Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the eponymous 2011 novella written by Denis Johnson, Netflix’s ‘Train Dreams is a period drama movie that dramatizes the life of a railroad worker named Robert Grainier. Helmed by Clint Bentley, the narrative follows logger Robert in the early 20th century as he plays a critical role in developing and expanding the railways across the US. In the long and tiring process, the hardworking family man gets to spend hardly any time with his wife, Gladys, and their young daughter.
While Robert connects the nation through railroads, the logger constantly struggles to find his place in the rapidly changing world. In his lonely journey, he goes through all kinds of emotions, including immense love and heartbreaking loss. However, what keeps him going is the bonds he makes along the way. Featuring stellar performances from Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, and William H. Macy, the film takes place in isolated areas and around wooded areas, representing Robert Grainier’s state of mind and life.
Train Dreams Filming Locations
‘Train Dreams’ was reportedly filmed in different parts across the state of Washington, particularly in King County, Spokane, Stevens County, Metaline Falls, and Tekoa. Principal photography for the drama movie took place over the course of nearly two months, between April 2024 and late May 2024. The art director, John Lavin, announced the conclusion of the shooting process, stating, “That’s a wrap on Train Dreams. We made some cool stuff, and some beautiful sets. Many thanks to a great Art Department.”
King County, Washington
Many pivotal sequences for ‘Train Dreams’ were reportedly lensed across King County, especially in the city of Snoqualmie. Several of the railroad scenes were made possible through the support of the Northwest Railway Museum, the Snoqualmie Police, the Snoqualmie Inn, PSE, and the Snoqualmie Tribe. Besides the wooded areas of the city, the cast and crew members also set up camp around the Snoqualmie Falls and the Snoqualmie Valley, reportedly in the month of May 2024. As per reports, several important portions were also shot in the city of Seattle, located on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Right outside Seattle is the city of North Bend, which also features in the Joel Edgerton starrer.
Spokane, Washington
Also known as the Lilac City, Spokane also served as one of the primary production locations for ‘Train Dreams.’ While the production supervisor, Marc Dahlstrom, acknowledged that filming on location in Spokane added a layer of authenticity to the narrative, the still photographer Daniel Schaefer opened up about the city’s unique market position. The latter told KHQ, “Spokane as a market has the really distinct position of being small, accessible, but with an incredible degree of location diversity and an incredibly solid crew.”
He added, “‘Train Dreams’ is going to be a pretty serious trading card for us. I think not only does it show how beautiful the area is, it really is a love letter to Spokane. It is a love letter to the Pacific Northwest in the visuals, in the tone, in the history shown in that project.” Multiple streets in the downtown area of Spokane were turned into film sets for shooting purposes. Apart from ‘Train Dreams,’ Spokane has hosted the production of various film projects, such as ‘Benny & Joon,’ ‘Vision Quest,’ ‘Radioflash,’ ‘Lonely Hearts,’ ‘Knockaround Guys,’ ‘The Leisure Seeker,’ and ‘The Cutter.’
Other Locations in Washington
Additional portions for ‘Train Dreams’ were also taped in other locations in the state of Washington, including Stevens County. To be specific, the filming unit utilized the locales of the cities of Colville and Chewelah. They also made the most of a few other small towns and rural cities, such as the town of Metaline Falls in Pend Oreille County and the rural city of Tekoa in Whitman County.
