Narrgansett Pier Caboose is in Spielberg Movie
Narragansett Pier Caboose Becomes Movie Star
On July 5, 2007, Stephen Spielberg and Harrison Ford were in Essex, Connecticut, to shoot some exterior shots for the new “Indiana Jones” movie, which will be released this May. Indy was supposed to be catching a train in 1957 from the fictional Bedford, Connecticut. For just a few minutes of film, a week’s worth of preparation and shooting were involved. The fictional railroad was the “Lehigh New England,” and the old Narragansett Pier caboose owned by the Valley Railroad in Essex was repainted in “LNE” colors. Just like a model train, even though the paint job was brand new, it was artfully done to look it was about 40 years old-just like some of the model buildings in the Friend’s model railroad diorama in Kingston Station. The caboose also received some sorely needed structural repairs.
The Essex station was repainted to look like “Bedford,” then repainted after the shoot was over. Both of the Valley Railroad’s steam locomotives, #40 and #97 were used either as motive power or background. Old Number 40 is fondly remembered in Kingston as the locomotive that was used in the Grand Rededication ceremony in 1998 (can it be 10 years ago? Oh, my-time for another celebration?)
-Frank Heppner
On July 5, 2007, Stephen Spielberg and Harrison Ford were in Essex, Connecticut, to shoot some exterior shots for the new “Indiana Jones” movie, which will be released this May. Indy was supposed to be catching a train in 1957 from the fictional Bedford, Connecticut. For just a few minutes of film, a week’s worth of preparation and shooting were involved. The fictional railroad was the “Lehigh New England,” and the old Narragansett Pier caboose owned by the Valley Railroad in Essex was repainted in “LNE” colors. Just like a model train, even though the paint job was brand new, it was artfully done to look it was about 40 years old-just like some of the model buildings in the Friend’s model railroad diorama in Kingston Station. The caboose also received some sorely needed structural repairs.
The Essex station was repainted to look like “Bedford,” then repainted after the shoot was over. Both of the Valley Railroad’s steam locomotives, #40 and #97 were used either as motive power or background. Old Number 40 is fondly remembered in Kingston as the locomotive that was used in the Grand Rededication ceremony in 1998 (can it be 10 years ago? Oh, my-time for another celebration?)
-Frank Heppner
