I remember watching a movie in the 1970s about a runaway train. (Note: These recollections are those of a very young boy nearly 40 years ago). The locomotives were blue & yellow Santa Fe units, and I remember they supposedly had a new super powerful locomotive that they used to chase down the runaway train, couple to it, & slow it to a stop, The super locomotive was a silver Alco 430 type with red trim. I do not remember who was in it, what exact year it was, or whether it was a made for TV movie or one released in theatres. Does anyone know the name of this film?
I see no clear reason why I should grow up...
You should be able to figure it out at "IMDB". I remember the movie. It might have been called "Runaway".
http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=runaway+train
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Was it the ski train movie?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070615/
Probably. The "new locomotive" was a GP-30. The train was in Colorado, and I think it was a fictitious road name. The Geep was painted gold, of all things, but it was kinda funny.... Supposedly, the brake lines froze up....
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Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
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"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
funny how the guys who write this crap have no knowledge of railroading and never even seek out technical advice before they start making the movies. even the documentaries on tv are full of technical errors. i guess it doesn't bother the general public. i try not to let it bother me.
grizlump
The movie you are referring to is Runaway, made for TV in 1973. It starred Ben Johnson and Ben Murphy.
The plot was supposed to be in the winter Sierras but IMDB lists its filming location as Denver. The railroad was called Sierra Pacific and the locomotives were thinly-disquised Rio Grande units; the "chase" locomotive was indeed a GP30.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
R. T. POTEET The movie you are referring to is Runaway, made for TV in 1973. It starred Ben Johnson and Ben Murphy. The plot was supposed to be in the winter Sierras but IMDB lists its filming location as Denver. The railroad was called Sierra Pacific and the locomotives were thinly-disquised Rio Grande units; the "chase" locomotive was indeed a GP30.
And should not be confused with the theatre movie Runaway Train, which is a relatively good action film starring John Voight and Rebecca DeMornay.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
grizlump9 funny how the guys who write this crap have no knowledge of railroading and never even seek out technical advice before they start making the movies. even the documentaries on tv are full of technical errors. i guess it doesn't bother the general public. i try not to let it bother me. grizlump
Sounds like you didn't try hard enough.
Ray
griz,I agree and one of the worst is-and I love this movie-Emperor of The North..
I just overlook Hollywood because its the effect of the "exciting" action scenes they're after..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
It doesn;t even have to be a movie where the train plays any role. Anyone ever seen Ray? And notice the huge glaring (to anyone who knows a little about trains) error?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thank to all-found it & purchased on Sell.com on VHS for $12-just curious to see it again. As I said before, my memories on this are hazy; I'm curious to see it now.
BRAKIE grizlump9 funny how the guys who write this crap have no knowledge of railroading and never even seek out technical advice before they start making the movies. even the documentaries on tv are full of technical errors. i guess it doesn't bother the general public. i try not to let it bother me. grizlump griz,I agree and one of the worst is-and I love this movie-Emperor of The North.. I just overlook Hollywood because its the effect of the "exciting" action scenes they're after..
Today has been very educational hasn't it?
Now if this posting has been such an exercise in the proliferation of "crap" as you refer to it then why have you just taken the time to reading it?
brakie, since you didn't resort to name calling, i will answer your question.
in the documentary i was referring to, the engineer was trying to describe dynamic braking and it was evident that he didn't really know how the system worked. i have forgotten the details.
the movie about the runaway had a railroad engine service employee in it., i think it was a lady, anyway nobody ever gave a thought to shutting off the fuel, isolating the units, or tripping the ground relays. i could understand if it had been someone other that an employee character.
grizlump (turkey)
rrinker It doesn;t even have to be a movie where the train plays any role.
GG1 guy Thank to all-found it & purchased on Sell.com on VHS for $12-just curious to see it again. As I said before, my memories on this are hazy; I'm curious to see it now.
VHS??
Hollywood gets a lot of things wrong. No wonder train movies are high on that casualty list.One of the best and most accurate was the The Train. (IMHO)
grizlump9 brakie, since you didn't resort to name calling, i will answer your question. in the documentary i was referring to, the engineer was trying to describe dynamic braking and it was evident that he didn't really know how the system worked. i have forgotten the details. the movie about the runaway had a railroad engine service employee in it., i think it was a lady, anyway nobody ever gave a thought to shutting off the fuel, isolating the units, or tripping the ground relays. i could understand if it had been someone other that an employee character. grizlump (turkey)
If you are talking about Runaway Train (I finally found it on DVD a while back), Sara (the railroad employee in question) specifically mentions that she has really limited knowledge of the locomotives and railroading in general. Manny and Buck were such a mess, I don't think they could have found their behinds with both hands, much less figure out how to disable a locomotive consist as a whole, although they were all able to figure something out towards the end. If anybody were able to figure something out in the beginning, it would not have made for much of a picture at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kCRdypvDkk&feature=related
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
i can't remember the name of it. (turkeys forget a lot of stuff) but i got a laugh of one set in New York City where an ATSF locomotive was switching cars under an overpass.
Runaway Train has been in our Netflix queue, my wife added a while back for some reason and I should have next weekend at the rate we go through DVD
loatharHollywood gets a lot of things wrong. No wonder train movies are high on that casualty list.One of the best and most accurate was the The Train. (IMHO)
Of course the issue with that movie is since it is set in France in World War 2, if there were glaring technical errors darn few of us are going to recognize them!
rrebell BRAKIE grizlump9 funny how the guys who write this crap have no knowledge of railroading and never even seek out technical advice before they start making the movies. even the documentaries on tv are full of technical errors. i guess it doesn't bother the general public. i try not to let it bother me. grizlump griz,I agree and one of the worst is-and I love this movie-Emperor of The North.. I just overlook Hollywood because its the effect of the "exciting" action scenes they're after.. To which errors are you referring?
Question is where to start?
Let's look at that exciting scene between the 19 and a passenger train..A lot of whistle blowing from both trains as they rushed toward each other-
CUT!!!
Reality time:
Shacks train would have never departed the yard since he had what 15 minutes to get to the junction? Why? He would need a dispatcher permission to leave the yard and there would have been time table rules governing a inferior train meeting with a superior train as far as time needed to be in the clear..Also the passenger engineer would not simply keep blowing his whistle..He would have slowed down to about 15 mph after hearing 19's whistle and would have dump the air seeing the 19 wasn't in the clear and who threw the switch????
A#1 uncoupling the engine from the train..You need slack to uncouple cars.
The 19 screeching to a halt when A#1 pushed the air retainer valve with his foot and drain the air causing the train to go into emergency...Never happen without a major derailment-the train would have slowed to a stop from the momentum.
There are other mistakes as well-such as that 'Bo riding between the cars while munching on a sandwich at the beginning of the movie..
There are several other "oops!" in the movie as well such as spinning the drivers-a big no no.
Still its a good railroad movie..