Garden Railway Forum

Just been watching Buster Keaton's film Our Hospitality and marvelling at the incredible lengths he went to in creating the replica of Stephenson's Rocket - and how he managed to power it and keep it on the track. If anyone knows any of the back story, I'd love to know....




Rik

According to my 'Haynes Rocket Owners Manual', the Buster Keaton replica was the third of ten made, this one in 1923. It is listed as Non-steam, operable, but no description of the power source. It is currently housed at the Smithsonian, Washington DC.

On one of the close-ups, there seems to be some sort of gearbox housing on the leading axle of the loco - I wonder if there was a petrol engine in the boiler.

It's amazing to me that there was this level of sophistication in film making in 1923!

Of course, Buster Keaton was renowned for doing his own stunts - apparently, in the sequence where he was swept downstream in the river, the cable which was supposed to retain him snapped and you can see him staring at the camera / film crew pleadingly. I believe he emerged battered and bruised further downstream.

Rik

The same train appeared a couple of years later in the Iron Mule with Fatty Arbuckle


Rik
PS - Looks like the same actor played the guard

Thanks Rik, never saw that one before. Emett would have been proud!
How film-making has declined since that time.

Interesting the way the points operated, with the section of track before the 'frog' swinging from left to right and vice versa. Wonder if it would work in 16mm?

Lonsdaler wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 11:28 am Interesting the way the points operated, with the section of track before the 'frog' swinging from left to right and vice versa. Wonder if it would work in 16mm?

I think they're called stub points. How about this for a challenge? Rik

I know a number of those in 5" gauge layouts.
They work fine but cannot be trailed.
Drivers need to be aware of that.

I once had that on a layout near here.
Went through the station on track #1 (which has priority).
Someone thought that starting off quickly and overtaking me on the way to the exit point would be a good idea.
However she was not aware of the stub points, accellerated, passed me at speed and....ploughed into the ballast.

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:38 pm Thanks Rik, never saw that one before. Emett would have been proud!
How film-making has declined since that time.

It is very Emett-esque, isn't it, fantastic!

If we're judging the quality of film-making by the standard of replica locos though, the latest Mission Impossible must be in with a shout, with its 1:1 scale model of a Britannia:

Ah yes, but they screwed up on that latest version of Murder On The Orient Express. Both real and dummy locos were used, but they put the smoke deflectors on the dummy upside down. Continuity? We'll have none of that here...!

TonyW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:40 am Ah yes, but they screwed up on that latest version of Murder On The Orient Express. Both real and dummy locos were used, but they put the smoke deflectors on the dummy upside down. Continuity? We'll have none of that here...!

Is that the version with Kenneth Branagh? I'm sure I spotted the gauge change in that at least once! There was some truly horrible CGI in that...

Much prefer David Suchet, but I expect I'll still watch Death on the Nile, I do like a bit of Agatha Christie.

Andrew wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:53 amIs that the version with Kenneth Branagh?

Yes!