Engine in new Zorro movie?

bobyar2001 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:47 pm

Very short clips on TV, but appeared to be an early Mogul. Anyone know more about it?

Erik Ledbetter · **Posted:** Fri Oct 28, 2005 9:21 am

"Miniature Train Constructed and Filmed in New Zealand by Weta Workshop"-- that is, the company that did the F/X for Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings". Train fight scenes filmed against a blue screen and then digitally composited with the train model images.http://www.wetaworkshop.co.nz/projects/filmography/galleries/zorro(Click the thumbnail to enlarge).I'm confident you can expect to see more and more of this kind of thing.

Txhighballer · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:49 am **Posts:** 773

They went to CGI because they could not get a locomotive and train to come to Mexico for shooting. They contacted several railroads,but no one was willing to let their locomotive be gone for six months.

scottychaos · **Posted:** Fri Oct 28, 2005 3:31 pm

In addition to the small model, they must have also built a full-size set piece..at least a partial locomotive.probably for the actors to jump around on.http://www.spielbergfilms.com/images/le ... ro24.jpgor could that be a real locomotive?perhaps not operable, but still fixed up and used for some scenes?some more stills:http://www.aboutrufus.com/train.jpghttp://www.aboutrufus.com/train2.jpg ... ver2.jpg(I think that last one is my favorite..)Scot

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Fri Oct 28, 2005 4:12 pm

scottychaos wrote:

In addition to the small model, they must have also built a full-size set piece..at least a partial locomotive.probably for the actors to jump around on.http://www.spielbergfilms.com/images/le ... ro24.jpgor could that be a real locomotive?perhaps not operable, but still fixed up and used for some scenes?some more stills:http://www.aboutrufus.com/train.jpghttp://www.aboutrufus.com/train2.jpg ... ver2.jpg(I think that last one is my favorite..)Scot

I was e-mailed by the producer of the movie, he was looking for an operable 1880s locomotive to use. As others mentioned; he could not find a period, operational locomotive that he could use.He did have access to a static locomotive in a museum in Mexico, that is probably what they used for the full scale shoots. I believe they tried simulating smoke and pushing it with a diesel, but he wasn't happy with the results. So he must have gone to CGI animation instead.-James Hefner Hebrews 10:20a Surviving World Steam Project

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:46 pm

survivingworldsteam wrote:

I was e-mailed by the producer of the movie, he was looking for an operable 1880s locomotive to use. As others mentioned; he could not find a period, operational locomotive that he could use.He did have access to a static locomotive in a museum in Mexico, that is probably what they used for the full scale shoots. I believe they tried simulating smoke and pushing it with a diesel, but he wasn't happy with the results. So he must have gone to CGI animation instead.

To be more precise, the full size locomotive was NdeM 2-6-0 E-1 Class #650; an 1889-built Baldwin at the National Museum of Mexican Railroads, Puebla, Mexico. I have it listed as operational; he was under the impression it was operational prior to the shoot, but it is not.-James Hefner Hebrews 10:20a Surviving World Steam Project

Chris Salmonson · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:35 pm

The Legend of Zorro DVD has been recently released and the bonus material has a good featurette about creating the train scenes. It includes 1 1/2" scale footage and the full size mogul, including test scenes before the engine was dolled up. Of course it's all goofy Hollywood magic, but it's nice to see the engine, which appears to be mostly practical and not CGI. The whole runaway train squence is more like a comedy sequence than drama, and watch out, the boiler got hotter and climbed to 30 pounds during the action!!!!!