Trains.com

Television shows and the Railroads

18725 views
42 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 8,955 posts
Posted by Firelock76 on Friday, March 11, 2011 9:43 PM

This goes back a ways, but around 1990 or so there was a revival of the horror soap opera "Dark Shadows" .  The series started with the heroine Victoria Winters riding the train to the Collins family estate in Maine.  However, the train shots were of a  West Coast Amtrak train!  I think it was one of the "Daylights".  I've been to Maine, and that seacoast sure wasn't  "Maine-ish"!   Oh, well...

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Friday, March 11, 2011 9:26 PM

BC Rail and The X-Files are search terms to use together to find more information about what they filmed in British Columbia.

The one show that had mass transit in it often was "EARLY EDITION" on CBS in the 1990's. "Early Edition" was filmed in Chicago so the CTA and Metra commuter trains and stations were frequently used as filming locations.

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 371 posts
Posted by ButchKnouse on Friday, March 11, 2011 8:37 PM

Another thing In the Heat of the Night had, was faint train horns in the background, like the place had a big switching yard.

Reality TV is to reality, what Professional Wrestling is to Professional Brain Surgery.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Friday, March 11, 2011 6:08 PM

The X-files filmed in and around Vancouver often had BCR (British Columbia Railway) seen in it. Budd cars in a few scenes. I also got a kick when I saw Canada Post Mail trucks rolling by when they are suppose to be in the State of Maine or Vermont.Laugh

Stargate and all its offspring also filmed in Vancouver,  I've often seen filming around various rail yards around Vancouver. I think more for the barren Alien planet look rather than the Trains though.

 

                                                                       Brent

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 11, 2011 5:12 PM

In the movie that the TV series was based on, they used the consists normally used north of St. Louis on the old Alton.  The south end had used Alcos while the north end used EMDs.

Saved the ending scene until we changed service providers and of course the DVR was GONE.  Especially liked the way the actor playing the conductor completey ignored 'Mr. Tibbs', never even looking at him.  Can't remember for sure, but I believe it was old number 101 that was shot coming into 'Sparta'/

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Friday, March 11, 2011 4:02 AM

I saw a lot of daytime film of Chessie System Diesels in the NBC series "In the Heat of the Night".

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Sunny (mostly) San Diego
  • 1,920 posts
Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Thursday, March 10, 2011 10:12 PM

Oh, puleez!  Wild Wild West.

  • Member since
    June 2009
  • From: Along the Big 4 in the Midwest
  • 536 posts
Posted by K4sPRR on Thursday, March 10, 2011 6:15 PM

In  episodes of the original Andy Griffith Show in the 1960's they were traveling by train from Mayberry to Raleigh NC, the exterior train scenes were either of the UP or SP passenger trains.

That Girl with Marlo Thomas was more accurate, based in  New York City she is often seen getting out of a PRR coach car.  And I recall some outside shots of the Northeast Corridor.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,019 posts
Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 9:59 PM

BaltACD

'In the Heat of the Night', if my memory is still any good, had its 'location' scenes filmed in and around Decatur, GA which is on CSX's Georgia Road between Augusta and Atlanta during the early 1990's when there was much equipment still running in their 'fallen flag' colors..

Wow, somebody gets extra credit for actually making sure that they had appropriate railroads.  Normally, given Hollywood's usual propensity for accuracy, I'd have expected to see ATSF or SP...

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 7:39 PM

TVRM was just featured on a segment of "Larry the Cable Guy" 

 

 


 

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 6:25 PM

'In the Heat of the Night', if my memory is still any good, had its 'location' scenes filmed in and around Decatur, GA which is on CSX's Georgia Road between Augusta and Atlanta during the early 1990's when there was much equipment still running in their 'fallen flag' colors..

choochoobuff

I have recently been watching old reruns of In the Heat of the Night on WGN. I never really watched it while it on the air during it's run. What I have noticed is the amount of railroad related items featured in the show. Of course, the first is the appearance of the Amtrak rolling past during the opening credits. I have also noticed a old diesel, possibly a road switcher, still wearing it's C&O paint scheme. Also, a scene in which a CSX and a SCL head up a consist. Evidently these are all pieces of the companies "adopted" by CSX. Does anyone else remember any shows in which actual railroads could be seen frequently?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: US
  • 696 posts
Posted by rixflix on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 5:52 PM

"In the Heat of the Night" is a re-run  tv show I guess I missed entirely, not having cable or satellite.  "Maverick" had some, and "Sky King" had one. There were probably shows that were aimed at smaller towns that appeared there and not aired nationwide. I grew up near Philly and the images of Mr. Rivets the robot exiting a GG-1 are somehow stuck in my memory. .I could probably dredge some more things from my memory, but "Petticoat Junction" I'm trying to forget and "The Beverly Hillbillies" I sorta like. Sorry Newton Minow and Marshall McLuhan.

Rixfl8ix

rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 5:03 PM

I have seen some shows from the 60's and 70's recently (Hitchcock Presents, I Spy, Dr Welby, etc.) and have seen several where there are train scenes.  But the thing that caught my attention was the visual of a Diesel locomotive passing while making the sounds of a Steam Locomotive. 

Some of the 70's shows, when the events occured near a railroad, had background sounds of the Steam Era even though steam was gone by then!  I guess the Foley operator figured that for "setting the scene", people would still identify the steam sounds with railroads.

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 137 posts
Television shows and the Railroads
Posted by choochoobuff on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 4:11 PM

I have recently been watching old reruns of In the Heat of the Night on WGN. I never really watched it while it on the air during it's run. What I have noticed is the amount of railroad related items featured in the show. Of course, the first is the appearance of the Amtrak rolling past during the opening credits. I have also noticed a old diesel, possibly a road switcher, still wearing it's C&O paint scheme. Also, a scene in which a CSX and a SCL head up a consist. Evidently these are all pieces of the companies "adopted" by CSX. Does anyone else remember any shows in which actual railroads could be seen frequently?

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy