the cab side.

As seen from this link –> Southern Pacific #1673 is still with us and on display at the Tucson, Arizona, Amtrak station.

Filming twice was fortunate as we see no front end close ups of #1673/#52 in CinemaScope, but get some great views in the Todd A-O version. More later.

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The Plymouth Express 1991

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Picture Partnership Productions

It’s “Urk-Yul” Poirot! Yes, everyone’s favorite Belgie detective, Hercule Poirot (played by David Suchet) is once more investigating a murder — this time on a steam train from London’s Paddington Station to Bristol (and eventually Plymouth).

Our first steam engine encounter is in the credits of every TV episode of the series (see above). It looks to be an “artist’s conception” of a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 streamlined 4-6-2 designed by Sir Nigel Gresley.

Today’s episode features two different Southern Railway (U.K.) steam engines as well as location shooting at Hull Paragon Railway Station (standing in for London’s Paddington, Bristol & Plymouth) and along the Bluebell Railway.

In a moving crane shot, we find SR #777 “Sir Lamiel” pulling its’ four-car train into Plymouth…er Hull Station. A grisly discovery is about to be made onboard!

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