If Speed makes the list shouldnt the subway crash in Die Hard with a Vengence make it? Replace Speed with Dumbo.

I want to also say that I consider Emperor of the North to be one of the all-time great train movies. (I believe an issue of Trains from several years ago said it was one of the worst!) I also like the later Silver Streak, even though most of us could point out the many operational flaws in the plot line, it's still a lot of fun.

I did want to add the early railroad scenes in the Robert Redford baseball movie, The Natural to the list if they are not already included. Filmed in Dayton, NY in 1983 using Midwest Chapter's (technically "Foundation", but one was controlled by the other) GTW #4070 as a Burlington MIke. They also used several of their coaches, and Redford was actually filmed in NKP coach #62 for an interior scene.

A little inside baseball on this, the film company only painted the side of the engine used in the film (fireman's side) for CB&Q, and the Chapter left it painted that way for the rest of the 1983 season on the Cuyahoga Valley Line (I have slides somewhere...).

It's a Czech movie about WW2 & I doubt many have seen it, but "Closely Watched Trains" has superb steam action.

Sorry Kelly, overlooked it!

Don't forget A League of Their Own with several train scenes filmed at IRM.

In the streetcar category, I nominate Black Orpheus in Portuguese with English subtitles. The protagonist is a motorman on an open car in Rio during Carnival, the big chase scene is in the carbarn, and it ends with someone being electricuted while standing on the roof of a car and grabbing the wire. Also really wonderful Brazilian jazz throughout.

If I had to pick one movie for the #1 film right now, it would be "The Train" with Burt Lancaster. So just where did Trains Magazine list that gem?

Later!
Mr. Ed

If you will permit an entry from this side of the pond, was there any mention of "The Reailway Children?"

Tim

Don't forget Disaster on the Coastliner, that movie should be in the top 10 just for William Shatner and all that F40PH screen time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzvaFV3c2vQ

A terrific film and should have been in the top 20 at least. But good heavens, no it's not Disney. It's one of the classic Ealing Studios comedies with very droll humor. The same folks who gave us "The Man in the White Suit" and "The Lavender Hill Mob." Titfield though is in gorgeous 3-strip Technicolor and seeing the English countryside that way is an additional attraction. A genuine museum piece from the earliest days of railways, the Lion, stars in the latter part of the film as the locomotive of the title. I strongly recommend this film to everyone, trainbuff or not....and enjoyable by the whole family. Simply charming!



That came in at Number 1 and I really have no argument with that! Excellent film, some say the last big war movie to be done in black & white. Most of the big action scenes and train wrecks etc. were done for real.

Steve

It is claimed that NYC 278 makes an appearance in some 80s movie called "The House on Carroll Street". I have never seen or - or remember hearing about it, for that matter. The film apparently had some good talent in it, but did not fair well.

Anyone know?

No, I do not have the list, so I do not know if the film is on it.

--
Will

I too was quite dissapointed in this issue. Fried Green Tomatoes should have received a much better ranking than dead last. The train in it has a recurring role and even kills and maims. This film far surpasses a lot of the films in this issue with just a glimpse of a train. One of my top 10 for sure.
I wish there had been a sequel, they can still pull it off even without Jessica Tandy, and Mary Louise Parker still looks just as good.

Boy, I hadn’t thought of that movie in ages. I remember the scene of where the public thought the collision would take place and the crowds there, and I guess Captain Kirk himself standing atop a F40 running light past them?
As for my copy, I gave it to a co-worker who’s into trains. I warned him he might not like the ratings and said “Tough Guys” wasn’t even on the list. He stopped dead in his tracks and said, “Did anyone even INTO trains write that?”

Isn't that the one where the train is speeding towards a tight curve and they dispatch a track gang with wrecking bars to prop up the track as the train speeds by?

Later!
Mr. Ed

Aggggh! You're right. Back in the 1980s I made a lost if the four great train movies of the decade. My earlier message was my attempt to remember that list. And I got it wrong. The last one wasn't Risky Business... it was Tough Guys.

That seems a sensible measure. But unsubtle.

Measure "the greatest suspense movies" by the sheer amount of suspense, and you lose masterpieces like Rear Window.

No, Pentrex does not get the "best train movie" trophy by default :)