MOVIE TRAIN

Baltimore and Ohio No. 25 "William Mason" dressed as “Wanderer”

To portray James West's and Artemus Gordon's private train in the 1999 film production "Wild Wild West", Warner Brothers arranged with the Baltimore and Ohio Museum Railroad to rent the locomotive "William Mason" No. 25 from their historic collection. The engine (a 4-4-0 American) was built by Mason Locomotive Works in 1856 and is currently the oldest operating steam locomotive in the United States. Previous film appearances include its portrayal of the historic Civil War engine "General" in "The Great Locomotive Chase". It was restored to operating condition in the shops of the Strasburg Railroad in the spring of 1998 and shipped to Sante Fe, New Mexico for filming on location. It was returned to the museum in the fall of 1998 and was under steam in Baltimore, Maryland in April and September of 1999 still wearing its movie livery name "Wanderer".

Interior of Varnish Car with Revolving Pool Table

The two cars of West and Gordon's Train were constructed especially for the movie. Total cost was reportedly 1.5 million dollars. Production Designer was Bo Welch, with Art Direction by Tom Duffield and Set Decoration by Cheryl Carasik. For the interior shots the cars were assembled on gimbals on a Warner Brothers soundstage with a blue screen backing up the windows for visual effects to be added in later. The sets were then disassembled and remounted on real railroad flat cars for use with the "Wanderer" on location in New Mexico. Extensive filming was done there with stars Will Smith and Kevin Kline. Later the train was shipped to Idaho for exterior filming with the second unit on the Grangeville Line of the Camas Prairie Railroad.

The "Wanderer" is loaded with secret weapons and devices as well as a laboratory for Artemus Gordon's experiments, inventions and wardrobe of disguises. Spinning pool tables and armchairs that disappear into the car's floor, hidden weapons racks and lamps concealing Gatling Guns are only some of the gadgets reported to be in "Wanderer"'s arsenal; all designed by Artemus Gordon.

The interiors were carefully crafted to recreate the splendor of the Palace Cars of the era. Designer Welch, Art Director Duffield and Decorator Carasik used the interior of George Pullman's own private car "Monitor" as a reference. Rich mahogany and other rare woods, beveled mirrors and custom woven carpets. fringes and fabrics all created an opulent atmosphere fit for a 19th century millionaire.

The Varnish Car features a parlor with banquette dining area and piano-bar, a galley for cooking, stateroom for sleeping quarters and a water closet with sink and commode.The Gramophone conceals the Telegraph Apparatus, and pulling one of the pool cues in the rack provides access to the Winch for the Trans-Carriage Egressor. The Laboratory Car contains an extensive workshop-lab, a wardrobe room as well as a stable compartment equipped with horse stalls and storage for Gordon's "Nitro-Cycle".

Two other trains were also used on location on the film. The ex-Virginia and Truckee locomotives No. 11 "Reno" (a 4-4-0 from Old Tucson), portraying Union Pacific No. 119, and No. 21 "J.W. Bowker" (a 2-4-0 from the California State Railroad Museum), as Central Pacific "Jupiter", were paired with cars from the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania. Jim Clark served as Train Coordinator for the production, arranging for rail equipment and its transportation to various film locations.