SPOKANE, Wash. — The forests, rivers and rugged terrain of Washington state play a central role in the film Train Dreams. But behind the camera, another story was unfolding.
Daniel Schaefer, an IATSE Local 600 stills photographer, documented the production while also helping bring a sense of historical authenticity to the film.
“Washington in general has this incredible depth to the locations,” Schaefer said. “We have woods, we have rivers, we have cities, we have streams — pretty much anything you can find.”
The film follows the life of a logger and railroad worker in the Pacific Northwest, telling a story that spans decades. That long timeline meant the production needed landscapes that could convincingly represent different eras. According to Schaefer, who was also a location scout on the production, Eastern Washington provided exactly that…