What are your favorite Hollywood movies about railroading?
I really like the movie, "RAILS AND TIES", starring Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden.
Another fun movie, although incredibly unrealistic, is, "END OF THE LINE", starring Kevin Bacon and Wilford Brimley.
Of course, there's the classic Walt Disney movie, "THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE", starring Fess Parker, which is a true story.
Then there's the Second World War movie, "VON RYAN'S EXPRESS", and the classic whodunnit, "MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS".
The movie, "DR. ZHIVAGO", starring Omar Sharif, features a freezing winter's ride in Russian boxcars, plus views of a Russian armored military train.
I know that there's plenty more movies that I've forgotten about, so YOUR comments and critiques will be appreciated.
A movie from the thirties called "Danger Lights" that is set on the Milwaukee Road is my favorite. It gives a look at railroad life from back then.
I am certainly fond of DANGER LIGHTS. It was mostly/all shot on location, I think. The plot is total B movie. Which is OK, really. But the "sets" are just great.
I was gonna vote for EMPEROR OF THE NORTH POLE. It's a better movie, acting and story-wise. And it was also shot on location, up on the OP&E in Oregon. Apparently, THE GENERAL was also shot there.
The only technical flaw I noticed when I saw the movie was a boxcar, in the background, with the big SP&S initials on the side--1960's in a 1930's movie. But, really, they did a darn good job, I think.
Ed
Who can forget Hitchcock's "North by Northwest".
Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder in "Silver Streak".
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
In my opinon, Buster Keaton did it best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E7wVDGMt5k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epfOOodUzHI
7j43k I was gonna vote for EMPEROR OF THE NORTH POLE. It's a better movie, acting and story-wise. The only technical flaw I noticed when I saw the movie was a boxcar, in the background, with the big SP&S initials on the side--1960's in a 1930's movie. But, really, they did a darn good job, I think. Ed
I was gonna vote for EMPEROR OF THE NORTH POLE. It's a better movie, acting and story-wise.
Ed, I agree that the railroad photography is outstanding BUT there were at least two depictions that were to my mind beyond the pale of what even a crazy conductor would do.
The first was messing with the safety appliances. Trainmen's lives depended on them being intact.
The second, and most egregious, was the sequence about getting out of the yard very quickly AND in the face of a superior train, and in the resulting near miss at the next siding to the north (railroad east on the SP). The very quick departure is doable only if there is a switch tender, which the SP called 'herders'. If crew had to throw their own switches, they had to pull up to main track switch slowly for head man to open it, and stop, or nearly so, for rear man to close it behind the train.
If there was a herder on duty, he would not open switch for the local freight in the face of an oncoming superior train on close time. If signaled main track, as the SP main through Oregon was at the time, the five minute rule may or may not have been in effect. That rule requires a five minute wait by the train entering the main before fouling the main track so that any train on the main had a chance to see an other than clear signal and thus avoid collision.
The near collision with the opposing mail/passenger (can not remember which it was said to be) at the siding has several problems. First, the rules required the freight to be in the clear five minutes before the opposing superior train was due. Absent block signals, running against the other quy's time was a form of russian roulette, and even if the crazy conductor said go, no competent hoghead would risk his life and several others' lives. The requirement to clear a superior train goes back to the earliest days of timetable operations and even the greenest brakeman and fireman knows the rule and the absolute necessity of heeding it to get home alive.
If line is signaled, then the first class train would have yellow block at north end of the siding and red at south end. No awake engineer on the superior train is going to fly by that red block signal, especially since he can see the other guy is pulling in, and would assume is still foul at the south switch.
The rear brakeman in this scenario, instead of cringing on the rear platform of the caboose would have been at the south switch to line it back expect that he broke his neck unloading at 25 MPH.
The movie producers ingnored the need to line the switch back, but in real life the engineer of the superior train would have seen the switch lined for the siding as they ran through it at high speed. This would not likely derail their train but the run through switch would require the attention of the section gang before any other train moved over it. The engineer and conductor would have made sure a wire report of the incident was made at the next open station.
I would probably give them the safely appliance traps as artistic liscense, but the entire get out of the yard quickly and running against the superior train's time sequence includes several major technical violations of railroad practice of the place and time.
Mac
One of my all-time favorite railroad movies came out less than a year ago; it's called "Unstoppable", based on a true story, and stars Denzel Washington. This movie keeps you glued to your seat; truly thrilling. Goldspike 1
PNWRMNM 7j43k I was gonna vote for EMPEROR OF THE NORTH POLE. It's a better movie, acting and story-wise. The only technical flaw I noticed when I saw the movie was a boxcar, in the background, with the big SP&S initials on the side--1960's in a 1930's movie. But, really, they did a darn good job, I think. Ed Ed, I agree that the railroad photography is outstanding BUT there were at least two depictions that were to my mind beyond the pale of what even a crazy conductor would do. The first was messing with the safety appliances. Trainmen's lives depended on them being intact. The second, and most egregious, was the sequence about getting out of the yard very quickly AND in the face of a superior train, and in the resulting near miss at the next siding to the north (railroad east on the SP). The very quick departure is doable only if there is a switch tender, which the SP called 'herders'. If crew had to throw their own switches, they had to pull up to main track switch slowly for head man to open it, and stop, or nearly so, for rear man to close it behind the train. If there was a herder on duty, he would not open switch for the local freight in the face of an oncoming superior train on close time. If signaled main track, as the SP main through Oregon was at the time, the five minute rule may or may not have been in effect. That rule requires a five minute wait by the train entering the main before fouling the main track so that any train on the main had a chance to see an other than clear signal and thus avoid collision. The near collision with the opposing mail/passenger (can not remember which it was said to be) at the siding has several problems. First, the rules required the freight to be in the clear five minutes before the opposing superior train was due. Absent block signals, running against the other quy's time was a form of russian roulette, and even if the crazy conductor said go, no competent hoghead would risk his life and several others' lives. The requirement to clear a superior train goes back to the earliest days of timetable operations and even the greenest brakeman and fireman knows the rule and the absolute necessity of heeding it to get home alive. If line is signaled, then the first class train would have yellow block at north end of the siding and red at south end. No awake engineer on the superior train is going to fly by that red block signal, especially since he can see the other guy is pulling in, and would assume is still foul at the south switch. The rear brakeman in this scenario, instead of cringing on the rear platform of the caboose would have been at the south switch to line it back expect that he broke his neck unloading at 25 MPH. The movie producers ingnored the need to line the switch back, but in real life the engineer of the superior train would have seen the switch lined for the siding as they ran through it at high speed. This would not likely derail their train but the run through switch would require the attention of the section gang before any other train moved over it. The engineer and conductor would have made sure a wire report of the incident was made at the next open station. I would probably give them the safely appliance traps as artistic liscense, but the entire get out of the yard quickly and running against the superior train's time sequence includes several major technical violations of railroad practice of the place and time. Mac
I always figured it was a spring switch as close as the trains were when the caboose cleared.
I remember one time my father saying what he saw as unrealistic. The part where they are searching cars for the hobos and they both opened a box car's door across from each other at the same time. He said he never saw a box car door open that easily. His experience was that it usually required some effort and a little "verbal" encouragement.
Jeff
Railroad Operating Rules and Movie Making present a real oxymoron. When rules are complied with there is no dramatic story to be put on film - it is only when you defy the rules that drama gets created.
The purpose of Operating Rules is to take ALL the Drama out of railroad operations. Safety doesn't create drama.
There's one no-one's mentioned yet, so I will...
"The Train," starring Burt Lancaster and Paul Schofield. Great story, Paul Schofield as a greedy, psychotic German army colonel trying to steal paintings by the greatest of French artists, and Burt Lancaster as a French railroad man and Underground leader trying to stop him. Super railroad action, to say nothing of war movie action, and the great finish...
Burt Lancaster standing amid the bodies of massacred hostages and the stacks of crated artworks with the look on his face, " Just to save some paintings, was all this all worth it?"
How do you answer that question?
Great movie!
I'm with Firelock on this one. Those are real locomotives being wrecked. Another nice touch are the aircraft used in the picture (A-26s and a Spitfire) Notice that they have the correct D-Day stripes on the wings and fuselages which would be right for the time the movie was set. And "The General" is awesome!
Another good one was Runaway Train with Jon Voight in 1985. Filmed in Alaska.
jeffhergert I remember one time my father saying what he saw as unrealistic. The part where they are searching cars for the hobos and they both opened a box car's door across from each other at the same time. He said he never saw a box car door open that easily. His experience was that it usually required some effort and a little "verbal" encouragement. Jeff
MidlandMike Another good one was Runaway Train with Jon Voight in 1985. Filmed in Alaska.
But it is a good movie.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Thank goodness for the Lackawanna Railroad, or Edwin S. Porter may have been out of luck!
There's a story that the people you see getting off the train during the robbery were all Edison employees. The day of the filming Edison went into the company office and said "No work today everybody, we're gonna make a movie!" Possibly Edison himself may be in the crowd, but who knows, I can't spot him.
A bit out of sequence, but fun to watch anyway! Thanks Wanswheel!
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/102106316002738635441/album/AF1QipPMu0_jix03ClfgIPJkdj-__QM6FIYSmzz2GE4/AF1QipPcemBBlaHpVhVZtlcUe_Og_MAgUC8_3sg44YY?source=pwa#5584723110168409298
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19670807&id=32UmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bP8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=913,2087827
"Emperor of the North Pole" is my favorite, but I also enjoyed "Under Siege: Dark Territory" as well. Who says that movies must be factually accurate to be entertaining?
"Atomic Train" was amusing as well, using HO scale cars as props.
there's also "The Cassandra Crossing" which captures the flavour of European train travel in the 1970s except for the outbreak of plague aboard. The story is nonsense and the wreck scene is obvously a bunch of Marklin trains going off a bridge. But any pictue with Burt Lancaster is worth watching.
The trains sequences in "Broken Arrow" were entertaining, as well.
Wow! It's Phoebe Snow! And her fiancee'! And then the minister who married them!
All "Clean and bright and snowy white upon the Road of Anthracite!"
Anyone notice how spotless the locomotive and cars were?
overall A movie from the thirties called "Danger Lights" that is set on the Milwaukee Road is my favorite. It gives a look at railroad life from back then.
Since I was involved in Freight Claims during my Railroad Career, there's one I have to add - Paradise Express. Only movie I found with a Freight Claim Agent as a Main Character.
Convicted One"Atomic Train" was amusing as well, using HO scale cars as props.
I think that movie had a real locomotive in it, too - an ALCO. It later saw service in northern and central NY, and has probably been to Scranton as well. I'm not sure where it is right now, but it's still in service.
I don`t know if they have already been mentioned but I always liked Von Ryan`s Express with Frank Sinatra and The Train with Burt Lancaster. You can put Tough Guys in there as well, since it has the Daylight, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Doyle McCormack!
I notice that in Hollywood movies featuring railroad trains, it seems as if, when walking along the tracks, someone is almost always getting their foot caught in the rails, and then either getting killed by an oncoming train, or losing their foot after being hit by a passing locomotive.
Does this happen in real life?
Is it a rare event?
Is this something that used to be a problem many years ago, but no longer happens now?
nycstlrr I don`t know if they have already been mentioned but I always liked Von Ryan`s Express with Frank Sinatra and The Train with Burt Lancaster. You can put Tough Guys in there as well, since it has the Daylight, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Doyle McCormack!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-aqCkhzbE
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
I'd pick the 1956 movie, "The Great Locomotive Chase" for a variety of reasons:
The first Congressional medal of Honor was awared to an Army Private, Jacob Parrott of the 33rd Ohio, He was part of the group that later became known as the 'Andrews Raiders'. Their mission was to interdict traffic on the Western and Atlantic RR...He was captured and severely tortured; he was awared the medal in Washington by then Secy.of the Army, Edwin Stanton.
I was able to see "The General" in the basement of the Station in Chattanooga. Later after it was repatriated by the L&N RR and campaigned throughout the Country; I was able to ride behind it as part of the reward for helping as one of the docents in the 665 ( a Jim Crow Combine, with historical displays), that was in Memphis, during the Memphis Cotton Carnival in Spring of 1963.
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