Randy, it probably has to do with the unwarranted destruction of venerable railroad equipment. Other than that, I think it's merely a diversion. Probably best to simply tune out.

Preservation of railroad subject matter in popular culture.

dave

Uh... okie dokie. Thank you for the "bunch-free" response. Moving on and tuning into another station!

One that you all missed; and that I played a tiny role in: The Legend of Zorro.

The producer went down to Mexico to film the train scenes with a narrow guage 4-6-0 in a museum; and was disappointed to find out that it was not operational. He found my Surviving World Steam website, and contacted me to ask if another locomotive was available.

I explained to him that there is no available locomotive that meet his criteria. (If I recall correctly, 3 foot gauge, 4-6-0; from the 1800s; I think he was filming with the 4-5-0 at Museo de Ferrocarrilles de Yucatan, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico; but I am not certain all these years later. A perfect example of the kind of research I envisioned for my new database.)

He ended up pushing the train with a diesel from behind while burning tires in the smokebox for the action scenes, along with using CGI annimation. The train crash at the end was a model; if you buy the DVD, one of the extras is about how they filmed the train scenes, including the crash.

The presevation link is lack of; i.e. no period correct operational locomotive for the film; but using a non-operational preserved locomotive instead.

This the most, if not only, preservation related/motivated post in this wayward topic. Thank you, James! It's also nice to hear of another dedicated individual from the Golden Triangle! I was born and raised in Groves.

I had the same question about the relevance of this topic to preservation, seeing how it's more of a Trainorders.com topic, but I've found it to be an interesting diversion. If anything, I find the responses from forum members here, even to a "general interest" topic like this, to be more thoughtful, educated, and interesting than most.

In relation to the crash I mentioned previously in 1993's "The Fugitive", the train crash site and some of the equipment used has been "preserved" in situ as an attraction for passengers on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad tourist train. I would argue that the role real trains (and train wrecks) play in movies is worthy of preservation too.

So the question is asked: "How does this thread relate to historic preservation?"

Simple.

The general public experiences trains in the following ways:

1) Real life experience -seeing trains in everyday life
2) Movies / TV
3) Museums and Tourist Railroads

So if these three methods comprise 100% of the publics' awareness of trains/railroads, then the question is asked: "What percentage of each plays the biggest role in educating the public?"

This discussion board is limited to #3 above. How large a role does #3 carry in the overall scope? How does #3 educate the general public as compared to #1 & #2? It's easy to forget the "big picture".

Bottom line is that most of the general public knows more about trains from #1 and especially #2 above than #3.

Understanding that fact allows the Museums and Tourist Railroads to develop ways to teach what the Railroads REALLY were and are like. If someone thinks that if the engine is uncoupled from the train that the train will roll along out of control, then the only way to change that information is to teach that it won't. That is the core pupose of the Museum and Tourist Railroad regarding education.

The TV movie filmed on the Rio Grande was called "Runaway" from 1973. I found a DVD copy online that was clearly dubbed from a so-so VHS tape. I recall seeing it when I was a kid and seeing it again over 35 years later I found it to be watchable, but not great. The finale of the recent "Unstoppable" is very similar to what happens in the the end of "Runaway"

Switchback with Dennis Quaid and Danny Glover has some great scenes of the Rio Grand Railroad on what I believe to be Tennessee Pass in CO.

Just to clear things up here, the wreck itself was very real. The shots with Harrison Ford during the wreck (including the "chase" with the derailing engines behind him) were obviously blue-screen and done after the fact as there was no way they were going to risk injuring the star of the movie in a very expensive sequence that couldn't be done a second time and had many ways to go very wrong very quickly.
Kevin

I don't intend on offending anyone, but here goes..... That's a great explaination and all, but it's a load of hogwash in relation to this thread. This thread isn't about educating the masses and correcting Hollywood innacuracies. This thread is nothing more than an opportunity for railfans to weigh in with their favorite bid for "Best Movie Crash." You can polish a turd, but in the end, it's still a turd!

On another note, the core purpose for a "tourist railroad" is entertainment, not education. Museums exist to preserve and educate. For instance.....take a ride on the Strasburg. I love the Strasburg, but you won't learn anything about railroading by taking their train to Paradise. If it's education you want, then you go across the street to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

I think if you watch how things are done at Strasburg, you can learn a lot about railroading as it was done.....you might not notice what you are learning while it is happening since you have no frame of reference, however, assuming you are not a railfan. Eating Chinese food doesn't make you an expert on Chinese culture, but you do learn a bit about what people from that culture eat.

dave

I've been trying to think of a reply regarding relevancy to RyPN.

I can see the horror when one of our local funders searches on NCTM and finds a link to RyPN, and by chance discovers this this thread. Sigh.

Wesley

Nothing new here, folks. Plenty of 'professional' forums have fan stuff.
I just looked on a legal website where judges and lawyers post all kinds of legal matters, and there was a lengthy thread arguing about Star Trek characters!
Let get over ourselves and enjoy this, what's the harm?

Not every single thread has to be about preservation...while the majority probably should be, I agree...a thread or two like this is good every once in a while. It can be argued that it helps us to get to know our friends in the preservation world a little better, possibly strengthen old ties, forge new ones, etc etc. But a little fun every now and then is good, I'd say.