The upcoming video release of "Night Passage" reminded me of another film from the 1950s, the Civil War-era "Tall Target" starring Dick Powell. It concerned a fictionalized version of the attempted assasination plot on Abraham Lincoln on his way to Washington by train for his first inaugural. The film takes place aboard the "Washington Flyer" between New York and Washington with a New York police detective following the suspected plotters. There are many scenes featuring ex-Virginia & Truckee #11 "Reno" in action. There is even a scene portraying the loco and cars being hauled throught the streets of Baltimore by draft horses as was the supposed practice of the day, rather than the engnes belching smoke and sparks up their balloon stacks. The film was aired years ago on TNT for Lincoln's birthday- I have seen no video release of it. Nice little period drama, though.

JMFouchard@aol.com

There'some truth behind that movie. In 1861, the cars (not locomotives) were moved across Pratt St. by horses from PW&B's President St. Station to B&O's Camden Station. There was believed to be a plot to assasinate Mr. Lincoln in Baltimore City while he was on his way to be inaugurated.

For this reason, he travelled through Baltimore at night, well in advance of his schedule.

This was not idle chatter; when the troops of the 6th Massachusetts were marching from President St. to Camden, shots were fired and the US fatalities were the first in the war.

BTW both stations are still standing.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

Actually the movie did dovetail nicely with the known facts of the assasination plot. In the film the PW&B train was held at Philadelphia and waited for the delivery of a "package" coming aboard the Harrisburg train-actually the President-elect accompanyed by detective Alan Pinkerton. Nice night shots of the "Reno" in action with a sunflower stack..

All Aboard The Wanderer!
JMFouchard@aol.com

> ...In the film the PW&B train was held at
> Philadelphia and waited for the delivery of
> a "package" coming aboard the
> Harrisburg train-actually the
> President-elect accompanyed by detective
> Alan Pinkerton. Nice night shots of the
> "Reno" in action with a sunflower
> stack.

Where was this scene filmed? There was a nice brick depot and other buildings that looked too good to be a Hollywood set!


tr2manz@frontiernet.net

Good question. The Philadelphia depot shot definitely has a good period feel to it. Like the old Italianate revival stations of the period- Gettysurg, Pa, Galena, Ill, etc.
The studios in those days did have large back lots- MGM and 20th Century Fox in particular. And they did have standing sets of depots.
The opening title shot shows the train backing into a large glass-arched train shed. It looks very similar to the old Oakland Terminal shed. The West Coast location would be a reasonable trip hauling the equipment up the coast from the L.A. studios.

JMFouchard@aol.com