Re: "Hollywood's Railroads" New Book About NG Films

Hi Doug! Black Hills Central 2-6-2 #7 was given the big stack and other cosmetics for tourist service back when the railroad was a bit more aggressive in promoting itself as the "1880 Train." It has also been used in several films over the years. Many moons ago I worked on a TV movie with the producer of "Orphan Train," which had been shot there in 1979. She was completely convinced that #7 was an authentic 1850s loco (the time period of that film). I started to explain the facts to her, but it quickly became apparent that she was going to believe what she wanted, so I cut off the explanation with "Well, it sure looked good." And it did. I've always been able to see beyond the Hollywood excesses and enjoy railroad action footage shot by some of the most gifted cinematographers who ever pointed a camera at a train. After completing my Narrow Gauge Country volume, with lots of 1920s K-28 and K-36 locos "backdated" to the 1870s, it was a bit of a shock to immediately get lost in finishing the Virginia & Truckee volume, where those 1870s locos were largely used to depict exactly what they were. Some films get it right, others get it wrong. But either way, it's "prototype."