Tag Archives: Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad

The Long Chase 1973

Universal Studios

Alias Smith and Jones! Season Three, Episode 1 found our paroled boys with a new steam locomotive to play with. Posing grandly for the cameras was Great Western Railroad #75, a 2-8-0 Consolidation built by Baldwin in 1907. Four years after filming wrapped on this show, GWR #75 would again star in the movie, “Breakheart Pass“.

As the end titles briefly state, “Portions of this program were filmed at the Manti-La Sal National Forest in Utah“. Which I had to go look up. Never heard of the place before. Ah! Somewhere down near Arches National Park. We visited Arches back in the mid-1970s on our way to Expo ’74 in Spokane.

Cast changes from the Season One episode I previously reviewed, include Roger Davis replacing Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes.

Seen here rolling along a scenic D&RGW branch line in Utah, GWR #75 is still with us, although not operational. Her current home is the Heber Valley Railroad where she is approximately 70% through her restoration.

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Some Trouble At Troublesome 1956

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Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad

There actually is a location in Colorado called Troublesome (for Troublesome Creek) just a few miles east of Kremmling, where Union Pacific (nee-D&RGW) still has a short siding.

Our feature starts off with a lecture from G.B. Aydelott, President Rio Grande Railroad, scrolling across the screen and continues with the somewhat patronizing tone of the narrator. “This train is worth over a MILLION dollars”, he repeats over and over (implying “which you careless employees turned into splintered wood, contorted steel, and ruined lading”).

Having experienced the wrath of management, our story begins in the remote community of Bond, Colorado. It’s oh-dark 30 in the morning and the 5 man crew (remember those?) is reporting for duty to take the SPD (Southern Pacific – Denver) to Roper Yard in the Mile-High City.

The head end crew, (engineer, fireman, head brakeman) prepares to climb aboard DRGW #5554, an EMD F7A built in February 1949 leading an A-B-B-A set of units. The beautiful “Prospector” scheme in Aspen Gold and silver graces the flanks of these locomotives.

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Around the World in 80 Days 1956

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Warner Brothers

There were TWO distinct train scenes in this 182 minute, Oscar-winning monstrosity: the first in India and the second in Colorado. I plan to just review the footage taken along the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, narrow gauge lines. <– This last link is a FANTASTIC resource.

Taking its shape from the Jules Verne book of the same name, 80 Days follows the adventures of the fictitious Phileas Fogg (played by David Niven) and his loyal and resourceful valet, Passepartout (played by Cantinflas) as they attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

Of course, the REAL star of this entire production is D&RGW #315, a class C-18, 2-8-0, narrow gauge steam locomotive. She was originally built for the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad as their #3 “Elkton” by Baldwin in 1895.

Let’s have some fun and check out the Wild West portion of 80 Days. All Aboard!

Ignacio, Colorado’s depot, on the D&RGW Durango to Chama, NM line, stands in as Fort Kearney (note the cavalry riding in). Filmmakers painted up the town’s depot into a pleasing red, white and blue scheme.

This was the best view of the entire passenger train in the movie. From left to right: D&RGW #315, diesel hiding in a baggage car, combine #212, coach #320 and parlor car “Silver Palace”.

More about the hidden diesel later.

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At This Moment 1954

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The Jam Handy Organization for
Westinghouse Air Brake Company
(Jim Handy to the rescue!)

Inspector Luger! Yep, I actually recognize someone in this industry featurette. Good old James Gregory appears in this corny, railroad worker documentary. Corny yes, but great scenes of first generation diesels and passenger/freight trains from the post-World War 2 heyday of American Railroads.

Long before the days of FedEx, UPS and Amazon, practically EVERYTHING used in the American home and business got there by rail. This message is beaten into the viewer continuously. Our story takes place in a railroad beanery called “Scotty’s”, just up the street from the depot. A stranger has arrived and is pumping the locals for information, about just what it is, that makes a railroad go.

I plan to overlook most of the hyperbole and just concentrate on the kick color views of trains. Sound good, Inspector?

Mr. Gregory was a great character actor “curmudgeon” from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Here we see him as Inspector Frank Luger in Barney Miller and the diabolical Doctor Tristan Adams in Star Trek’s “Dagger of the Mind“. Is that a great, smirking countenance, or what?

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