As has become a tradition, my son and I went to see the new Transformers movie on opening weekend (and it is worth it to spring for IMAX 3D). Anyone who has seen the previous three knows director Michael Bay is apt to throw in some trains (sometimes literally throw) and make good use of factories, power stations and mills that are high on the favorites list of urban explorers.

The new film doesn't disappoint, with beauty shot of a UP freight in the opening scenes (T2 had a NS freight early on) and boat nerds will love the scenes of Detroit's SS Columbia and Ste Clair (which apparently had some restoration work done on them by the film company) but the kicker - and reason for this post - are the scenes shot at IRM. From rusty items on the back 40 to the Nebraska Zephyr a broad range of trains are in the film which also includes an aerial shot of the museum.

The Elesco feedwater heater bundle and bell on the CB&Q Hudson feature prominently.

It will be interesting to hear if IRM gets any boost in visitors from this exposure. I wonder if they are allowed to do any "as seen in Transformers..." advertising?

All in all, pretty cool to see a major rail museum in a major film. The rest of the urban decay, ships and cars should be enough to make most of us here happy. Yes, there's a hot starlet, too, but look at those boats!

Rob

Apparently they had to add an extra funnel to the Ste Clair.

I wouldn't have mentioned this otherwise, but since credit for museum/tourist operations in a movie is mentioned here, let me add that the Cumbres & Toltec does get a line in the credits for it's use in a scene in the Seth MacFarlane film A Million Ways to Die in the West (although set in Arizona, most of the film was shot in NM). Also, for those of us who stay to the bitter end to read the credits, there is a payoff at the very end in doing so.

Michael Bay also used Detroit's Michigan Central Station for a sequence in the first Transformers film.

According to the Internet Movie Data Base: [ "While at IRM, Michael Bay took the cast and crew on a train ride, and Mark Wahlberg made a donation of $40,000.00 to the Museum. Bay also purchased an old 1930s crane from the Museum, which had "Bay City" embossed on it; he was going to have it restored and put it in his yard at his ranch in Montana."

I don't get to the movies nearly as often as I'd like, so this will have to wait for DVD.
That said, I don't understand why Chama's yard never gets used in movies. All you'd need to do would be to hide the modern light poles right outside the shop doors, otherwise, you're looking into the late 40s as long as the state road is at your back, instant background!