Jules Verne Train
From Futurepedia, the Back to the Future Wiki
The Jules Verne Train was the culmination of Emmett Brown's previous experience with building the DeLorean time machine and working with the steam locomotive that pushed it to 88 mph. It was a time machine itself that ran off of steam rather than gasoline, built from after 1885 to 1895. When Doc succeeded in its first temporal displacement test, he and his family traveled to 2015 or beyond to give it a hover conversion.
The flux capacitor was still included in this design, in the place of the lamp at the front of the locomotive - although in The Animated Series, it is located inside the cab to the right of the controls. Unlike the DeLorean, the external components of the Time Train were symmetrical on both sides of the vehicle, possibly representing a more sophisticated grasp of the time travel technology on Doc's part, despite being constructed from more primitive materials.
When Doc returned to 1985 to meet up with Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker, he chose the most likely place that they might be at that given time. Interestingly, before it appeared, it triggered the bells and gatearm on the nearby railroad crossing as if another train was coming.
Contents |
[edit] Background Information
Although the events of Back to the Future Part III take place in 1885, the locomotive which pushed the DeLorean to 88 mph was an 1897 model Rogers 4-6-0 mixed traffic engine. Regardless of this discrepancy, since the Time Train resembles the same type of locomotive, it can be assumed that Doc built the Time Train from the wreck of the destroyed locomotive - which also accounts for how Doc was able to personally acquire such a machine without a small fortune of his own, necessary to purchase a locomotive of that type for private use.
[edit] Behind the scenes
While designing the look for the train, production designer Rick Carter became inspired by the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which seemed an obvious choice considering Doc and Clara's love for Jules Verne. The full-size mock-up of the Time Train still stands at Universal Studios Orlando, even though the ride has closed. In "Back to the Future the Animated Series", the flux compacitor of the train is located on the inside as shown in the episode Witchcraft.
