Trains in the Lone Ranger Movie

[jonathan]

I really don't listen to critiques at this point in my life.  "The Lone Ranger" was a great movie... especially for those of us with a penchant for the iron horse. My wife, son, and father-in-law all enjoyed it.

I don't wish to be a spoiler so I won't discuss the scenes in this new release, but I do highly recommend it for the train enthusiast.  The trailers and commercials all show a 4-6-0 as one of the starring roles, so that's no secret, anyway.

I must ask The Bach-Man:  Did your band of brothers and sisters have something to do with this movie?  

As the days pass, I think we will all have some interesting points to discuss.  Perhaps, after opening weekend is done (just a thought)?

Regards,

Jonathan

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

i mostly want to see the movie because of the trains, form the trailers though they mostly look CGI though. be nice if they used B&O's william mason and other historic engines(say pushed by a desiel hidden inside a box car etc)

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

I really don't listen to critiques at this point in my life.  "The Lone Ranger" was a great movie... especially for those of us with a penchant for the iron horse. My wife, son, and father-in-law all enjoyed it.

I don't wish to be a spoiler so I won't discuss the scenes in this new release, but I do highly recommend it for the train enthusiast.  The trailers and commercials all show a 4-6-0 as one of the starring roles, so that's no secret, anyway.

I must ask The Bach-Man:  Did your band of brothers and sisters have something to do with this movie?  

As the days pass, I think we will all have some interesting points to discuss.  Perhaps, after opening weekend is done (just a thought)?

Regards,

Jonathan

I saw the movie this afternoon and very much enjoyed it. I thought it was lots of fun.

I've been wondering more or less the same thing about the rolling stock, especially the ten-wheelers. I thought they looked suspiciously like a Big Hauler locomotive. 

J.B.J.

[jonathan]

I was thinking, specifically, of the little boy playing with toy trains... in 1869?

Regards,

Jonathan

[J3a-614]

For those who are interested, it's notable that the trains are almost all "prop" trains, the equivalent of dummy diesel locomotives:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33606

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34652

I haven't seen the film and thus won't comment on it, other than being astounded at the money that can be thrown into such an enterprise (and wishing I could get some of it, having actually attempted writing and selling a TV series based on railroaders on the job).

The people who made this were also the ones who made the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, which were a lot of fun, although I wouldn't consider them to be all that historically accurate.  

One fellow at RyPN was disappointed, but then he might be one of those fellows who's maybe a little too strictly for accuracy; curiously, he has four--FOUR--collections of movie clips on YouTube that feature cinematic train wrecks. with a combined length approaching four hours!

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35252

[jonathan]

Yep,  read his review, and several others, who all seem to be obsessed with accuracy and/or the fact they saw nothing new or extraordinary.  Pity... I think so many miss the point.  Movies are for entertainment.  Was I entertained?  Yes, very much so.  That fact there are trains in almost every scene only adds to the joy.

I found it to be a fun retelling of the fictitious story from the  1950s, or was it earlier? 

Regards,

Jonathan

[richg]

I saw a couple trailers. Did not go see the movie. I just could not suspend disbelieving enough to attempt to see the movie. Good for kids though.
Same thing with the unstoppable movie. That movie was trash. I know the real story.

Rich

[Doneldon]

Yep,  read his review, and several others, who all seem to be obsessed with accuracy and/or the fact they saw nothing new or extraordinary.  Pity... I think so many miss the point.  Movies are for entertainment.  Was I entertained?  Yes, very much so.  That fact there are trains in almost every scene only adds to the joy.

Jonathan-

For some people "fun" is being so observant and knowledgeable that they can see everyone else's foibles and errors. We've seen it on this board, too, and not rarely. Well, it's fine if people get off on that. I'd rather suspend my disbelief, grin a little if I spot an error or a scene where the movie has gone just a little too far 'round the bend, and basically look forward to being entertained. That works a lot better for me.
                                                                                                                      -- D
                               

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Yep,  read his review, and several others, who all seem to be obsessed with accuracy and/or the fact they saw nothing new or extraordinary.  Pity... I think so many miss the point.  Movies are for entertainment.  Was I entertained?  Yes, very much so.  That fact there are trains in almost every scene only adds to the joy.

I found it to be a fun retelling of the fictitious story from the  1950s, or was it earlier? 

Regards,

Jonathan

I agree with you, Jonathan.

Incidentally, the Lone Ranger dates to the days of radio drama in the 1930s (you know; TV without pictures  ). There were movie serials in the 1940s--I think; would need to double check that--and then the TV series in the 1950s. For many of us of the Baby Boom generation, Clayton Moore, who starred in the TV series, will always be the Lone Ranger. 

J.B.J.

P.S.: I thought that toy train was a cute bit of "Steam Punk." Apparently that hand crank generated electricity, which ran the train--or so it appeared to me.

[jonathan]

Yes, the model train layout really caught my eye.  Of course, not very realistic for 1869, but still something that made me smile.

This is why I was wondering if Bachmann contributed the layout to the movie.  The locomotive sure looks like the HO scale standard 4-4-0 we're all familiar with, with a bit of modification to the stack. 

As JBJ mentioned, it was an interesting treatment to have a crank to charge the juice for the track.  Can you imagine keeping the layout running while the real train was moving down the rails?   

Regards,

Jonathan

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

After I wrote this morning I got to thinking I could probably fairly easily provide myself with an HO Lone Ranger and Tonto to sit off in a corner of my layout somewhere, just for fun. I've already got an Indian figure that I wouldn't have to do any work on, though Tonto would not be on horseback. As for the Lone Ranger, I have cowboy figures in white hats with white horses who are supposed to be circus cowboys. Pretty much all I'd have to do to make one of them into the Lone Ranger would be to paint his clothes and add a mask.

I would be doing a "classic" Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels Lone Ranger and Tonto, not Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp.

[Terry Toenges]

The crow on Tonto's head is very disturbing. Couldn't they have just given him a feather? I'm hesitant to see the movie because of it.

[M1FredQ]

I agree about Tonto. I this remake it looks like they opened the gates of hell for the Tonto look!!

[Brewman]

The crow on Tonto's head is very disturbing. Couldn't they have just given him a feather? I'm hesitant to see the movie because of it.

I will agree that it is a strange head dress but there is a reason for it and it is part of the story.

[Doneldon]

I agree about Tonto. I this remake it looks like they opened the gates of hell for the Tonto look!!

Fred-

There were Comanche advisors on the film and they were happy enough about Depp's performance that the Comanche Nation made him an honorary member. I haven't seen the movie yet myself but some friends who did said they felt it was very good. From what I've heard, though, Depp channels Jack Sparrow more than Jay Silverheels. I was very fond of the Lone Ranger series when I was a boy in the 50s so I'm not sure if I'll be comfortable with this modern version.
                                                           -- D