I was watching last week's episode of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit". There was a scene where two detectives are questioning a possible suspect at his home. The suspect is an older gentleman who is running his model train with sound (the 14:50 mark). Unfortunately, the sound is a steam whistle, but the train is a double headed modern diesel consist.
Watch the entire episode
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Yup, I saw that too!
I have to say I am a little sensitive about how the movies and tv shows portray railroads. The other day I saw part of the History Channels "The building of America" and they showed what was supposed to be an early "oil train". Well, it was flat cars with drums (of oil), which is reasonably accurate for the pre tank car period.
However, these were metal 55 gallon drums that have a fully removable top (typically used for solids or semi solids) rather than the 42 gallon drums with wood or metal bungs (like corks). Also, the drums they used in the movie were only available many years later.
By the way........... the standard volume measure in the oil industry is the barrel. In other industries (i.e. edible oil, etc.), a barrel typically means 55 gallons. In the petroleum oil business, it is 42 gallons.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
mobilman44 Yup, I saw that too! I have to say I am a little sensitive about how the movies and tv shows portray railroads. The other day I saw part of the History Channels "The building of America" and they showed what was supposed to be an early "oil train".
I have to say I am a little sensitive about how the movies and tv shows portray railroads. The other day I saw part of the History Channels "The building of America" and they showed what was supposed to be an early "oil train".
I'm actually MORE sensitive about how Hollywood portrays model RAILROADERS, than how they portray railroads. In the case of "SVU", he was an older gentleman with advancing dementia.
Hollywood and TV studios know nothing about trains, and usually just use whatever they may have in their archives. A case of, "Hey, Harvey, get us a clip of a train that we can use in this show." So it's not unusual to see actors who are supposed to be in Florida boarding a Santa Fe passenger car.
Several years ago a retired Hollywood stunt man who lived nearby gave us a collection of HO scale scratch-built western style buildings that he had built. He said several westerns were shot using his "props" and then the actors were digitally imposed into the scene.
cacoleHollywood and TV studios know nothing about trains
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
mobilman44 I have to say I am a little sensitive about how the movies and tv shows portray railroads. The other day I saw part of the History Channels "The building of America" and they showed what was supposed to be an early "oil train". Well, it was flat cars with drums (of oil), which is reasonably accurate for the pre tank car period.
Setting: In White Christmas, Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby board a train in Florida bound for NYC (and subsequently on to Vermont), scene shows Santa Fe Warbonnet F-units. Later, the final leg is a mail express train pulled by SP Black Widow Fs.
In an earlier scene set in Italy, all the GIs have M1s except for the one guy pensively remembering home as Crosby sings White Christmas . He is fooling with the bolt of an 03 Springfield from WW1.
No one gets everything right all the time.
The FAA's annual report from last year had pictures of planes with German and British tail numbers. Picture of an airport and airliners was all they needed and that's what they got.
I remember the train part in White Christmas
I think the 03 Springfield would be correct though as they were retained as Sniper rifles in WWII
duckdoggerIn an earlier scene set in Italy, all the GIs have M1s except for the one guy pensively remembering home as Crosby sings White Christmas . He is fooling with the bolt of an 03 Springfield from WW1.
Medina1128 SNIP In the case of "SVU", he was an older gentleman with advancing dementia.
SNIP
In the case of "SVU", he was an older gentleman with advancing dementia.
Hmm, I didn't see it (can't stand the genre of show) but maybe that accounts for the steam sounds from the diesel lash-up. Maybe he got confused about which Tsunami gets installed in which loco?
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I have to agree about Hollywood using stock footage or railroad locales. I was watching an episode of one of my favorite shows growing up, "Combat!". Sgt. Saunders and his squad walked between some boxcars, which were American 4 axle cars, with knuckle couplers. Most of the European boxcars I'd ever seen were 2 axle cars, with hoop and pin couplers.
When those occurrences happen, I just chuckle to myself and move on...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
It's been years and years, but I think I recall an episode of "Hogan's Heroes" that featured a train. Well, not a German one, of course. I swore it was pulled by 4449 back before it got famous--when it was just another GS4. Since I was watching over the airwaves, there was no way to stop and rewind. Sniff.
Ed
Hoople mobilman44 I have to say I am a little sensitive about how the movies and tv shows portray railroads. The other day I saw part of the History Channels "The building of America" and they showed what was supposed to be an early "oil train". Well, it was flat cars with drums (of oil), which is reasonably accurate for the pre tank car period. You're thinking of the show "The Men Who Built America" which, imo, is excellent- but their trains are just wrong. For the episode on Cornelius Vanderbilt, many of the trains are actually European, among other faults. And sometimes they even had diesel horns! Putting aside the nitpicking, the show actually was quite good and informative.
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
tstage When those occurrences happen, I just chuckle to myself and move on... Tom
My late father was a career fighter pilot, and he used to get a kick out of tv shows, i.e., "The Six Million Dollar Man. Col. Steve Austin (before he became a wrestler ) would take off in an F-100, fly in an F-4 and land in an F-101, all in the same flight.
Have you ever watched one of those Italo-Western movies? Take an Italian 0-6-0 T, add a dummy pilot with front wheel and cow catcher and think it is a true US prototype 2-6-0!
It´s not only that the folks in Hollywood have little to no knowledge of railroads and railroad history, it´s the movie makers all over the world .
There is a movie about the Great Train Robbery of 1961, when the infamous Ronald Biggs and his gang robbed a Royal Mail train in the UK. Filmed in Gemany, the train was pulled by a German Diesel loco, sporting a Deutsche Bundesbahn logo, and stopping at a German-style signal.
The most common mistake is to show locos and rolling stock which were built decades after the era the movie is supposed to be set in.
7j43kIt's been years and years, but I think I recall an episode of "Hogan's Heroes" that featured a train. Well, not a German one, of course. I swore it was pulled by 4449 back before it got famous--when it was just another GS4. Since I was watching over the airwaves, there was no way to stop and rewind. Sniff.
Joe Staten Island West
joe323As I recall trains were destroyed in several Hogans Heroes episode (or at least RR bridges).
The sad fact is, that if you know -- really know -- something about any particular topic, then the treatment given that topic by the media, be it TV or movies or popular fiction or frankly even the news media, is likely to send you off the deep end. Indeed it might be that railroads are treated rather better than most specialized topics.
Artists and musicians and other creative people are particularly disdainful about how the "creative process" is portrayed in popular media. But from my perspective, business, legal, and financial topics are easily handled the worst. But then I am closest to that world.
Model railroaders or toy train fans are handy metaphors for eccentrics -- either the lovable kind or the sinister kind. Next time some manufacturer gets the grills and vents wrong on a GP38-2 model, read the resulting comments on various forums and chatrooms etc. and decide whether we are being unfairly treated! Some of the flame wars on this and other forum sites would not exactly refute that characterization of eccentric.
Dave Nelson
7j43k It's been years and years, but I think I recall an episode of "Hogan's Heroes" that featured a train. Well, not a German one, of course. I swore it was pulled by 4449 back before it got famous--when it was just another GS4. Since I was watching over the airwaves, there was no way to stop and rewind. Sniff. Ed
Actually, Hogan's Heroes started production in the mid-sixties, about a decade after SP went completely diesel, so 4449 really wasn't "just another GS4"...although it's possible they used color film taken in the fifties for the show.
In the original TV "Superman" series, the first season or two they used a GS4 as the "more powerful than a locomotive" engine. Later (I think when they switched to color) it became E-units.
BTW back to the original post, but some railroads equipped their diesels with Hancock air whistles, which sound like steam whistles. Progressive Rail engines have them still today, at least some of them, although they generally have horns which they use more often.
dknelsonThe sad fact is, that if you know -- really know -- something about any particular topic, then the treatment given that topic by the media, be it TV or movies or popular fiction or frankly even the news media, is likely to send you off the deep end.
Indeed I like those ads that read: "Relive your childhood." Really? What morons..
A lot of stuff I do today wasn't even dreamed of in the 50s!
The news story on a train /vehicle accident can make it sound like the train swerved to hit the car.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
BRAKIE Indeed I like those ads that read: "Relive your childhood." Really? What morons.. A lot of stuff I do today wasn't even dreamed of in the 50s!
These reports on crossing accidents, BRAKIE nailed it! 'Train hits car in wrong lane!'.
jeffrey-wimberly These reports on crossing accidents, BRAKIE nailed it! 'Train hits car in wrong lane!'.
hahaha! oh the throttle notch isn't a steering wheel? my bad. the brake notches? dynamic brakes? steerable trucks? trains can't swerve on their own?
people have no respect for trains these days. "nah, it's ok my 1-2 ton car can take on a varied ton locomotive."
duckdogger Setting: In White Christmas, Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby board a train in Florida bound for NYC (and subsequently on to Vermont), scene shows Santa Fe Warbonnet F-units. Later, the final leg is a mail express train pulled by SP Black Widow Fs. In an earlier scene set in Italy, all the GIs have M1s except for the one guy pensively remembering home as Crosby sings White Christmas . He is fooling with the bolt of an 03 Springfield from WW1.
He might have been the unit's designated sniper. The '03 was used as a sniper weapon during WWII because it was more accurate than the M1.
I forget which film had West Point cadets boarding a train, supposedly at West Point, pulled by a CNJ camelback...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - without snipers and camelbacks)
One of my favorite bloopers is the close-up of the knuckle coupler that Marty McFly uncouples to separate the train from the locomotive in Back To The Future III in the year 1885!
More recently and according to my son, the physics major, Big Bang Theory goes way out of their way to ensure that the physics calculations, terms and theories are all real and accurate. Similar research seems to occur for their comic book arguments. Yet, even though the main characters are supposed to be train fans, they still get the model railroading jargon wrong. Likewise, they often correctly refer to "the train store in Pasadena" but constantly refer to other SoCal trains stores that don't exist. Likewise, you can see the Pasadena City Hall through the rear window of Sheldon and Leonard's apartment, yet they complain it takes them 20 minutes to drive to Cal Tech that is in reality only a few blocks away!
Hornblower
In "The Men Who Built America", what's supposed to be an oil refinery is actually a blast furnace. In another scene, Edison hasn't even wired New York City yet, and already he has a Lionel O-27 Steamer running in a loop on his desk.
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
"The Men Who Built America" episode about Edison showed a die cast Lionel locomotive running on a circle of 3 rail track in Edison's shop - some 50 years before it was made, and roughly 15 years before Lionel Corp. even existed.
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
mobilman44 Yup, I saw that too! I have to say I am a little sensitive about how the movies and tv shows portray railroads. The other day I saw part of the History Channels "The building of America" and they showed what was supposed to be an early "oil train". Well, it was flat cars with drums (of oil), which is reasonably accurate for the pre tank car period. However, these were metal 55 gallon drums that have a fully removable top (typically used for solids or semi solids) rather than the 42 gallon drums with wood or metal bungs (like corks). Also, the drums they used in the movie were only available many years later. By the way........... the standard volume measure in the oil industry is the barrel. In other industries (i.e. edible oil, etc.), a barrel typically means 55 gallons. In the petroleum oil business, it is 42 gallons. In Canada a drum is 45 gallons (imperial gallon) oil is measured in 35 gallons per drum, I have never seen a 35 gallon drum, all other liquids in Canada are shipped in 45 gallon drums, everyone in Canadaland has a 45 gallon drum (barrel) beside the house to collect rainwater, all very confusing.
In Canada a drum is 45 gallons (imperial gallon) oil is measured in 35 gallons per drum, I have never seen a 35 gallon drum, all other liquids in Canada are shipped in 45 gallon drums, everyone in Canadaland has a 45 gallon drum (barrel) beside the house to collect rainwater, all very confusing.