I borrowed this topic from the Trains.com BB. What are everyons favorite railroad movies? Mine are Denver and Rio Grand, filmed in the 50s, Emperor of the North filmed in the 70s, and Breakhart Pass, also from the 70s. I'll drop everything when these are on. ....Mike
Mike .. Emperor of the North is my favorite. But there's a reason for that I happen to be an engineer on Old Number 19, which was featured in that movie In fact, there's still a large bolt in the water level hose at the tender that Ernest Borgeine placed in it to keep the water from sloshing on his pants while making the movie. If you would like to see "Pancho" as she looks today, check out the following: http://members.nbci.com/thumper.4/pancho.html/ Nbci has been having some difficulties so if that URL doesn't get you there, try: http://members.nbci.com/thumper.4/ and surf yourway to it from the front page [ 05 May 2001: Message edited by: Ironhorseman ]
Two of my favorites are The Train with Burt Lancaster and Von Ryan's Express with Frank Sinatra. Both are war movies - France and Italy, but both have some good train action particularly in and through yards . "Look Ahead, Look South"
One I liked was "Runnaway Train" where the damaged engine was switched to a dead end track running wide open hell bent for distruction in the blizzard! I don't really have a favorite, because I have a large library of tapes. Mostly steam, and mostly documentaries, but my wife buys me railroad movies when she runs across them.
Atomic train wasn't very good. Is the train supposed to go into emergency if the aur isn't supplied?? I tink so. they were out of braked with a Nuclear weapon heading stright for denver because thaiur air hoses were uncoupled. "runaway Train" with John Voight and Eric Roberts. was pretty good. I taped it but you caould hardly tell the train from the trees.Otherwise it wasn't bad. (just too drunk) It was about 2 escaped convicts froma Max security prison jumped on a coasting set of 2 engines (running light). The engineer put the engineer put the throttle wide open and had a heart attack and applied emergency. and the engineer fell of imediately after wards (going about 15-20 mph.)later on the set of 4 engines wre running at about 90mph (and dispatcher freaking out) and while a freight was pulling ina siding, the run-a-ways wiped out the last two flat cars and caboose. eventually the dispatcher decideds to run the train up a dead end sidng (about 6-8 miles long, no where near the main)and the ex cons and the lady conductore from the other train mamage to break the wondows out of the F unit and uncouple the lead unit from the other 3. One of the con's (John Voight) climed to the op of the lead engine (at over 80 mph) and just stands there facing against the wind and snow. and the movie ended there. [ 06 May 2001: Message edited by: A&A 6183 ]
My favorites are; "The Train", "This Property is Condemned"[I was an extra in that production], "Murder on the Orient Express"[the version with Albert Finney as Peroit],and of course "Emperor of the North". "Dr. Zhivago" also has some great train footage. All great 'train' films.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by watash: One I liked was "Runnaway Train" where the damaged engine was switched to a dead end track running wide open hell bent for distruction in the blizzard!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I'll second the motion for Runaway Train. Great movie for non-train fans (like the misses) too.
I thought "The Train" was really good and "Wreck of the Coastliner" wasn't bad either. Of course if you worked for the railroad, it was easy to pick out the flaws in both (all rr movies) !
My favorite train movie is "The Titfield Thunderbolt", a hilarious British comedy about a small town endeavoring to save its branch line. The combination of railways and farcical British comedy can't be beat!
Again, my all time favorite was Emporer of the North, excellent footage of depression era American railroading at its best, another one I liked was Silver Streak, staring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, as anyone who has seen this pair in any of their movies can relate, it was hilarious.....
How about "Silver Streak" with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryer, now thats a funny movie, no model trains in this flick. Let's just say they used a real loco at the end of the movie as it went through the train station.
Thanx for the link Bill !! 19 sure got a workout in the movie. So were you in the movie, or did you miss out on the 'fun'. I worked on the set of Bruebaker for a short time (Robert Redford) lots of sitting arround for just a few moments of real work Chris, I'd forgoten about Von Ryans Express, that was another good one....Mike
Finally someone mentioned Silver Streak...Good old Amroad( the Amtrak copy in the movie) Also Movies I haven't seen in a while...The general with Buster Keaton..Some amazing footage in that movie.Sitting on the driver arms with that stone straight face of his is hilarious. Then theres a couple of great civil war train movies...One where they rob the train by cutting loose the train and stop the runaway with a wwhole lot of ropes tied into the trees....Don't remember the name of that movie but stopping that train is one great scene. Then There was another one I remember from being a kid.Again don't remember the name but its a train race movie. I can't remember the plot very well but I can remember being fascinated with the trains when I was like 6 or 7...This was about 30 years ago for a time reference...may have even been a Disney movie...any help with this one? Havent seen anyone mention The Orient Express yet either...some great scenes in that one too. And for the last hour or so Back to the Future 3 has some great Freelanced steam stuff lol... One more for a few cool scenes mixed in is Nickelodeon with Ryan O'neal. Just a few scens but there are some great shots. And one last scene that I really love is the Bridge scene in Stand By Me. Kinda short but a great scene to show kids for safety reasons if you live anywhere near a train trestle. Theres another one that I can't remember the name of ...But I 'll think on it a bit Later Gents.
Greg, I think that was Chisom (sp?) Staring the late GREAT John Wayne. They threw a hornets nest into the caboose and stopped it with ropes on a grade. JW was in some of my favorite movies. I,m surprised noone has mentioned the Bridge on the River Kwi. Not much train action till the end , but a good movie nontheless.....Mike
I know I have a couple but i cannot remember any. Only one that comes to mind...gotta love the scene from Mission Impossible when the Helicopter gets pulled into the channel by the Train.
Mike_C, I have to admit you got some good taste in movie stars and yes that is Chisom with my hero of the day John Wayne. Not to mension John Wayne is the man that i'm named after seriously!!!!! He'll be my idol the rest of my life plus what part of my life he was before I stated this post!!!!!! They threw a hornets nest in a Drovers caboose to rob the money I belive it was and some guns if i'm not mistaken. It sure did get the guards out of it in a hurry didn't it? To think of newer movies with trains in it how about James West who playes him was a colored fellow RATS!!!! You know I can't think of the name of that movie but anyway They least the B&O "William Mason" to be in it from the B&O's own Mt. Clare Museum in Baltimore. Oh by the way that was Will Smith who played James West in that movie but I still can't remember the name of it though!!!! It wasn't "Gun Smoke" I don't think. I hate this I know the movie and can not think of the danged name!!!!! Oh well I guess i'm gettin old fast!!! HEE HEE But anyway Mike_C nice movie star to post "John Wayne" All I can add to that is he will never die as long as i'm alive!!!!!! As his famuos words was and still are "That'll be the day"
The train wreck scene in the movie the fugitive (I think) with Harrison Ford where the train hits the prison bus was excellent! I nearly fell out of my seat. Any movie with trains interests me. I have been known to sit through hours of train documentaries without falling asleep!
Or how about that one with Steven Seagul as those 2 trains hit each other over a bridge and then topple over into the canyon below. I forget what the name of it!
UPBigBoy40081941, "Under Seige II,Dark Territory", is the one with Steven Segal. It was filmed on the DRGW on the Moffat and on Tennessee Pass. Also "Switcback" with Danny Glover and Dennis Quaid was filmed on the Moffat and Tennessee Pass. I worked as a little brakeman on both of these movies when they were shooting west of Denver. Mike Railblazer
Hey John , I think that would be the Wild Wild West . (The old series was good too).They had one heck of a parlor car there didnt they? I liked JW in the Fighting Seabes, and Sands of Iowagima (sp?) too. I must say that wheather he was in a western, war movie , or one of his rare dective movies,(Bullit) any thing he did was always first rate.Did you ever see his first movie Stagecoch?....Mike [ 08 May 2001: Message edited by: Mike C ]
