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Steam Loco in "Murder on the Orient Express"


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I'm a big fan of movies that have a lot of railway action, both in TV shows as well as films. This weekend, "Murder on the Orient Express" will open here in Canada & my family and I are planning to see it. I don't know much about European/Continental steam locos so I'm curious to find out if anyone here knows what kind of loco is used in the film and especially if it's even a real one. 

 

I've googled a view videos that show the movie being made and, at first, it sure looks like a real loco. But then some later footage seems to indicate that it might be a full-size replica (i.e. a model) that is not powered at all but is simply pushed along the track with sound effects added. Does anyone have any further info or details, i.e. whether it's a real loco, what kind it is, and which country it's from?

 

Apologies if this question isn't in the correct section -- please feel to move it if necessary.

 

Thanks in advance,

Rob

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It's a real loco alright!

 

It's an Est Railway (France) 2-4-1A mountain: http://www.voisin.ch/vvt/materiel/autres/241-a-65_e.html

Trix do a (rather expensive) model of it: http://www.aandhmodels.co.uk/22941-sncf-241-a-65-dcc-sound-49441-p.asp

Probably also available from Reyaulds in the USA too.

Cheers,

John.

 

 

Thanks -- that is great to know. Awesome video too! Really looking forward to the movie now.

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The sound will have been heavily post-processed anyway, which, to someone used to watching videos of real locos recorded just using a trackside camera and microphone, may have the counter-intuitive effect of making it sound less real. Bear in mind that it's set in winter, but the movie snow is all fake and they'll have had to add effects to better mimic how a steam loco looks when it's cold (particularly the way that steam condenses into vapour much more rapidly). So there is some CGI involved, but only as an overlay to what is real, not as the core.

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In the 'official trailer', at the start there is the sound of a bell clanging while it's moving slowly, US-style, presumably it's from the engine. Do any European engines feature bells, apart from maybe engines used on tramway, such as we had here?

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Having seen the film, I'm sorry they didn't show the details of the eight blokes who turned up on a trolley rerailing the loco, from lying on its side, without a crane - I suspect they reverted to the hand of god, myself.

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In the 'official trailer', at the start there is the sound of a bell clanging while it's moving slowly, US-style, presumably it's from the engine. Do any European engines feature bells, apart from maybe engines used on tramway, such as we had here?

I seem to recall that Swiss stations had a bell which would be rung when a train was departing.

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Before anyone gets too heavy into 'nit-picking', remember - it's only a story !!!

 

Many of us on RMWeb enjoy nit-picking. Don't spoil our fun :-)

 

And even if I am an anorak, it spoils films and TV for me when there are obvious (and often quite unnecessary) anachronisms, whether on trains, motor vehicles or whatever.

 

Latest example I found is the pub at Hallatrow which advertises dining in a genuine GWR dining car. Said dining car is a BR Mk1 RUO in Hogwarts' Red livery! I don't think the current landlords even know that they are guilty of misleading publicity. Works though as they were fully booked last Sunday.

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Don't want to get too off topic, but I generally appreciate realism in movies.

 

I understand that our Canadian TV show, Murdoch Mysteries, is quite popular in the UK. It takes place in Toronto and southern Ontario (Canada) in the early 1900s.  It's generally quite historically accurate, but in one episode, the main characters took a late BR British steam engine (a Black 5 I think) with BR maroon coaches, to Algonquin Park!  There was a similar glitch in another episode. My son & I cringed when we saw this! :-)

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In the 'official trailer', at the start there is the sound of a bell clanging while it's moving slowly, US-style, presumably it's from the engine. Do any European engines feature bells, apart from maybe engines used on tramway, such as we had here?

 

I can think of at least one....  :jester: 

 

16944342386_52eec3bd20_c.jpg

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A number of PLM* locomotives were fitted with a bell - although I have not ascertained what the criteria were for such fitting, nor when it was used.

 

*  Paris - Lyon - Mediterranean Railway - operating in SE France until nationalisation in 1938.

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There is an Article on a model engineer forum,  M,E,C,H,  A member on that works at the studios that are filming it,He has posted quite a few photos,of the loco,A full size mock up of a steam loco,

       But with hydraulic jacks fitted under it,These to tip it over on some of the film scenes, He has asked us not to post the pictures up on other sites  just yet, As soon as he says that we can,

       Then ill put some on here, They are very interesting, and it is a work of art,being mostly wood,Must be a great job being involved in something like that.  

     Garry

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So I saw the movie tonight and, overall, really liked it. Being a steam train enthusiast and a fan of mysteries, it's  hard not to like it. The train scenes were great, I enjoyed the 1930s ambience & I liked Poirot's detective work. I won't say too much more as I don't want to spoil anything! I've really appreciated the background info here re this steam loco. Thanks, Rob

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Looking at those prices, it makes recent increases from the likes of Hornby seem a lot more reasonable!

It seems a tad on the high side, but on the other hand, its got DCC Sound, includes a smoke unit, has working head and tail lights, a close coupling mechanism on the tender and the amount of separately applied detail in the form of all the external pipework alone would be expensive to fit.  The only possible downside is that it has traction tyres...

 

If the Hornby P2 wasn't "Design Clever", had external valvegear and was fitted with DCC, full fat sound, lights and smoke, then that too would be a pretty expensive proposition.

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Looking at those prices, it makes recent increases from the likes of Hornby seem a lot more reasonable!

Look at the spec and I’ll think you’ll find it’s much more aligned to Dapol Black Label

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