[KYYADA]

Hello:

I was watching White Christmas this evening and noticed the train coming out of Florida was a Santa Fe....when pulling into Vermont I didn't really recognise the markings on the loco, is it a Southern Pacific? Funny after watching so many times I just noticed this! I mentioned this to the family and they just had a blank stare....

Johnny

 

[dawinter]

Hmmmm. And that movie was made in southern California?

Dave

 

[John J]

Oh this is ugly. I remember when that movie came out in Theaters. My Mother and Father and two sisters and I went to see it.
Then we went out to dinner at a resturant.

At those times that was a treat.

 

[Torby]

I thought it was a rather forgettable movie.

 

[Semper Vaporo]

This is a rather well known movie fau paux and is derided considerably by movie buff RR enthusiasts. But people that liked Bing Crosby tended to overlook the technical errors and enjoyed the music and, what today is, a rather sappy storyline that tugged at the heart-strings.

 

[Dwight Ennis]

Personally, I love the movie - a real Christmas classic! But then again, I like most old movies more than the current crop of crap coming out of Hollywood. Just mho.

As for using West Coast trains to represent other locations east, this isn't the only movie/TV show to do so.

One of my other favorites is the original "Holiday Affair" with Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh which revolves around a (Lionel) toy train for Christmas. It's also interesting (to me) that Janet Leigh plays a character named Connie Ennis. hehehe

 

[Greg Stevens]

A typical way for Hollywierd to save money in post production. They obviously used stock footage with palm trees to represent Florida. If you notice they are in a different type of Pullman in the arriving shot as opposed to the departing shots. They don't think that the movie watching public will notice such goofs and really don't care if they do. I do love that movie for the music and Vera Ellen. What a pair of legs.

 

[Dwight Ennis]

BTW, "A Holiday Affair" will be on Turner Classic Movies at 9:30 tomorrow (Sat) morning.

 

[SlateCreek]

Fun railroad things in the movies....

Gotta watch "Disaster on the Coastliner." Filmed on the Northeast Corridor, largely in Connecticut (and some in Rhode Island) and purported to be in California. Nice HO wreck of F40PH #213 (which ran for another 20 years after the movie and is now 90213, a CAB-BAG unit on the Downeaster ....) The whole premise of the movie is outlandish ... but hey, it has William Shatner in it! There's a particularly neat scene when the runaway unmanned locomotive is parted from the train, and all the power cables arc and spark.... the brake hoses blow .... and then as the locomotive drifts ahead, below Shatner's feet you see the cables all neatly tied up and the hoses secured...

"The Cider House Rules" ... see Tang-Shan 1647 (formerly VRR 1647, now Susquehana 142) lettered "Bangor and Aroostook" steaming away at the beginning.

"Ray" with the double stack well cars rolling by in the background ....

"Back to the Future" with an engine in 1885 that was actually built in 1891, and has air brakes, and burns oil (even with all that wood in the tender.) Most folks dont' recognize it as the same engine that stopped in Pixley in "Petticoat Junction" .... or a zillion other movies!

And of course "Silver Streak." Need we say more?

Still fun to watch.... even if you do cringe when something happens like Ernest Borgnine (as the conductor) takes it on himself to blow the whistle in "Emperor of the North" ....

Matthew (OV)

 

[John J]

I watched a movie recently that took place in the 20's or 30's It had a steam train in it. The cars had those round plates like bumper/shock absorbers that the European trians use between the cars. I don't every remember trains in the USA using those type cars. What is the purpose of those plates?

 

[Guest]

What is the purpose of those plates?

to absorbe bumps at braking.
narrow gauge stock normally has one in the middle, mainline have a pair.

 

[Torby]

Let's see, you have "Draw" and "Buff" forces. A draw force stretches the train out. A buff force pushes the train together.

Our "Jenning" couplers deal with both forces. On Euro trains, the link deals with draw forces and the Buffers deal with buff forces.

 

[Ironton]

Hey guys, lighten up. I always figured that the different trains and pulman cars was because they had to change trains at least once on the trip. Probably in New York city at least.

At least the movie has some people with talent in it, not just a few people being paid obscene amounts for a few months work and tons of anonymous extras to support the CGI. Also refreshing is the familiar faces playing supporting roles.

 

[San Juan]

Although incredibly wrong, the clip of the Santa Fe San Diegan in White Christmas is worth sitting through the beginning of that horrible move just to see the train. Santa Fe warbonnets in color are not all that common in the movies. At least not as much as you think would show up. There sure are a lot in black and white, but not too many in color.


I have been adding snippets onto a DVD over the years of Santa Fe trains in movies. Some of the best scenes came from a movie I never heard of before...Carmen Jones. Great scenes in beautiful color of a Santa Fe train, which I believe to be a San Diegan or may just be extra equipment used for the movie, at what I thought to be LAUPT. Been a while since I saw that clip but I sure thought it was LAUPT. And there is accurate sound too which is a pretty rare thing to find.


And yep the second train you see in White Christmas is definitely an SP. Put that on the train clip DVD too since it was in color.