Trains in the Lone Ranger Movie

[Terry Toenges]

I've heard the reason and what it symbolizes. Still think it looks bad. I still watch the Lone Ranger on TV.

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

Incidentally, the Lone Ranger dates to the days of radio drama in the 1930s (you know; TV without pictures 

It began in Detroit, Mi., WXYZ radio, 1933.

[mabloodhound]

We hesitated going to see the film because of the poor reviews.
Went last Sunday and enjoyed it.   It is NOT a typical Western movie.   A lot of comedy ala Depp and good action.   
The steam engine and train replications were done very well.   A good movie to just enjoy if you can forget the old Lone Ranger.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

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

I guess those Comanche advisers explain the photos I've seen on line of two older Indian gentlemen with Johnny Depp.

I had every intention of seeing this movie if possible because of the trains and because I'm a bit of a Lone Ranger fan myself, but this is most definitely not the "classic" Lone Ranger. However, if you enjoy movies with lots of action sequences--with some comedy thrown in among the action--you might enjoy that. And I agree with what has been said about the trains; they are done very well.

Plus, if you see it yourself and still dislike it, you'll have an informed dislike based on your own experience and not just on what you've read. I read one syndicated newspaper review that essentially called the movie crap, and one local newspaper review that liked the movie and gave it three stars out of the possible four that the local paper uses to rate movies.

[Doneldon]

J-J

I do plan to see it, probably with my best friend who remembers TLR from radio. He's also in end stage non-Hodgkins so any distraction is a good thing. We go to movies -- he often falls asleep -- and then for something good to eat. I think it keeps his strength up some and he needs that. He's also diabetic and is in renal failure so a large part of his life is going for dialysis and then chemo and then dialysis again to flush the chemo poisons out. My own experience with cancer was a long and ugly struggle in my 20s when I had youth and strength on my side. My friend doesn't have those assets. But if TLR helps his mood and gives him a laugh or two it will be time well spent. I am looking forward to the trains, as is my friend. Do I understand correctly that the trains are all models or animations or something?
                                             -- D

[jonathan]

Doneldon,

The principal locomotive in the movie is a 4-6-0.  I believe that one is real, though I can't remember who lent it to the studio.  Some cars were also built for the full train shots.  There were plenty of shots around the principle train and locomotive to convince me it was real.

The part that made me smile the most, was the HO Scale layout inside one of the business cars.  The operator turned some sort of crank that seems to provide current to run the locomotive... no batteries or wind up mechanics of course.  The reason I posted about it was that the model loco looked amazingly close to the standard 4-4-0 sold by Bachmann, even sounded real familiar.  Since The Bach-Man hasn't posted, I'm guessing my assessment may be wrong.  However, it was a nice looking layout... especially for 1869.    The scene was a bit dark, so I couldn't tell what kind of couplers the model train had.

Sincerely, hope you and your friend enjoy the show.  I may go see it again.  Trying to convince one of my friends to go, as I went with my family the first time.

About the crow headdress... I was skeptical at first, but the backstory fixed my worries.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Doneldon]

Jonathan-

Thank you for the train information.

                                             -- D

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

J-J

I do plan to see it, probably with my best friend who remembers TLR from radio. He's also in end stage non-Hodgkins so any distraction is a good thing. We go to movies -- he often falls asleep -- and then for something good to eat. I think it keeps his strength up some and he needs that. He's also diabetic and is in renal failure so a large part of his life is going for dialysis and then chemo and then dialysis again to flush the chemo poisons out. My own experience with cancer was a long and ugly struggle in my 20s when I had youth and strength on my side. My friend doesn't have those assets. But if TLR helps his mood and gives him a laugh or two it will be time well spent. I am looking forward to the trains, as is my friend. Do I understand correctly that the trains are all models or animations or something?
                                             -- D

That's very nice of you. I'm sure your friend will at least get a few laughs out of the movie, if nothing else.

And when I wrote yesterday, I forgot to add that it might be a good idea if you can find a bargain matinee. 

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

The principal locomotive in the movie is a 4-6-0.  I believe that one is real, though I can't remember who lent it to the studio.  Some cars were also built for the full train shots.  There were plenty of shots around the principle train and locomotive to convince me it was real.

I found this about the trains in the movie:

http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1005605/lone-ranger-featurettes-heroes-villains-and-trains

Scroll down and play the featurette about the trains. It doesn't answer a whole lot about the trains, but it does tell us something.

[Terry Toenges]

After seeing the featurette on the train I have a couple of points.
To me, the loco looks too new for 1869. On the cars - One car had a full metal frame. That looked too new.

[Doneldon]

After seeing the featurette on the train I have a couple of points.
To me, the loco looks too new for 1869. On the cars - One car had a full metal frame. That looked too new.

Terry-

Ten-wheelers certainly existed by the 1860s though the 4-4-0s still greatly outnumbered them. I think the lack of a balloon stack and elaborate ornamentation are what make the movie 4-6-0 look newer than 1869. However, it was at about that time that ten-wheelers began to be produced in large numbers, although they had a comparatively short time at the top. At about the same time that ten-wheelers were replacing the 4-4-0s, the railroads began to think more about specialized locomotives rather than all purpose ones. Thus, high-stepping Atlantics showed up for fast passenger service and huskier 2-8-0s (and a little later 2-8-2s) were used for freights by the 1890s.

As for the passenger equipment, I think it looks pretty good. The duck-billed roofs were very well done. I can't say that the part where TLR is galloping through the train shooting the bad guys through the windows was convincing but, hey, it's a movie. And an action movie at that. It should be a little over the top.

The thing which did bother me is that they are building the transcontinental railroad through Texas (well, New Mexico doubling Texas) but that's not where the line we think of as the transcon was built. That was about 600 miles north of where the movie is set. Yes, the Espee and Santa Fe built transcons through the Southwest, but those lines aren't really thought of as transcons because they weren't the first and I'm pretty sure they weren't part of the Transcontinental Railroad Act that the Congress and President Lincoln found time to enact despite the "distraction" of the Civil War. (Wouldn't it be nice to have such a productive and cooperative government today?) Those southern lines were held up, additionally, by Northern fears that a southern transcon would open up the Southwest and maybe even California to slavery. Anyway, the southerly transcons were built years later - the Espee in 1881 and the AT&SF in 1883. So ... despite the rigorous attention to historicity in regards to building the train authentically, the movie itself is at best an anachronism and essentially faulty in its main premise. Soap box surrendered.
                              -- D

[Desertdweller]

I worked for over two years in the immediate area where this movie was filmed.  It is in New Mexico west of Hurley and south of Silver City.  The original railroad there was an ATSF subsidiary.

This is on no one's transcon line.  The railroad there was built as a series of branch lines serving copper mines in Hurley and north of Hurley, and south of Silver City (Tyrone).  A branch once extended north to Silver City proper, where it interchanged with a narrow gauge (two foot gauge!) that extended into a mining district north of town.  The south end of the line connects with the UP (ex-SP Sunset Line) in Deming.  Another line (now Southwestern RR, as is the line north of Deming) runs northwest of Deming to Rincon, where it connects with the BNSF (ex ATSF) Belen to El Paso line.  This combination formed a very early transcon route (ATSF Chicago-Deming, SP Deming-Los Angeles).

Silver City has no railroads.  The abandoned ATSF line from Burro Junction (east of Tyrone) to the former yard/depot location in south Silver City can be traced on Google Earth, as can the 2-foot gauge right of way north of town. This road terminated at Pinos Altos, a gold-mining town.  The old 2-foot gauge right of way and yard in Pinos Altos can be seen on Google Earth.  Railroads leaves traces that can be seen from space still after over 100 years.

For all of this, I read in "Trains Magazine" that the railroad used in the movie was a six-mile temporary loop that was taken up after filming.  It also said the locomotives in the movie were full-size mockups (like used in "Hell on Wheels".  The trains themselves were pushed by a Diesel locomotive from the other end.

I have friends who were present at the filming, and saw the movie and liked it.  It is not really my taste in movies.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

For all of this, I read in "Trains Magazine" that the railroad used in the movie was a six-mile temporary loop that was taken up after filming.  It also said the locomotives in the movie were full-size mockups (like used in "Hell on Wheels".  The trains themselves were pushed by a Diesel locomotive from the other end.

That's interesting to know. Thanks! 

I figured the engines were mockups, and I still think that ten-wheeler looks a lot like the Big Hauler.    I still find it a little puzzling that they chose to use a ten-wheeler instead of a 4-4-0.

I, too, thought the duck-billed passenger cars were done well.

[Doneldon]

I worked for over two years in the immediate area where this movie was filmed.  It is in New Mexico west of Hurley and south of Silver City.  The original railroad there was an ATSF subsidiary. This is on no one's transcon line. For all of this, I read in "Trains Magazine" that the railroad used in the movie was a six-mile temporary loop that was taken up after filming.  It also said the locomotives in the movie were full-size mockups (like used in "Hell on Wheels".  The trains themselves were pushed by a Diesel locomotive from the other end.

Dd-

The movie's story is that the depicted events occurred during the building of the transcontinental railroad. The feature on the trains of the movie (Inet address above) states the tracks were laid expressly for the movie -- they even showed part of that -- and that the loco was made as an exact replica for authenticity. They didn't specifically say that the locomotives operated under their own power; it may very well be that the trains were propelled by off camera dirty Ds.
                                 -- D

[Terry Toenges]

At 32 seconds into the trains trailer you can see there is an SW (?) pushing.