What’s your favorite? My personal choices are “The Emperor of the North Pole” with Lee Marvin as #1 hobo, battling Ernest Borgnine, bad-*** freght conductor, and “The Train”, with Burt Lancaster,saving French art from the retreating ***.
We went through this a few months back, but yeah, the consensus seemed to favor Emporer of the North Pole. As a subway freak, I liked The Taking of Pelham 123.
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?
I’ll toss my hat in for The Polar Express.
Oh, not all over again! This stuff sure gets repeated regularly. Boring.
Bob Boudreau
Ken Larsen
That’s the one I remember, but can’t think of the name. Ben Johnson was the chase engineer. I’ve never seen the movie again on TV or video rentals.
Jon - Las Vegas
“De Wissel Wachter” or in English “The Pointsman”
From the back of the cover…
“***1/2 A most unconventional and beautiful film.” - New York Post
" Poetic, romantic, disturbing… Visually it’s a stunner." -The Hollywood Reporter
Internationally renowned, award-winning director Jos Stelling (The Illusionist) brings to life a stunning portrait of the intricate complexities of human relationships.
In the dead of winter, a beautiful woman mistakenly alights from a train in the Scottish Highlands, only to find a isolated railway outpost the only shelter for miles. There she meets The Pointsman, a quirky, mysterious recluse, and sole inhabitant of the building. As a string of wierd yet comical events keep her “prisoner” there, a strange friendship developes, transcending all cultural and language barriers. But as the seasons pass, the ill-fated friendship explodes with unexplored emotions and unexpressed desires.
Their words folks, not mine!
In my words, It’s a trip!
KEN, I saw a movie somewhat similar to that., but I don’t think it was the one.
These smugglers were trying to smuggle an atomic bomb on this freight to Denver from like, the Midwest. It gets up into the Rockys, and it loses it’s brakes. The officials say they can’t stop it and there going to crash it on the outskirts of Denver. One of the smugglers snaps and tells everyone. Then this guy commands these two helpers to try and stop it. But they can’t get it stopped. So there is one grade before Denver. They almost stop the train. But the helpers don’t know and they smash right through the caboose and accidently shove it down the grade. It hits a sharp turn, derails,blows up, and annihilate Denver! It was pretty cool. It was called “Atomic Train”.
The original “Silver Streak,” was made in the 1930’s and the plot was getting a special serum (drug) to save the lives of people with a rare disease. The “Star” of the movie is the C.B. & Q. Zephyr (articulated streamlined consist) which has the “high ball” between the two cities for the emergency delivery. The action shots, for that time, were sensational. The movie was very old when I saw it on early T.V. (1950’s). As I recall, the acting was laughable, plot was preposterous and the “effects” were great considering its’ age. Probably, it isn’t available anymore.
The later “Silver Streak” (comedy) with Eddy Murphy had an awesome wreck scene at the end but too little train action over-all.
Was that the same Ben Johnson who was banned from sprint competition for using roids? No wonder that guy was the Chaser!!! [(-D]
Ah, back to this, again, are we? Well, as a Classic Film buff, I nominate:
THE TRAIN
UNION PACIFIC
WHISPERING SMITH’
A TICKET TO TOMAHAWK
DENVER AND RIO GRANDE
Saw EMPEROR OF THE NORTH–great train shots, but awfully foggy Oregon countryside. Borgnine’s a mean SOB, though–lots of fun.
Tom[:P][:P]
Thomas the Tank Engine
Unless they’ve made another “Silver Streak”, the one you are referring to starred Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, not Eddie Murphy.
Rob
Once Upon a Time in the West
finally released last year on dvd 
I personally liked the great train robbery. Then again I seem to love anything that Sean Connery does. Donald Sutherland is also a fovorite and Lesley-Anne Down finished out the set of three nicely. As a side note this marks my hundredth post I just wish I could have found another DCC question to answer instead. Whats life without the fun topics anyway.
Jesse
“The Train” with Burt Lancaster
bibfortuna yes, you are absolutely correct; they have NOT made another “Silver Streak.” Once in a while, I suspect that few folks read the previous responses before sending a reply. I’m happy to know that I was wrong about that too. Good going bibfortuna!
Silver Streak with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor was great especially when they crashed the train into the station just like the real PRR GG-1 which crashed into Union Station in Washington, DC. It had good railroad scenery and plenty of interior details of the passenger cars and the engine. The plot was good and Wilder and Pryor were hilarious. I have watched it many times over.
I too saw that Denver ski train movie many years ago on TV, but don’t know the name of it.
My two favorite train movies were Runaway Train with Jon Voight (about an escape from an Alaskan prision ) and Switchback with Dennis Quaid and Dannny Glover (an FBI agent looking for his son ends up on a Denver to Oakland freight).
I highly recommend both.
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.