ATLANTA — A major motion picture company is starting a nationwide search for used railroad equipment that will be used on set in a yet-to-be-named film.
The film company is looking for up to two dozen pieces of rolling stock, including passenger cars, freight cars, and cabooses, to be taken to the Atlanta area later this year. Truck Brokers Inc. and Rail Transportation Management Specialists LLC are both helping lead the search.
Rail Transportation Management Specialists owner Art Miller, who has worked as a railroad coordinator for films like Unstoppable and October Sky, tells Trains News Wire that this is a great opportunity for short lines, regionals and museums to rid themselves of unwanted equipment.
“The production designers are primarily looking for unused out-of-service equipment that has acquired unique coloration and weathering patterns during its storage,” Miller says.
Miller adds that the equipment purchased by the film company does not have to be in operating condition and would likely be scrapped after shooting.
Among the items the film company is looking for are:
•1 Bi-level passenger car, possibly of Santa Fe heritage.
•2 Passenger or Pullman cars.
•3 Box 40 to 70-foot boxcars
•3 65-to-85-foot flatcars
•2 three dome tank cars
•1 Burro crane
•1 200-to-250-ton Derrick or “Big Hook” crane.
•1 idler flatcar
•2 cabooses
•Various work-train camp cars
Miller says that the film company would also consider leasing equipment — specifically rare pieces such as the 250-ton crane — and returning it in the condition it arrived.
Railroads that are interested in selling or leasing equipment should send the rolling stock’s last used reporting marks, a general description of its condition, broadside and end photos and location information to Miller at art.miller@rtms-movietrains.com.
Given Nippon Sharyo’s inability to meet contract specs for construction (and perhaps U.S. content) of bi-levels for the Midwest and California, perhaps this would be a potential use for the car shells?
Or, in view of the inability of Congress to finance equipment for Amtrak outside of the Northeast Corridor, perhaps the 1989 Horizon cars, derived from commuter design, could find a new life beyond their daily haul of Midwest corridor runs?
A message to Mr. Hoffman:
As you know, many railway museums retain equipment that cannot be displayed and has no chance of being restored. Further, the entertainment production industry is very conscious about conserving historical properties and equipment. Accordingly, the production is being very careful to primarily search for scrap or un-restorable cars that are candidates either for museum deaccession or scrapping by a railroad. Any leased equipment that is destined for return to its owner will be returned in “as tendered” condition. It may interest you that on productions I have supervised, we have never paid a dollar for damages. And RTMS has a perfect film industry safety record — zero damages, zero injuries, no HFIs, and zero FRA recordables or reportables. Indeed, we have usually left museums with equipment in better condition than it was received. I hope this answers your concerns. Best —
It sounds like they merely want the equipment for some “Eat-em-up-beat-’em-up-bash-it-blow-it-up” kind of scene rather than anything else.
A movie using weathered equipment and a big hook is probably going to be some sensationalized over the top drama that most folks interested in railroads wouldn’t want to watch anyway. That being said, however, I would think that for museums and such that have old cars that just aren’t worth the space they occupy, this may be a good way to make better than scrap value.
southeastern rr museum has a crane that might be leased, and it is in the Atlanta area. I would not want this to be a scrap piece, though. Leasing OK, scrapping is NOT acceptable.
I was all onboard until “would likely be scrapped after shooting”.
Talk about burying the lead.. this headline should read “Film company seeks historic rail equipment for needless destruction”
Worst of luck to these people, I hope their search is very expensive and yields absolutely nothing of value.
I wonder if it is for a movie or The Walking Dead.
OOOOOOOO, tell me it’s for “Danger Lights, 2020!”
Dan Thorne lives!