favorite overall movie: top gun (sorry no trains)

what about u guys? favorite train movie?
fav non train movie?

Amtrak288
Member posted 07-04-2003 05:01 AM               
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Back To The Future - Part 3 comes to mind as a big one. They use a steam train to push the DeLorian to 88 mph with Presto Logs! Another one would be Best Friends with Goldie Hawn & Burt Reynolds, An Amtrak Train arrives into Buffalo Central Terminal, I'll mention that one since I'm from Western NY!
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Gilbert B Norman
Member posted 07-04-2003 05:15 AM               
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"North by Northwest"; also probably the most accurate (lapses, of course)one ever filmed.
Honorable mention: (accurate clips totaling one monute) "Man in the Gray Flannel Suit"
Second Honorable Mention: "Bad Day at Black Rock" (great footage; not very accurate).
[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 07-04-2003).]
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dcfan
New Member posted 07-04-2003 05:38 AM            
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- The opening scenes of "Hello Dolly" with Pennsy 1223 and the Strasburg coaches running down the Hudson River Valley.
- "The Sting" Card game in the drawing room. Night shots of the model train.
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RRRICH
Member posted 07-04-2003 05:53 AM               
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I like the 2 James Bond movies that have some footage on trains -- "From Russia With Love" has scenes on the Orient Express, and "Octopussy" has a scene on a train in some country in Asia, I believe.
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royaltrain
Member posted 07-04-2003 07:50 AM            
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I'm particularly fond of Double Indemnity, with Fred Macmurray on the rear platform of a steam train from Los Angeles to San Francisco (the Lark maybe?). Of course there are also The Lady Vanishes and Strangers on a Train--both excellent.
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foamer13
New Member posted 07-04-2003 10:21 AM               
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No contest, Uncle Buck! It's "The Emperor of the North Pole", with Lee Marvin as the wily hobo hero, Ernest Borgnine as the sadistic freight conductor, and Keith Carradine as the phoney wannabe. Authentic, non-stop action! Bloody, savage fights on moving trains! Scalding accidents! An unforgetable ending scene! As a former hopper of trains myself, I love this movie, own it, and watch it periodically. Number 2 favorite: "The Train", with Burt Lancaster saving French art from the retreating Nazis in WWII.
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jimmymac
Member posted 07-04-2003 10:52 AM               
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I am surprised that no one has mentioned "Von Ryan's Express" with Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard. I aslo like the orignal "The Lady Vanishes" from 1939? not the remake with Sybil Sheppard. There was another good train movie from the 1930's with Robert Armstrong and Louis Wolhiem. I can't remember the name of it.
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Amtrak288
Member posted 07-05-2003 04:19 AM               
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How about "Narrow Margin" with Gene Hackman? I believe a large chunk of the movie takes place on a Via Rail Train somewhere in Western Canada, great movie!
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gibg
New Member posted 07-05-2003 07:40 AM            
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Second on "Narrow Margin" (Gene Hackman and Ann Archer). The surprises came freqently, and the final chase on top of the train was a real winner. I thought it was shot on BC
Rail. It was also a remake of a 1950's flick
with Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor (same title) with a similar (but not completely identical) plot
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whistler
New Member posted 07-05-2003 06:49 PM               
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The Railrodder with Buster Keaton. Okay so not really a train but still one of the great railroading movies.
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irish1
Member posted 07-05-2003 07:13 PM               
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how about an oldie also called silver streak. it was about the the original burlington zepher trying to get medical supplies from chicago to denver on time to save someones life.
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The Copper Country Limited [Milwaukee Road] and the Peninsula 400 [CNW} still my favorites
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mrhall53
New Member posted 07-06-2003 08:47 PM               
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How about "Murder on the Orient Express?"
Otherwise, I'd go with "Silver Streak" and "Narrow Margin."
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UncleBuck44
Member posted 07-07-2003 06:20 AM               
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Yes but which Silver Streak Mrhall53
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SteveD
Member posted 07-07-2003 08:06 AM               
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Made such an impact I can't even remember the title, but used SARTC for "Salinas" and other O.C. footage!
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stlboomer
New Member posted 07-07-2003 02:22 PM               
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Oh, let's not forget "Breakheart Pass" (1975) with Charles Bronson.
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irish1
Member posted 07-07-2003 03:56 PM               
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i forgot about the the first superman movie with c. reeve when he saves what i believe is the coast starlight by using his body in place of a broken rail in the earthquake scene.
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The Copper Country Limited [Milwaukee Road] and the Peninsula 400 [CNW} still my favorites
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foamer13
New Member posted 07-07-2003 07:29 PM               
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Does anyone remember "3:10 to Yuma"?
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mrhall53
New Member posted 07-08-2003 07:42 PM               
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The Gene Wilder "Silver Streak," Unclebuck44. Haven't seen the other one. And "Orient Express" isn't out on DVD, darn it.
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mrhall53
New Member posted 07-08-2003 07:56 PM               
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The Gene Wilder "Silver Streak," Unclebuck44. Haven't seen the other one. And "Orient Express" isn't out on DVD, darn it.
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UncleBuck44
Member posted 07-08-2003 08:33 PM               
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Superman is ineligible for this because it was in the movie for about 30-45 seconds.
I'm not sure if they used the Coast Starlight for this movie or just put together a train.
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RRRICH
Member posted 07-09-2003 04:40 AM               
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I have a 1992- or 1993-vintage video about the AMTRAK Surf Line (route of the Pacific Surfliners) produced by Video Rails -- in the video, they obviously feature the old "San Diegans" with the F40PH's, but they also document where a scene in a movie called "Triple Indemnity" was filmed with an actor "falling off the train" as it crossed one of the lagoons down by Oceanside -- of course, they made up a train for the movie, but I am wondering if anyone has seen this movie "Triple Indemnity" -- if so, who stars in it? Is the movie any good? (is it worth finding a video of and watching?)
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MPALMER
Member posted 07-09-2003 11:33 AM            
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Eligible: Under Siege: Dark Territory (SP/DRGW in the Rockies). Ignore the story line; great train pictures.
Semi-eligible: Mission Impossible I: a/k/a Implausible: chunnel train, with the catenary edited out (chasing helicopter needed the room)
Not eligible: In Cold Blood: brief scenes of ATSF diesel streamliners flying through Kansas
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20th Century
Member posted 07-10-2003 05:41 AM            
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Can't recall the name of the movie. I was watching it late one night on TV. Two passenger trains: one was a std. pullman of 30's/40's era and the other was a streamliner of the 40's/50's era. The movie might have been made in the 1940's or very early 50's. Joan Crawford was one of the main characters. It seems the story line involved characters on both trains with close schedules which were traveling in the same direction. It was filmed in black and white. I wish I could remember more. It was a good display of rail travel 50 or 60 years ago. That's why I enjoyed it. Did a search on google, but couldn't find the name of the movie. The scenes shifted from one train to the other. I was very tired so I never watched the whole film.

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irish1
Member posted 07-10-2003 06:31 AM               
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maybe superman is elgible because there was also a scene earlier in the movie with a teenage superman racing a passenger train on the kansas praire.also all the scenes underneath grand central station like when the cop gets killed by a new haven deisel.
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The Copper Country Limited [Milwaukee Road] and the Peninsula 400 [CNW} still my favorites
[This message has been edited by irish1 (edited 07-10-2003).]
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vincen47
Member posted 07-10-2003 12:17 PM               
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It seems like there are very few quality movies with train scenes in recent years.
The Fugitive (Harrison Ford) is a great film.
On the other side, when a train gets a leading role, like in Under Seige II, the movie is terrible.
(Good train footage, though)
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coach34135
Member posted 07-10-2003 01:41 PM               
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Well it doesn't involved Amtrak, but I like Union Pacific, that was a cute old movie. Some fun steam shots.
I would rather see a movie called Santa Fe since my great gramma grew up on the ATSF work trains.
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vincen47
Member posted 07-10-2003 05:39 PM               
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Any significant Amtrak appearances on the big screen?
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Ira Slotkin
Member posted 07-10-2003 11:45 PM               
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Perhaps stretching a bit - there's "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3". It's about a subway train, but it is a train and I thought an exciting movie. And I have even grown fond of my 5 year old's Thomas the Tank Engine adventure: Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Model and steam and animated trains.
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coach34135
Member posted 07-11-2003 12:02 AM               
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Whats the so-so flick some bad guys hijaced a train, all I remember are the high nose locos and the one last bad guy who redeemed himself and died when they derailed the train. he was like standing on the cab with his arms out. some nice shots of trains in it. no wait was there a high nose?? there was an f series unit on the consist in this movie.
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RRRICH
Member posted 07-11-2003 04:35 AM               
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To Vincen47 - many years ago there was a film called "Honeysuckle Rose," starring Willy Nelson, and there was a scene of an AMTRAK train racing along a road across the prairie -- I believe the train was the Texas Eagle.
Also it seems that in one of the better recent movies (maybe "You've Got Mail"?) there were scenes of AMTRAK trains.
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irish1
Member posted 07-11-2003 05:26 AM               
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that movie was called runaway train with jon voit and eric roberts and a very good looking rebecca demornay in alaska. i believe there was also a movie by the same name with ben johnson about a ski train with no breaks coming down the mountain. one movie with alot of amtrak was called DISASTER ON THE COASTLINER with william shatner about an l.a. san fran train being hijacked with the vice-presidents wife on board. not bad if your a train lover.
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The Copper Country Limited [Milwaukee Road] and the Peninsula 400 [CNW} still my favorites
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trainman1
Member posted 07-11-2003 12:22 PM               
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quote:
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Originally posted by Ira Slotkin:
Perhaps stretching a bit - there's "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3". It's about a subway train, but it is a train and I thought an exciting movie.
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I really like this one, too. It's very technically accurate.
Another train film I have a soft spot for is a '50s B-movie called "The Rebel Set," in which a gang of beatniks and other ne'er-do-wells robs an armored car while changing trains in Chicago on a trip between L.A. and Newark. I've only seen it as an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" some years back, which should tell you that it's definitely not the best train film ever made. (For example, the scenes involving the armored car that are supposedly taking place somewhere near Chicago were apparently shot in the mountains around L.A.)
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Mr. Toy
Member posted 07-12-2003 01:20 AM               
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Since I was a movie buff (movie theater manager, even) long before I was a train buff, I should have had something to contribute early on, but I just couldn't think of any!
Now, I think my favorite movie with a train is Trading Places, wherein two rich guys turn Dan Aykroyd into a street bum and they take Eddie Murphy off the streets and turn him into a rich guy. An Amfleet train (with European style compartments) plays a significant role leading towards the climax.
I especially loved a cameo by Franken & Davis as baggage handlers arguing over whose turn it was to drive the cart.
Regarding the Superman scene, it was brief, but it was clearly an Amtrak train he rescued. It couldn't have been the Coast Starlight, though, because it was out in the desert.
Out of curiosity I just played back the Superman scene on my DVD, and noticed it had a mixed consist of Hi-Levels, two Heritage sleepers, and a vista dome bringing up the rear! The dome car had Phase I paint. I could make out the pointless arrow. I think the rest of the train was Phase II, but it was kinda blurry.

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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy
The Del Monte Club Car
[This message has been edited by Mr. Toy (edited 07-12-2003).]
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TwinStarRocket
Member posted 07-12-2003 06:25 AM               
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Regarding the Superman scene: there is a little town of Cerrillos, New Mexico (just west of Lamy on the SWC) that boasts being a filming location for both Superman and "The Young Guns". The Superman scene looks exactly like Cerrillos to me.
I'm sure this was supposed to be California in the film (earthquakes in New Mexico?), but this was a better place to film. High speed track. Off the Santa Fe mainline.
The #3 and #4 both pass thru Cerrillos at high speed about the same time in the afternoon. Good spot for train watching. Great scenery in the area. There is talk BNSF wants to abandon this line from Kansas to Belen, NM, which would reroute the SWC thru Amarillo - far less scenic!
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UncleBuck44
Member posted 07-12-2003 06:37 PM               
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One current and I believe the latest with an Amtrak is "Double Take", starring Eddie Griffin and Orlando Jones.
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SWChief
New Member posted 07-12-2003 10:01 PM            
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How about the "Greatest Show on Earth"? That features a huge derailment of Ringling Brothers, Barnum,Bailey Circus Train.
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gibg
New Member posted 07-13-2003 04:01 PM            
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I believe the "ski train" movie was called "Runaway" and was shot on the D&RGW, which became the "Sierra Pacific" for the film. I also think it was made for TV. Ben Johnson was the engineer who had a heart attack, putting the train out of control. I can't remember much about it, except that it was pretty far-out.
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whistler
New Member posted 07-15-2003 03:44 PM               
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"End of the Line" with Wilford Brimley

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foamer13
New Member posted 08-25-2003 07:54 PM               
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I also liked the beginning and end of "In the Heat of the Night" with the great shots of GM&O F-units, and who could forget "Dr. Zhivago" with Cherelnikov's Russian war train speeding through the wreckage of the Revolution, an armored Pacific painted red, flying red flags, and pulling an armored car complete with fieldpieces. The first time I saw it was in a theater. It appeared suddenly in a great burst of sound; I almost jumped out of my seat.
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NYRailFan
New Member posted 08-27-2003 07:21 PM            
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My favorites are "Murder on the Orient Express", "Julia", and "The Lady Vanishes." Actually trains will give just about any movie a bit of atmosphere.
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Santa Fe 5704
Member posted 08-28-2003 05:18 PM               
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Foamer 13, that was an E Unit on the GM&O operating thru Sparta, Illinois. The movie boasted itself as Sparta, Mississippi but was actually filmed in Sparta, Illinois. The line ran adjacent to another line which I think was C&EI but probably wrong. Both lines are gone now. I lived a block from that depot when I was 14 years old and recall freight trains going thru but no passenger trains. I lived there in 1963.
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JFB
New Member posted 08-30-2003 08:58 PM               
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Here's another bid for the 1976 "Silver Streak"
One of my all-time favorite one-liners is delivered after the villain, Roger Devereau (played by Patrick McGoohan of "The Prisoner" fame), meets his untimely death after putting a toolbox on the deadman's pedal, causing the train to become a runaway. Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor and Jill Clayburgh stand in a sleeping car aisle, explaining to the porter (who had been knocked unconscious before the action began, and had just awoke) that the train, despite being empty, is continuing to pick up speed. They then tell the porter that the emergency brakes have been cut.
The porter's response: "Damn Hippies!"
I know, I know. Coudn't happen. But it was funny!
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TwinStarRocket
Member posted 08-31-2003 07:31 AM               
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Hey, JFB! Great to know there is a "Prisoner"/rail fan out there. I have always thought of airports and planes as a 'village'-like experience. Keep up the fight to choose our own mode of travel!
I would like to suggest a film with a role model for Amtrak on-board employees: Woodcock, (determined guard of the treasures of Mr. Harriman's Union Pacific), in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
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CoastStarlight99
Member posted 08-31-2003 01:59 PM               
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I'v seen alot of movies with the Union Pacific trains but barely ever with an Amtrak Train..I heard "Double Take" someone said..I also saw the Italian Job recently and they show the Union Station in Los Angeles..Then at the end they showed the "Pacific Parlor Car" featured only on the Coast Starlight and that was cool because you could tell it wasnt just some old Superliner I they got for the movie..Anyway..IF anyone else knows a cool movie with AMTRAK please pass it on to me to!!!
Thx,
Anton L.
pillsbury09@excite.com
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RRRICH
Member posted 09-01-2003 05:53 AM               
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AMTRAK has made "cameo" appearances in many movies, not necessarily just "train movies." Keep your eyes open when you go to the show; now and then there will be a scene with an AMTRAK train passing through.
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RRRICH
Member posted 09-01-2003 05:55 AM               
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AMTRAK has made "cameo" appearances in many movies, not necessarily just "train movies." Keep your eyes open when you go to the show; now and then there will be a scene with an AMTRAK train passing through.
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UncleBuck44
Member posted 09-01-2003 09:34 AM               
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Amtrak is in the Beginning of the Movie "Angels in the Outfield" starring Danny Glover and Tony Danza (About 4 seconds of Amtrak).
Amtrak is also in the movie "Clifford" starring Martin Short and Charles Grodin(Not a Great Movie)
And yes Amtrak as I mentioned earlier is in the Moive "Double Take" with Eddie Griffin and Orlando Jones(Also not a very good one)
Amtrak has also been a Part of both Beg, Borrow, and Deal shows.
In the First one The SW Chief takes one group from CHI to KC and in the second one the Texas Eagle takes a group from CHI to STL.
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5yrman
New Member posted 09-19-2003 05:59 AM               
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"Money Train" with Woody Harrelson. I have an old documentry on the 20th century limited,it is awesome
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5yrman
New Member posted 09-19-2003 06:03 AM               
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The Out of Towners" both versions
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5yrman
New Member posted 09-19-2003 06:04 AM               
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Broadway Limited" An old comedy ,the whole movie takes place on the train
[This message has been edited by 5yrman (edited 09-19-2003).]
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Mr. Toy
Member posted 09-19-2003 03:13 PM               
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Does anyone know if there are any plans to make a movie from the book The Christmas Train? It was a fun story and it would be an all Amtrak show!
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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy
The Del Monte Club Car
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cmarks
New Member posted 10-18-2003 08:36 PM            
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Saw the movie "The Journey of Natty Gann" recently. Natty is a teanage girl that hops a freight in 1930s Chicago to find her father in Washington state. A lot of good railroad shots.
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Ken Ruben
New Member posted 10-19-2003 02:53 AM               
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I started to mention that no one brought up Runaway Train but after going back a little bit, it looks like someone did.
I haven't gone through all of the posts but one poster mentioned Ben Johnson who I forgot about and I haven't looked yet as to whether
Rebecca de Mornay (I hope I am spelling this correctly-she is the daughter of the late Wally George who passed away recently) was mentioned along with Jon Voight.
By the way, I am a member of a Yahoo Group that is focussed on movies and tv railroading but I haven't looked at it in a long time.
Further comments on my post or follow-up?
---"Ken" Ruben---
[This message has been edited by Ken Ruben (edited 10-19-2003).]
[This message has been edited by Ken Ruben (edited 10-19-2003).]
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karen
New Member posted 10-19-2003 07:55 AM            
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movieflix.com has the 1946 film "Terror by Night" with Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce-- "Sherlock Holmes must guard a famous diamond while aboard the bullet train from London to Edinburgh."
The train certainly adds to the atmosphere. The movie is free but registration is required.
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dnsommer
New Member posted 10-20-2003 08:46 PM               
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Movies With Train Travel Scenes Not Yet Mentioned:
-Throw Momma From The Train
-It Happenned One Night
-Before Sunrise
-The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
-One where John Belushi travels to Lake Louise, Canada aboard VIA.

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dnsommer
New Member posted 10-20-2003 08:46 PM               
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Movies With Train Travel Scenes Not Yet Mentioned:
-Throw Momma From The Train
-It Happenned One Night
-Before Sunrise
-The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
-One where John Belushi travels to Lake Louise, Canada aboard VIA.

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espeefoamer
New Member posted 10-22-2003 12:05 PM            
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Another fun movie was Throw Mama from the Train,with Danny Devito.I think this was filmed on the Fillmore&Western.
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Trust Jesus,Ride Amtrak.
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My favorite movie about an Amtrak train might very well be "Rainman."

At the very end, Charlie Babbit, played by Tom Cruise bids fairwell to his autistic brother, played by Dustin Hoffman. Charlie is going back to his sanitorium because his psychiatrist knows it is the safest means of transportation available.

There's a few parting scenes of Union Station in Los Angeles as well as the train that will take Charlie back home. It's a single level train and that doesn't make much sense to me because I figure it would be a double level train, like the Southwest Chief.