Dancer in the Dark: Danish F-Unit in Great Northern paintings

[Lone Cat]

A short question on the Danish film starring a top notch 'lunatic style' entertainer Björk. it won't be here if not because of the weird appearances of totally EUROPEAN locomotive in North American railroad paintscheme. the Danish version of EMD F-Unit (it looks shorter than any regular F units, dual cab and uses European chain&buffer coupling system) in Great Northern Railway dressing. here


Although the events in the film mostly takes place in the United States of America. the movie crew never comes to the US to get any accurate shots of American trains. another easy way to catch the inaccuracy is to look at couplers. Europeans still uses chain & buffer system while Americans don't use it once Janey introduced his semiautomatic knuckle couplers WITHOUT a pair of bumpers (which the latter is superior IMAO!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLv8ZcFpCUk
Indeed. GNRy never have dual cab diesels. (since none of these are manufactured in the USA, and indeed two single cab F-units do better jobs (yet the price per unit is cheaper!), yet they did have electric locomotives that looks like one.

What are the GNRy locomotives the movie wants to represent?
- EMD F-Unit
- An electric locomotive with similar looks to the Danish diesels.

And in your opinion. is it cool or bizzarre representation of American railroads?

For americans. If you run shortline standard gauge railroad anywhere the GNRy had trackage rights (or once a part of it). WILL YOU BUY THIS ENGINE FROM EUROPE?

[thietavu]

First thought: does it really matter? American railroads might have purchased European designs (these days they do, at least when it comes to electrics), and that "Danish" scenario could have happened. To me it's about imagination as much as realism. I like to try very different (like British) loco types in RRT3's scenarios like China. Because why not? It is just as interesting to play with "what might have been" as it is with "what really was/is". :)

That Danish engine might be a Swedish Nohab, once considered for our Finnish Railways too. A very good ca. 2000 hp unit made with Americans, and basically an F-series engine made in Sweden with European flavor. So, it is - in a way - an American engine. As for having cabs on both ends, it's a matter of taste. It is very practical in certain conditions common in Europe, but certainly possible on some American lines, too. Björk isn't too puritan about anything in her music. Guess she wouldn't stick to rules in things like this, either. ;)

[Stoker]

Not as bad as post WWII M48 tanks used for both sides in the Patton movie, and it is still a great movie:



I would catch the Euro loco in US livery paint, just like noticing the wrong equipment used in most every war movie, but 99.9% of viewers won't.

[Altoona+BeachCreek]

IMO, it's definitely close enough to an F series engine. Be sure to tell the Danish they did great on the paintscheme!