Train Movies

[AztecEagle]

Trains Magazine has a book out about the Greatest Train Movies.

Now there are the Usual Suspects like Bad Day at Black Rock;North by Northwest;Silver Streak;Fried Green Tomatoes;The Train and The General,among others.

Anyway,not counting the above mentioned movies,what are your favorite train movies?
Here's mine:
BOLT.Disney/Pixar,2008.Voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus.Very good sequence where Bolt and Mittens the Cat jump on a moving freight train from a bridge.Animated freight is pullled by a pair of CSX AC4400's.

Beverly Hills Chihuhua.Disney,2008.Some great scenes of a Ferromex Mixto.

The Proffessionals.Columbia,1966.

Last Train From Gun Hill.Paramount,1959.Good scenes of Kirk Douglas riding the Sierra RR to the above named town.

High Noon.United Artists,1952.More great scenes of the Sierra RR.

The Long Riders.MGM/UA,1980.The Real Life Carradine;Keach and Guest Brothers play the real life James and Younger Brothers.Great Scenes of the Sierra RR and Texas State RR.

Streets of Laredo.1995 Official Sequel to"Lonesome Dove"with James Garner as Captain Woodrow Call.Great Scenes of Texas State RR Equipment on the South Orient(Now Texas Pacifico)between Marfa and Presidio.

Anyway,that's just a few of my favorites.What are some of yours?

 

 

[CNJ831]

If one goes by the amount of extraordinary vintage railroad footage shown, then 1930's Danger Lights has to be the greatest such epic ever filmed. Who here has seen a tug-o-war between two massive road engines? There's one at the company picnic in this film!

CNJ831

[j610]

emperor of the north                         RON

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 The Silver Streak (1934)

[wholeman]

The Silver Streak (1976)

Emporer of the North (1973)

Narrow Margin (1990)

Under Siege 2 (1994)

 

[twhite]

AztecEagle: 

I just got the book at my LHS and it's an enormously fun read, and I really like the reviews by John Farr and the commentaries by the TRAINS staff. 

I think in a lot of cases, the films offered are more on the 'Trains as a Dramatic Device' rather than films actually ABOUT trains, though there are a great many of them included, such as THE TRAIN, THE IRON HORSE, BREAKHEART PASS, UNION PACIFIC, DANGER LIGHTS, THE GENERAL and THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE--all terrific films with a railroad theme.   And I'm very glad he included three of the great 'forties comedies by Preston Sturges (LADY EVE, PALM BEACH STORY, SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS) which feature uproariously funny sequences on trains.  And I'm glad he included several of the Alfred Hitchock suspensers, such as NORTH BY NORTHWEST, THE LADY VANISHES and STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, in which Hitch uses trains as suspenseful dramatic devices. 

I would have included some other films that are concerned about trains, such as DENVER AND RIO GRANDE, and the terrific comedy-westerns A TICKET TO TOMAHAWK and THE GOOD GUYS AND THE BAD GUYS, all of them filmed on either the Cumbres and Toltec or Silverton branch ex-Rio Grande narrow gauge lines.  Another one would be James Stewart's fine NIGHT PASSAGE, a superior western with some excellent railroading sequences (and a stunning train robbery). 

I'm glad they included Richard Brooks' wonderful THE PROFESSIONALS, but I wouldn't have minded them including Sam Peckinpah's still-controversial THE WILD BUNCH, whose central section is taken up with a smashing good train robbery.   And John Wayne's THE TRAIN ROBBERS has some very exciting railroad sequences at the beginning and end of the film, plus a nifty shootout midway through the film staged on an abandoned and wrecked narrow-gauge train way out in the desert. 

And I'd certainly include a terrific--and brutal--actioner from 1969 called DARK OF THE SUN with Rod Taylor, about mercenaries in Africa during the Congo uprising, using a train to go behind rebel lines and rescue foreign nationals and diamonds.  A controversial film--it had to be filmed in Jamaica--but there are remarkable shots of the 'rescue' train in some beautiful, rugged country pulled by a really beautiful Baldwin 4-8-0.     

But of all the films reviewed in the book, I'm very glad that they include Rene Clair's LA BATTAILE DU RAIL, an exceptional French film made during the last days of WWII about the French Maquis efforts to sabotage German rail movements to the Normandy Front.  It's simply one of the finest 'railroad' films I've ever seen.  Definitely the equal of the similarly themed THE TRAIN and equally as suspenseful.  It also contains the most spectacular (actual) train wreck I've ever seen on film--it seems to go on FOREVER. 

I like the book.  Hopefully, TRAINS might come up with a sequel.  There's a lot of great 'train' films out there that didn't make the cut, and they should. 

Tom  

[AztecEagle]

It was a good one.

A Few More:A Leauge Of Their Own.Great scenes of C&S E5A and the Nebraska Zephyr at the Illinois RR Museum.

O Brother Where Art Thou?.Great scene at the beginning of the movie where George clooney tries unsuccessfully to hop a freight.

Rough Riders.1997 Mini Series about the Spanish American War.Great scenes of the Texas State RR.

Public Enemies.2008,Universal.Great scenes of Milwaukee Road 4-8-4*(*The number escapes me right now)and restored Hiawatha Equipment in KC Union Station.

Bronco Billy.1980,Warner Brothers.Great scene of Clint Eastwood and his motley crew tryting to rob a UP Excursion Special.

Two Mules For Sister Sara.Universal,1970.Scene where Clint and Shirley McLaine destroy a bridge causing an NdeM Freight to crash.

Firewalker.1985,MGM/UA.Decent little Chuck Norris potboiler with Chuck and Lou Gossett as a couple of adventurers looking for buried treasure in the Mexican Jungles.Pretty good of a NdeM Mixto powered by a GE U30 and EMD G12.

[SteamFreak]

CNJ831

If one goes by the amount of extraordinary vintage railroad footage shown, then 1930's Danger Lights has to be the greatest such epic ever filmed. Who here has seen a tug-o-war between two massive road engines? There's one at the company picnic in this film!

CNJ831

 Agreed, CNJ. The story is pretty laughable, but the railroad footage is drool-worthy.

[CP5415]

What about "Tough Guys" starring 4449?

How many other movies do you know about where the engineer, Doyle McCormack has a line in it?

 Gordon

[mobilman44]

Hi!

I have the Kalmbach "100 Greatest Train Movies" mag and found it exceptionally interesting.  While I didn't necessarily agree with their placement of certain films, it does give some good and unusual information.  While we have seen "North by Northwest" many years ago, this mag prompted me to pick up the newer DVD and I have to say, it is terrific.

I'm not particularly a fan of "foreign railroads", and a good portion of the films are based overseas.  That being said, the films taking place during WWII are quite good (I've seen a few of them).

My wife and I tend to watch a lot of the older movies - many that I would have ignored not that long ago.  What we have noticed is that so many of them seem to have a "train" scene in them.  Of course that is as it should be, for it wasn't that long ago that trains were THE mode of long distance transportation.

ENJOY,

Mobilman44   

[Graffen]

 My vote is "still" for END OF THE LINE as the most "railroady" film I know!

[1train1]

Any movie with a train in it is good....well except for 'Atomic Train' and that TV series 'a la loveboat' set on a train.

 Could a mag be published with the worst / or not 'prototypically-correct' ?

[EmpireStateJR]

The 7-UPS w/ Roy Scheider has some good GG-1 and Turbo Train action towards the end of the movie. The French Connection also has great elevated line footage through Brooklyn NY.

Another movie was with Burt Lancaster, I think it was called the Train trying to foil the Nazi's plan on shipping looted art work etc from France.

 

 

[ltheis]

Danny Glover in "Switchback" lots of D&RGW action.

[luvadj]

 Broken Arrow (1996), where Travolta is trying to send the warhead to Denver and Slater is trying to stop him...John Woo did a pretty good job on it, unlike "The Hulk"

[Left Coast Rail]

The Cassandra Crossing is one of those star studded mid '70s disaster movies. The cast includes Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Burt Lancaster, Martin Sheen, Lee Strasberg, Ava Gardner and O.J. Simpson.

[AztecEagle]

Clint Eastwood's"Pale Rider"and"Unforgiven"both feature the Sierra RR as does 1994's"Bad Girls".

[chatanuga]

Don't forget Disaster on the Coastliner from 1979 or Runaway! from 1973.

Kevin

[twhite]

Another good railroad film is Paramount's WHISPERING SMITH from 1949, starring Alan Ladd and Robert Preston.  A good railroad western featuring Paramount's collection of ex-Virginia and Truckee 19th century locomotives and rolling stock in very vivid Technicolor.  Neat movie, with some well-staged railroad action.

Tom

[AztecEagle]

Thank You there Tom.Yeah,there are quite a number of movies with trains in them that it'd fill up about three books.

"The Natural"has some great scenes of a CB&Q Hudson pulling a string o\f heavyweight coaches as well as stocl footage of a Santa Fe E1 pulling the Super Chief.

WWII Europe:"The Great Escape"has some scenes of James Garner and Donald Pleasance boarding a German Passenger Train and a scene of David McCollum getting shot by the Gestapo at a German Train Station as he tries to escape.

"Enemy At The Gates".Some scenes of a Russian Armored Train.

"Hart's War".Scenes of a POW Train getting strafed by P51's.

"Schindler's List".Gut wrenching scene of a"Transport"pulling into Auschwitz.

Mexico:"Firewalker";"The Wild Bunch";"Beverly Hills Chihuhua";"Two Mules For Sister Sara".

Technically"The Proffessionals".Although set in Mexico,it was really filmed in Death Valley.

Goofs:"Ray".Modern Double Stack going over a stretch of highway while 40's-50's autos go past."Walk the Line".When Johnny Cash leaves his family farm to join the USAF,there's a train whistle in the background that sounds a lot like either an AC4400 or SD70.

Sierra Railroad:"High Noon";;"Last Train From Gun Hill";"Unforgiven";"Pale Rider";"Bad Girls".;"The Long Riders".

D&RGW/C&TS Narrow Gauge:"Ticket To Tomahawk";"Denver and Rio Grande";"The Good Guys and The Bad Guys".

Texas State Railroad:"The Long Riders";"Rough Riders";"Streets of Laredo";"O Brother Where Art Thou?"*(*Supposedly).

I'll think of some more later.

 

[twhite]

Aztec Eagle: 

Came up with another one:  DRUMS IN THE DEEP SOUTH.  Nifty Civil War actioner with Confederate soldiers trying to stop General Sherman's supply trains in Georgia.  Filmed on the Sierra Railroad with some excellent and thrilling railroad photography, especially as two supply trains try and outrun the Confederate cannon.  Starred James Craig and Guy Madison.  Came out sometime in the early 1950's as I remember. 

Tom

[AztecEagle]

I've heard of it.Don't think I've ever seen it.

More by Railroad:
GM&O:"In The Heat Of The Night".Great scenes of Sidney Poitier arriving and departing on a GM&O Passenger Train.

MP:"Picnic".Scene of an MP Freight pulled by a brace of F Units."In The Heat Of The Night".Besides the GM&O,there's a scene of an MP Freight pulling some open Auto Racks.I can't tell if theyr'e GP35's or SD40's."Cheech&Chong's Things Are Tough All Over".Scene of a MP UBoat.

CN:"Big Red".CP:"Silver Streak".

Irish Railways:"The Quiet Man".Directed by John Ford.Starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

Irish Railways

[Seamonster]

Favourites, already mentioned: Silver Streak, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Cassandra Crossing.

Also, there's 3:10 To Yuma and Transsiberian.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 Duck you sucker! aka A fistful of dynamite.

[Bill H.]

                 
Tickets, please.

Is it far to Tucumcari? 
 

                  
Thank you. Tickets.

 
                   
We should pass there
in about three or four minutes.

 
                   
Thanks.

 
                   
Excuse me, but you've
made a mistake, Reverend.

 
                   
I couldn't help hearing
you're going to Tucumcari.

 
                   
I peddle goods around here, and I better
tell you you're on the wrong train.

  
                   
I think the nearest stop
to Tucumcari is Amarillo.

  
                   
By getting off at Sante Fe
and returning by way of Amarillo...

  
                   
you should be able to get
right where you're going.

  
                   
You see, the train
doesn't stop at Tucumcari.

  
                   
This train'll stop at Tucumcari.

  
                   
Take it easy, everybody!

  
                   
Why'd you stop?
Something gone wrong?

  
                   
Somebody pulled the emergency cord.

  
                   
Hey, mister, you just can't pull
the emergency cord and jump off.

  
                   
Why'd you stop that train?
If you want to get off, you...

  
                   
Well, the railroad company'd be mighty
pleased to make any arrangements...

  
                   
for any passenger if you want
to get off here, sir.

  
                   
I did get off. Thanks.

  
                   
All right, let's go!
Go ahead!

[froggy]

I like emperor of the north and Break heart pass with Charles Bronson.

[TMarsh]

No real favorites per se, but.. 

"Long Riders" is a favorite of mine.

"Joe Kidd" has a rather interesting scene.

Anybody for "Bound For Glory"? The story of Woody Guthrie?

Countless John Wayne westerns. Shoot, countless westerns.

[andrechapelon]

CNJ831

If one goes by the amount of extraordinary vintage railroad footage shown, then 1930's Danger Lights has to be the greatest such epic ever filmed. Who here has seen a tug-o-war between two massive road engines? There's one at the company picnic in this film!

CNJ831

Good movie. Crappy story, but outstanding railroad shots

Given that one loco was a Pacific ( http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/MIL180.JPG ) and the other a 2-6-6-2 ( http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/MIL57.JPG ), it was no contest. In any case, it wasn't a tug of war, but a shoving contest. An actual tug of war could have pulled a drawbar in either or both of the locomotives. IIRC, the MILW actually tested their electrics vs. the Mallets in just such a shoving contest.

As for the rest of the entries in, have y'all forgotten "The Great Locomotive Chase"?

Or Buster Keaton's "The General"?

Then there's Cecil B. DeMille's epic "Union Pacific".

Andre

[gmpullman]

AztecEagle

"The Natural"has some great scenes of a CB&Q Hudson pulling a string o\f heavyweight coaches as well as stocl footage of a Santa Fe E1 pulling the Super Chief.

Actually that CB&Q Hudson was the Grand Trunk Western 4070 a USRA 1918 light Mikado. The 4070 and several cars from the Cuyahoga Valley (Cleveland, OH) went to Fredonia, NY in 1983 for the filming.

[MECman]

I liked the remake of "The Taking of Pelham 123" with Travolta and Denzel Washington. Most of the action takes place in the NY subways. David