DANGER LIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS 1930 Film

Danger Lights is a 1930 movie starring Louis Wolheim, Robert Armstrong, and Jean Arthur.
The plot concerns railroading on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, and the movie was largely filmed along that railroad's lines in Montana. The railway yard in Miles City, Montana was a primary setting, while rural scenes were shot along the railway line through Sixteen Mile Canyon, Montana. Additional footage was shot in Chicago, Illinois. The film has been edited to show the train highlights including a steam loco tug of war, a 100 mph run to Chicago and some of the best train action ever filmed by Hollywood!

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Danger
• lights
• Milwaukee
• Road
• Steam
• Train
• Movie

[TheClaudHamilton]

You know, I actually saw something similar to that shunt of war in an old British film that I assume was made by Pathe. It had two London and South Western 0-4-2 tender engines pitted against one of that railway's new N15 "King Arthur" 4-6-0s, and naturally the bigger engine won fair and square. I think those smaller ones were being a bit exuberant though, because their wheels kept spinning wildly.

[sfo1164]

@TheClaudHamilton Interesting! Indeed the tracks were probably covered with some kind of lubricant to induce wheel slippage. thank you for the information on the British engines!

[Pikman01]

rofl That Battery Commercial reminds me of the Duracell ones xD

[sfo1164]

@Pikman01 ha ha!

[TheClaudHamilton]

Wait - "tug" of war? Considering that those two engines were pushing against each other rather than pulling, I would have called it a "SHUNT" of war. All the same, I quite liked that montage of clips.

By the way, did American loco crews really have to hang from the cab like that to cool off a hot axlebox? Surely that's a bit dangerous. Mind you, I'm British, so I'm no real expert on American railroad practises.

[sfo1164]

@TheClaudHamilton Ha ha! A shunt it is then. Your keen eye noticed one of the "Hollywood" movie stunts. I think the American loco crews would stop the train first before attempting to fix anything.

[RichardSwayne]

If you like Mikados and Pacifics, this is the movie for you.

[johndaviesist]

Great footage - really got the adreniline juices going. Did you notice the engine switch? The loco with the hot box has an outside framed trailing truck, while the one arriving in Chicago has inside bearings. not so easy to 'fix' on the run. Even so, marvellous atmosphere. The whistle sounding through the yards while the wrecker is hooked up would be an emergency signal.

John Davies

[derail14]

The scene with fixing the hotbox is a hollywood stunt, on a real rr you always stop the train to take care of those types of problems.

[48alfaone]

The Film Crew must of had a gas filming this, haha!

[TheClaudHamilton]

Noticed something about the engine heading off to clear the line; it shares numbers with a London Midland and Scottish 8F Class 2-8-0, which at present is painted in that company's maroon livery.

By the way, was that continuous whistling during the yard scene for effect, or was an alarm being sounded?

[breathholdchamp]

listening to that power of that engine in the begining gives me goosebumps

[TheClaudHamilton]

@sfo1164 Yeah, I thought so.