The best railroad movie ever made

[randybc2003]

I have just had a small chance to scan, and recomend (as I did once before!) the following:
Dynamite & Gold - Jack Elam, Willie Nelson, J. McRany, Delta Burk, et all.

FLAME OVER INDIA: (they actually succed in giving the LOCOMOTIVE a Personality!!)
"She is like the Woman sahb: she shout when she is happy!! [^]

Of course I like "The Great Locomotive Chase" (both editions), and almost anything with a Woodburning American[:D]

[twhite]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MCNJ

WHERE WAS BREAKHEART PASS FILMED? - WHICH RAILROAD

"Breakheart Pass" was filmed in Idaho on the old Camas Prairie line that used to be jointly owned by the UP/NP. The 2-8-0 locomotive used in the filming used to belong to the Great Western Railroad in Colorado, and was also used in several other films, most notably Richard Brook's "The Professionals."
Tom

[cspmo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by KenLarsen

I can't remember the title, but it was one of those made-for-TV movies (filmed in the early 1970's) about a special D&RGW 'ski excursion' train, pulled by a pair of GP30s, that loses its brakes during its return trip down the slopes. Can't even remember the entire plot (whether the brakes failed by accident or sabotage), but some helper units raced up behind the runaway train, coupled to it, and applied full reverse power - stopping the train just in the nick of time, naturally. (If I watched it today, 30 years later, I'd probably laugh thru the whole thing!)

If somebody has seen this and knows the title, could you share it with us?

Here is a link to info. of this movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070615/

[Anonymous]

WHERE WAS BREAKHEART PASS FILMED? - WHICH RAILROAD

[Anonymous]

I just saw a western on video (I don't remember the title) that had Gene Hackman, James Coburn, a pretty young Candace Bergman and a bunch of other stars that enter some sort of horse race. But the star of the whole movie was the Cumbres and Toltec. I recognized a number of scenes in the movie I'd seen in videos of the C & T. They had a lot of great train shots through out the movie with the exception of the times when a rider would take off on the next leg of the race and the 'engineer' would blow the whistle just as the horse/rider were beside the engine. Not one horse reared or bolted when that happened. Hollywood license, I suppose, to add excitement or something to the scene. But, AGAIN, my favorite is The Emporer of the North followed closely by Von Ryan's Express.

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp

Well, I must be out to lunch, because no one has mentioned my favorites.

1) White Christmas. Best dining car scene ever.
2) Murder on the Orient Express. Many stars and a train. What could be better?
3) Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. Trains are just involved briefly, but are a MAJOR component of the plot. A true Masterpiece.

I'll agree with the Murder on the Orient Express.
I also like the Great Locomotive Chase.

I haven't seen all the movies in here, have to do some catching up.
Enjoy
Paul

[Roadtrp]

Well, I must be out to lunch, because no one has mentioned my favorites.

1) White Christmas. Best dining car scene ever.
2) Murder on the Orient Express. Many stars and a train. What could be better?
3) Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. Trains are just involved briefly, but are a MAJOR component of the plot. A true Masterpiece.

[Anonymous]

Emperor of the North

I have seen others but this one stands out. That Borgnine is a good actor and protrays a very onery conductor who beats down hobos who dare to ride "his" train with a 10 pound sledge.

[twhite]

Oh, yah--another good train film: NIGHT PASSAGE with Jimmy Stewart and Audie Murphy--filmed along the Silverton Line in Colorado during the fall. Has some beautiful train shots, and a really EXCITING train robbery. Worth catching--it's available on DVD.
Tom

[twhite]

With apologies to VSmith, I should kick myself in the head for leaving out THE GENERAL on my 'best' list. Not only is it the best train movie ever made, it's close to being the best Civil War movie ever made, and the best comedy ever made. It's just a bloody BRILLIANT movie and is on AFI's 100 Greatest Films Ever Made list. Forget it's a silent film in black and white, you youngsters--just SEE IT! No models, no faked stunts, just non-stop spectacular action. And those trains---WOWSER!!
Tom [:P][:P][:P]

[darkstar974]

I got one its not really a train movie but it looks like a train anyone ever see the Core where they go to the center of the earth. The ship looked like a streamlined loco man it was cool very good movie

dark

[Anonymous]

one movie that got missed in the last one was "Throw Mama From the Train"

[countershot]

Polar Express they did a good job with the loco and sounds and it has a good story

[camarokid]

This time around I will cast my vote for "Tough Guys" with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.
Archie

[turbine682]

The 1930 movie-"Danger Lights", and a companion 1930 movie, "Ghost Train", are the best all train movies ever made. In these two movies, the trains are the stars, not the actors!! Mr. Tinker

[Anonymous]

I agree with vsmith about The General - was one of my all-time favourite films as a kid (friends thought I was really odd but that's another story!).

Titfield Thunderbolt is also a great film and well worth hunting down - you can model the trains involved in that pretty easily, though "Thunderbolt" itself is a rather tricky project.

Others on my list: The Railroader - might actually be "The Railrodder" - the writing on our video cassette is a little unclear! (another Buster Keaton, this time crossing Canada on a maintainance trolley/speeder). Von Ryan's Express is also good, though if you like your war films a little grittier The Train might be more to your tastes. Silver Streak is also good - think it may well have led me to want a full set of stainless-steel streamliners!

Ones I really can't stand - Atomic Train (so bad it's funny) and Mission Impossible - ok, I can accept the plot events, but why did they not use the proper train in the Channel Tunnel sequence? Would have been just as easy to build a Eurostar mockup instead of the TGV one.

One that really shouldn't have got past editing: The most recent version of "Murder on the Orient Express" - apart from the terrible acting, over-young Poirot, and anachronistic modern-day setting, there's one sequence where a crossing bell can clearly be heard - we don't have those this side of the Atlantic...

[Anonymous]

Vic, I think that Hackman movie was "Narrow Margin", released in 1990. After reading all the other posts, I realize it was far from the best train movie. I hafta agree with Von Ryan's Express.

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by geoeisele

Can't remember the title, but Gene Hackman was in a pretty good thriller with a chase scene on the roof of a streamliner in the mountains. Very improbable but entertaining, especially when they went through a tunnel near the end.

Wast this called "Switchback" ???

PS updated my list to include "von ryan" and "polar"

[vsmith]

Movie "D&RG" can be found on Amazon occasionally or Ebay usaully in VHS format, has not come out in DVD to my knowledge yet. Same for "Emporer" VHS only, no DVD, which is stupid!

[MidlandPacific]

Or "Denver & Rio Grande," which I've been trying to find on DVD or VHS for years.

[retsignalmtr]

nobody mentioned vonryans express.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

I'll toss my hat in for The Polar Express.

[#ditto]
I took my son to see it....GREAT MOVIE

[DavidBriel]

Breakheart Pass with Charles Bronson and The Great Locomotive Chase with Fess Parker

[jjdjr]

You really must tell us how you really feel!

[vsmith]

I cant beleive NO ONE mention THE BEST train movie EVER!!!!

The General, with Buster Keaton!!!!

If you havent seen it go get it!!! its the greatest trian movie ever made!!!!

My top list in no particular order

The General (naturally)
Our Hospitality , another Keaton /train flick
The Train
Emporer of the North
Runaway train (while not specificly ABOUT trains has great story)
Union Pacific, eh'Bucko!
The Titfield Thunderbolt (another if you havent seen it, FIND it)

other good'uns...

La Bete (the Beast) French 1930's great trains in action scenes
Number 17 (early Hitchcock, terrific chase between a train and a bus)
Silver Streak, Wilder/Pryor version
Denver and Rio Grande
Disaster on the Coastliner (TV movie with Bill Shatner and a great ending)
Von Ryans Express
Polar Express

Worst of list...

Under Sludge 2, WOW did this one stink!
Cassandra Crossing, OOOH the Pain!!!
and my all time biggest doodie-droping ...

Atomic Train, my vote for most idiotic movie of the decade! OMG LMAOROF I howled thru this turkey bomb! The mastercopy should be buried in atomic waste and burried in Yucca Mountain!


BTW the TV movie no one can remember the name of is "Runaway!" about the ski train.

[jjdjr]

[2c]

Unfortunately, I have not seen "Emperor", but for my money "The Train" with Bert Lancaster and a host of european character actors gets my vote. Set in July 1944 outside of Paris, the film shows the effects of sabotage against the Germans trying to supply their troops and steal valuable art from french museums to take back to Germany. The film was photographed in black and white by John Frankenheimer, noted for his realism in films. A number of operating french locomotives and rolling stock were used to stage some graphic train wrecks. Actual french railroad workers were used as extras to add more realism.

If you saw Frankenheimer's Grand Prix you know how much a stickler for detail he is.

[Anonymous]

Can't remember the title, but Gene Hackman was in a pretty good thriller with a chase scene on the roof of a streamliner in the mountains. Very improbable but entertaining, especially when they went through a tunnel near the end.

[Anonymous]

What about Mission Impossible ?? or Under Siege 2 ?? Both had really good train Scenes in them ??

[Hudsonmike]

The original 1930 Silver Streak and 1930 Danger Lights with John Armstrong
You Know the guy from the orginal King Kong Movie.
Although the acting is poor the train scenes are great with lots of steam Engines.
Oh by the way I have copys of both these films.
Mike

[retsignalmtr]

ben johnson was the engineer of the runaway train in that ski movie. i believe the brakes froze on the trip back. union pacific and denver and rio grande were good ones. does the up have licensing rights to the movie? does anyone know if the old tv series casey jones was ever put out on video tape? i think alan hale jr (the skipper) played casey jones.