In the 1976 movie "Silver Streak", CP Rail ("AmRoad") FP7 No. 4070 is equipped with dual engineer's controls. This is especially evident when "Mr. Devereaux" (Patrick McGoohan) is hanging out the engineer's side door, shooting at the helicopter(s). In the aerial shots, one can barely see an engineer on the opposite (fireman's) side, with an automatic brake valve in the "Running" position (parallel to the armrest, instead of perpendicular as it would be on the right side of the cab). In pan shots across the cab interior, one can also see the tops of both speed recorders. Other than providing maximum flexibility for a movie story line, was there any other purpose for so equipping an F-type locomotive? Secondly, were other F-units equipped with dual controls? With road switchers, the need is obvious. It would seem less so with a carbody-type unit. Thanks.

Craig Lacey

I always presumed the second set of controls were simply a mock-up for filming with an actor "running the train", rather than the real thing. Any way to tell if they were both real?

From the layout of the air-brake stands, it appears that the setup is real. One valve appears to be against the cab wall with the other in front of the seat. The positioning of everything else is what one would expect on a cab-type export unit (e.g. Australia). In looking at other cab interior "details", it appears that everything is real, as opposed to a mocked-up set. Throughout the movie, both sides of the cab are used.

During the scene where nobody was running the locomotive, it was possible to see someone apparently operating the engine from the fireman's seat (look for his shadow and the bottom of his denim jacket hanging below the edge of the seat). Then again, it could simply be "movie magic". I was mainly curious as to whether this was a one-shot deal or whether CP Rail equipped a number of FP7s with dual controls.

Craig Lacey

So how was crash scene at the end filmed? Real, model, some combination thereof?

From the Internet Movie Database:

"The engine crashing into the station was filmed in a Lockheed hangar in Burbank, California using a full-sized mock-up of the FP-7A locomotive."