| Home | Open Account | Help | 347 users online |
|
Member Login
Discussion
Media SharingHostingLibrarySite Info |
Steam & Excursion > Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history?Date: 05/12/19 15:20 Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history? Author: C.P.Huntington What is the history of the locomotives that were used in the silent move "The General" staring Buster Keaton?
There appears to be three locomotives: #3 "General", #5 "Texas" and #8 but I can't make out the name. Who were the builders and owners? I know one was wrecked for the movie and scrapped years later. What happened to the other two? Date: 05/12/19 16:09 Re: Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history? Author: CPRR Wikipedia is your friend:
In April 1926, Keaton's location manager, Burt Jackson, found an area in central Oregonwith old-fashioned railroads which was a perfect setting for the film. He also discovered that the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway owned two vintage trains from the Civil War era and purchased them for the production. He later bought a third locomotive in Oregon to portray the Texas for the purpose of using it in a train wreck. <Snip> The cast and crew arrived in Cottage Grove, Oregon, on May 27, 1926, with 18 freight cars full of Civil War-era cannons, rebuilt passenger cars, stagecoaches, houses, wagons and laborers. The crew stayed at the Bartell Hotel in nearby Eugene and brought three 35 mm cameras with them from Los Angeles. On May 31, set construction began with the materials, and regular train service in Cottage Grove ceased until the end of production.[8]One third of the film's budget was spent in Cottage Grove, and 1,500 locals were hired. <snip> On July 23, Keaton shot the climactic train wreck scene in the conifer forest near Cottage Grove. The town declared a local holiday so that everyone could watch the spectacle. Between three and four thousand local residents showed up,[10] including 500 extras from the Oregon National Guard. They all dressed up in Union uniforms and were filmed going left-to-right before changing into Confederate uniforms and being filmed going right-to-left. Keaton used six cameras for the scene, which began four hours late and required several lengthy trial runs. The shot cost $42,000, which is the most expensive single shot in silent film history.[11 The production company left the wreckage of The Texas in the river bed after the scene was filmed. The wrecked locomotive became a minor tourist attraction for nearly twenty years, until it was salvaged in 1944–45 for scrap during World War II. Date: 05/12/19 16:13 Re: Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history? Author: CPRR Jeff Moore wrote this in 2004:
According to information presented in Randall V. Mills book Railroads Down the Valley, Some Short Lines of the Oregon Country, the three locomotives used in the filming were as follows: The General was played by Oregon Pacific & Eastern #4, a Cooke 4-4-0 built in 1886 for the Oregon Pacific Railroad as their #4; to Corvallis & Eastern #4; to Oregon & Southeastern (original name of the OP&E) #4 1902; sold to J.H. Chambers #4, wrecked and scrapped 1941. The Texas, the locomotive wrecked in the movie who's remains are still in the Rowe River, was played by OP&E #5. The #5 was built by Baldwin in 1881 for the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company as their #44; to Union Pacific #529; to Oregon Railway & Navigation #58; to Mt. Hood Railroad #1; to OP&E #5. Apparently purchased for the movie work. The Yonah (the first locomotive used by the Confederates to chase the General) was played by Oregon Pacific & Eastern #3, which was a Cooke 2-6-0 built in 1873 for the Virginia & Truckee Railroad as their #16. Locomotive sold to Oregon Railroad & Navigation #40; to Union Pacific #1381; to Oregon Railroad & Navigation #18; to Salem Falls City & Western #3; to Oregon & Southeastern #3; Oregon Pacific & Eastern #3. Locomotive purchased by O&SE (OP&E) 1909. The Oregon & Southeastern started construction on this railroad out of Cottage Grove in 1902, heading for the mines of the Bohemia Mining District in the Cascade mountains. However, the mines played out before the railroad reached them, and it survived on lumber for the balance of it's life. The Oregon & Southeastern was re-named the Oregon Pacific & Eastern in 1914 after the lumbermen who depended on the line took over. The OP&E would be featured in at least two other movies, Emporer of the North (mid-1970's) and Stand By Me (1985). The OP&E lost it's major shipper in 1991 but continued to run sporadically until the spring of 1995, when all operations ceased. The right-of-way is now a hiking trail, managed by the Oregon State Park system. Hope this helps. JD Moore Elko, NV Date: 05/12/19 17:39 Re: Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history? Author: ts1457 Great history <sarcasm>. Of course, in real life the Texas was not wrecked and survives today at the Atlanta History Center. After many in service rebuildings only some of the parts are original to 1862 though.
Date: 05/12/19 18:04 Re: Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history? Author: JLKirk Both it and the 'General' had to be re-gauged... the Western a & Atlantic was one of those odd, 5' gauge railroads the South was partial to...
Joel Kirk Date: 05/12/19 19:30 Re: Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history? Author: goduckies Just watched Union Pacific in honor if the 150th, great movie. But it got me wondering are any of those engines still around as well.
Posted from Android Date: 05/12/19 22:27 Re: Locomotives used in "The General" - what is their history? Author: C.P.Huntington The engines used in the movie "Union Pacific" all exist today. According to Larry Jensen's
book "The Movie Railroads" four locomotives - all from the Virginia and Truckee RR - were used: #11 "Reno" #18 "Dayton" #21 "J. W. Bowker" #22 "Inyo" |