Railroad Forums 

  • Duel

  • Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.
Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.

Moderator: Aa3rt

 #65634  by scannergeek
 
Anyone know where the railroad scenes in "Duel" were filmed? I remember some good shots of Southern Pacific locomotives out in the desert.

 #66455  by CSX Conductor
 
NOt sure, but that was a good movie. :wink:
 #66721  by UPMW2000
 
I have to admit this was a good movie, a little cheesy, but still entertaining, being an SP fan the movie is worth watching for the few scenes of SP action, which were shot on the old (now mostly gone ) Santa Paula branch, which used to run from Montalvo to Saugus, but now only exists as far as Fillmore which is utilized in part by shortline industries' Fillmore and Western, who run a dinner train, and do work for the movie industry, and some scenes were filmed on the line through Soledad canyon which connects L.A. with Palmdale via Saugus, the Santa Paula segment was the original SP line to the coast before construction of the Santa Susana tunnel ,and the Santa Clara river bridge at Montalvo, after this it became a secondary mainline, and detour route, and served many citrus houses in Montalvo, Saticoy, Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Piru, the line was removed between Saugus and Piru in the mid 80's, then removed from there to Fillmore in the early 90's after Sunkist quit shipping by rail from Piru, as far as I know there are no longer any online customers, other than the movie train, sorry for the history lesson, but I can still remember when this line was intact and active and it brings back alot of memories, hope I answered your question............Scott

 #66736  by Metalrailz
 
Amazing how the 6 cylinder Plymouth Valiant held back the tractor trailer from pushing him under the train :P

 #66738  by Metalrailz
 
Amazing how the 6 cylinder Plymouth Valiant held back the tractor trailer from pushing him under the train :P

 #67375  by emd_SD_60
 
i hope this movie comes on in the near future...i want to see the motive power of that particular train (were they SD45's?). dont expect any tunnel motors, as they came a year later :(

 #67392  by scannergeek
 
I don't remember the power except for the fact that the engines had "Southern Pacific" in red lettering instead of white.

 #67398  by emd_SD_60
 
i guess the railroad wanted to disguise the company name but leave
the "bloddy nose" as a give in, as they probably didn't want to pay royalties to the studio.

 #67423  by scannergeek
 
I've heard the white "Southern Pacific" corroded/chipped off, revealing the primer color below. So, although the units were delivered with white lettering, the letters "became" red over time.

I remember seeing some units with "red lettering" out at Colton yard years ago.
The units in the movie may have had this happen to their lettering.

 #67567  by emd_SD_60
 
anybody wouldn't happen to know if there are any SP websites that have pictures of the locomotives with red lettering? :wink: I don't mean just the locos featured in Duel, but any locomotive.

 #67617  by emd_SD_60
 
I got to admit that red lettering looks cool! Actually I think the "speed" lettering would look even better in red... LOL :-D

 #67795  by emd_SD_60
 
i decided i couldn't wait for this movie to come on TV... this morning i went to Best Buy and bought the DVD. First thing I did was go to the train scene (and had to watch it super slow). Here is the motive power as appears:

SP SD35 6909 (love the hum of those 567's)
SP SD35 6907
SP U30C
SP SD40 (i couldn't read the numbers, sorry)

And a bay window caboose to boot. :-D

Also, the "Southern Pacific" is in white, not red.
Last edited by emd_SD_60 on Fri Nov 12, 2004 1:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.

 #67796  by scannergeek
 
Hmmm, I could have sworn it was in red...I'll have to watch it again as I last saw it about 10 years ago :-)

 #67834  by emd_SD_60
 
You have to remember this wasn't the only train, as I was watching one scene later in the movie Dennis Weaver was parked by the same tracks (to escape that truck) he thinks he hears the truck, but it's only a train, led by several SP SD9's. And finally, near the end, there is a third train led by SP SD40 8485, SD38 (# unknown), SD9 3854, and SD39 5321, with a U30C and another SD9 trailing. I kind of get the feeling Spielberg sure loves trains. :-D