1939, "Union Pacific", with Joel McCrea & Barbara Stanwyck.

1969, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kit (Paul Newman & Rorbert Redford).

1982 "The Grey Fox", with Richard Farnsworth.

1985 "Runaway Train" with John Voight".

If I'm not mistaken, the locomotive used in filming that movie was deadheaded from the shop in Alamosa, CO back to Durango (for use on the tourist operation) in December 1968 as part of the very last narrow guage freight train Rio Grande operated.

As for movies, there was one that I really like from (I think) the early 1960's called 'The Train'. It's a WWII movie. The scenery and period steam locomotives are tremendous.

Great train work, a real train wreak and the bombing (planted explosives) of a real train yard! It is full of very good railroad operational filming. Paul Scofield is very good and Burt Lancaster does great work. At one point he is in the locomotive shop and actually makes a part for the locomotive as they film it! Fascinating. Get the DVD and watch the commentary.

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Originally posted by notelvis:
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed on what is now the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in the early fall of 1968.

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I think this might be wrong. I seem to recall that the scenes were all shot on the Silverton Branch. Partly the reason you only see K-28's. Several other (non train) scenes were also shot near the Animas River, and some in the mountains near Rockwood.

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Originally posted by Southwest Chief:
I think this might be wrong. I seem to recall that the scenes were all shot on the Silverton Branch. Partly the reason you only see K-28's. Several other (non train) scenes were also shot near the Animas River, and some in the mountains near Rockwood.

[This message has been edited by Southwest Chief (edited 05-09-2004).]

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Hi Chief,

You know the area better than I do and I believe that you're probably right.

My source was the Winter 2002 issue of Classic Trains Magazine. An author named Al Chione has a photo documentary of the final DRG&W narrow guage train operating from Alamosa to Durango on December 5 & 6.

In the article he writes that in September "only two trains operated to assist with two movies "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys".

The author does not specifically say that the movie was filmed in the C&TS area....just that "several other movie trains operated out of Chama in October."

K-28 #473 was the final locomotive overhauled in the Alamosa shop having gone there from Durango in a light engine move in early October. It moved back to Durango on the final 'regular' train for use on the Silverton tourist operation. On reviewing the article though, 473 was under steam (leading the train from Alamosa to Antonito and again from Chama to Durango) rather than deadheading.

This post (hopefully) demonstrates how I got the notion that the movie was filmed in C&TS territory. I guess I was just a little bit too full of myself the other night. Still fascinates me though. I'm coming out for another ride on the C&TS in June.

Hmmmmmmnnnnn

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David Pressley

[This message has been edited by notelvis (edited 05-09-2004).]

Double Take has a really great amtrak part.
And The Italian Job has has a Parlour car at the very end.

Although the Dining Car and Pullman sleeping car scenes were all sets, they were quite accurately depicted. The scenery shown as Cary Grant ordered Trout (can't recall what Grace Kelly orderd) was real as Sing Sing prison at Ossining and the Tappan Zee Bridge at Tarrytown were clearly visible.

However, at La Salle Street Station in Chicago, there was some "license". "The Century" was actually an assemblage of locomotive and cars so that the production company could have as many "run ins" as needed. Also, the "action" seemed to be on the Westernmost side of the station, on tracks usually reserved for the Rock Island.

The biggest "license" of course was the SP serving Rapid City SD.

Hitchcock liked trains:
North by Northwest (up the Hudson)
The Lady Vanishes (the disappearing letters on the window scene is esp good) (be sure to see the original, not the awful remake with Cybil Shepherd)
Strangers on a Train

There's a brief but good train scene in the very funny Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

There's a great scene in Philadelphia 30th St Station in Witness, IMO one of the best films ever; also scenes from the train window and at the train station in, I think, Lancaster PA.

Superboy races a train in a cute but brief scene in Superman (proving he is more powerful than a locomotive, I suppose)

Also don't forget the great subway film The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

And the great line in Young Frankenstein, "Pardon me boy, is this the Transylvania Station?"

She had had the trout also, but had finished hers before Cary Grant sat down.

However, at La Salle Street Station in Chicago, there was some "license".

It was Eva Marie Saint, not Grace Kelly in North by Northwest.

The Chicago Board of Trade is now on the site. Where the Chicago Stock Exchange is located atop Congress Street used to be the rail access to the Station.

I believe, METRA still refers to the "Metshack" at which Rock Island District trains terminate as La Salle Station. Its street address is 414 S. La Salle Street.

Lastly, Mr. Robert L; I too must stand corrected on the point of Miss. Saint vice Miss. Kelly (note my use of the then-prevalent term of Miss. as distinct from Ms.). In fact, Mr. Black simply followed my lead.

I just saw a small bit of "North by Northwest" on TV where Cary Grant gets himself arrested at an auction (in Chicago?). He is then contacted by a government agent who puts him on a Northwest Airlines flight to Rapid City. Is the SP train in a different part of the movie?