Tag Archives: Nevada

Buttered Up 2010

1 Reply

History Channel

American Restoration featured several train-related pieces they restored over the course of its 6 “Rick’s Restorations” seasons. A couple episodes even featured trips to the Nevada Northern Railway at East Ely — sadly none of which were available on DVD when I reviewed.

Fortunately, Season One, Episode 4 “Buttered Up” on DVD from 2010 tells the story of turning a junked backyard toy train into a beautifully-renovated masterpiece. [The show takes its name from a movie theatre popcorn machine simultaneously being restored.]

Rick Dale (seen above) spots the locomotive in a pile of junk and buys it (along with two gas nozzles) for $100 bucks from Eric the Picker. Can Rick and the boys turn this rusty, railroad-related relic into a regal ride?

Looks like they did. Here’s a sneak peak at the finished product. Read on for all the juicy details…

Continue reading →

Train to Tombstone 1950

3 Replies

Lippert Pictures

Oh boy, another C picture from Lippert Studios. Yippie yi yo ki yay!

Don’t let the title fool you. The star attraction is a Virginia & Truckee steam locomotive and two car passenger train filmed in Nevada in that road’s last days of operation. I was able to find several color pictures of this movie train as well as extensive details about the engine.

Coming in at less than an hour run time (56 minutes, 47 seconds), there’s plenty of action including TWO Indian attacks and a motley assortment of passengers including dance hall girls, a man of the cloth, a wheelchair-bound, but nubile young woman and her elderly, straight-laced companion, a traveling corset salesman and various ruffians and rogues.

Is there really $250,000 worth of gold (GOLD!!) in the baggage car? Read along and let’s find out!

V&T 2-8-0 #5 leads mail-baggage #23 and combination car #18 in an establishing shot that will be seen repeatedly throughout our feature. Judging from the snow-capped mountains and arrow-straight track, (and a quick peek at one of my Larry Jensen books), I believe the location to be somewhere between Carson City and Minden, Nevada. Lots of pacing shots, so there’s undoubtedly a paved road paralleling the railroad.

Continue reading →