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1970's S.P. & the ''Duel'' truck

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  • Member since
    April 2011
  • From: Palm Bay, FL
  • 45 posts
1970's S.P. & the ''Duel'' truck
Posted by railbaron18 on Thursday, March 8, 2012 9:24 PM

For those of you out their modeling the Southern Pacific in the '70s, I dare, no challenge you to a duel!

Whomever is the 1st to include a decent scene from the movie ''Duel'', (possibly the scene where Dennis Weaver is about to be shoved into the passing S.P. freight) wins my admiration.

(I model the ACL, and have no room for a diorama.)

If you have any other film/ show related ideas, feel free to add them here.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: Cresco, IA
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Posted by ChadLRyan on Thursday, March 8, 2012 9:44 PM

Hmm, no movie clip, but I can say:

Chain Drive PETERBILT!

Chad L Ryan
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: California & Maine
  • 3,848 posts
Posted by andrechapelon on Thursday, March 8, 2012 9:57 PM
It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.
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  • From: US
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Posted by wp8thsub on Thursday, March 8, 2012 10:15 PM

I always liked that movie, and have seen it several times.  The truck survives and there are numerous photos of it to be found.  Replicating the car will be a bigger challenge.

Rob Spangler

  • Member since
    April 2011
  • From: Palm Bay, FL
  • 45 posts
Posted by railbaron18 on Friday, March 9, 2012 5:06 PM

When I stated ''scene'', I was looking for a recreated ''Duel'' movie scene on a layout.

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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Friday, March 9, 2012 6:53 PM

EKO/Wiking has made a Dodge Dart like the one in the movie, probably not in that color but what's a little paint?

                 --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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  • From: US
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Posted by wp8thsub on Friday, March 9, 2012 7:01 PM

rrinker

EKO/Wiking has made a Dodge Dart like the one in the movie, probably not in that color but what's a little paint?

Paint is nothin' - but if I'm not mistaken the EKO Dart is an earlier body style than the car in the movie.

Rob Spangler

  • Member since
    July 2002
  • From: Jersey City
  • 1,925 posts
Posted by steemtrayn on Friday, March 9, 2012 8:12 PM

A short piece of Micro Engineering code 70 rail would make a nice bumper for the truck. And don't forget the mid-train helpers.

  • Member since
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  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, March 9, 2012 8:33 PM

wp8thsub

 rrinker:

EKO/Wiking has made a Dodge Dart like the one in the movie, probably not in that color but what's a little paint?

Paint is nothin' - but if I'm not mistaken the EKO Dart is an earlier body style than the car in the movie.

 I KNEW someone would bring it up. No, it's not the exact same model as in the movie but paint it right and only a real die-hard car guy could tell. It's close, just a different model year as far as I can tell from the pictures.

                   --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Stockton, CA.
  • 333 posts
Posted by Truck on Friday, March 9, 2012 9:12 PM

I never paid attention to the front bmper till I saw this clip. The peice of rail for front bumper. They must have only done it for the rail scene, if you notice at the end of the clip the Pete has the stock front bumper.

Now I am gonna have to watch the whole movie just to see how many different front bumpers they use.

Good thing I got NETFLIX.

                                               Truck.

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • 6 posts
Posted by Mikecore on Saturday, March 10, 2012 1:24 AM

I'm not sure if the actual truck survives or not. Steven Spielberg said that they wrecked it at the end of the movie, but they also had to do some re-shoots, so a replica might have been handy. Some movie geeks have pointed out that there are some structural differences between truck scenes that indicate two vehicles. Whatever.

What I can offer beyond this is that the truck itself was a 1955 Peterbilt model 281/351. Spielberg chose it because it had a distinctive "face" to it and looked very sinister. The truck was actually pretty decent in appearance when they found it, and they weathered it to make it look a little meaner for the movie.

Modeling the truck would probably be best done using whatever raw truck chassis you can find, and scratchbulding the cab and nose using photos, etc. Most prototype trucks use the same basic chassis design, and specific differences between a Kenworth, Peterbilt and Freightliner would be negligible. The trailer was a pretty standard 50's/60's gasoline tanker design, so if somebody makes one like it, you're already close.

The original paint was a "cheap gold" on most of the truck, except for the front fenders, which were either pink or faded red. It matters little, since the whole thing will be dressed in scummy weathering that makes the whole package look kind of rusty and busted. The rails on the front bumper look pretty lightweight, and I would try code 40 if I was looking to scale it out for HO.

The car is actually a Plymouth Valiant, and they used three of them; a 1970, 1971 and 1972, with Valiant-only wheel covers, so any 1970-72 Valiant in bright red would do the trick.

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Posted by wp8thsub on Saturday, March 10, 2012 1:59 AM

Mikecore

I'm not sure if the actual truck survives or not. Steven Spielberg said that they wrecked it at the end of the movie, but they also had to do some re-shoots, so a replica might have been handy. Some movie geeks have pointed out that there are some structural differences between truck scenes that indicate two vehicles.

There were supposedly at least 4 trucks used.  A short history of them is here: http://www.stlouisdumptrucks.com/Duel/Trucks.html along with some photos of an alleged survivor http://stlouisdumptrucks.com/Duel/index.html .  It would make an interesting model.

Rob Spangler

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