Tag Archives: Colorado

Cole Younger and the Black Train 2012

Leave a reply

Forbesfilm

Dreadful. That’s how one IMDb.com reviewer described this 2.5 stars out of 10 stinkeroo. This is undoubtedly the WORST obscure train movie I’ve ever watched, bar none. The cinematography is out-of-focus or ridiculously close-up and the acting is wooden. I only reviewed this movie because it promised 3 former Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge locomotives in shot.

As compensation, dear reader, I will offer clear, nicely-framed pictures and details of the three locomotives and rolling stock. All train scenes were filmed along the Durango & Silverton tourist railroad in Colorado. Since the film is so wretched, I will not bother to I.D. any of the principals involved. As a group, they need a refresher course in filmmaking.

How I suffer for my hobby. OK, Let’s go train spotting!!

Well, there’s ONE guy I WILL identify. I gave this mug the pet name of “Dude”. It helped me get through the movie. Here we see Dude shuffling alongside D&S #486. More about the locomotive later.

Continue reading →
Advertisement

A Ticket to Tomahawk 1950

1 Reply

20th Century Fox

I actually reviewed Tomahawk back in the early days of Obscure Train Movies — It just wasn’t much of a review. Today, I hope to do a better job revisiting A Ticket To Tomahawk in all its Technicolor glory. This is the movie that put the Durango and Silverton D&RGW narrow gauge line on the map. Not only did people come to ride the little train in Southwestern Colorado, moviemakers returned to film other pictures too numerous to list here.

The star of the show is Rio Grande Southern #20, 4-6-0 3-foot narrow gauge steam locomotive. #20 was originally built for the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad in 1899 by Schenectady Locomotive Works (Alco). For its movie appearance, RGS #20 was decorated in a colorful paint scheme and named “Emma Sweeny” as Tomahawk & Western Railroad #1.

Just look at all that detail! Red and gold paint accentuates the green Emma Sweeny signboard. Antlers on the headlight box and white “extra train” flags flapping in the breeze. In another view, Emma poses in good light near Silverton.

Apologies for the fuzzy screen caps. AFAIK, Fox never released Tomahawk on DVD, so I had to make do with an aftermarket product.

Continue reading →

Support Your Local Gunfighter 1971

3 Replies



United Artists

James Garner is riding the narrow gauge rails of the Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) Railroad in this Western spoof follow-up to 1969’s Support Your Local Sheriff!

Train scenes in this film were brief, but feature 4 different steam locomotives, one of which I’ve not been able to positively identify. A big shout out to Larry Jensen whose “Hollywood’s Railroads, Volume 3” book helped me identify one engine used on the CBS Studio City (CA) lot.

As usual, I’ll concentrate on the railroad scenes in my review, even though the movie itself is great fun to watch — back when Tinseltown knew how to make an enjoyable, entertaining picture.

Let’s take a trip on the 3-feet-between-the-rails Rio Grande railroad. Highball!!

 

D&RGW #478, a narrow gauge K-28 class 2-8-2 Alco class of 1924, leads a short train of “Grande Gold” and silver coaches along the Animas River on the Silverton Line.

Helicopter shots of this train were used at the beginning and ending of today’s reviewed movie.
Continue reading →