I don't have a Top 5, but one I do enjoy and recommend: "It Happened To Jane". Nice train scenes, even if the overally premise is a bit, er, unrealistic. The overall mood is enjoyable as well, and the casting is every bit as good as the mood (some might call it light-hearted, escapist, or kitschy, but that's ok).

And footage of the last New Haven Railroad steam locomotive under steam (Drat! The Essex blue-blood, blue-hair biddies couldn't bear to have it set aside in "their" town and it got scrapped) is an extra benefit.

Our Hospitality.

An old friend in Colorado told me about this silent B&W many years ago, very good early railway footage.

There were at least 3 versions of the Andrews Raid shot I'm aware of, all different and each interesting in their own way.

Did the magazine include industrial films in their considerations? lots of more technical subject matter there.

dave

I wonder if Jennifer Aniston is a railfan. Hmmmmm. Sloan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP56mgwPAAw

Emperor of the North

Journey of Natty Gann

Both good movies!

How about "Atomic Train"? How high did that abomination rate? Hahahaha
Russ

The opening credits of Hello, Dolly! with PRR 1223 and the Strasburg coaches running along the Hudson.

I'd like to add two more to the list: "Go West" with the Marx Brothers, and "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" with George Kennedy, Joe Namath, Barbara Eden, and Clu Gullagher (obviously, I like comedies!).

I second "Denver & Rio Grande."

While in Europe 1971-73, I saw the Spaghetti Western "Spiel Mir das Lied vom Tod" (Play Me the Song of the Dead) with Charles Bronson as our hero, Henry Fonda as the heavy, and Claudia Cardinale as our lady in distress. Not a lot of train footage (using European equipment to mimic the old American west) but a railroad theme to the plot. I believe it was shown here in the US as "Once Upon a Time in the West".

Not having the "Trains" issue in question...I don't know if it made the list.

sc 'doc' lewis

Not having seen the magazine , I can only assume that "Boxcar Bertha" must be high on the list. Martin Scorsese's first or second film (opinions differ), alleged to have been filmed on a $600,000 budget in 24 days. Nudity, sex and the Reader Railroad in 1972. What more could you want?

I received the "100" a few weeks ago. Probably worth the $10, but not more. I noticed some "Hollywood" terminology such as "lensed" for "filmed" and "helmed" for "directed; the writer must have thought he was writing for Daily Variety instead of rail enthusiasts. I agree that one of the more obscure foreign films could have been left out to make room for Tough Guys. When it comes to railway "cameos", we could have W. C. Fields' Man on the Flying Trapeze, which has a scene with a Pacific Electric 800-class interurban and an SP steam train. Or how about Comrade X, starring the beautiful Hedy Lamarr as a Moscow tramcar operator, with P.E. Birney 332 (now at Orange Empire) playing the Moscow tram. For something more contemporary, there are the Harry Potter films, which usually have scenes featuring the Hogwarts Express, powered by a real English steam locomotive. On with the show!

I'd like to add...

North by Nortwest.

Grand Central, The Hudson River, La Salle St. Dinner in the Diner and the roomette scenes???? Fabulous.

The only thing is the end with an SP Black Widow entering a tunnel - couldn't Hitchkock sub in some NYC footage???

Silver Streak too - good scenes, but pleeze don't try to duplicate the GG1 into Union Station wreck......

Yes, the dreadful "Boxcar Bertha" is No. 86. It also rates a full page photo...of Barbara Hershey.

The "notes" about the production mention that ex-Reader 1702 was used. They also state: "The other prominent steam locomotive was more appropriate: 2-6-2 No. 108 was built in 1920 by Baldwin. Today it is owned by the Blacklands Railroad in Sulphur Springs, Tex., and is currently being restored."

Hasn't this restoration been on hold for quite some time now? At least three or four years? Surprised someone didn't double check this info.

It seems to me that this publication was intended to be for electronic distribution, and not for print. "Pop-ups" were listed as an attribute. In print, they permanently cover other information.

I'll add Murder on the Orient Express, a Hercule Periot mystery
Tom Cox

I also thought the issue was less than exciting. Too much emphasis on foreign films.

How about the movie "Back to the Future 3" with the Sierra Railroad locomotive 3 featured in the film.

Another favorite movie of mine would be "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" Not an actual train film but the storyline with the Pacific Electric line and various mock ups constructed made the film interesting. One car, 717 in the movie is modeled after the actual PE car at OERM in Perris CA. This car has just been refurbished at the museum.

Then I recall a film when i was a kid where a ski train was running out of control down the mountain and the newest most powerful diesel was dispatched from the yard after the runaway cleared the switch, to run behind the train and couple to the rear end and safely bring the train to a safe stop before crashing. I can not remember the name of the film. Probably out in the 1970's.

Joel Salomon

Agreed. Some beautiful shots of the Olton Hall 4-6-0 in those movies. Lovely (admittedly short) shot in a snow scene in movie #6 (don't remember the name).


Haven't watched the whole movie. Pretty much just the parts with #3. But those parts are quite cool.

Another one I like is The Great Train Robbery, which you can watch here:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/27655/the-great-train-robbery