Steam & Excursion > Where is This?

Anyone care to guess where this photo was taken, and what is going on here? Hint: Photo taken December 8, 1945, by the late Al Rose, of Modesto, Calif.

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Looks like it's just West of Jimtown on the Sierra, maybe movie work?

Tom

I agree it's on the Sierra. - Tony J.

It looks like the train in the background came up and found another locomotive on the tracks - the 2 guys walking back to the train in the photo apparently walked up and pushed the lone locomotive off of the tracks so that their train could proceed.

It closely matches a photo in the book "Sierra Railway" by Deane. The caption indicates it is a "...paper dummy being blown up for the movie Duel in the Sun."


Roger
Sierra Railfan

The Al Rose photo was taken at milepost 20 on Sierra Railroad, during filming of the movie "Duel in the Sun". The model/prop of Sierra #18, was built entirely of lumber and heavy cardboard for the wreck scene. In the background sits the real 2-8-0, #18. This high fill is 21 miles west of Jamestown, and one mile east of Cooperstown. The fill was built to replace a very high trestle, just south of the fill. It was part of a line re-location in 1903. In 1995 the culvert at the bottom of this fill had collapsed and was completely plugged. with no water running through it. Due to very heavy and constant rainfall that winter, a large lake formed against the fill. Water was as high as the cab on the movie prop engine in photo. Myself, and the late, great, Jimmy Gibbs, named the resulting lake "Lake Peck", in honor of Duel in the Sun actor, Gregory Peck.