Post date: Jul 17, 2010 5:4:25 AM
Yet another one to tick off the list, but not the most terribly exciting find. I was seeking the train yard seen briefly in one shot as Indy arrives in Princeton in Winds of Change. I just assumed it was probably a matte painting using the same engine shot in Wilmington. However, close examination of the engine's features proved it was not the same one. What stood out to me as a clue was the flipped #51 on the headlight of the train engine:
That signals that it probably wasn't altered by a matte-painter because they probably would've bothered to fix that! I also knew from other sources that they'd shot on the Fillmore & Western Railway in California (though I'd always assumed just for interiors).
With a little cross-checking, I discovered the engine was the old Great Western #51 which has been used in numerous other productions over the years. Most recently, it was re-painted in 2003 for Seabiscuit. However, shortly after that film it moved to Colorado for repairs. As far as I can tell, that is where it still remains.
So, with the image flipped back, we can begin to pick out landmarks. This was obviously shot right in the station yard at Fillmore, between Main St. & Santa Clara Ave. The position of the mountains tell us it is looking west from near Mountain View St. The Spanish-style house on the right side is located at the corner of Clay St. & Main St. to the north. Voila! Another one down!