Where does the idea come from?
Last summer while at the NSE convention, my good friend Richard Fisher approached me. He suggested that “since I knew Walt Disney, I should do a set of engines from his movie, ‘The Great Locomotive Chase'”! Rather funny, but a serious idea.
Richard will be rewarded for his idea. He also will be joining us in San Francisco for the May 10th event and unveiling of this very fun set. So that is one way ideas can come.
In the Details.
Taking the civil war era engines ‘Texas’ and ‘General’ from the big screen to N scale was fun. Two 4-4-0 engines from the same railroad, but with different paint schemes made this much more interesting. It also helped that the engines used in the film were very close to the Atlas models I used. Accurate coloring and markings are very important to recreate each engine. As this is done for The Walt Disney Family Museum, and therefore based on the Walt Disney movie, it was the movie that was used as reference. I understand that the actual engine ‘General’ is in the Baltimore Rail Museum. Amazing that it has withstood the war and 150 years!
Our nation is remembering 150 years since the war between the states, and the true story of the Great Locomotive Chase, is an interesting ‘railroad chapter’ of that history. The Walt Disney movie is faithful to the real story of James Andrews, played by Fess Parker (of Daniel Boone fame), as he leads union soldiers behind confederate lines to disrupt rail service in the south.
Any time we get to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco’s Presidio, is time well spent. Seeing the inspiration of a the real man Walt Disney, is a great life story. A story that has effected you today, whether you realize it or not! Another great reason to visit the city by the bay. Hope to see you there soon!
