Tag Archives: Tiger

The Gambler 1980

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Time-Life
Columbia Broadcasting System

Today’s feature is a tale of two steam locomotives — mostly filmed at the Old Tucson Studios whose star attraction was ex-Virginia & Truckee #11, “Reno”. According to Larry Jensen’s “Hollywood’s Railroads, Volume One”, ex-Dardanelle & Russellville #8, also appeared in this made-for-TV movie and therein lies my quandary.

I can’t tell the engines apart. Both are 4-4-0’s. Both burn oil. V&T #11 was built by Baldwin in 1872. D&R #8 was built by Alco (Cooke) in 1888. From all the screen caps and pictures I’ve seen, these two could be twins.

SO. For identification purposes throughout my review, I will refer to the locomotive as it is painted — Southern Pacific Railroad #8.

Update: Many Thanks to blog reader Caldwell Butler, who has identified the locomotive below as D&R #8.

The entire 94 minute movie takes place in or around a train, so let’s explore Kenny Rogers’ journey “On a train bound to nowhere” (or in this case, to Yuma). At the bottom of this review, is a 3 1/2 minute video of “The Gambler” song on which this movie is based.

SP #8 is at full gallop with its passenger train on a nice, flat stretch of track. How about that MOD S.P.R.R. lettering on the tender? Is that a funky font or what?

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Railroad Tigers 2016

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Well Go USA Entertainment

Happy Birthday, Hunny! Yep, this movie review coincides approximately with my wife’s 39th birthday and references tigers, her favorite carnivore and house pet.

The movie itself is rather thin on the tiger side, but chock full of kick railroad scenes pretty much throughout this picture. I had a heck of a time finding out about the locomotives used. After much googling, I came across this vague quote from Wiki: “The film had railway sequences shot in Diaobingshan using steam trains.”

Diaobingshan was the key. I soon discovered the nearby Tiefa Steam Locomotive Museum which has a whole fleet of similar looking locomotives. <– This last link is an absolutely outstanding look at operations from over 20 years ago (Many thanks to David Longman).

One more lick of trivia before we start reviewing. Check out the above back cover from my DVD. How did a U.S. built (Baldwin 1925), narrow gauge, Durango & Silverton K-36 class 2-8-2 #486, make it all the way to Diaobingshan? Slow boat to China? Nope. Cut & paste, and maybe they won’t notice. How about Flying Tigers?

Ding Hao!!

Here’s a REAL railroad tiger, posing with my glass-marbled crossbuck. Mister Tiger is the aforementioned house pet who spends most of his time napping on the living room couch (Lazy ass tiger…).

SY class 2-8-2 #9708 rounds a curve with an eclectic mix of rolling stock. I believe filmmakers were using 2 locomotives and just changing their numbers for different scenes or trains.

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Railroadin’ 1941

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Adverti-Films – Hollywood

Filmed in glorious Dunningcolor, today’s feature was sponsored by Alco Locomotives & General Electric, so naturally their railroad equipment was featured front and center. Released just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, America is already gearing up for World War 2.

What sets this movie apart is the absolutely priceless scenes of Pre-war steam and diesel trains in color, no less. There are enough Electro-Motive Diesel passenger locomotives to keep things interesting and I’ll try my best to identify each scene used.

For example, the above picture appears to be in Chicago where an orange & maroon Milwaukee Road “Hiawatha” passenger train is arriving as a CMStP&P commuter train is switched alongside.

Let’s check it out!

How far they’ve come. At first, railroads themselves were shunned as dangerous and foolhardy. Now this nefarious couple contemplate railroad travel on credit…to collect her husband’s double indemnity insurance policy!

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The Greatest Show on Earth 1952

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gse001

Paramount Pictures

The circus traveled by rail as demonstrated in Cecil B. DeMille’s Technicolor masterpiece of 1952. Winning the Oscar for Best Picture, this is the film that made Charlton Heston a star.

For this review, I concentrated on circus scenes that had trains in the background. Some highlights include an Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) steam locomotive and caboose, a Pennsy GG-1 electric and a elaborately-detailed scale model of the two circus trains.

Our review begins 19 minutes into the movie as the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (RBandB&B) prepares to leave its Winter Quarters in Sarasota, Florida.

gse008

It took hundreds, if not thousands of people to operate the circus. As wagons of equipment are loaded piggyback-style on the left, performers and support staff prepare to board the passenger train on the right.

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