Night Ride Down had Harrison Ford attached for a brief time, but it was badly in need of a re-write and we should probably be thankful it never got made. 40+ million was thought to be excessive for a film budget in the late 1980s, early 1990s and part of the reason it was ultimately shelved.

No doubt the pre-production budget from that film gladdened the accounts of several steam locomotives that year – 765 made $20,000 on its deposit for never turning a wheel in a low period when it was most needed.

In addition to a non-refundable deposit, "kill fees" or fees to cover scope changes should be in your contracts.

Most of last year, a crew had been filming a tv series in our village. They have been back the last couple of weeks. I chatted with a couple of the crew members last week, to see what they are filming. It is some occult/teen/young adult thing. I said to them, well that lets me out. One of the guys said "Yep, I would never watch this shit!"
Last year, they had some nice vintage cars on scene , including a restored 60s-vintage police cruiser. With the attitude expressed by the crew member, I certainly would not want them using any of my antique artifacts!

A movie about Mr. Randolph was finally made almost 20 years ago, called Ten Thousand Black Men Named George. I don't remember seeing a steam locomotive used in it at all. I do remember a historical hiccup. In one 1930's scene in a union hall there is a 50 star U. S. flag hanging in the background. As a side note, Mr. Randolph (and everyone, including MLK, Jr. always called him "Mr. Randolph") was one of the driving forces behind the 1963 March on Washington. There is a bust of Mr. Randolph by Passenger Services in Washington Union Station.

Everyone here has good suggestions. My input is that you have you competent counsel for your organization review any agreement. The "stock" agreements that the studios use often contain language unfavorable to you, such as limiting their liability, or giving up rights to seek compensation for damaged or destroyed artifacts.

Nick Kallas likes to tell the story of when they were filming a movie at IRM with the Nebraska Zephyr. The production crew was just seconds away from cutting into the side of the train with a saw to run power cables, until they were stopped by a member who had the responsibility of "babysitting" the production.

It's not just this industry that has to be careful. The Martin Guitar Museum loaned a rare early Martin guitar to the Quentin Tarantino production The Hateful Eight. A dummy guitar was created that Kurt Russell was supposed to smash. It never got switched, and Russell smashed a priceless artifact on camera.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6866987/kurt-russell-smash-guitar-hateful-eight-muesum-martin

Like that rare early Martin Guitar, a load of money cannot replace some of our artifacts, so be careful and wise when and if you decide to work with film/TV production companies.

There's a reason the major Hollywood jewelers send "babysitters" with the priceless bobbles they loan to stars for award shows. Our equipment owners should always do likewise with our priceless artifacts.

TVRM always sent a crew with the equipment for off site shoots. The agreement would provide for the expenses of the crew (hotels and meals) as well as repainting equipment. When we got 4501 back from the October Sky shoot, we found that the "temporary" lettering on the locomotive and caboose would not come off easily, so they had to get repainted. Things being as they were, the 4501 ran with the faux N&W markings for a while.

When I was with the Wisconsin Central as trainmaster, engineer/conductor/carman/etc. we had a branch line east which was used as props for the movie, Grumpier Old Men. It was my responsibility to be there when they were filming on our property. But one day when the Minnesota Film Board lady called and told me they were going to film that day and "I needed to be there" I explained to her I wouldn't be there right away since we had a locomotive on the ground and it was holding up the departure of our eastbound freight. She hung up on me after threatening to call my boss and complain which I told her was her choice.

A few minutes later my supt. called and asked what the problem was. I explained the small derailment due to frozen mud at a crossing and that we only had one more wheel to get back on the rail. He said take your time, be safe and when you can, get out to the movie site.

A bit later when I arrived where they were filming over one of our country crossings I noticed someone had used a chain saw to cut down one of the crossbucks. I asked why and who and was told "it was in the way of the camera and the local sheriff had given them the okay to cut it down". I replied that the sheriff didn't have that authority and until it was immediately replaced (I had already called the local section to bring another crossbuck and install it) there would be no filming over our crossing. If you want see movie folks get upset, quick just tell them NO! Long story short, the section showed up soon after, the new crossbuck was installed and filming resumed. I never trusted those folks and they sure looked down their noses at us pitiful, dirty railroaders. I had other experiences with movie folks and most of those were pleasant, and fun...as long as everybody knew their boundaries and didn't stray from them.

Exprail

I only had one TV Commercial experience when I was at MARC. Our PR guy handled most of it, but I can attest to the fact that their "temporary paint" doesn't just wash off our F9A locomotive, as promised. Others in the business have warned of having the deposit check clear, and having your lawyers involved, as well as having a "keeper" present at all times. The worst I heard was when the set crew didn't like some original light fixtures in a period passenger car and removed them and cut the wires back into the wall, before covering the hole and masking it. Forewarned is forearmed.

G.F. Payne
Baltimore, MD

Another point is to read your contract as to how the material shot at your place can be used in the future. We recently had a TV episode filed at the museum, and when I read the contract, I was shocked. "we" had signed away our eternal rights to the material to be used by basically anyone, forever, for any purpose, period, with no compensation. I wish I had that contract in front of me now. What worried me, is the language used sounded to me what I would expect the bait-n-switch type TV shows use.

Mt Rainier Scenic had the same thing happen when we leased out NP 7012A for filming the movie Runaway Train. They applied some "temporary" paint to give a look that can best be described as "left in saltwater and mud for 6 months". Despite assurance it could easily be pressure washed off, it could not. This was even with the recent paint job that BN had done when they donated the locomotive.

Fortunately, we had a good contract and they were great about it. They had the locomotive sandblasted (which caused a few hassles, but they did good overall) and painted it in an epoxy primer coat. They then returned it, and we repainted it in the classic Northern Pacific Pine Tree scheme. Since BN had done the simplified "Bow Wave" version, the end result was a better looking unit than what we started with.

A friend of mine loaned some WW2 vehicles to a WW2 TV movie several years ago and found the (leather) seats on his prized Command Car were slashed in several places, probably form the extras riding in it. He got paid for the claim, but he had to hand-cover those seats again. No amount of money got that time and frustration back. He also said they screwed up one of the engines, almost cooking it because nobody apparently knew how to drive one or keep their eyes on the gauges.
Another friend loaned an old hot rod to a production and they didn't like the color. They painted it a different color with rattle cans, covering a paint job that costed him thousand of dollars. He had to go to court to get that money back.
The movie industry is sort of like the military; they brook no excuses and if you can't 'get it done,' they'll find someone who can you're in trouble that your career might not survive (especially if you're easily replaced). It happens that fast.
The story of the lighting person getting ready to drill a hole into the side of a railroad car, or the crossbuck being sawed down speaks to this. They're told to make something happen and they don't have the time nor the inclination to see how it can be done with without destroying something. The mindset on a set, I'm told by many in the biz, is, "do what the director tells you to do, we can pay for the damages later."
Like a guy I knew who worked on the "Memphis Belle" movie in 1989 told me, "Never rent or loan anything to a movie company that you ever want back the way you handed it over," and consider anything you hand over to be sold to the production company.
It's one of the reasons movies companies don't use prop houses like they used to and often now buy everything and sell it off when they're done with it.
A lot of the time, it's so one-sided, they just want what they want, it's scary.
I was asked to provide stuff for a couple of films and photo shoots over the years, mostly military and NASA stuff, but each time they wanted me to send the stuff to them and they promised to send it back, often with no agreement to anything in writing. One guy kept calling asking for the loan of some of items in my collection (flight gear to outfit the pilots and bombardier in a B-17 in flight) with no compensation and just his word I'd get it all back. I suggested I could show up at the site and be the guy at the bomb site as all my stuff fit me and it'd be my compensation for the assistance. Nope, they weren't having that. I said, "So, you expect me to send almost my entire collection of flight gear to you with just your word I'll get it all back as I sent it?" The guy on the phone didn't see at all why I was questioning that. "How about I ask if you'll fly the plane over the nearest airport and let me do my own photo shoot for a few days, all without you anywhere nearby, and I promise you I won't damage or lose anything?" he never got the point and I just hung up on him.

40+ years ago I worked six years for a scaffold supply company in the West Los Angeles area and from time to time we were approached for rental and installation of a scaffold platform, etc. for a motion picture or TV production. Between the home office and our branch manager we handled these requests thus:

1. Realize that (or act as if) every production is independent even if they have rented office space at a major studio.

2. Get all the money up front for set up and take down and the expected duration of the rental.

3. Change several times the going charges to the construction industry.

I remember one time when a location, film-crew man was in our office and told us several stories about damage done to homes, etc. because no one was watching and no one cared.

Also I have stories from Orange Empire (now Southern California) Ry Museum. Paint that was suppose to wash off and did not. No one watching the crew filming inside passenger cars. Having to rewire an aisle light because it was that seat that was removed for a camera location. A motorcycle stunt jump in a TV commercial that brought "what were you thinking" comments from the local railroads. Streetcar moved to a studio and when returned one of the wooden end sills/buffer being damaged; and our person working the claim only getting the cost of the wood timber with nothing to compensate for the paid or volunteer time required to do the fix.

Oh, one more thought. Get proof of insurance. And make sure the museum is named as additional insured on insurance policies.

All good points here. When we supplied cars for Unstoppable, everything, and I mean every thing was negotiated before hand. Daily rate, transportation costs, travel expenses and per diem for our crew, anything modified to have prior approval, i’s dotted, t’s crossed, etc. Overall, it was a good experience for all as everyone knew what was expected and the film crew was watched like a hawk. Bonus - the catering crew was most excellent. The only downside was long hours.

From my experience while working on the railroad, I have encountered on the insurance certificate sent to us, "additional insured as required by contract". Does your contract with the movie company require them to reimburse you for anything?

I'm not entirely sure this is something that fits, but there are certainly parallels with movie work.

If nothing else, I suspect a lot of us will find it entertaining, provided we aren't driven mad first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrdMjH5aNIk