Great Train Movies

[mersenne6]

Took me awhile to find it, but here's the article I was referencing - I remembered the date of transfer instead of the scrap date (1909) and, I must admit, the article doesn't specifically say it was cut up but since it was an update to a history of the engine I find it odd that the writer didn't mention the Ford connection. As you said, it could have been parts and pieces. As for actual Chinese railroaders working in the film I wouldn't find that too hard to believe. In his book Nothing Like it in the World Ambrose notes, "A Liberty Loan was sponsored by the government to raise money to fight the war (in 1917). A group of about twenty San Francisco Chinese, who were the last of the original crew that helped build the CP, enrolled and purchased the bonds."
pp. 165

Jupiter's Fate

" The original Jupiter is of special interest to railroad fans and historians in east-central Arizona, and here is the rest of the story.

After its day of glory on May 10, 1869, Jupiter returned to the rails of the Central Pacific and worked there for the next 25 years. In 1894, Jupiter was acquired by the Gila Valley, Globe & Northern Railroad which wat then under construction between Bowie and Globe, Arizona. Jupiter became No. 1 on this road.

GVG&N No. 1 provided the motive power for the railroad's construction train until the line was completed in November 1898. It then went into service hauling both freight and passenger trains on the 140 mile line.

In 1902, the locomotive was sold to the Arizona&Colorado Railroad. It was No. 1 on that line until 1907 when it was renumbered 90. Two years later the former Jupiter was retired and, without ceremony, relegated to the scrap yard. Unfortunately there were no railroad preservationist around to save the historic locomotive.

- Wilbur Haak - Globe, Arizona

-From a letter to the editor commenting on L&RP's article on Promontory
January-February 1995 L&RP

[Anonymous]

Has anyone mentioned "Dumbo". It has a long circus train scene that Ward Kimball animated.

Buster Keatons "General" is great.

I kind of remember a sci-fi show in the 70's called "Supertrain" about people on a bullet train. I think it was on NBC. It didn't last long. I dont remember watching it. I am sure it was bad. But I have an old Model Railroader that listed the model for sale when the show was cancelled. I really liked the model. It was offered with 200 feet of track. It looked very wide gauged and streamlined in that boxy late 70's way like the TGV.

Does any one know what happened to that model. I would love to know.

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "Holiday Affair" from 1949 starring Robert Mitchum & Janet Leight. It's the one movie that highlights both Lionel toy trains (a made-over Sante Fe F3 set called "The Red Rocket") and Christmas! If you haven't seen it, watch for it on TV this holiday season or watch for the video on Ebay.

Cheers,
-iSpy

[TonyGG1]

All of the movies listed so far by other members are very good, especially The Train and Von Ryan's Express. I must cast a vote for two more: "Disaster on The Coastliner" which was a made-for-TV movie starring William Shatner about a deranged railroad employee (not Shatner) who has two trains on the same track heading towards each other and one of my personal favorites: "Runaway Train" with Jon Voight and Eric Roberts (Julia's brother) as escaped prisoners on a wide-open throttle runaway. Great movie.

Tony Sincius

[laz 57]

Another good movie that has a fantastic scene of a General hauling anthracite coal, then getting sabotaged is called The Molly Maguires. A movie from 1968-69 about the struggles of miners in the late 1800s. It was filmed near my home town of Hazleton, Pa, in a small mining town that is called Eckley. My father helped build the breaker there for the movie. It stared, Sean Connery, Richard Harris, and Samantha Egger.
Laz 57

[Anonymous]

"Old 2037, are you saying that John Ford managed to get some kind of historical footage of Jupiter and #119"

Nope, I'm saying that one of the sources I've read about the making of the film claimed that they were the originals. That was only one, movie oriented (not really train oriented) source. If you have a serious railroad history that claims that Jupiter was scrapped in '07 (and that that could be confirmed) then I would tend to believe the railroad documents. Does it state that Jupiter was permanently scrapped beyond reclamation? Or simply taken out of service and parked on the rust line, or partially cannibalized. Perhaps parts of it were used... It's Hollywood, man. Someone probably dug up the original bell and they built a working copy around it... The thing is, they pulled out all the stops to get it right.

One thing is claimed by multiple sources - that some of the elderly Chinese railroad workers in "The Iron Horse," worked on the real deal some 55 years before the movie was made. I believe it - one guy looks 80, easy.

In any case, John Ford went to great lengths to make it as realistic as he could - and it's a great movie. If you have the slightest interest in this sort of thing it's a must-see. It's on the Western channel regularly. Why don't you check it out against your sources and let us know what you think?

Regards,

[Anonymous]

My favorite train movie is Emperor of the North with Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. This movie is completely involved with trains and their operation. Virtually every shot in the movie is of a train, yard or area just off the tracks. Also, there are so many fantastic shots of a steam train in action that it puts some of the railran videos to shame. The Train with Burt Lancaster is also very good. My favorite recent train movie is The Station Agent.

[Anonymous]

Hey Ya'll

I have seensome good ones. In "The Christas Story", Ralphieis looking in the window display. There were 3 loops of Lionel T-Rail track, with 2 postwar freight sets and a prewar streamlined "Hiawatha" with coach headcar and observation without the third coach.


Nick

[Anonymous]

There is a note flashed on the screen stating that the real Jupiter and 119 were used for the film. I also have a copy of C. B. DeMill's Union Pacific shot in the late 1930s on the Virginia & Truckee. The romance story superimposed on the building of the railroad was a little gamey, but the shots of that old wooden original V&T equipment makes me sweat. There is one scene that probanly would cause some raised eyebrows among the "politically correct" crowd. The two heros and the heroine are trapped in a derailed passenger car and are holding off the marauding Indians and run out of ammunition. They have one shot left so they decide to save the heroine from a fate worse than death at the hands of the Indians. The hero aims his gun point blank at her temple. she hunches up her shoulders, closes her eyes and scrunches up her face as she waits for that last bullet to save her honor when the cavalry comes charging onto the scene with their guns blazing..........O00-00h! the excitement.
I do have another favorite, one that my dad took me to see when I was about ten years old, The Denver & Rio Grande, a dramatization of the real life "Canyon Wars" between crews of the D&RG and the Santa Fe. There were just miles of footage of those gorgeous little narrow gauge C16 2-8-0s. The name of the Santa Fe was changed to Canyon City & San Juan. This was a pretty good movie too. Odd-d

[mersenne6]

Old 2037, are you saying that John Ford managed to get some kind of historical footage of Jupiter and #119 and weave it into his 1924 film? The reason I'm asking is because the original Jupiter was cut up for scrap in 1907...I don't know the details for the scrapping of #119.

[Blueberryhill RR]

I saw a movie years ago and can't remember the name. Ben Johnson was the engineer, of a diesel powered passenger train that ran away in a snowy scene and he was caught by a friend and another diesel, which coupled onto the last car. They stopped in time. Anyone have any idea?

[spankybird]

We watched Garfield the Movie yesterday with our nieces. In it, Garfield’s owner had a great tin plate tube track layout. It even had a couple quick shots of the trains running.

[webenda]

"Switch Back", Paramount Pictures, 1997

Dreadful movie with lots of train action.
Danny Glover plays good ol' Bob Goodall,
a railroad emplyee who operates the flanger.

Wayne

[Back2Trains]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dontrainman

The train wreck in "The Greatest Show" was a model, possibly an American Flyer.

It sure looked real to an 8 year old back then!
Haven't seen the movie in years.
Jim

[Anonymous]

The train wreck in "The Greatest Show" was a model, possibly an American Flyer.

[Back2Trains]

How about the circus train wreck in The Greatest Show On Earth?

A personal favorite is Pacific 231, a 10 minute 1948 French art film by Jean Mitry. This film is set to a short symphonic piece of the same title by Arthur Honegger in 1931. Great shots of European steam in action.

Jim

[Anonymous]

Last night I indicated my interest in the movie "The Great Locomotive Chase."

After I logged off, I did a search and came up with: www.amazon.com

Duh! Ordered it and it is on its way. Suggest the same for you if there a specific movie you want without browsing through stores and not finding it.

[Anonymous]

Speaking of alan hale. Alan hale jr. was casey,the engineer in a weekly t.v show in the 60's. It was called "Casey Jones" and feature the famous "cannonball express" It featured about the same scenes each week,the regurlar run bys and all. nothing spectacular about the plots,but it was fun. there was at least one scene each week of him slaming on the cannonball's breaks with the wheels starting to spin in reverse. anybody know if this is on tape anywhere?

[Anonymous]

Three words: "The Iron Horse"

Directed by the great John Ford in 1924 - and reputed to be his personal favorite of his movies. (This from the man who directed Stagecoach and The Searchers.) It's about how the west was really won - with railroads - the transcontinental railroad, specifically.

In addition to 10,000 cattle and 1600 buffalo, you can see someting in this movie that you can't see in Promentory, UT - the real Jupiter and 116 locomotives, and some of the men who actually built the TCRR, renacting the construction. It's incredible. Formally dedicated to railroad pioneer George Stephenson, his attention to detail and realism in railroad construction is amazing. Action, romance, comedy, patriotism - it has it all.

Greatest ever railroad movie (as opposed to a "train" movie), IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Hey Elliot, [ big boy 4005 ] I can help you see the entire 'It happened to Jane' Please email me

[e-mail]

I have several favorite train movies, already mentioned above.....Gotta find 'Danger Lights' ...have not seen that one. Jennifer

[Anonymous]

A movie never mentioned, but has some great train action is "Flame Over India". It is about a journey of passengers on a tea kettle steamer through rebel territory in Colonial India. It was made about 1960 and starred Sir Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall. As the movie progressed, the train began to have a personality like a lot of steam engines. I doubt that it is on DVD, but it might be at a video store. I saw it first when I was stationed over in Germany and the GI's really liked the action.

[Anonymous]

I thought of the 1990's movie "The Fugitive" with Harrison Ford for some reason. It is not really a train movie but there is a great wreak scene that was filmed with real trains and effect actors on the Great Smokey RR in NC. It is probably the last movie to really do something like this.

Now that I am thinking of Harrison Ford movies the last Indiana Jones movie had a great circus RR chase filmed on the Cumbes and Toltec. The young Indiana Jones was played by River Phoenix. RMC ran an article on it and plans for a model I remember.

The 1960's film of Ray Bradbury's "Farenheit 451" has great scenes with a test prototype monorail in France.

Otherwise I think I have to second the very early vote for Charles and Ray Eames' Toccatta for Toy Trains.

[Anonymous]

The Frank Sinatra movie was "Von Ryan's Express."

It suddenly dawned on me of a movie I haven't seen in 10+ years called "The Great Locomotive Chase." As I recalled it was released by Walt Disney in the 1950's and starred Fess Parker and Jeff Chandler(?).

It depicted a Civil War chase between the General(?) and Texas(?) locomotives which depicts Fess as a Northerner out to destroy a southern RR and Jeff out to stop him. The Northerners, as I recall, were among the first to get a Medal of Honor from the U.S.

Has anyone seen this recently on DVD or TV? It appears to have disappeared from view.

[Anonymous]

There is a good ww2 movie with frank sanatra in it but can remember the name. lots of great mountain railway.

[pbjwilson]

Not really a train movie but has some nice shots of trains - "Bound for Glory" - David Carridine plays Woody Guthrie. Great depression era scenes and migration west.
I think it won an Oscar for best cinematography. If you need ideas for a depression era layout rent this movie.

[lionelsoni]

Here's a still from your movie, Marc, showing the trains: http://www.reelclassics.com/Teams/Flynn-deHav/efodh4.htm

[FJ and G]

I just wrote a movie containing two Civil War train scenes and two Lionel scenes. It is a coming of age action adventure film, where a boy of 16 overcomes his demons of fear. I'm polishing it up now.

I'm in the process of novelizing the screenplay. The novelization has enabled me to look at the characters from a more introspective viewpoint and has helped enrich the screenplay.

I copyrighted the screenplay with Library of Congress and hope to have the novel done by next month and both out to agents at beginning of the year.

If any writers or professionals interested, shoot me an email.

[jmpmap]

Probably one of the best train movies I have ever seen was a movie called "Fours a Crowd". It was made in the 30's and starred Errol Flynn. In the movie was a gentleman who had a garden railroad with Lionel Trains. The layout featured Hudsons and great pictures. If anyone has access to a copy, I would like to know where you purchased it.
I have not been able to find it anywhere, but saw it probably 20 years ago on one of the movie channels.

[railfanespee4449]

Not exactly a movie but "A century of Lionel trains"

[Anonymous]

and he notes -

I think what makes a train movie great isn't just trains running at breakneck speeds or crashing through buildings but the use of the train or terminal as a prop around a good story.

Union Depot is a good example. It was made in 1932 and starred Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Joan Blondell, Alan Hale and Guy Kibbee. It takes place in and around a big city railroad station. The plot is simple but the effects of what goes on in an everyday environment is fascinationg. Throughout the film, a train caller's booming voice announces departures. There are vignettes of people coming and going, buying magazines, a panhandler, a couple of hookers and so on, all weaved into the story.

There is a great chase scene through the freight yard with Fairbanks and Alan Hale with locomotives but the whole effect is what I would say makes this a great movie.

Another no one has mentioned is The Silver Streak, the 1934 version that is. It stars Charles Starrett and Sally Blane (with a young Arthur Lake) but the real star is the Pioneer Zephyr masquerading as the "Silver Streak". The story centers around a young mechanical engineer's (Starrett) idea for a high speed train which is rejected by the railroad's stodgy President and he quits in disgust. But the Preident's daughter (Blane) takes his idea to a locomotive builder and he puts the engineer to work.

The result is the "Silver Streak". We see it being built and than a test run (which fails, of course) and then is involved in a high speed run to Boulder Dam with iron lungs , one of which will save the life of the President's son who has contracted Infantile Paralysis.

There is plenty of footage taken on an actual Zephyr run and some staged shots that are slightly unbelievable, but one must remember that this was a low budget movie.

Like Union Depot, the "Streak" is a film you want to watch more than once to see all the goings on beside the railroad activity. Both are available on DVD and are listed on eBay.