Tag Archives: conductor

Death is a Double Cross 1971

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A Quinn Martin Production
Columbia Broadcasting System

Recommended by Lance (thanks for the link!), comes this TV episode of “Cannon”, broadcast on Pearl Harbor Day in 1971. The first half of this 60 minute “Quinn Martin Production” takes place on, or around, a Santa Fe Railway Super Chief-type consist, Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT), and studio sets for the onboard train scenes.

At the time of filming, Amtrak was just starting to take over passenger operations (on May 1, 1971) from the private railroads.

Who is Cannon? He was a robust, rotund, private detective played by William Conrad. He drives around in a big old, metallic blue 1971 Lincoln Mark III two-door with a car phone and red interior.

Is there any cheesecake in this feature? Of course! Not only that, there’s a couple Star Trek connections as well. BUT you’ll have to wait until the end of my review. All aboard!

A Santa Fe Conductor checks his watch in the time-honored tradition beside ATSF “Pleasure Dome” #503. Note the Amtrak “Pointless Arrow” to his left – a harbinger of things to come for American train travelers (shudder…).

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Berth Marks 1929

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Metro Goldwyn Mayer

The famous vaudeville comedy act, Laurel & Hardy starred in this early talkie short (19 minutes). Early scenes are filmed at Santa Fe Railway’s La Grande Station in Los Angeles.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy play, well, themselves with a series of sight gags at the depot and onboard a heavyweight passenger train (partially filmed in the studio). They have tickets for a Pullman “section” set up for night time use (even though it’s broad daylight for the entire trip to “Pottsville”).

Motive power for the train is ATSF #1373, a 1337 class, Baldwin-built (1913), 4-6-2 Pacific. Santa Fe #1373 even has its own locomotive.fandom.com web page!

Will the boys make it to their destination in one piece? Let’s take a peek and see.

The majority of the plot consists of the duo attempting to get into their upper berth, well-illustrated in this movie poster; Not seen in the movie, but in this publicity shot is Stan & Oliver between a pair of outside-braced box cars. The car behind them is lettered “P.E.” for Pacific Electric, a subsidiary of Southern Pacific Railroad.

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A Stop at Willoughby 1960

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CBS Television

How many times did they actually say “Willoughby” in this feature? I’ll have to go back and count. Update: 44 times. Reported to be Rod Serling’s favorite episode from the first season of The Twilight Zone, here’s another reviewed “movie” where we hear, but never actually see, any railroad motive power. Yep, just old passenger coaches being shoved up and down the track.

Still, trains play a major part in the story of burned-out Advertising Executive Gart Williams (played by James Daly) dreaming of a more serene lifestyle. Where have I seen this guy before? There’s a Star Trek TOS connection, natch.

Be sure to visit this blog next month when I review a Year-2000 remake movie based on A Stop At Willoughby. In color. And now, on with the show!

1960 train and 1888 train interiors. I believe the 1960 car is just a studio set at MGM where most of Twilight Zone was filmed, whilst the 1888 coach was (probably) on Paramount’s back lot. More about that later. Maybe.

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