Railroad related Movies

Well after seeing the Sci-Fi posts on train/movies, and Lotus with the John Wayne movie post, I am wondering what movies are out there that are based around the railroads, be it a John Wayne type or old western with lots of trains. I am an old movie buff, was doing a start of a large DVD collection, currently have about 500+ but think I will start weeding out the [tdn] movies.

So if you know, please post what movies you have seen that are big on trains, maybe tell a little about the plot and what you would have given it?

[tup][tup] or [tdn][tdn]

Thanks

Kansas Pacific was a pretty good one about building the railroad to the west during (actually just prior to) the Civil War. I’d give it a [tup] or two.

“The Great Locomotive Chase” and “Denver & Rio Grande.”

The first is about the hijacking of “The General” by Union troops in Georgia during the Civil War, and the second is about the Royal Gorge War in 1878. Neither is perfectly accurate, but both are very enjoyable for the railfan.

“Emporer of the North” Filmed on the old OP&E back in 1972. Stars Ernest Borgnine & Lee Marvin. Set during the depression, Lee Marvin plays a hobo determined to ride the train of a very sadistic conductor played by Borgnine. Very good!!!

The Station Agent http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340377/

One of my wifes co-workers suggested it after hearing about my layout.

It is a great movie but there are no explosions or aliens or meteors. A train buff’s best (only) friend dies and leaves him an abandoned train station in New Jersey.

It was one of my all time favorites before I had seen the ending. Here is a small sample of the dialog.

Finbar McBride: Well, there are people called train chasers. They follow a train and they film it.
Olivia Harris: Are you a train chaser?
Finbar McBride: No.
Olivia Harris: How come?
Finbar McBride: I don’t know how to drive a car. And I don’t own a camera.
Olivia Harris: That’d do it.

That movie rings a bell.

Danger Lights, from the classic 30s was filmed on the Milwaukee, good steam footage. I have a second pick who’s title escapes me at the moment featuring the SP, filmed in the LA area in the early 30s, Plot is of a rival RR attempting a take over, they devise an sinister plot to derail trains and force said RR in bankruptcy, trickery is used to cover the pre planned derailments under the guise of a haunted locomotive being responsible for the wrecks, suffice to say their efforts fail in the end with all culprits being exposed.

Southern Pacifc wrote, directed, filmed and scored the music for "This is my railroad " a salute to the end of the war, first fim was released in 1946 as a reminder to the public and Employees that SP was ready to tackle the future with vigor . SP produced a second film under the same title 1951 to keep the public up to date on new technology, such as dieselization.
Not generally known now, SP once operated its own film studios in San Francisco and Burbank.
Union Pacific, wrote, directed,filmed “Last of the giants” in 1959 . A salute to the Big Boy
Like SP, UP also operated a movie studio in Omaha .

They don’t make them like they used to.

Dave

Do a search here and you’ll find other threads about this topic. How 'bout Von Ryan’s Express or Silver Streak?

Cary Grant isn’t John Wayne, but he appeared on the Twentyth Century in North by Northwest, and Paul Newman and good old what’s his name again on the Century in the Sting? Not a great deal of railfan type of footage, but trains played a role.
Will

Gotta vote for “Von Ryan’s Express”, “Atomic Train”, and “Polar Express”

It wasn’t a train movie, but as Mongo put it did “have something to do with where Choo Choo go” Blazing Sadles.
( almost lost a perfectly good $42 hand cart!) To this day I can’t say the word NEAR without it sounding like two syllables in my head.[:D][:D][:D]

P.S. What was the movie with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas where they robbed the same train twice? I loved the line- Nobody robs trains anymore!
Burt- Obviousely you’ve been misinformed…

Tough Guys, produced by Disney, featuring SP 4449 in the supporting role.

Dave

Toccata for Toy Trains
The Train
Breakheart Pass
Union Pacific
…and many others

“Runaway Train” : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089941/

Is an excellent flick about two cons trapped on a train without a driver or breaks. The plot sounds hokey but the movie is very good. John Voigt and Eric Roberts were both nominated for Academy Awards (best actor and best supporting actor respectively). It also got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture.

Best train movie I’ve ever seen.

THE TRAIN with Burt Lancaster as a French railroad official trying to stop a train-load of priceless French art from being taken to Germany right before the liberation of Paris. A real chew-your-knuckles action adventure with some incredible photography of French railway equipment. Great film. Five stars.

A TICKET TO TOMAHAWK–nifty western comedy with Dan Dailey and Anne Baxter about a train having to travel through the Colorado Rockies in the 1870’s to the town of Tomahawk to fulfill its charter. Only one problem–half the track hasn’t been laid, yet. Funny and exciting, with a scene-stealing little narrow-gauge locomotive (ex-Rio Grande Southern 4-6-0 #20) called the “Emma Sweeney” and given one of the best paint jobs you’ll ever see on a period locomotive. Richard Sales directed, he was a well-known train buff in the '40’s and '50’s, and the film is funny, charming and really exciting. Five stars.

NIGHT PASSAGE–exciting Jimmy Stewart western. He’s a railroad man hauling the payroll to end of track. His brother, Audie Murphy is a notorious train-robber. Lots of action and some incredibly gorgeous train photography filmed along the Silverton Line in Colorado in the Fall. Good, solid film. Four stars.

THE GENERAL–not only one of the great silent movie comedies, but one of the best Civil War movies ever made, and featuring great period locomotives and trains. The trains perform almost as many and dangerous stunts as the leading man, Buster Keaton. Simply a film masterpiece. Five stars.

UNION PACIFIC–corny as Hell, but a BIG and exciting western from Cecil B.DeMille. Joel McCrea is a troubleshooter for the UP as it builds west during the 1860’s. Robert Preston is a gambler in the “Hell on Wheels” towns that spring up along the rail-head, Barbara Stanwyck is the engineer’s daughter they both love. Gunfights, bar-room brawls, Indian attacks and train-wrecks abound in this long, but very entertaining film. Period railroad equipment is from the