So, Bambi's Mom is still alive? Luke didn't blow up the Death Star? Michael Bey movies never suck? ...say it ain't so, TwinDad. Ken is one of our resident curmudgeons, along with your truly-and a few others, who usually calls, "bullocks" when needed. In this case, I have to second his synopsis. Then again, I haven't paid to see a movie in a theater in 6 years. I am of the generation that likes little things called, "Story" and "Plot". Throwing big named actors (Denzel-WTH? Underwater on the mansion?) and explosions in with some BS dramatic plot contrivances (OMG-will the train hit the horsey??!!!) does not a movie make. And, as for the true event, it was a CSX engine in NE Ohio that went out for a walkabout, sans the engineer. If I remember correctly, a CSX employee hopped the train at a grade crossing and shut it off. The event, while possibly catastrophic, was pretty much blase. Though I think Norfolk Southern fired an engineer over it-just because. No slight to NS management intended. It would be a good movie if Jon Voight was spit up by an Anoconda from a local creek, crashed through the window-killing Malcolm X-and then engaged in a shirtless duel to the death with Captain Kirk. I can write this @$#@!! too. Watch these: Danger Lights Other Men's Women The Train (story, art, plot and pathos-oui!) Runaway train "30 francs is 30 francs" -Papa Boule
I think the movie is garbage but here is what I found some years ago in Reader's Digest. Yeah, spoil this thread with facts. I found the March 2002 Reader's Digest article on this issue. The chase loco was Q636, CSX 6462, with engineer Jess Knowlton and conductor Terry Folson. They were pulling a freight directly toward the runaway freight and were told to get off at the next siding, ASAP. They came into the siding 15mph over the speed limit for taking a siding. After they pulled in, the freight went by. They were then told to catch the freight. By the way, they were running “backwards” in this chase at speeds approaching 65 mph and the max speed for that loco unloaded is 30 mph. On right hand curves, the engineer's view was completely blocked. The conductor was at the rear of the loco which was running backwards and was signaling the engineer by hand for curves and when they approached the runaway. The conductor had a wild ride to say the least. The point they caught the freight was climbing a hill toward Kenton, OH and a downgrade into the town is where they freight was eventually brought under control and stopped. The loco was doing about 12 mph and the worker who hopped on was 52 years old, Jon Hosfield. The article says the freight was directed through three slow speed sidings in hope it would derail but no such luck. They tried a 50 lb portable derailing device but it was kicked aside by the loco. The runaway loco was under full power according to the article. As it was coming down a grade into Kenton, OH, it was slowed to sightly under the speed limit of 25 mph for a curve by the chase loco that was under full dynamic brakes and the engineer applying air brakes. The chase loco crew had quite a ride. When the chase loco was chasing the freight, the engineer was pressing so hard on the horn control that he broke off the lever. There are a couple good photos of the chase loco and crew, plus the man who jumped on the lead loco. You can probably find the back issue at Amazon.com if interested. Rich
Dear Rich, thank you for that detailed update. On the contrary, I will take a detailed story with facts over "Made for DVD" movies any day. My mind can paint a much better picture. I do, though, find it hard to believe that CSX would have few plans for such an event, or that the plans they did have were woefully inadequate. Tongue firmly in cheek. Thank G-d they had some of those old, overpaid employees still around to actually get the job done. Mark
Hey, thanks for finding the real story. I think I remember reading about that!! I hope you don't mind if I cross-post your summary on another forum... they're discussing the same thing. As for the movie being garbage, of course it is. But at least it's major-movie, big-budget garbage, and if they're remotely decent with the script, it could be a whole lot of fun!
Yeah, no problem with posting elsewhere. I have had the magazine for some years and remembered the event when I saw info about a movie being made but I never thought that Hollywood would stretch the truth that much. Rich
Wow! They actually included sharp shooters trying to shoot the fuel cutoff buttons. They were told to do that during the actual event. They were told to shoot the red button on the side of 8888 and were shooting the fuel cap instead!!! Why didn't the alerter work on those modern wide bodies? LOL
Okay so the movie looks highly modifed from the true story, but you gotta love a good train crash flick. Woods
Can't you just see the writers brainstorming different ways to justify flaming explosions and giant fireballs? "Hey, we could have stock cars full of methane from bovine flatulence." "Suppose we say it's an experimental dining car that's run on highly-volatile rocket fuel?" "We could replace the unit coal train with a unit dynamite train." "The train could hit a big gray coyote carrying a crate of nitro glycerine."
On a slightly different path, I found an old movie on TV last night. It's called "Boxcar Bertha" and it was made in 1972. It's based in Arkansas in the Great Depression, and it's loosly based on facts surrounding attempts to unionize the railroads. The movie used the Reader Railroad in Arkansas for the train scenes. It's not a movie for kids. It was Martin Scorsese's directorial debut, and there's some violence as railroad police, Southern sheriffs and union guys mix it up. Nudity in a box car was a new cinematic experience for me, too, but others might find it offensive. One automobile exploded, and a police car went off a cliff. As far as I could tell, no trains were harmed during the filming of this motion picture.
Unstoppable There is a new Action packed Train movie coming out soon called "Unstoppable"s good with Denzel Washington Looks good http://www.unstoppablemovie.com/
There have been a couple of threads about this movie. Here is one that I found quickly: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=113667 Boxcab E50
