Bachmann Online Forum

 Does anyone have some favorite movies, either classics with train scenes or films notable for good train scenes?

  My favorite European train movie is Hitchcock's 1938 classic "The Lady Vanishes."  "The 39 Steps,"  "Shanghai Express," "Night Train to Munich," "North by Northwest," "From Russia, With Love," & "Murder on the Orient Express" have good train scenes.  "The Narrow Margin" (1952) is a gem of a "B" movie, & its re-make, "Narrow Margin," shows a lot of the Empire Builder, inside & out.  "Silver Streak" shows a lot of its train.  There's a Michael Shayne mystery, "Sleepers West."  Agatha Christie's Miss Marple witnesses a murder on a train in "Murder, She Said," as does Canadian star Deanna Durbin in "Lady on a Train."

    Westerns with trains include "Union Pacific" (1939) about the building of the railroad, "Jesse James," (1939), "Whispering Smith" (1948), "Night Passage" (1957), & the classics "3:10 to Yuma" (1957) & "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid."  Hobos during the Great Depression ride the rails in the classic "Sullivan's Travels" (1941).

"The General," "Go West," "Twentieth Century," "Palm Beach Story," & "Some Like It Hot" have funny train scenes.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934), "Four's a Crowd," (1938), "Holiday Affair" (1949), People Will Talk" (1951) & "Throw Momma From the Train" feature model trains.

Two movies I enjoyed were "Von Ryan's Express" starring Frank Sinatra, and "Emperor of the North" with Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine.  Most train movies have bloopers but that's just Hollywood.

Another western with trains was "The Professionals" with Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Jack Palance and Claudia Cardinale. In the series "Gunsmoke", Matt was sometimes seen escorting a prisoner by train.

Unfortunately many of the movie greats are gone. John Wayne was my favorite, there was a short train scene in "The Quiet Man" , "McClintock" and "Red River".

"100 Rifles", "Bridge over River Kwai", "High Noon", "The Train Robbers".

We've been through this thread several times. Missing is the mention of one of the greatest train movies - the 1929 film "Danger Lights" starring Louis Waldheim (the star of "All Quiet on the Western Front). It takes place almost entirely on the Milwaukee Road and is a great film if you can find it.

By the way, the interior train scenes in "North by Northwest" were shot in a studio. Only the external scenes in Grand Central Terminal were done on location. Even the house at the end of the movie is a set.

"Emperor of the North" is great.

"Biloxie Blues" has some exterior scenes featuring ex -Lackawanna commuter coaches (in Mississippi!)

What was the silent movie with the guy ( probably yampa bob ) sitting on the side rod of a moving 4-4-0?
What was the Burt Lancaster movie he did in Europe and wrecked the train?

As a Kid, Sorry my wife says I still am one.
I watched Casey Jones from the 1957 TV series staring Alan Hale Jr.  ( the captain on Gilligan's Island ) . Set in Illinois , Tennessee's 1890's. on the " Midwest and Illinois Central Railroad " Remember the Cannon Ball with the antlers on top, front of its boiler, Casey, his Son Casey Jr,  his Wife Alice, the Dog Cinders, the Fireman Wallie Sims, and Conductor Red Rock Smith too. Remember the show theme song too. It's great.
I purchased the 1 and only years series from Thomas Film Classics on DVD and they have it on sale now from $49.45 to $29.95 .
It shows 1 left in stock so best of luck who gets it first .
Great plug for Thomas Film Classics . I should work for them. Think.
As I under stand you my be able to purchase more railroad movies from them.
Good hunting.
Mudhen

the great silent movie your looking for is
buster keatons classic the GENERAL where hes sitting of the drive rod

now the burt lancaster movie filmed in france in
1964 is the TRAIN in this movie they actually destroyed an old french
railways facility and a bunch of pre war locomotives

theres benn a lot of movies over the years

my favorite  taking of the pelham 1 2 3   1974
with walter matthau and robert shaw  
this movie was classic nyc in the 70s

im allways looking for old movies with trains

good luck    john t  brooklyn ny

The actor on the sid rods in that civil war black and white movie , the name of that movie escapes me now, was Buster Ketton  and he also did another silent short  movie set in Canada , going across Canada on a track motor car from coast to coast . Very funny. He live out of and gets everything out of where the motor should be.
Mudhen

John
You are correct, it was the movie  The General and it is Buster Keaton. You are just one click ahead of me
Mudhen

     A really good one is North by Northwest. Its a great Alfred Hitchcock movie in which Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is framed for murder and eludes the authorities by getting on the 20th Century Limited.
     Also, The Great Locomotive Chase: an old live action Disney movie about the the civil war story when undercover Union soldiers steal The Genral and are chased by a the train's conductor on foot, a handcar, then backwards on The Texas.
     Both of these movies are some of my favorites.

In the movie "Stand by Me", Will Wheaton (Wesley in Star Trek) and friends are juvenile runaways playing hobo.  They get caught in the middle of a long trestle with a steamer bearing down on them. The kids are running like crazy, of course one kid gets his foot caught between the open ties, but they all jump clear at the last moment.

Runaway Train comes to mind as another train movie.

The General is available online at the link below:

http://www.archive.org/details/TheGeneral (http://www.archive.org/details/TheGeneral)

I didn't see the movie "Stand by Me", Will Wheaton (Wesley in Star Trek) and friends are juvenile runaways playing hobo.  They get caught in the middle of a long trestle with a steamer bearing down on them. However I saw a program where they interviewed the boys.  They asked the question. 'what was it like to be running accross that trestle with a train bearing down on you?'  "Well there wasn't a train coming"

   
      The film of Buster Keaton in Canada is 'The Railrodder'.  He travels fron the Atlantic to the Pacific on a CN speeder. No dialogue--just background sounds and music.
      He  eats and sleeps on the speeder,getting all necessary objects from the small toolbox on top of the engine cover.  These include a (very)full length fur coat, a shotgun and a 15x15 plate camera and tripod.
      Very chuckle worthy.

     Eric UK

Let's get the right stars here:

Emperpr of the North---OP&E (YW) 19
Denver & Rio Grande---D&RGW 268, with 319 and 345 in the big scene
A Ticket to Tomahawk---RGS 20

 For Maine railroaders, there is the comedy, "It Happened to Jane," in which Doris Day & Jack Lemmon commandeer an old steamer to get her lobsters to market & foil the nasty owner of the railroad, Ernie Kovacs, who re-routes them all over the state.

Casey Jones steaming and a rollin'
Casey Jones you never have to wait
When you hear the tootin' of the whistle
It's Casey at the throttle of the Cannonbal Express

I've got it on DVD, too. :)

Atomic Train

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144039/ >link to older version of it.

Runaway Train (1985)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_Train_(film)

A little fun fact:

"A Ticket to Tomahawk" was filmed on the Durango and Silverton. The producers requested that the color of the train be changed to bright yellow. The owners of the railroad liked it so much that after the movie was filmed, they had all of the cars on the Silverton branch from drab old Pullman Green to what they trademarked as Rio Grande Yellow, giving a real personality to the line.

(http://www.durangovacations.com/uploads/durangotrain.jpg)

Also, for another movie, a big tunnel was made out of paper mache in the middle of the high-line.

There was another movie titled "Runaway"--it was a TV movie, starred Martin Milner, Ben Johnson, and several others.  Filmed on the D&RGW Ski Train--setting moved to Calif---premise was loss of air brakes coming off the mountains--  used another loco to stop it.  Not too hokey--mid 1980's as I recall.  gj

What was the movie with Burt Lancaster where he gets out of prison and ends up stealing a whole train and tries to get to Mexico.  I remember it sliding on the dirt but can't remember it it made it over the border or not!!??

the movie is TOUGH GUYS

with burt lancaster and kirk douglas

its about 2 old crooks who stole a train in 1940
after prison there released and decidi to steal the train again

theres a scene where the s.p. 4449 slides off the track
of course special effects

good luck  john t  brooklyn ny

Oh yeah, I love that movie! Found some YouTube videos on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X0-e2YkJ8Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soiubd2kSeo

TOUGH GUYS--the reason they stole the train was that they were unable to cope with life outside of prison.  Both are in their 70's.  So they want to get sent back to prison.

A side story I liked was Eli Wallach as the elderly hit man ("Coke bottle" glasses, trench coat, )  who was given a "contract" on them thirty-some years earlier, and feels honor-bound to carry it out.    gj

No one has yet mentioned Danger Lights, which has AWESOME MILW scenes.
http://www.archive.org/details/danger_lights

There was a movie from the 30's that had a lot of good photos of a Hiawatha at high speed and multiple tracks.
another was "How the west was won". a Cinerama movie that had a train scene, unfortunately a stunt man was killed in the scene

Actually, the stuntman only lost a leg and some spine bones... Not as bad as Death I guess...

A lousy plot but plenty of scenes on the Cats RR was a movie called ''Black Diamond and Dinomite'' with Willie Nelson and Delta Burke. Well worth watching just for the rail scenes.
Phil

Hey Guilford Guy - I mentioned "Danger Lights" early on in this discussion!!

My favorite scene is the tug of war between the two locomotives and Louis Waldheim, an ex-professional fighter, really is good in the part of an engineer.

I had the film on video tape but it got damaged. I don't know if it's available on DVD. It's a must for Milwaukee Road fans. Add "Emperor of the North" and you have two great train films. I'd add "the Train" but the French engines just leave me cold. "Ticket to Tomahawk" is great for its rolling stock pictures but the syrupy plot and cheesy acting are unbearable.

"Atomic Train" would be on my list of train movies to burn. Ugh.

The Color of a Brisk and Leaping day has a lot of good shots, such as turning a mogul on a turntable, and riding in a motor car...

Quote from: PRRThomas11 on October 21, 2008, 06:10:50 PM
A little fun fact:

Another little fun fact--that is, if my memory is correct.

I believe the locomotive in A Ticket to Tomahawk was named the "Emma Sweeney." A couple of weeks ago I was watching my new CD set of the first season of Petticoat Junction (yeah, yeah. ...). In one episode, a new throttle is needed for the "Hooterville Cannonball" because Norman Curtis, president of the C.&F.W. Railroad, broke th eold throttle. An old friend of his, a retired railroad executive who runs a museum, called in to help with the repair, gets on the phone to his museum and tells someone to take the throttle out of "the wood-burner on the second floor" and ship it to Hooterville. The name of that wood-burner is the "Emma Sweeney."

Didn't you love that black oil smoke from Petticoat Junction's wood burner.

Nobody has mentioned Breakheart Pass (1975) starring Charles Bronson.  One of the locations used was the Camas Prairie Railroad, Lewiston, Idaho, USA.

How about Runaway Train with Eric Roberts and John Voight. (1985)
Don :)

I love that movie, I already mentioned it, but still, good movie isn't it? :)

Tonight the movie "the Horse Soldiers", starring John Wayne and William Holden was on cable. In the movie, confederate soldiers come to town in a train to attack the Union column that has just arrived. The engine appeared to be V&T Reno or Inyo. The rebel soldiers jump out of box cars that had Betterndorf trucks with leaf springs (not too accurate for the Civil War era.)

 I just got a copy of Historic Rail catalog.  They offer the 1934 Pioneer Zephyr "Silver Streak," a modernistic design for its time.  Included is a DVD of the 1934 movie, "Silver Streak," which the ad says is "based on the record-setting 'Dawn to Dusk' dash of the Pioneer Zephyr on May 26, 1934."  The catalog also has a page of train movies available on DVDs.

Quote from: RAM on October 23, 2008, 07:23:25 PM
Didn't you love that black oil smoke from Petticoat Junction's wood burner.

Sure enough!  ;D

The name "Hooterville Cannonball" is a hoot. (pardon the pun)  Perhaps back then the name had a different connotation.   :D

Ya, the three girls in the watertower

Entertaining show. Was that a spin off of Beverly Hillbillies or Green acres?

I think mostly Green Acres, these pages explain the connection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooterville_Cannonball

Beverly Hillbillies is mentioned in this one (Location)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooterville

Apparently all the shows were "Filmways" productions.

Paul Henning was the producer of "Green Acres." He then spun off "Petticoat Junction" from "Green Acres." One of the girls in the water tank was his daughter.

There were no spinoffs from the "Beverly Hillbillies" (thank goodness.)

Quote from: Woody Elmore on November 21, 2008, 10:22:43 AM
Paul Henning was the producer of "Green Acres." He then spun off "Petticoat Junction" from "Green Acres." One of the girls in the water tank was his daughter.

There were no spinoffs from the "Beverly Hillbillies" (thank goodness.)

Sorry to contradict you, Woody, but it went the other way 'round. "The Beverly Hillbillies" was Henning's first hit, and it was a huge hit when it debuted in the early 1960s.

Henning had wanted his friend, the actress Bea Benedaret (sp?) to play Granny in "Hillbillies," but it was decided she wasn't "scrawny" enough! Essentially he created "Petticoat Junction" for her. After "Petticoat" also became a hit, the network went to Henning and more or less told him to create another series, and the network would buy it without even seeing a pilot episode. That series was "Green Acres."

I got this information from a DVD set of the complete first season of "Petticoat" that I bought about six months ago. Each episode has an introduction by Linda Kaye Henning, Paul Henning's daughter, who played Betty Jo, the youngest of the three Bradley sisters and the only one of the three to stick with the series for its entire run.

Although the show was still doing well in the ratings, it was cancelled when the network changed its programing philosophy to try to draw in a younger, "hipper" audience.

I stand, err sit, corrected and am mortified. I think I'll go over to Pixlie and down my woes in a big root beer float.

I don't recall this being mentioned, but there was a brief train scene in "Good, Bad, and Ugly".  Eli Wallach put his handcuff chain on the rails, which was cut by a train's wheel.  He laid the fat guard on the other end between the rails.  :o

I just love these movies where they go to new york city on the Santa Fe or go to the west coast with a train pulled will a GG1.

Go GG1 go!
Charles

 I was watching "Sleepers West," a 1941 Michael Shayne detective movie. The train travels from Denver to San Francisco & is pulled by a steam locomotive called the Commanche.  Does that ring a bell or toot a whistle for anyone?

Speaking of anachronisms, there was a remake a few years ago of "I'm a Fugitive from a Georgia Chaingang."  In the beginning the protagonist leaves a train yard - full of 50' boxcars without full ladders or roof walks, 100ton covered hoppers, beer can tank cars, etc.   Fortunately, no locomotives were visible.  The rest of the movie was set in the period 1919-1940. 
Gene

Quote from: Woody Elmore on November 22, 2008, 10:16:32 AM
I stand, err sit, corrected and am mortified. I think I'll go over to Pixlie and down my woes in a big root beer float.

Aw, heck, and you didn't invite me to join you? I love root beer floats!  ;D

Just don't go burning any railroad ties on your way back to Hooterville. It makes the Cannonball put out too much black smoke.  ;)

Quote from: SteamGene on November 24, 2008, 10:36:44 AM
Speaking of anachronisms, there was a remake a few years ago of "I'm a Fugitive from a Georgia Chaingang."  In the beginning the protagonist leaves a train yard - full of 50' boxcars without full ladders or roof walks, 100ton covered hoppers, beer can tank cars, etc.   Fortunately, no locomotives were visible.  The rest of the movie was set in the period 1919-1940. 
Gene

Here's another one for you. Early in Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger watches a freight pass, in 1963 Wyoming, with no caboose. ...

One of my late railroad friends was a retired USMC Lt. Col.  Ot one time during his career, he and his unit were detailed to assist director Otto Premminger in a movie about the Marines in WWII.  They were shooting scenes involving artillery.  After a couple of days of this filming, Premminger asked the Col. to turn the guns around and sshoot the other direction to get footage as the other side.  The Col. protested that it wouldn't look right--to which Premminger replied:  "The popcorn eaters won't know the difference".    I'm sure the attitude still prevails.  We may know something is incorrect, but "the popcorn eaters------ '

gj

  Prior to the 1950s, movies were 1.37: 1, a rather arbitrary choice, since humans' binocular vision is suited to a wider ratio.  TV screens at 1.33: 1 are slightly narrower than the old movie format.  Looking at credits, one will often see that a letter on each side of the screen is missing.
You probably know that Cinemascope was introduced to get people away from their TV screens & back into movie theaters.  The great directors compose each shot & don't like the ends lopped off to fill a TV screen.  In pan-&-scan, you often don't see the actors interacting, because one is lopped off the screen.  There's a scene in "How to Marry a Millionaire" in which two actors are conversing at a table; only their noses appear, but the lamp in the middle seems to be the focus.  I love letterbox.  When I watch "Desk Set," I want to see both Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn in the picture reacting to each other, as the director intended.  "Lawrence of Arabia" profits from ultra-widescreen format, while movies set mostly indoors are usually better filmed in 1.37: 1 or 1.85: 1
  For train scenes, 1.37: 1 is better for cramped interiors of cars, while for exterior shots, widescreen can show a panorama of the entire train.
  I remember seeing film of a dying John Huston on oxygen testifying before Congress against colorization of his & others' films.  I expect that he felt the same about cropping his widescreen films.
  I'm glad finally to have a 16x9 TV screen.  It eliminates letterboxing of the now standard 1.85: 1 & makes images in Cinemascope bigger.

Charles Bronson made a movie, the name of which eludes me, about a depression era guy who fights for money. Several scenes include freight cars, several of which were used way after the depression. If I recall, there was an "ICG" box car - the mergers took place thirty years after the start of the depression.

Quote from: WGL on November 25, 2008, 02:30:55 AM
  Prior to the 1950s, movies were 1.37: 1, a rather arbitrary choice, since humans' binocular vision is suited to a wider ratio.  TV screens at 1.33: 1 are slightly narrower than the old movie format.  Looking at credits, one will often see that a letter on each side of the screen is missing.
You probably know that Cinemascope was introduced to get people away from their TV screens & back into movie theaters.  The great directors compose each shot & don't like the ends lopped off to fill a TV screen.  In pan-&-scan, you often don't see the actors interacting, because one is lopped off the screen.  There's a scene in "How to Marry a Millionaire" in which two actors are conversing at a table; only their noses appear, but the lamp in the middle seems to be the focus.  I love letterbox.  When I watch "Desk Set," I want to see both Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn in the picture reacting to each other, as the director intended.  "Lawrence of Arabia" profits from ultra-widescreen format, while movies set mostly indoors are usually better filmed in 1.37: 1 or 1.85: 1
  For train scenes, 1.37: 1 is better for cramped interiors of cars, while for exterior shots, widescreen can show a panorama of the entire train.
  I remember seeing film of a dying John Huston on oxygen testifying before Congress against colorization of his & others' films.  I expect that he felt the same about cropping his widescreen films.
  I'm glad finally to have a 16x9 TV screen.  It eliminates letterboxing of the now standard 1.85: 1 & makes images in Cinemascope bigger.

Letterboxing doesn't bother me, but colorization of old B&W films. ...  >:(

I agree that colorization should not be performed on Old Black & White Movies. First of all very few people know for certain exactly what the real colors originally were . Secondly depending apon what type of black & white was originally used and how that film was lit would would significantly effect the contrast ratio of the picture. That is one reason all those color filters exist for both black & white & also color films .  The interaction of light with film stocks was dependent on color temperature and contrast ratios.

Also Directors are specialists , the narrower the speciality the more they think they Know Everything about Everything Else . Modest aren't they?

All this reminds me , I need a popcorn fix as well . So Good Evening!!!

Quote from: Jhanecker2 on December 02, 2008, 08:59:42 PM
I agree that colorization should not be performed on Old Black & White Movies. First of all very few people know for certain exactly what the real colors originally were . Secondly depending apon what type of black & white was originally used and how that film was lit would would significantly effect the contrast ratio of the picture. That is one reason all those color filters exist for both black & white & also color films .  The interaction of light with film stocks was dependent on color temperature and contrast ratios.

Also, I discovered that they once gave Academy Awards for set decoration for Black and White films. Though it has nothing to do with trains, one of my favorite old films, The Heiress, with Olivia deHavilland and Montgomery Clift, received an Oscar for Best Black and White sets. Can you imagine colorizing a film that actually won an Oscar because it was in Black and White?

 Some of the great directors preferred black & white as a more artistic medium than color--just as some great photographers did, like Ansel Adams, who photographed wild landscapes.

O Winston Link used Black and white film and used it very well in taking N&W railroad photos.

 I just watched "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3."  My favorite line is "How the hell do you expect me to run a railroad without swearing?"  :D

 We started watching "Cry Danger" (1951, with Dick Powell & ravishing redhead Rhonda Fleming) tonight.  The credits appear over the arrival of a SP Daylight passenger train in L.A.

 "Young Tom Edison" (1940) has some good footage of a 4-4-0 "American" Civil War era passenger train.

A couple nights ago I saw another western movie with a train, the writing on the tender?  Rio Grande Denver.  :D

Glad this is resurrected.

Tom Selleck as "Monte Walsh" is a good western.  He is the best of the modern cowboys, IMO.

This movie has a 10 wheeler and a fairly brief episode of some wheel slip, and what happens when the smoke stack is ripped off !

Anyone seen it ?

What about "A Train Of Events"? It was filmed on the LMS line in England. It also has a bloody good crash scene. They hade to use model trains for that part though ::)

note these are not in order. it is not all of the clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUw-p8gTe3M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqVUzjI7Nx4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02V77-OmVW0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10lnyGQKYgg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pna-Te8OlMg&feature=related

Quote from: panniertankboy8751 on June 24, 2009, 12:04:06 PM
What about "A Train Of Events"? It was filmed on the LMS line in England. It also has a bloody good crash scene. They hade to use model trains for that part though ::)

note these are not in order. it is not all of the clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUw-p8gTe3M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqVUzjI7Nx4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02V77-OmVW0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10lnyGQKYgg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pna-Te8OlMg&feature=related

Looks like a great movie! I watched all the parts and was amazed!

Cryin shame you can't find it nowa days.... even on ebay :o

Heres another one it's quite funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD0ZnNQ6GSo&NR=1
at the end all i here in my head is "Fail, Fail, EPIC FAIL"

Quote from: panniertankboy8751 on June 24, 2009, 02:15:19 PM
Cryin shame you can't find it nowa days.... even on ebay :o

Heres another one it's quite funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD0ZnNQ6GSo&NR=1
at the end all i here in my head is "Fail, Fail, EPIC FAIL"

Lol! Their was a chicken in the firebox! :D I remember  my grandpa telling me on MSTS to keep the speed at 3 M.P.H. or A. or gonna break a coupler or B. They will go flying down the line. Well apparently, someone was not fast enough/too fast. The switcher was too slow and the engine went too fast= OH NO!!!! Extra parts and that's it.  :o

Tonight, we were watching "Stand Up & Fight" (1939) with Robert Taylor & Wallace Beery.  It is set in 1844 & features an early locomotive with open passenger cars.  Nobody needs to smoke, because the engine gives them plenty of it.  On a hill, the locomotive loses power & goes backward.  The passengers must get out & push!

No one has yet mentioned a movie in which the train was practically part of the cast: High Noon.  We are aware of the approach of the train throughout the film and the tension reaches a very high level when we hear its whistle and it arrives at the station.  Outstanding western and an Oscar turn for Gary Cooper.

I know one full of trains

THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD!

Does that count?  ;D

Last night I discovered some good train sequences in a movie I hadn't expected to find them in: Young Tom Edison, from 1940, starring Mickey Rooney as the inventor of the light bulb as a boy.

I recognized V&TRR #19, the "Dayton," as a locomotive used in the film, and also one of the V&T's distinctive J.G. Brill passenger coaches. The other cars used in the passenger train were probably also V&T rolling stock, but the Brill car was easily recognizable by its unique roof line.

Not a movie, but my favorite TV show with a train in it....The Wild, Wild West.  :)

Unstoppable...a little far fetched but based on the real event in Pennsylvania...a little, ok alot outlandish but there is some great shots of modern trains, yards, turntable in this one...and better yet..has some SD40-2's!   ;D

Quote from: Doneldon on April 10, 2010, 08:56:06 PM
No one has yet mentioned a movie in which the train was practically part of the cast: High Noon.  We are aware of the approach of the train throughout the film and the tension reaches a very high level when we hear its whistle and it arrives at the station.  Outstanding western and an Oscar turn for Gary Cooper.

And that train was good ol' reliable Sierra #3.  ;)

(And High Noon is truly a classic film.)

I liked the more recent movie "Unstoppable".  Although physically highly improbable, I found it to be pretty accurate in the way the railroaders interacted in it.

I heard the management of my local Class One railroad took a dim view of the film, not because it made railroading look dangerous, but because it made railroad management look stupid.  If the shoe fits.....

Another movie I thoroughly enjoyed was "The end of the line."  This movie featured efforts by an engineer and fireman to save their failing short line.  Again, realistic crew interaction was the best part, although it was pretty funny when one of the characters shoots his Geep in despair.

The 1970's version of "The Silver Streak" has some great sight gags.  The best part is where the train goes crashing through Chicago Union Station.  The local Operations Manager refuses to avoid the destruction of the station by failing to derail the train.  He doesn't want to take responsibility.

Les

How about a movie that is a bit of a musical? The Harvey Girls, with Judy Garland, and the star of Murder She Wrote, Angela Lansbury.
Highlights the dangers of the old west and the Harvey Houses built by Mr. Harvey along the  A. T. & Santa Fe railroad.

Lee F.

This may have been mentioned above:  The Train, starring Burt Lancaster.  Set in Europe in the closing days of WWII, the train is loaded with great artworks looted by the retreating Germans.  The railroaders mean to keep the train from getting to Germany.  Another movie, considered one the great Westerns of all time, is Once Upon a Time in the West.  The railroad is a motivating factor in the plot, though there are few action scenes.  Filmed in Spain and directed by Sergio Leone of "spagetti western" fame.  Starred Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, among others.  There was also a made-for-TV movie starring James Stewart called Fool's Parade that featured SR No. 4501 painted in B&O black.  Stewart is a convict that has just been paroled and boards the train to head for freedom.  However, the local sheriff and the train crew have conspired to frame any freed convicts they pick up and send them back to jail.  Another film set in West Virginia is Matewan.  The story is of the battle between the coal companies and union organizers in the 1920's.  The story is based on real events, and most of it was filmed in Thurmond, WV.  Nickle Plate Berk 765 appears in some train scenes.  Finally, the film of Loretta Lynn's life, Coal Miner's Daughter, has a brief scene with CPR Royal Hudson 2716.  No. 4501 was supposed to be there, but it had been sidelined with mechanical problems and the Southern brought the 4-6-4 in for it's steam program back in the day.   

Does this count? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKbjnDkw57w
Check out the blazing firebox at 1:50  ;)

#1-Von Ryan's Express
#2-The Train
#3-Murder on the Orient Express
#4-Horror Express
#5-The Great Locomotive Chase 

Quote from: jbrock27 on March 26, 2013, 08:07:43 PM
#1-Von Ryan's Express
#2-The Train
#3-Murder on the Orient Express
#4-Horror Express
#5-The Great Locomotive Chase 

In my opinion, every trainlover's video library should include The Great Locomotive Chase, and also Buster Keaton's The General.

JBJ, I never saw The General.
Will have to check it out!

Check out "Danger Lights" if you can find it. This early talking movie features tons of Milwaukee Road engines. It was available on VHS (remember VHS?)                 

I have "Danger Lights" on VHS.  It has a good plot and acting, and the Milwaukee Road steam shots are great.
The only problem I have with it is it was taken from an old, scratchy original and not corrected.  So it is kind of hard to watch.

Les

Quote from: jbrock27 on March 27, 2013, 02:24:11 PM
JBJ, I never saw The General.
Will have to check it out!

You should! It's a classic.

Just be prepared for it being a silent movie.  ;)

"The General" is on my website.  You can see the only HD copy of the entire film there.
It's on the bottom of the PHOTOS page.

www.HeritageValleyRailroad.com

::)

Thanks for the suggestions boyz on The General and Danger Lights.

I should add, I also enjoyed Unstoppable and I like the original Taking of Pelham 1,2,3-the Robert Shaw, Walter Mathau '70's version.

I did some checking and "Danger Lights" is available on DVD from Amazon at $13.95. I have no idea of the quality.

In this film there is a head on wreck of two steam engines - it is quite a sight. The film was made in 1930 and was a challenge at the time because "talking" films were in their infancy and sound recording was difficult. There is always a hanging light or something on a table to conceal the mikes they used back then..

By the way - I saw no mention of the nineteen seventies TV movie - the Atomic Train - and that is a good thing!

I remember the train in the end of the movie "The man who shot Liberty Valance", when the conductor said something to the effect to Jimmy Stewart, " Senator, we will have you back in Washington in 4 days.  We'll push this baby right up to 25 miles per hour or bust her trying!"

Also, another Jimmy Stewart Civil War era movie, Shenendoah, they stopped a POW train, freed all the POW's and actually burned it just because it was a POW train.

Pops, thanks for the link to "The General"! Had not seen that movie before. That YouTube user has a lot of other movies part of public domain as well.

Also looking forward to seeing what progress you make on that "permanent" layout.

Tim - thanks for your kind comments. 
Glad I could add a little to your enjoyment.
I'm trying to keep my new website fun, so I have added a little "something" extra at the bottom of most pages.
I hope I've made it very easy to find your way around the site, and gave little "gifts" for those exploring.
However, it's my first attempt at building a website, so all comments are appreciated -
especially those left on my "Comments" page.

www.HeritageValleyRailroad.com

Pops :  Checked out your webpage and it looks great to me . Didn't have time to checkout all the optional stuff . it will give me a reason to look in again.  My  sister  , and some of our friends got into those ceramic villages big time the same time you did.  It resulted in some  Lionel purchases at our friends House .   When  I finally  clear out some room in the 'shop'  I  am going to have to continue to design and build  my layout .  John  II

Post script :   Have A Glorious  Easter .

There was a German/Italian film produced on the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 called

"STALINGRAD" there are some incredible train scenes. One Noteworthy which was

commented on was the scene where the German Unit depicted in the film is being transported by rail from southern Italy to Russia and when the train enters the tunnel

in Italy it exits a tunnel and it is in a blizzard on the "Eastern Front". I don't want to spoil the film for you you bond with the characters of this unit. My wife had tears in her eyes with this film and still brings it up in conversation occasionally!!!!!!!!!!

Trains magazine a few years ago had the 100 top Train movie's and "The Train" with Bert Lancaster was number one!!!

Also recently saw  the original "How The West Was Won" . There were many train scenes but the best was the shoot out on the "Gold Train" between Marshall George Preppard and Eli Stalingrad movie dated-- but still a good film!!

In the History Channel Series on the building of America there are a couple episodes

dealing with the creation of PRR and NYC and shows Rockefeller for the rat he was

BUT I always keep in mind the "slant" in films today. All these fellas were Sociopathic

in way or another. It seems Van Der Bilt had something of a conscience as he did a lot of philanthropic work.

Enemy at the Gates another STALINGRAD film has a few train scenes especially showing the wounded being evacuated.

Lawrence of Arabia- they blow up a bunch of trains. The thing about the movie the

Train with B. Lancaster they did wreck all those old steamers makes your heart cry.

I meant Eli Wallich some how the spell check eliminated a bunch of words!!!

Quote from: Woody Elmore on March 29, 2013, 08:14:24 AM
By the way - I saw no mention of the nineteen seventies TV movie - the Atomic Train - and that is a good thing!

:D :D The cheese hunt begins!...well,.. later maybe...  :D :D I love cheese. Thanks for a taste with that title W.E. ;D

Quote from: M1FredQ on March 31, 2013, 12:38:14 PM
All these fellas were Sociopathic in way or another. It seems Van Der Bilt had something of a conscience as he did a lot of philanthropic work.

Fred-

Sociopaths? Well, their behavior certainly had a distinctly sociopathic flavor, but I don't think they qualify as sociopaths in the professional meaning of the term. The diagnostic criteria are tied to illicit behavior and those guys either avoided outright criminality or had somebody else do the dirty work, so we probably can't apply the term to them. But then Al Capone was never convicted of anything worse than tax evasion and I doubt if anyone would argue the finer points of his psychiatric diagnosis. It's cautionary to remember in this context that many, approaching most, present-day professionals generate sociopathic looking psychological test protocols but that doesn't make them sociopaths. They are more like sociopathic the adjective than sociopath the noun.

The robber barons were all heavily involved in charitable/philanthropic activities. The Rockerfeller Foundation is one of the largest in the world. Same with Ford. Carnegie built hundreds of libraries in small towns all over the Eastern half of the country. I think they all wanted to do a bit of laundry on their legacies so they wouldn't be remembered as the unscrupulous, predatory mega-egos they were.

                                                                             -- D

I stand corrected and agree with what you write. Sociopathic is a better definition.

Of course we are not limited to just the "Rail-Lords". That could be a whole different topic on a different web page.

There is a great book on the topic "Sharks in Suits" written by 2 PHD's who studied the behavior for over 20 years. Forgot the names of the authors. It's a great read. It helps us appreciate "checks and balances' and why we need to be ever vigilant

Hope I didn't stray too far off topic

Speaking of leaving a railroad tunnel, remember Donald Southerland and his 3 Sherman tanks exiting the railroad tunnel and mistreating many Germans in Kelly's Hero's?  They were even playing "I've been working on the railroad" on their PA system.

One of my favorite movies!!!

It's actually taken from a true story but of course Hollywood took a lot of artistic license

Donald Sutherland-drinkin some wine, eatin some cheese and takin in some rays...Chill out Moriarty!!

Quote from: rbryce1 on April 01, 2013, 01:54:26 PM
Speaking of leaving a railroad tunnel, remember Donald Southerland and his 3 Sherman tanks exiting the railroad tunnel and mistreating many Germans in Kelly's Hero's?  They were even playing "I've been working on the railroad" on their PA system.

One of my favorite "off the wall" characters of all time. Right there with Jason Robards "Murry" in "1000 Clowns"

Speaking about eating how about Dan Aykroyds "hot dog train" in "Nothing but Trouble". Now that's a layout!

I vary vaguely remember seeing "The Atomic Train" way back when but don't remember much about the plot . Was an interesting concept that needed a lot more development .  John  II

Just saw an old movie on TCM called, "Strangers On A Train" pretty good film

they were using Madison Passenger cars

"The Train" with Bert Lancaster.

He actually was taught to drive a steam loco for this film.  No models were used for the railway scenes, those accidents were all real.  ;)

Aircraft scenes were not up to snuff.  When his locomotive gets strafed, they used an ME-108, a light two seater civilian and military aircraft as a stand in for what I guess is supposed to be a BF-109. 

Generally fairly accurate as well, unlike most movies.  :)

Quote from: jbrock27 on March 28, 2013, 06:53:18 PM
Thanks for the suggestions boyz on The General and Danger Lights.

Old Buster must have really loved trains. If you enjoyed the Keaton, try another, "Our Hospitality" has a working "Rocket" copy and stage coach style passenger cars in it. Just watching them begin the journey and you can see why these style of cars didn't last. Not as funny as the others but watching any working Stephenson engine is pretty darn cool.
Another silent one, this whole version, is written in English but also has French subtitles.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxMBpZbwubU

How come no one else has commented on "Horror Express" ?? :(

GG1 - thanks for the find.  Great old film. Had never heard of it before, and loved it!
::)

Okay.The Texas State Railroad was featured in a pair of mini series from the '90's:
(1)"Streets of Laredo".The official sequel to Larry mcMurtry's"Lonesome Dove".
Woodrow Call(James Garner)is hired by the railroad to hunt down train robber Joey Garza(Alexis Vega).Great scenes of Texas State RR freight and passenger equipment on the Texas Pacifico*(*Former South Orient,P&SF)Marfa-Presidio Line in West Texas.
(2)"Rough Riders".The TNT Mini Series about Teddy Roosevelt(Tom Beringer)and the Spanish American War.The Texas State RR is featured prominitely throughout it.

A few others:2010's"Unstoppable";the 2007 remake of"3:10 to Yuma";2008's"Appaloosa";2003'ssequel to"Gettysburg":"Gods and Generals".
Trains feature in two Chuck Norris movies:"Lone Wolf McQuade"from 1993 has a few scenes of the SP switching at Fort Bliss and 1995's"Firewalker"features the National Railways of Mexico.

Quote from: FlatoniaSubdivision1994 on April 07, 2013, 07:58:12 PM
2003'ssequel to"Gettysburg":"Gods and Generals".

FlatSub-

The relationship of these movies is more complicated than this. Michael Shaara wrote the first book, The Killer Angels, which was mainly about the battle of Gettysburg. Then his son, Jeff Shaara, wrote the prequel to The Killer Angels, Gods and Generals, which dealt with events leading up to Gettysburg. Later still, Jeff Shaara wrote the sequel or end of the Trilogy, The Last Full Measure, about what happened after Gettysburg. Michael Shaara won a deserved Pulitzer for his volume; Jeff Shaara didn't win any important prizes for his works. The Killer Angels is the book upon which the movie "Gettysburg" was based so the movie "Gods and Generals" was actually a prequel to Gettysburg.
                                                                                                                                                             -- D

They were suppose to make the third movie, but so far, never have.

Some good British ones are the Titfield Thunderbolt - an Ealing Comedy about some people trying to save their local railway, Couldn't find a suitable clip of the film but this one about the making gives a flavour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-pEqKxXkus

Another Ealing comedy is the Lady Killers 1955 version

Arthur Askey's "The Ghost Train" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj0u0jkYWHw There is rare shot of the Great western Railway's streamlined King Class loco just before the train is stopped.

Also Train of events: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUw-p8gTe3M & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFf7yB7ofQQ give just a taste.

Speaking of good British, good British actors, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing (not to mention American Telly Sevalas)  were in "Horror Express".  Has no one else seen that movie?!?

Quote from: jbrock27 on April 17, 2013, 09:50:17 PM
Speaking of good British, good British actors, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing (not to mention American Telly Sevalas)  were in "Horror Express".  Has no one else seen that movie?!?

I Don't remember it but will have to check that out.

For me to say it was "memorable" would be overselling it.  I did always enjoy watching it as a kid.  If you are into horror/scifi, it's worth a look, at least once anyway GG1. 

Is it just me or has this thread turned into let's name every
movie we've ever heard of that has a train in it? Or even the
sound of a train.
                           -- D

Yes, it has Doc.  And see Jonathan's separate post about the new movie "42", to your point.

Dr Zhivago has an Armored train in it. I don't think its "real" but still that black with a red boiler plate is mean lookin. Did this make the armored thread?

You mean the Axis steam loco thread?  Good question.  Since the Bachmann Overlords wiped out the thread, I would ask J3a-614, he would know.

I don't believe the "Doctor Zhivago" train was in that thread (the thread got deleted because the administrators were afraid there were viruses in the links), but here is material on the movie, including comments about the production.  Interestingly, the movie was mostly shot in Spain in the summer--including the winter scenes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Zhivago_(film)

Streinikov's train is being pulled by a made-up Spanish 2-8-2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hCczioWiZk

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAWrXTn5Www

This reminds me--it's not available in any clips on YouTube, but does anybody remember that there are some trolley scenes in "Doctor Zhivago," and that the sparks from the pole on the wire symbolize the first sparks of passion for its main characters?

Dr Zhivago had some GREAT train scenes. It's great movie overall as my son sophmore in High School was able to show the movie in his class as a sample of what it was like during the Bolshevik Revolution.

Enemy At The Gates has a Train scene in the beginning gives you an idea how Soviet Troops were transported during Stalingrad Campaign

I liked "Enemy At The Gates".

I liked "Enemy at the Gates", although I would not consider it a train movie.  What struck me concerning the trains was the difference between the train used by the Germans, and the train used by the Russians.  The Russian troop train was, to me, indistinguishable from the concentration camp trains used by the Germans.  The German train, on the other hand, looked to be the equivalent of an American passenger train of the day.

The treatment the Russians received at the hands of their own people was shocking.

Les

Les-

More than true. Stalin actually killed more of his own people than Hitler did, both through military action and in the Holocaust. Between 20 and 25 million Russians died during World War II, most of them by Stalin, although huge numbers were lost in combat and as many as three million more in German POW camps. And these are conservative numbers, figuring 50 million dead in the war. Some historians cite numbers in the range of 60 to 80 million dead and 30 or more million in the USSR (again, mostly due to Stalin against his own citizens).
                                                                                                                                  -- D

Les and Doc; yes, this is something a lot of folks don't realize about Stalin's USSR before the outbreak of WWII.
Many, many Ukrainians, welcomed the Nazi's with open arms when they initially invaded the Motherland.  I believe many of them even fought in German SS units!  Some Frenchmen were also in SS units.

jb-

There were large numbers of ethnic Germans in Ukraine, the result of some invited resettlement by the Tsar (I think) when there was insufficient native population to take full advantage of Ukraine's fertility. They were apparently resented by native Ukrainians (hardly a surprise) and never trusted by Russia, generally, so they weren't treated very well. They did, indeed, welcome the Wehrmacht as liberators. And with Hitler's talking about needing "space" for people to live (leibensraum or something like that), many of them expected they would be able to remain in a land which was now their home, but no longer as unwelcome aliens. They figured they would be top dogs once Germany annexed Ukraine.
                              -- D

North-West frontier, a classic tale of derring-do has a nice old British built shunter (switcher to you guys) and is almost entirely set on board the train. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053126/

I do note that so far no one has mentioned Under Seige 2: Dark Territory http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114781 a rubbish film but some nice RR action

A much better film is The Station Agent http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340377

Quote from: Skarloey Railway on May 13, 2013, 08:53:14 AM
North-West frontier, a classic tale of derring-do has a nice old British built shunter (switcher to you guys) and is almost entirely set on board the train. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053126/
I do note that so far no one has mentioned Under Seige 2: Dark Territory http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114781 a rubbish film but some nice RR action. A much better film is The Station Agent http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340377

I learned what shunting was many years ago from watching Thomas (I am a old "kid". Mr. Pan aint got nuttin on me!) Trains and George Carlin? Of course I loved it. In fact if crew talk is ever put into effect on Sodor, I hope its recordings of George, that would get my $. I watched a Station Agent Trailer. Very interesting. Under Siege,  ::)  :P If you cant say something nice.... :-X.....Oh heck with it, the desperation of Seigal(?) today sickens me. I don't think I could watch even if it had a refurbished GG1 pulling the train. Hungry for some corn?........  I hear Chuck Norris's tears can cure cancer! But no one can make him cry.

My kids All watched "Thomas" and my 2 little ones still will sit through an episode.

The George Carlin ones and Ringo Starr are the best in my opinion

Quote from: M1FredQ on May 16, 2013, 11:33:22 AM
My kids All watched "Thomas" and my 2 little ones still will sit through an episode.

The George Carlin ones and Ringo Starr are the best in my opinion

Carlins voice? I think I could have picked it out in a crowded dance bar. Never even noticed that was Ringo and his voice isn't exactly "common". Who's next? How about asking Rod Stewart? He is a HO train collector from what I hear.

"La Battaile du Rail" (France, 1946), is currently available on YouTube as a complete film, and subtitles are available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiWpolKBWXs

Like John Frankenhiemer's "The Train" from 1964, this film is about the resistance put up by employees of the French railway system.  In my opinion, it's even grittier than Frankenhiemer's film, which is saying a good deal.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Move over, Irwin Allen, "Bollywood" can make corny disaster movies, too, and they add lots of drama, romance, and musical numbers!  Actually, that's pretty typical of Indian cinema, including running times of almost three hours (I suspect a lot is due to the added musical numbers).

In reality, Indian cinema has a long tradition going back to at least the 1930s, and has had its own classics over the years.

Anyway, here's "The Burning Train."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4HQM-oNOWI&list=PL49C9181730DC294C

Bollywood is just plain fun ;D, and it seems like a train is in almost everything.

J3a

Thanks for the films!!!! We will watch them tonight or at least one!You are right about India they have a fairly large film industry with all sorts of subjects

Glad people here seem to like the movies I turn up.

Here's one for the traction crowd: "La Ilusion Viaja en Tranvia", or "Illusion Travels By Streetcar" (Mexico, 1953), directed by Luis Buñuel (who was known for some surreal, and shocking, experimental movies, but was also considered a director with an enormous influence in film).

http://www.google.com/search?q=luis+bunuel&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=ubuntu&channel=fs

The caption service for some reason doesn't work very well; the captions don't make sense.  I suspect it's some sort of language translation program, not proper subtitles.
In any event, here's link to a review and synopsis of the film, followed by a link to the film itself:

http://grunes.wordpress.com/2007/02/02/illusion-travels-by-streetcar-luis-bunuel-1953/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whdmRXPTHiY&playnext=1&list=PLB2C16FD51CA3D64B&feature=results_main

Here is an American classic from the 1930s:

"Danger Lights"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3Tm0oCQjpg

This one's not available as a single piece nor as a playlist, so I have to list it in parts, which are in sequence--"Other Men's Women," a sort of soap-opera love triangle with a railroad setting.  Check out the young James Cagney and an equally young Joan Blondell in supporting roles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mdzhxsQMQ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPUU7XS77H0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6p0mUNlHE4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBJoaA0QteE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD5w6yULXTk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh5RYGzXrNs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCE3GGay1ls

The movie also predates the Hayes censorship code, so there is some treatment of adultery and some slightly risque dialogue, keep in mind though that this is the early 1930s. . . Still adequately "family friendly" in my opinion.

More to come as we wait for these to be seen and digested. . .

I am surprised there's not more mention of "The Station Agent".
There is trainwatching, train chasing, the main character lives in a railroad station and at the beginning he is working in a Model Railroading store!
Check it out.
Chuck
Also, the star of the movie plays Tyrion on HBO's popular "Game Of Thrones".

J3a

Thankss for the movies. I am heading out of town and my friends and I have some entertainment to pass whatever free time we get

Well, here's another one, "Night Train" (Poland, 1959).  Again, not in a single piece or a playlist, so its sections have to be listed seperately:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On8pUcJzMUQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wOPZfpm4lM&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfBTbLeY-PM&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHAt8wK8atY&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP0QJljGCxQ&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fq6_zuVuk0&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYFW6h-vBPo&feature=relmfu

Some time back, there was a discussion on Railway Preservation News about an old TV series, "Casey Jones," from 1958.  A lot of the episodes are linked on that page, which is linked below:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29766

Hope those links still work.

J3a

Finally got around to watching some of those other movies really well done and saw the info on Casey Jones

it always amazes me how much is NOT taught to our kids. I feel I have to be follow up teacher to my kids!!!
Thanks again for some great film I didn't know existed!!!!!!!!

I remember watching "Casey Jones" on TV back in the 1950s...never missed an episode. About 3 or 4 years ago I bought the first 18 episodes of the show on eBay. My wife and I watched all 18 (she never knew the existence of the show before) and thoroughly enjoyed each one. This was good television...where has it gone?

We finally got the opportunity to watch "Runaway Train" (we aren't movie 'goers') and were absolutely enthralled by the movie. Both of us were on the edges of our seats until the very end. The various subplots were well done; and I thought the characters well developed. I highly recommend this movie.

Ray

I can just about remember Casey Jones but we didn't get until the 1970s in Britain.

Not sure if you have these ones in the states:

The first Great Train Robber 1979, with Donald Sutherland and Sean Connery set in Victorian England I believe it was actually shot in Ireland! Sorry cannot find it on the net

There is also the Titfield Thunderbolt about some Villagers trying to save and run their local railway which was threatened with closure sadly no full versions on the net

Then there is Arthur Askey's The Ghost Train. Some excellent shots of The Great Western Railway early on (Although set in 1941 I think railway shots are much earlier probably pre war):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj0u0jkYWHw

Emperor of the north, the titfeild thunderbolt, paradise express, danger lights, silver streak, bridge on the river kwai, Von Ryan's express, and last but not least THE TRAIN!