Railroad Forums 

  • Railroads In The Movies, Part II

  • Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.
Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.

Moderator: Aa3rt

 #818780  by jaystreetcrr
 
"Bound for Glory" a Woody Guthrie biopic from the mid 70s, has numerous scenes of freight trains with double headed steam and a lot of hobo scenes.
Years ago I saw the John Ford 1925 silent film "The Iron Horse" about the building of the transcontinental line and remember it as fairly authentic despite some hokey Indian raids, etc.
And then my alltime fave, "The General" with Buster Keaton! I understand he was a train buff and went to a lot of trouble to find a line and trains to work with in Oregon. Those stunts are crazy dangerous...no wonder Jackie Chan cites him as a big influence. Rent this now if you haven't seen it...there's a great restored version with the Alloy Orchestra soundtrack that I saw on TCM.
 #838665  by atsf sp
 
Inception has multiple scenes with trains in it. A random GP9 runs down the middle of the street. A new PHL engine is used in another scene, and a UP freight is shown at the end for multiple frames.
 #838848  by railfan365
 
The mentions of Buster Keaton make me think of a scene in one film (I don't remember which film) in which Buster's car s stuck on a railroad crossing where he pushes it to safety just in time to avoid a passing train. The kicker is that a locomotive on the other track comes along and hits the car.
 #840979  by kaitoku
 
atsf sp wrote:Inception has multiple scenes with trains in it. A random GP9 runs down the middle of the street. A new PHL engine is used in another scene, and a UP freight is shown at the end for multiple frames.
Don't forget a 500 series trainset on the Tokaido Shinkansen, as well as a 700 series crossing the Fuji River.
 #858911  by kaitoku
 
The preview for the upcoming (Dec. release) movie "The Tourist" has a brief shot of a Trenitalia ETR500 running through the countryside:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxDIlBwq ... eo-display

More, including (real or otherwise interior shots) plus a nice overhead view of the approach to Venice Santa Lucia Station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XtbLezJtMg&feature=fvwk
 #859080  by kaitoku
 
In the action/comedy "Knight and Day", a scene supposedly of the Orient Express in the Austrian Alps- the locomotive is clearly an electric, but one of the characters (who is a railfan) taking a cab ride says it's a diesel hydraulic.
 #892520  by ex Budd man
 
'From The Terrace" An early Paul Newman film begins in Reading Terminal with a G-3 pacific. Later on Newman's character goes to a 'coal town' in Pennsylvina on buisness with train passing in the background.

'The Flim-Flam Man" with George C. Scott in the lead role. A depression era setting with an old con man showing the ropes to a 'wannabe'. In one scene they drive on the rails in an old touring car and get chased by a train.

'The Greatest Show on Earth' has many scenes of circus trains pulled by steam and PRR G's, not to mention the spectacular wreck at the end.

The sci-fi classic "Them" has great background scenes of a freight yard with (I think) a Lima switcher and a scene of box car broken into for sugar.

"Throw Mamma from the train" with Danny Davito, a comedy featuring a train near the climax.

Can't think of any more right now.
 #892609  by 3rdrail
 
"Viva Maria" with Bridgitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau (reason enough for watching !)has some nice steam segments in mountainous terrain inside and out, either in Mexico or Steamtown, CA.
 #898072  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Seeing an ad during the Super Bowl for the upcoming movie "Fast Five", it appears there will be a railroad scene or two within such.
 #912464  by scharnhorst
 
doctor zhivago is another movie that comes to mind if you have an interest in movies about the Russian Revolution.

Force 10 From Navarone come to mind and also shows some trains during post WWII Occupied Yugoslavia

King Solomon's mines (1985 version)

Jewel of the Nile shows an ALCO Locomotive in Egypt
 #912522  by 3rdrail
 
I just scanned this thread briefly, so please forgive if this has already been mentioned, but has anyone mentioned Narrow Margin ? I think that there might have been a re-make or two, but I saw the release with Gene Hackman and Anne Archer circa 1990. The whole movie takes place on a Canadian train in the mountains. An excellent movie as well, if you haven't seen it, check it out !
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 04&bih=597
 #934420  by 3rdrail
 
Watched "The Last Embrace" with Roy Scheider tonight on THIS TV. There's a few nice scenes of Penn Central (EX-NH) FL9 No. 5049. I think that it's on the Hudson Line - you MN fans will know for sure. It's painted up in that yellow/blue scheme and almost takes out Roy in an early sequence in the movie. I enjoyed the movie itself as it starred my two favorite actors Roy and Christopher Walken. Additionally, train buff and Lionel modeler Mandy Patinkin has a cameo as a train passenger (appropriately) early on, also. Wasn't as good as "Narrow Margin" in the Canadian Rockies with Gene Hackman, but still a good flic.
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