I hate to step up on my soapbox on this but after shelling out $10 for this thing I'm going to anyway.

Stuff like this is the exact reason I stopped buying anything that Kalmbach puts out anymore (except for Classic Trains). It's not enough that most of their publications have gone from thick, multi article books down to basically six dollar pamplets with a couple of articles and the rest nothing but ads. Now I get this thing.

Now when I purchase a magazine titled "100 Greatest Train Movies" by the makers of "Trains" magazine I expect a few things. Obviously the movie titles and perhaps a short plot summary. Other than that I would expect there to be locations used, rail equipment seen in the film, and little tid-bits of info involving the trains in each movie. More importantly however I would assume that your list of train films would include movies -that had trains in them-!

I'll admit that all the films listed in this have a train in them somewhere however there's a noticeable chunk of them where the train has a cameo of only a few seconds and nothing really to do with the plot. Example being that while "High Noon" is a fantastic film calling it the 6th greatest train movie of all time when Sierra #3 is actually in the film for like 30 seconds does not make me happy.

I mean seriously. This book is laid out like somebody just googled "movies with trains in them", wrote down the first hundred things that popped up, and then copy/pasted the summaries from the Lenord Maltin movie guide into a book. Then Kalmbach slaps a ten dollar price tag on this thing.

This is the last time I'm buying anything with the big red and white K on the front I'm telling you.

I found that "special issue" to be rather less than special also. But I have enjoyed some of the others they've published. To be fair to Kalmbach, according to their FAQ's page http://www.tinyurl.com/yh6mfx8 they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so you could return it for a full refund.

Jim Tatum.

I usually don't purchase the special issues, so I can't comment on them. However, I have been reading Trains for years. My father subscribed (and still does) and I've been a subscriber for a long time as well. I think Trains has made a transition (for the good) from a railfan only rag to one that must be read by an increasing number of people involved in the industry. Look at all the rail product ads. Would they be there if it wasn't considered an industry rag like Railway Age, Progressive Railroading, or RT&S? It is the only publication that bridges the gap between railfans and industry professionals with content that would appeal to both. My 2 cents.

Trains magazine is a political railroad tool only now, there hasnt been anything of interest in there for years, luckily i just borrow a subscribed issue, it sure aint worth paying for. Oh for just one of the plethora of wonderful informative UK railway magazines, thats why we like RYPN site so much...there aint nothing else.

Mike Pannell
Cheyenne

I bought that and found it to be a resounding dud. I was expecting lots of pictures on the sets, etc. I also remember an old '30s movie called Westbound Ltd and a John Wayne serial that should have been listed just for all the railroad scenes and action. A waste of money.
I've only bought about 3 issues of Trains in the last 5-6 years. I'm a dinosaur who has no interest in GEVOS, unit trains or the like. I model in HO and my year is 1943, and compared to then today's railroads are boring as hell to me.
To each his own.

I have to say that I’ve really enjoyed all of the previous special issues from Kalmbach, especially the “Dream Trains” series and both of the “Steam Glory” issues. They’re usually a good value for the money, printed on slick paper, and perfect bound. I’ve purchased all of them…every one.

However, I can honestly say I did not like “100 Greatest Train Movies.” Instead of having a railroad author pen it, they went for a movie reviewer, and that was probably a mistake. He approaches the subject as a movie critic and not as a railfan. The result? Not much here of interest, and I really didn’t learn anything new.

“Danger Lights” is No. 79 on the list? Really? Lots of great train action in that one. Milwaukee Road. 1930s steam. Nice action. A GREAT train movie!

And what’s this? The “The French Connection” had a train in it? It’s now a great train movie!? Huh?

And “Speed” is No. 90 on the list? SPEED? Are you serious!?

Where are some of the great train movies I love? Where’s “Ticket to Tomahawk” and “Denver & Rio Grande?” Yes, both are corny, but they’re great train movies nonetheless, and that is what this special issue is supposed to be about. But they weren't included. Wow!

I agree with the reviewer that “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Lawrence of Arabia” were great movies, but not great TRAIN movies. If a brief glimpse of a train is all that’s required to be listed, “Vanishing Point” - one of my favorite car movies - had a CB&Q switcher in it for five seconds. Why’s it not listed?

For the real meat and potatoes, pick up a copy of Larry Jensen’s outstanding book, “The Movie Railroads” (if you can find one).

Of course, this is just my opinion…

Jeff Terry
Full time railroader, part time movie buff

I agree. I picked up a copy and was very disappointed in it. It’s just a movie reviewer giving reviews of movies that in some cases have almost nothing to do with trains at all. And come on, “Emperor of the North” was NUMBER 17? Not bloody likely! :confused: And “Tough Guys” wasn’t even on the list! And yet, of course plenty of obscure European movies nobody ever heard of were there (I think movie reviewers always have to play the French cinema card to feel like they’re in the know at times like that). It’s all artsy film critiques, and I wonder of the writer understood his target audience at all.
“Broken Arrow,” and “The Journey of Natty Gann” aren’t listed, but “Before sunrise” was? The latter film has a short sequence inside a European train which doesn’t show trains or use them as a plot point (it could have been on a bus for all it mattered). The former two have trains as an integral aspect of the plot (even a short one). There are plenty of other great movies that have trains in them that I can’t think of at this point.
I was really hoping for more insight into some of these films and more photographs. All I got here, I could have read off the internet. There is little to nothing on the makings of these films in regard to the use of railroads. The rankings I could live with (still grumbling over that # 17, though), and I did agree that “The Train” was an acceptable # 1, but this was not written in the perspective of any train buff. All in all, it was a waste of money and it’s ten clams I’d really like to have back.

Luckily I thumbed through the d....d thing at the local "Books a Zillion" and decided not to waste my money. This is the biggest turkey Kalmbach has produced in a number of years, although Model Railroader has been nothing but a marketing rag for the manufacturers for a long time. RMC and Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette have a much more balanced content. Trains lost my interest in the 1990s, but has been steadily improving since Jimbo took over as editor. I am once again a subscriber, and I don't miss an issue of Classic Trains either. Long live David P. Morgan!!!!!!!!!!

Well, with so many of us foamers on here, maybe we can turn this into a good thing:

Since there are some of us who didn't buy that issue, being a railfan, what are your top 5 favorite train movies?

**EDIT** And I don't mean having it be anything that's related to the magazine. I thumbed through it too at a local book store a few weeks ago, too. :)

I don't know if the moderator wants you to start this kind of foaming thread but........

1. Emperor of The North
2. Breakheart Pass (filmed on the Grangeville Sub. of the Camas Prairie)
3. Danger Lights (filmed in Miles City and Sixteen Mile Canyon in Montana)

Leastwise my best of the lot. Haven't seen the offending Trains publication, but sounds like they could've done better. Oh well.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

The magazines each have their own "editorial model" and preferences, and authors quickly find out which of them prefer what kind of articles and direct their material accordingly. After all, there is no point in putting a couple weeks or months of effort into a writing project just to have it sit inside a file cabinet drawer until it gets sent back to you.

PC

"The Great Locomotive Chase"

"The General"

"The Train"

"Emperor of the North"

"Denver & Rio Grande"

Others I have enjoyed include "A Ticket to Tomahawk", "Von Ryan's Express", "Fool's Parade", and "Union Pacific".

I like your picks, but somewhere in my top 5 I'd squeeze in "Runaway Train" (1985).

I subscribe to "Classic Trains" and like it instead of "Trans Magazine". I got the movie book as an add on to my subscription renewal to "Classic Trains", and am disappointed with the content and layout. It's not up to the quality of "Classic Trains".
My favorite train film is "Ticket to Tomahawk", and "The Train" is also high on my list. As a politician, I like the scene where the citizens vote to move the municipal boundary to reach the railroad!
I like train films much better than movies that happen to have trains in them.

I'm with Evan on Runaway Train. Top 5 material.

Later!
Mr. Ed