I vaguely remember this train movie from when I was a kid years ago. It was on TV, so it might be a made-for-TV movie. I think it was a passenger train on it’s last run with a steam engine that lost it’s brakes and was headed downgrade for quite some time. They tried to stop the train but could only slow it. I remember one scene where the engineer is looking out the window and sees a bunch of wild horses and gets an idea to get a new diesel locomotive to race up to its rear, couple up and slow it down. I remember the diesel locomotive was mostly silver in colour. The passenger train races by the diesel on a siding, after the passenger passes they throw the switch and diesel races after it. It takes a few tries to get the coupler pin to drop, but it does work and the train comes to a stop at the station, something like that. Anyone remember one like this?
I remember the movie from the story line you mentioned–the wild horses were the tipoff. However, my recollection does not include a steam locomotive, nor the name of the movie.
Off hand I don’t remember the horses, but the rest of the plot sounds like the movie “Runaway” from about 1973.
It didn’t involve a steam engine though. It was about a ski train returning to Denver that lost it’s brakes. The engine that chases it down was silver.
Shot on the D&RGW, the units were painted up for the fictional Sierra Pacific IIRC. For a TV movie, or any movie involving trains for that matter, I thought it pretty good.
Jeff
PS The more I think about it, I’m starting to remember the horses too.
This might help
Yep, your right, no steam engine. I think I saw this about 25 years ago, memory is mushy at best. Anyway, “Runaway” is the answer, from 1973! Great, thanks for the help. There are a bunch of clips of it on YouTube!
The actor who portrayed the locomotive engineer - Ben Johnson, a good choice too, for that role - started as a ranch hand and rodeo performer, and went on to have a long and illustrious career in Western and cowboy movies with horses. See - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424565/ Perhaps that’s where the idea for that wild-horses tie-in came from.
- Paul North.
Runaway! was the movie you were thinking of. I got it on DVD off eBay a few years ago, and it’s also up on YouTube. Wasn’t too bad for a TV movie. Thought they did a good job with talking about the air in the train brakes, calling the signals, etc.
Kevin
Come to think of it, Johnson did star a role in a flick that did involve a steam train running down a mountain grade w/ no operative brakes. He may have played a role as a private detective but don’t quote me on that. I remember watching the movie but cannot recall the name. In regards to 'Runaway" I too thought that was a good production and Johnson played the role of engineer perfect. Back about 25 yrs ago, KFDI radio in Wichita brought Johnson out for a promo at a local car dealer. I met him in person, got the autographed photo and stated to him I enjoyed the Runaway movie. He said that was one of his favorites he worked and he did have a interest in Trains. He was a nice, cool dude and I’m glad I had the chance to meet up w/ him.
Does anyone know the name of the movie tha wilford brimley was in? I think it was about them taking their train to washington to protest the shut down of their railroad?? Or something like that
Ben Johnson was also the conductor in the movie Terror Train which had a steam locomotive in it. Not sure how it was still running after the engineer and fireman disappeared.
The Wilford Brimley movie was End of the Line.
Kevin
I was somewhat disappointed with the latest Trains extra “100 Greatest Train Movies”. I think they should have called it, “100 Movies with some Trains in it”.
Terror Train
Runaway
Tough Guys
End of the Line
…are a few that should have made a list of 100 “Train Movies”.
SF Brakeman:
Regarding Ben Johnson and the steam locomotive–he did play in a nifty Charles Bronson western called BREAKHEART PASS, that featured ex-Great Western 2-8-0 and was filmed on the Camas Prairie line in Idaho. He turned out to be the villain. Neat western though, with some really good railroad photography.
And of course, Johnson was also involved in that smashing good train-robbery sequence along with William Holden and Ernest Borgnine in Sam Peckinpah’s THE WILD BUNCH.
I like Johnson a lot–he was a darned good actor, IMO.
Tom
My dad got to know Ben Johnson in the '60s because a frien of Ben’s was a friend of my grandfather’s. Later, I got to meet him about a year before he passed away. He was a great guy.
8 minutes of Mr. Joseph Young, who made Ben Johnson famous. Some Ben, some Robert Armstrong, but mostly Terry. Beautiful Dreamer, wake unto me, starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee.
Terry Moore was still a babe when she did a poster at the age of 53, back around 1980.