Behind the Scenes of The Great Locomotive Chase

Disney spared no expense for the filming of The Great Locomotive Chase. He approached the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore for the use of two of its locomotives. The lead role of the General was played by the William Mason, a beautiful 4-4-0 American-style locomotive built in 1856 that had actually operated during the Civil War. For the lesser role of the yard engine Yonah, the B&O Museum lent its replica of the 1837 locomotive Lafayette. Since it did not have a cab, a false cab was added for the duration of filming.

A relaxing moment on the set between Slim Pickins and young Douglas Bleckly who portrays Pickens' loyal fireman, Henry Haney. Bleckly was a native of Clayton, Georgia where The Great Locomotive Chase was filmed, and got the part when director Francis D. Lyons spotted him working in a small lunchroom in the town.

Walt Disney Productions

The locomotives were painted in colorful Western & Atlantic Railroad livery and all the equipment was shipped to Clayton, Georgia. The railroad scenes were filmed on a fifty-seven mile short line near Clayton, the Tallulah Falls Railway. It closely resembled a Civil War railroad with its rough and unkept roadbeds. The railroad ran through some spectacular scenery, which was beautifully captured by the technicolor cameras. The Disney film crew made great use of the locomotives, filling the screen with exciting railroad shots. By the end of the production, both the William Mason and the Inyo had each logged more than a thousand miles.

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Critics enjoyed The Great Locomotive Chase, giving it acceptable reviews, yet it was not the success in the theaters that Disney himself had hoped. It may be that the story did not hold much for female audiences because there was no love interest, or female lead in the picture. Also, the Raiders fail in their task of destroying the railroad, and Andrews is hanged as a spy. Audiences may have found this too downbeat a storyline to appease their tastes.

As a historical recreation, The Great Locomotive Chase comes closest to achieving what many Hollywood producers try to avoid. It didn't tell the story of the Civil War on a large scale, but it did relate history in an honest and entertaining manner. Like most films about history it has some minor flaws, but, along with The Horse Soldiers, it does give a feeling for the period. And, at times, that feeling can make history more understandable and interesting than any textbook.