"Train robbers hold a firm place in the mythological lore of the American West. Attacks on trains were a common occurrence when the rule of law was either difficult to implement or simply non-existent; thin governance was an accepted danger on the Final Frontier.
What is perhaps surprising is that history has looked fondly on the bandits, as if their means of living were laudable and even romantic. Our affection for the underdog knows no bounds, and Hollywood played to this emotion by often characterizing the bandits as lovable and misunderstood rogues. The narrative was often that the real villains were the wealthy train owners, who, it was implied, may have had questionable morals. It was a dog-eat-dog world.
No more was this better articulated than in the classic 1969 Western buddy film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Loosely based on fact, the film cemented both actors at the top of the Hollywood A-list—not just for their acting but because the public found affection for their characters and their affable, wise-cracking roles. It was as if they played the good guys.
We have filmed with steam trains on many occasions, though almost always in Colorado, where the canyons don’t lend themselves to storytelling from a 90-degree angle to the engine, so we tend to work head-on. But in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, we found a location where we could incorporate some carriages into the narrative and, in the early morning, achieve a uniform backdrop to play against.
This photograph was a great team effort, and we want to thank the Smoky Mountain Railroad for their partnership in the project."
- David Yarrow