Best Railroad Movies (topic rehashed)

[Anonymous]

Scottydog,
There are some train movies you can see over and over again on AMC or Turner Classics, but I have yet to see Avalanche Express again unless I have had my head in the sand and missed it. There is another good one in which Glenn Ford played an engineer on an ALCO PA-1 on the old Chicago National. Even had some cab ride shots in the movie (B&W). Your turn: do you remember the name of this one?
Larry

[Anonymous]

Crap! I almost forgot - THE GENERAL! Not just a train classic, but a cinema classic by any stretch. Buster Keaton is the Southern engineer in the W&A who has to get back his stolen 4-4-0. The General in the movie was an original Norris Civil War-era American working under its own steam; Keaton performs all his own stunts. Dated, yes, but it holds up remarkably well, and it's still pretty funny. (And it's a much better telling than Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase.)

And finally, has anyone seen The Titfield Thunderbolt?

[Anonymous]

Crap! I almost forgot - THE GENERAL! Not just a train classic, but a cinema classic by any stretch. Buster Keaton is the Southern engineer in the W&A who has to get back his stolen 4-4-0. The General in the movie was an original Norris Civil War-era American working under its own steam; Keaton performs all his own stunts. Dated, yes, but it holds up remarkably well, and it's still pretty funny. (And it's a much better telling than Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase.)

And finally, has anyone seen The Titfield Thunderbolt?

[Anonymous]

My two cents:

No doubt about it, The Train is the best railroad movie ever, period. Great story, great action - supplemented by some great trains! You know the air raid scene? Or the derailment? Take a good look - no models. The "special effects" were truly special in that it was all full-sized equipment being blown to h-e-double-hockeysticks. But don't watch it just for the trains: at its core it's a great piece about a little-known chapter in World War II history, and a grand tribute to the French resistance.

And there's something to be said for Von Ryan's Express. We all remember Guns of Navarone and The Great Escape... this is pretty much the same fare: World War II action-adventure. Sure, you really have to suspend belief for a few aspects of the movie (I assume that while they took over the entire Operating Department of the Italian state railways was out on a smoke break...) but it's still a classic, great fun, well worth it. Catch it on AMC from time to time.

And Silver Streak was funny, of course. There's also minor but memorable train moments in other movies - I think someone mentioned the "Use enough dynamite, there, Butch?" scene in Butch Cassidy, and the scenes on the train in North By Northwest.

But there are some baddies, too - Atomic Train, Runaway Train, Emperor of the North, etc. Let's just say that, to put it mildly, they aren't exactly cinematic gold. If you get a chance to see them... save the 90 minutes for something worthwhile.

"You'll get your Iron Cross for this, Von Ryan!"

[Anonymous]

My two cents:

No doubt about it, The Train is the best railroad movie ever, period. Great story, great action - supplemented by some great trains! You know the air raid scene? Or the derailment? Take a good look - no models. The "special effects" were truly special in that it was all full-sized equipment being blown to h-e-double-hockeysticks. But don't watch it just for the trains: at its core it's a great piece about a little-known chapter in World War II history, and a grand tribute to the French resistance.

And there's something to be said for Von Ryan's Express. We all remember Guns of Navarone and The Great Escape... this is pretty much the same fare: World War II action-adventure. Sure, you really have to suspend belief for a few aspects of the movie (I assume that while they took over the entire Operating Department of the Italian state railways was out on a smoke break...) but it's still a classic, great fun, well worth it. Catch it on AMC from time to time.

And Silver Streak was funny, of course. There's also minor but memorable train moments in other movies - I think someone mentioned the "Use enough dynamite, there, Butch?" scene in Butch Cassidy, and the scenes on the train in North By Northwest.

But there are some baddies, too - Atomic Train, Runaway Train, Emperor of the North, etc. Let's just say that, to put it mildly, they aren't exactly cinematic gold. If you get a chance to see them... save the 90 minutes for something worthwhile.

"You'll get your Iron Cross for this, Von Ryan!"

[Train Guy 3]

Anyone ever see "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory" ? That final crash scene was just such a pathetic attempt to show a train wreck. It just looks compleatly like models falling down. The cars bunce in the frame like boxes. Plus if its dark territory why are there signals and electronicly controled switches. Hmmmm what were there chanes of being on the same track as the SP tank-train?

[Train Guy 3]

Anyone ever see "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory" ? That final crash scene was just such a pathetic attempt to show a train wreck. It just looks compleatly like models falling down. The cars bunce in the frame like boxes. Plus if its dark territory why are there signals and electronicly controled switches. Hmmmm what were there chanes of being on the same track as the SP tank-train?

[Anonymous]

The Avalanche Express, of course. Thanks Mr Taylor, I've been racking my brain for days trying to remember the name of that movie.

[Anonymous]

The Avalanche Express, of course. Thanks Mr Taylor, I've been racking my brain for days trying to remember the name of that movie.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

QUOTE: Originally posted by taylorl

If I remember right, I think it was called Avalanche Express.

THAT WAS THE NAME!

I thought it was also called "Runaway Train" Thats the movie, they used a big diesel to come up behind the runaway and used the brakes of the big diesel to slow it down.

MY FAVORITE train moment from any movie has to be from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid..

"Think ya used 'nough dynamite there Butch?"

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

QUOTE: Originally posted by taylorl

If I remember right, I think it was called Avalanche Express.

THAT WAS THE NAME!

I thought it was also called "Runaway Train" Thats the movie, they used a big diesel to come up behind the runaway and used the brakes of the big diesel to slow it down.

MY FAVORITE train moment from any movie has to be from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid..

"Think ya used 'nough dynamite there Butch?"

[Anonymous]

EMPEROR OF THE NORTH WAS GREAT LEE MARVIN & EARNEST BORGNINE
WERE GREAT A1 & CIGGARETTE WERE FUNNY ANOTHER GOOD ONE IS UNDER SIEGE 2 (DARK TERRITORY) STEVEN SEGAL ACTS IN THIS ONE AND LIKE ALL HIS MOVIES KICKS A's TAKES NAMES
END OF THE LINE WAS REAL GOOD IT STARS WILFORD BRIMLEY &
KEVIN BACON ALSO RUN AWAY TRAIN WAS GOOD

[Anonymous]

EMPEROR OF THE NORTH WAS GREAT LEE MARVIN & EARNEST BORGNINE
WERE GREAT A1 & CIGGARETTE WERE FUNNY ANOTHER GOOD ONE IS UNDER SIEGE 2 (DARK TERRITORY) STEVEN SEGAL ACTS IN THIS ONE AND LIKE ALL HIS MOVIES KICKS A's TAKES NAMES
END OF THE LINE WAS REAL GOOD IT STARS WILFORD BRIMLEY &
KEVIN BACON ALSO RUN AWAY TRAIN WAS GOOD

[vsmith]

Another train movie that won several "Golden Rasberry" awards for worst movie.

"The Cassandra Crossing" -deadly plague killing has-been actors before plunging off bridge, pitty the real actors weren't on it.

[vsmith]

Another train movie that won several "Golden Rasberry" awards for worst movie.

"The Cassandra Crossing" -deadly plague killing has-been actors before plunging off bridge, pitty the real actors weren't on it.

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by taylorl

If I remember right, I think it was called Avalanche Express.

THAT WAS THE NAME!

I thought it was also called "Runaway Train" Thats the movie, they used a big diesel to come up behind the runaway and used the brakes of the big diesel to slow it down.

MY FAVORITE train moment from any movie has to be from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid..

"Think ya used 'nough dynamite there Butch?"

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by taylorl

If I remember right, I think it was called Avalanche Express.

THAT WAS THE NAME!

I thought it was also called "Runaway Train" Thats the movie, they used a big diesel to come up behind the runaway and used the brakes of the big diesel to slow it down.

MY FAVORITE train moment from any movie has to be from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid..

"Think ya used 'nough dynamite there Butch?"

[ChuckCobleigh]

Without a doubt, "Emperor of the North" is one of the best. Great sequence in Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" and "Silver Streak" had a lot of good train action. Does anybody remember "The Harvey Girls" from 1946? Or how about Disney's "The Great Locomotive Chase" for another train movie?

[ChuckCobleigh]

Without a doubt, "Emperor of the North" is one of the best. Great sequence in Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" and "Silver Streak" had a lot of good train action. Does anybody remember "The Harvey Girls" from 1946? Or how about Disney's "The Great Locomotive Chase" for another train movie?

[Anonymous]

My cousin once told me about a movie she watched on TV which featured a lot of trains in it, but couldn't remember the title. It had to do with aliens being transported in special railroad cars and all of the trains were CN and CP. I'm not a fan of science fiction movies, but I'm curious as to what this movie is. Does anyone know?

[Anonymous]

My cousin once told me about a movie she watched on TV which featured a lot of trains in it, but couldn't remember the title. It had to do with aliens being transported in special railroad cars and all of the trains were CN and CP. I'm not a fan of science fiction movies, but I'm curious as to what this movie is. Does anyone know?

[Anonymous]

If I remember right, I think it was called Avalanche Express.

[Anonymous]

If I remember right, I think it was called Avalanche Express.

[Anonymous]

There was a movie about a ski train whos brakes had frozen and in effect, was a runaway. Bob Johnson was the engineer. The main gist was about the passengers reaction. They were all finally rescued by a brand new diesel that waited for the train to pass, then raced after it, coupled up then brought it to a stop close to the right stop in the station. I think this was a late 70's or early 80's. It was quite an exciting movie but I just can't remember the name.

[Anonymous]

There was a movie about a ski train whos brakes had frozen and in effect, was a runaway. Bob Johnson was the engineer. The main gist was about the passengers reaction. They were all finally rescued by a brand new diesel that waited for the train to pass, then raced after it, coupled up then brought it to a stop close to the right stop in the station. I think this was a late 70's or early 80's. It was quite an exciting movie but I just can't remember the name.

[Anonymous]

I just wanted to again remind people about the movie specials from Pentrex. No I don't get a kickback, but wish I did. [}:)]


One of the special for this week is about Christmas Trains and is only 9.95.

Another deal is either a vcr tape or a dvd of the UP Streamliners. The tape is 1 hour and 40 minutes and the dvd is 2 hours and 7 minutes. Your choice for 39.95.

There have some closeouts for 9.95 and up. A train movie would make a great stocking stuffer. HINT [:)] HINT [:D] HINT

p. s. I like streamliners. [:D]

[Anonymous]

I just wanted to again remind people about the movie specials from Pentrex. No I don't get a kickback, but wish I did. [}:)]


One of the special for this week is about Christmas Trains and is only 9.95.

Another deal is either a vcr tape or a dvd of the UP Streamliners. The tape is 1 hour and 40 minutes and the dvd is 2 hours and 7 minutes. Your choice for 39.95.

There have some closeouts for 9.95 and up. A train movie would make a great stocking stuffer. HINT [:)] HINT [:D] HINT

p. s. I like streamliners. [:D]

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by redflasher

How about "Runaway Train" with Jon Voight and Eric Roberts? They escape from prison and stow away on an old yard engine that is out of control etc etc etc

An excellent performance by a no talent actress named Rebecca Demournay takes a lot away from the film.

Is that the movie where they are climbing on the outside of an old F unit during a snow storm?

Yes it is, it also the film where Jon Voight demonstrates why you should never stick your hand into a coupler while the train is moving, OUCH!!!

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by redflasher

How about "Runaway Train" with Jon Voight and Eric Roberts? They escape from prison and stow away on an old yard engine that is out of control etc etc etc

An excellent performance by a no talent actress named Rebecca Demournay takes a lot away from the film.

Is that the movie where they are climbing on the outside of an old F unit during a snow storm?

Yes it is, it also the film where Jon Voight demonstrates why you should never stick your hand into a coupler while the train is moving, OUCH!!!

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by adrianspeeder

Atomic train was SO bad. I was wincing the whole time. Here is my review to save all of you from bothering to watch it.
Some idiot wants to ship a nuke warhead, but in order to save money on insurance, he calls it “Russian caviar” and puts it in some old boxcar. This train is powered by two older widecab fouraxle GE’s. Also on this train is gons of nasty chemicals in 55 gallon drums. While going over the Rockies towards Denver some of the chemicals leak and eat through the brake line, causing the train to have no brakes (wait, I thought if all the air dumps out the brakes come…. oh, never mind) Dynamics are an unknown feature to this engineer and I wouldn’t put him in charge of a toy train. Some how they get it stopped but a bumbling engineer in chase locos runs in the back trying to quote “save lives”. This caused the stopped trains brakes to quote “burn out” and roll out of control. Everybody then jumps off because they pulled the rails on the next bend as a last ditch effort to stop the train.
Surprise, the chemicals catch fire, but the bomb doesn’t go off. As somebody is disarming it, a fire helo dumps water to put out the fire. The water reacts with a chemical causing a big explosion that finally sets off the nuke, killing lots of people. Another hour of the movie goes on with the destruction of Denver.
I give this movie a rating of “not even worth propping up the coffee table to make it level.”

Adrianspeeder

Atomic Trian was BEYOND bad, just plain crap and all copies and the masters should be burried at Yucca Mountain with rest of the waste.

There were 2 other runaway train TV movies;

Disaster on the Coastliner, with Bill Shatner about a terrorist who taps into the communication controls of the rail line and convinces the engineer of one train that other terrorists are trying to stop the train all the while its he's heading for a head-on with a train carrying some diplomate or something. They come up with a "novel" idea to stop the collision by building a crossover in an hour to connect the parallel tracks hence diverting the diplomates train away from danger onto the opposite track, but can they repair the line before the second train gets there?

This one I cant remember the title, I think it was also called "Avalanche Express" (Thanks to Scottydog and Taylor1 who remembered the name, see posting below) from the late 70's or early 80's about a ski-train full of passengers that looses its brakes coming down the mountain and they have to stop it before it hits the station. They stop it by using another locomotive to come up behind it, couple to it at high speed, and use the other engines brakes to stop the train.