Movie Trains Database

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:10 pm

Is there a database somewhere that I may look up a movie and find out what railway/equipment was hired for the filming?

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

There's the "Internet Movie Database" which has an amazing amount of info about thousands of movies and TV shows. Since it is not "rail oriented", the coverage is "hit and miss". Try entering the title of the movie, and then look under "locations" and/or "trivia".

boilerwash · **Posted:** Sun Aug 26, 2012 8:31 am

Not a database but theres a book called "The Movie Railroads" by Larry Jensen which was released by Darwin Publishing in 1981. It will pretty much tell you everything you need to know about american railroad films made between 1920 up to the 1970's.

Hard to find and usually expensive but worth it just for the almost complete list of film and television appearences of several of the more famous railroads used by hollywood regulary during the period.

Theres supposed to be a follow up book called "The Railroad Films: A Pictorial History" released by the same author and company but I've never been able to find any reference that it was actually published.

James Fouchard · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:56 pm **Posts:** 126

I had been able to get in touch with Larry Jensen a few yeas ago and at that time he was still preparing material for the second book. His first book "The Movie Railroads" turns up on eBay alot and at RR shows. One of its appendices is a listing of RRs and equipment used in movies and TV shows up to the books publishing date.

Bill Reidy · **Joined:** Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:36 pm **Posts:** 17

Specific to the New Haven Railroad and might not have all the details you seek, but the New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association's Charlie Dunn has put together a list of movies that include scenes on the New Haven, both during the New Haven's day and after 1968. The list can be found on the NHRHTA website www.nhrhta.org, or directly at http://www.nhrhta.org/htdocs/nhrrfilms/films_index.html

Al Stangenberger · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:59 pm **Posts:** 650

Early this year, someone tried to build such a web site, but after about three months the new posts stopped coming.

http://cinetrains.wordpress.com/

A couple of notes I know of:

The car Maude lived in in the movie "Harold and Maude" is Western Pacific parlor car 653, it was leased from WRM and moved to South San Francisco for filming..

One wooden box car in "Water for Elephants" is former Minneapolis & St. Louis 28124, which is now owned by the Fillmore & Western.