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 Post subject: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:26 am 

Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:50 pm
Posts: 567
Does anyone know the details of the shooting of the railroad scenes in the 70's western movie "Powderkeg?" My research shows that it was shot in 1971 and from what I could see they used an SP 2-8-0 oil burner with short vanderbuilt tender pulling 3 wood sided truss-rod passenger cars. In the movie, the 2-8-0 was numbered 309. In the credits, they list Old Tuscon, Arizona as the site for the filming of the movie. Does anyone know what line they filmed the railroad scenes on?

The reason I saw this movie was due to finally getting around to watching a DVD I received as a Christmas present with about 20 old westerns. This happened to be the first one on the list and I had no idea what I was in for. Not much of a movie, IMHO, but it is set around the RR exclusively and there are some really nice long desert shots of the 2-8-0 pulling the train. I don't know what year they were targeting for the movie but I usually envision "Westerns" as being set in the 1800's and this engine in particular is from the 20's or later.

Did they use the 2-8-0 that is now on display in Old Tuscon?

Rob Gardner


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:05 am 

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:56 pm
Posts: 126
According to Larry Jensen's "The Movie Railroads", the engine was Magma Arizona #5, which also had a brief role in "Emperor of the North" as the passenger train's locomotive.


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:07 am 

Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:34 pm
Posts: 2758
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
I bet it is Magma Arizona 5, which also starred in Emperor of the North (Pole), 1973.

#EDIT - beat me by 2 minutes

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Steven Harrod
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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:47 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:50 pm
Posts: 567
Thanks guys. That would make sense. How late did the Magma Arizona have this engine in steam? It's on display in Globe, right?


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:25 pm 

Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:34 pm
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Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
I believe it is at the museum in Galveston, TX. They had it in steam at the museum for a short time back in the 1980's.

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Steven Harrod
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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:09 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:28 am
Posts: 244
Location: Dallas, TX
The scenes were probably up at the junction of the Magma and SP line. That area has been the most used track for many years.

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Harry Nicholls


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:08 am 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:49 am
Posts: 764
softwerkslex wrote:
I believe it is at the museum in Galveston, TX. They had it in steam at the museum for a short time back in the 1980's.


She was indeed in steam in Galveston, Texas for a short while...I ran her several times. She also ran one excursion Galveston to Rosenberg and back. I've never seen any pictures from that trip either....


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:04 pm 

Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:27 pm
Posts: 157
Is that the movie with the Stutz Bearcat railcar?

Richard Wilkens


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:18 pm 

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:56 pm
Posts: 126
Richard W. wrote:
Is that the movie with the Stutz Bearcat railcar?

Richard Wilkens


Yeah, it is the pilot episode for the short-lived "Bearcats" TV series, starring Rod Taylor.


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:30 pm 

Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:41 am
Posts: 3911
Location: Inwood, W.Va.
Indeed it is; the whole movie is available on YouTube, at least for now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF3ZwkcpU-k

This was the pilot for a series called "Bearcats:"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066235/

The automobile the series and the characters are named after was a "hot" car for 1914; the engine had only 4 cylinders but displaced 390 cubic inches:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stutz_Bearcat

Visually the show was great, but as is often the case, the writing doesn't hold up that well.

It also says something about how rare authentic looking rail footage is that we salivate at something like this.

We need that TV series or movie franchise about railroads. . .between Kelly Lynch, Becky Morgan, and myself we should have Emmy and Oscar material available! :-)

But how would we sell it? How would we finance it? Could we get it to look as good as "Powderkeg" for the $30,000.00 suggested by a poster not too long ago? Could we even get it to come out as well as the flawed "Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day?"

An example of a movie--not rail related--made for $30,000.00 back in 1962:

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osy7YHcCP2A

The movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZZT7p2b ... ton&wide=1


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 Post subject: Re: Steam in Western Flic "Powderkeg"
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:22 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:49 am
Posts: 764
I always liked the way the movie opened...one big headlight, then 150 tons of Consolidation coming at you out of the night.. a pretty big impression on a 10 year old crazy about trains in 1973..only to grow up and run the same locomotive! I bet the outtakes alone would make a pretty good railfan video.

If someone can put together a good story, I think it can done....all it takes is want to....


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