Tag Archives: Union Pacific Railroad

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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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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Last Clear Chance 1959

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Union Pacific Railroad

This railroad safety film has the dubious honor of being mocked by Mystery Science Theater 3000 in one of their episodes, “Radar Secret Service”. A YouTube link to the MST3K version is provided below.

Basically the message is, don’t try to beat the train to the crossing – sound advice – but there’s a whole plethora of neat, old ’59 Fords and Chevys being driven, rather ineptly, by my fellow Idahoans, sometimes with disastrous results. (Thanks for the car ID’s, Mark!)

Beside the blurred streamliner images, trackside views include EMD F units, GP9s, switchers and even an Alco-GE gas turbine-electric locomotive.

Will the Idaho State Police get the word about railroad safety through people’s thick skulls? Let’s find out.

UP owned a fleet of EMD E8’s and E9’s seen here flashing past the camera in southern Idaho. Passenger trains of the era included #105/#106 City of Portland, #17/#18 Portland Rose and Mail and Express #11/#12. Portland Rose was the only train that traversed the Boise area in daylight.

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This Is My Railroad 1949

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Southern Pacific Railroad

The date is a little unclear. I believe this movie was originally produced in 1946 featuring steam power, then remade in color featuring diesels in 1949 or later. Something like that. If someone knows the true story, let me know.

Three cheers for the red and orange! In the years before Donald J. Russell got his mitts on the Espee (and began systematically dismantling their fabulous passenger train network), this WAS the friendly SP.

Freight F units wore the classy “Black Widow” paint scheme, whilst Passenger train diesels wore the flashy “Daylight” dress pulling matched consists throughout the southwest.

Our film is a snapshot of life along the SP Lines including snow fighting operations in the Sierra Nevada. From lower-quadrant semaphores to early CTC installations to rebuilding rolling stock, Southern Pacific did it all their own way. Let’s check out this colorful carnival of transportation. (Apologies for the fuzzy YouTube print.)

It hasta be Shasta. SP Train #9, the Shasta Daylight was a Portland to Oakland streamliner. Mount Shasta looms in the background as an Alco PA locomotive leads the way south (west in SP parlance).

Freight paid most of the bills, though, including SP X6190 leading a set of EMD F7 locomotives through the Sierras.

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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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Wrongfully Accused 1998

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Warner Brothers Pictures

Just three minutes of train action , but it’s a jim-dandy. And it is referenced on the cover of the DVD, for Pete’s sake.

Leslie Neilsen mercilessly parodies the famous train wreck scene from The Fugitive 1993. Filmed mostly in British Columbia along the old Pacific Great Eastern (later renamed British Columbia Railway or BC Rail), our film features one of that line’s locomotives: a General Electric B36-7 #3607.

The movie also parodies Charlie’s Angels, North by Northwest, and Lords of the Dance to name a few. If you just want to sit down with a nice adult beverage and be entertained, this is the picture for you. (The Fugitive itself ain’t too bad, either.)

Trying to keep up with all the guest star cameos is a hoot as well, with such notables as Kelly LeBrock, Michael York, Sandra Bernhard and John Walsh.

Curiously, the DVD cover appears to show a Union Pacific EMD SD60M #6408 with a 3-piece windshield. The make/model is correct; the locomotive number is incorrect. This engine is not seen anywhere in the movie.

The TWO sets of ditch lights are a BCOL-standard, but the crazy Gyralite box on the nose is Hollywood, pure and simple. A good, British Columbia-soaking of liquid sunshine completes this picture.

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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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Union Depot 1932

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First National Pictures

I think I heard the word, “swell” about a dozen times in this movie…which made me giggle. It’s kind of corny, but relevant slang for the times. Now, before I get too carried away here, I want to thank Danny at the Pre-Code.com blog for tipping me off about this movie. His review of this flick was a great inspiration and help in understanding what the heck was going on.

For a picture mostly filmed in the studio, Union Depot had a respectable train allotment including two Southern Pacific steam locomotives I could identify, a named Pullman 12-1 sleeper and the pre-LAUPT Southern Pacific Central Station to name a few. And let’s not overlook the enormous Union Depot set itself built in the studio — which would be re-used in many more upcoming movies.

Joan Blondell (Yowza!) plays chorus girl Ruth Collins alongside the rakish Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. as hobo/bum Chick Miller who cleans up nicely (literally) before he meets his gal pal.

Let’s go down to the station and see what’s happening. All Abooooooarrrrd!!!

Joan turns on a dazzling smile as she and Doug discuss travel plans. In the background is the Union Depot soundstage which included offices, a cafe, bathrooms, waiting room with wooden pews, numbered gates to trains and columns. Lots of columns.

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Switchback 1997

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Paramount Studios

I first heard about this movie from a blog! Many thanks to James Tiroch and his Cinetrains site for providing a wealth of information about the two locomotives used in filming AND their disposition afterwards.

Despite the snazzy “Grande Gold” graphic (see below image) splashed across their flanks, these are NOT Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) locomotives! At the time of filming, Union Pacific owned D&RGW and would not allow use of their equipment. Movie makers simply leased a couple locomotives and painted them up the way they liked.

And WHAT a couple of engines they are! Two former Southern Pacific EMD-built (1970) SD39’s #5319 & #5325 dressed up in Rio Grande “speed lettering”. Let’s check out this film on the “Main Line Thru The Rockies”.

A pair of Rio Grande diesels is about to enter a tunnel deep in a Colorado canyon. These Espee SD39’s in disguise were frequently renumbered to represent different trains. Notice the cabside number location has been painted out. Here the lead unit is “2010” and the trailing unit is “234”.

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Appointment With Danger 1950

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Paramount Pictures

Let’s hear it for the Post Office! Or to quote from the film’s opening with triumphant march music playing in the background: “We’re proud of our Post Office, because we have confidence in its efficiency”. Well, things have changed a bit since 1950, but back in the day….

Many thanks to reader Mark Herrmann who tipped me off about this film noir goodie. After purchasing the DVD, I researched it and discovered train scenes filmed in Indiana AND Southern California. In addition to Alan Ladd (who plays the tough-as-nails Postal Inspector, Al Goddard), there are small parts played by Jack Webb (“My name’s Friday”) and Harry Morgan as two gang henchmen. That’s Al stepping off the caboose above.

As always, I’m gonna concentrate on the railroad pulchritude and leave the plot and gangster genre for others who may follow. C’mon, let’s check out trains from NYC, Pere Marquette, C&NW, Pennsylvania and Union Pacific railroads!

Gary (Indiana) Union Station was a beautiful structure when constructed in 1910 – as well as a pivotal plot point in this movie. Located between the New York Central and Baltimore & Ohio mainlines, both roads were served by this two-story edifice.

In these two views, we get a look inside and out of the passenger terminal. The depot still exists, but is literally a shell of its former self. That’s a 1949 Checker Cab (Thanks, big brother Mark!).

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