Favorite train movie...

[twhite]

Fishplate--right about GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and the train sequences, especially that GG-1 pulling the train at the first of the movie. However near the end, when the two trains collide, did you notice that the locomotive pulling the freight section is a 4-6-4? And lettered for the Rock Island? Bet the Rock was surprised to find that they had a Hudson on the roster, even if it was a 1/20th scale model live steamer!
Tom

[Anonymous]

I forgot about "Kansas Pacific" up 'til now. I'm surprised I haven't seen it mentioned yet. It's about the westward expansion of the Kansas Pacific Railroad prior to the Civil War and the sabotage being done by the Southern sympathizers who don't want the railroad to be completed. It's a pretty good story, and it's major emphasis is on the railroad! BTW, it's from 1953.

[fishplate]

Lots of GREAT TRAIN movies listed[tup] [:o)] How about " THE GREATIST SHOW
ON EARTH"[:o)] Has great circus train scenes. Awesome modeling info!!!!!!!

Remember, when the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

[paulcorr]

"Runaway Train" (1985) with Jon Voight, Eric Roberts & Rebecca DeMornay
"Von Ryan's Express" with Frank Sinatra
"The Train" with Burt Lancaster.

[Train1725]

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid !
Some great train scenes, especially the "posse" train filled with cops on horses that jump out as the train stops !..

Also, was the Emperor of the North the one where Bourgnine was a conductor and Marvin a Hobo? Saw it as a kid and loved it, but never knew the name

Also, there is a bar in Sunnyside, Queens, NYC called Sidetracks (right on the #7 IRT Line) that used to have all these pictures of trains from movies. It also had an Arrival/departure board..and it now has a Caboose inside the building to sit in and eat !

[CFournier]

Thomas the tank engine according to my 5 years old engineer...

[Anonymous]

Oh lets see, favorite train movies...

The Train, with Burt Lancaster.
Silver Streak, its hilarious.
Von Ryans Express...

Enemy At The Gates had several scenes using trains, including the climax of the movie. It took place in an abandoned railyard.

Good stuff,
Alvie.

[gvdobler]

Does anyone know this movie?

It had Ben Johnson as an engineer. A ski train losses its brokes going down a mountain and Ben Johnson hooks the rear of the train before it hits the end of track in the station.

It was very exciting and I saw it years ago and don't know the name and have never seen it since. If anyone knows the name please post it, Thanks.

Also the Last of the Hard Men with Bert Landcaster, they run a Southern Pacific orange streamline steam engine across the Mexican border.

Jon - Las Vegas

[cwclark]

I don't remember the name of the movie (I think the name was THE TYCOON) ...but it starred John Wayne as a railroad civil engineer and he went to test the new bridge he just put in.... the bridge was almost complete except for a span in the middle that was thrown together... he drove the train out on the bridge to see if it would hold up during the flood of the river the bridge was built across..the bridge held up but the makeshift section fell along with the train engine into the brink...anyway..it was a good train movie...Chuck

[wjstix]

The local kids TV when I was growing up in Mpls/St.Paul was "Lunch with Casey" featuring Roger Awsumb as Casey Jones and Lynn Dwyer as "Roundhouse Rodney".

For movies I'll vote for "Danger Lights", one of the first sound movies shot on location (on the Milwaukee Road electrified lines in Montana). Unfortunately it's hard to see it all, some 'genius' decided that railfans would like to see the trains in the movie so offered a version with about 1/3 of the movie cut out so it was just showing the trains, unfortunately since then that's been about the only version of it on VHS or DVD available. Without the missing scenes the movie makes no sense.

BTW that 60's short with Keaton going on a speeder across Canada was pretty dang funny !!

[MisterBeasley]

Does anyone remember The Taking of Pelham 123? A bunch of bad guys hijack a New York City subway train.

But my vote still goes to Emperor of the North. I even saw a bit of it on cable a few weeks back.

[MudHen_462]

Emperor of theNorth.... NO CONTEST !

[GN-Rick]

Well, I happen to like Emperor of the North, especially for its great Northwest
(north central Oregon) scenery. Although the FRA must have a conniption fit
over those booby trapped safety appliances. Another good one that nobody
has mentioned is the Marx Brother's "Go West". This one features a really cute
2-8-0 and its old time wooden train although the locomotive, at one point,
metamophs into a 2-truck Heisler! Not the Marx's best film, but it is funny,
with some interesting railroad scenes.

[twhite]

Hey, we're back to this, right?
Okay, here I go
THE GENERAL
UNION PACIFIC
DENVER AND RIO GRANDE
WHISPERING SMITH
THE TRAIN
NIGHT PASSAGE
TICKET TO TOMAHAWK
NORTHWEST FRONTIER aka: FLAME OVER INDIA
VON RYAN'S EXPRESS
GOOD GUYS AND THE BAD GUYS
NUMBER SEVENTEEN
THE IRON HORSE
And a whole bunch of Westerns that used (and sometimes mis-used) trains.
Tom

[joseph2]

I always liked Blazing Saddles which begins as a railroad construction movie.Do any of you remember the TV series about Casey Jones from the early 1960's ?

[Don Gibson]

HAND'S DOWN BEST.

'The General'.

Buster Keaton's version of the Great Locomotive Chase' aka 'Anderson's Raider's. Disney and Fess Parker stick pretty much to re-enacting the 1850's event, where as Keaton's is pure Fantasy. No trick photography or 'double's used on Keaton's film.

The surviving engine the 'General' is housed and on view near Kennesaw Mountain, GA in what used to be known as 'Big Shanty. Worth the trip - as is the film. A Classic.

[Anonymous]

Polar Express and End of the line.

[Anonymous]

Well I guess seeing that I've only seen 1 train movie (that I can remember), The Polar Express gets my vote. Enjoyed that movie very much. Everything was great, the sounds, the graphics, the story, the whole bit. Tom Hanks which is one of my favorite actors did a great job, too bad it didnt do all that great in the theaters. Also enjoyed the story in Trains about the locomotive they took ideas and info from to make the movie's version.

Steve

[SilverSpike]

Murder on the Orient Express!

It has lots of interior scenes of dining cars, sleeper cars, lounge cars, and baggage cars. Oh, and the murder mystery is fun too!

- Ryan

[CFournier]

Von Ryan express and Polar Express hands down.

[PennsyHoosier]

I can always watch Silver Streak again, even though I've seen it so many times.

I love Polar Express, too.

[Anonymous]

My favorite train movies are
Runaway Train
Silver Streak, love those Budd cars
Von Ryan Express

[Anonymous]

The Polar Express hands down!

[grayfox1119]

I would have to say; Von Ryan's Express ( Frank Sinatra, The Great Locomotive Chase, Breakheart Pass, The Train, Runaway Train, The General, and we just saw The Polar Express ( great video job !!)

[krump]

Torque - has a motorcycle / train stunt. Kinda different from the reg'l speed chases, crash + burn shot'emups. Motorcycles and gangs, with a train.

[trolleyboy]

I'm partial to Buster Keatan's the rail rodder,something about going accross canada in a track speader is well just funny[:p][:p][:p]

[randybc2003]

HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! [:D]
See:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=3&TOPIC_ID=17420

Of particular favor on my part:
Flame Over India
Dynamite & Gold
Breakheart Pass
The Great Locomotive Chase

My personal movie library has copies of each. Also, not that THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE is Walt Disney's version of THE CHASE OF THE GENERAL. I'll admit, Buster Keyton wasn't Fess Parker.

[Anonymous]

Aha! The Monthly Question again. And again....and again...and again.

[Pruitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainluver1


No, I don't believe there has ever been a movie with actors and a plot that focuses just on the train itself.

Yes, there has been:

"The Train" with Burt Lancaster.

Outstanding film about a German Officer's attempts to remove priceless artwork from France near the end of WWII. Based on a true story, if I'm not mistaken.