Steam & Excursion > A Pair Of Consolidations Dressed Up In For The Movies!

In the 1930's through 1950's Hollywood was making the most of the popularity of Western Movies. The making of these movies about the old west required the Hollywood studios to seek out and find railroads that had both scenery that had the feel of the Old West but also the historic locomotives and rolling stock that fit the era.

Two such railroads that fit this bill were the narrow gauge D&RGW in Colorado and the Sierra Railroad in California. Both of these lines traveled through country sides that were void of modern roads and other structures that would give away the real timing of the filming. These 2 roads also rostered steam locomotives that could easily be back-dated with simply a fake headlight and stack and some paint.

In the first view we see D&RGW #315 in her movie attire for the 1948 filming of the Warner Brothers movie "Colorado Territory" starring Joel McCrea and Virginia Mayo. Her numbering has been changed with a simple panel on the cab sides covering the "3" to make her the #15 for the film. She has had an oil headlight and fake stack added to make her look even older then she did in daily service out of Durango.

The second photo is at the Sierra Railroad Jamestown roundhouse in 1946 as she was between takes for the filming of Selznick's famous "Duel In The Sun" movie starring Gregory Peck and Jennifer Jones. Again all the Hollywood folks need to give the engine the look of an engine from the Old West was a fancy paint job and the predictable oil headlight and fake wood burner stack. She has been lettered for the fictitious "Texas & Southwestern Railroad" that was in the film.

The use of these locomotives in movies did much to help preserve the engines from scrapping after they were deemed worn out. Just 2 years after the filming of Colorado Territory in 1950 D&RGW #315 was retired by the railroad. The fact that she had become famous for her film duties in Durango led to the railroad donating her for display in Durango so her fame could be enjoyed even after her retirement from service. In 1956 she was once again used in another movie, "Around The World In 80 Days", though she was not under steam for that film.

For many years Sierra Railroad #18 was the primary movie engine on the Sierra until the #3 was returned to service in 1948. With her many film roles behind her, when the railroad retired her in 1951 she was kept on a siding in Jamestown rather than being sent to a scrapper. Later her tender was sold for use behind former Sierra RR #32 but #18 herself was deemed too famous to simply cut up for scrap.

While #18 in not in service today as is #315, she is still enjoying her fame from her days in the movies and this may ultimately lead to her restoration some day, perhaps for use in another movie!

Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/14 03:56 by LoggerHogger.

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There is a 1950 Sierra Railroad western movie (Turner Classic Films) called Wyoming Mail. Much of the filming was done in Tuolumne County ranging from the Standard area all the way to the Stanislaus River. The Depots used were the Jamestown; (west end) Freight Building with glimpses of the roundhouse and yards in the background as well as the old vehicle shed on the side of the parking lot opposite the Depot, Passenger Depot (represented a different town than the freight depot in the movie) and a brief shot of the track-side of the Standard Depot with #3 w/passenger cars (#2 & #6) and a baggage car in the consist.

The film revolves around a plot to stop the U.S. mail from being carried by rail and so there are lots of scenes with passenger consists. They are all a baggage car (#?), the #2 & #6 coaches. Two different locos are featured in the film, the Sierra's #18 and the venerable #3. The #18 - in one scene - having just been robbed and had it's baggage car blown up, is being assisted by workmen in a train pulled by the #3. The 18 sports a diamond stack while the #3 her "standard" Petticoat Jct. sort of stack. The two locos appear in that scene nose-to-nose.

Later there is turnabout when the #18 comes to the rescue when the #3's train is being robbed. The #18 comes flying along in reverse with a posse jumping off and shooting up the bad guys.

There are some interesting scenes of the Jamestown Freight depot in which the details of the west end and the track arrangement just west of the depot are pretty clear. Also some nice scenes in the red hills, wester Tuolumne county and so on. I appears to have been filmed maybe in spring as the grass is all green and trees are leafed out.

Interesting to see the #3 and the #18 on the screen in the same scene as well as great views of Jamestown yard/depot back 64 years ago.

Let's hope some day the #18 can be restored and the two "old girls" re-united in Jamestown! In true western movie parlance that would be a real big shindig!

John

Hey, Martin, did the 18 have a superheater?

Yes Sierra #18 was superheated by the time of this photo. She was originally built as a saturated engine with slide valves. She later recieved a conversion to superheat and a piston valve conversion set was installed as we see here.

Martin

"Let's hope some day the #18 can be restored and the two "old girls" re-united in Jamestown! In true western movie parlance that would be a real big shindig!"...Amen too that...just looking for the winning lotto numbers