• Burning train in 'War of the Worlds'

  • Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.
Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.

Moderator: Aa3rt

  by RailBus63
 
I've read several reviews of the new 'War of the Worlds' movie, and one of the most talked-about images is that of a burning passenger train hurtling past a grade crossing at nighttime. Has anyone seen a screenshot of this?

Jim

  by Lirr168
 
Just saw the movie - seriously scary stuff. Anyways, about the train: amazing scene, it's an F59 in Amtrak Surfliner livery (funny thing is it's supposed to be NJ) and it comes hurtling through a grade crossing. It's a rather dull moment compared to the other stuff in the movie, but a very cool scene nonetheless.

Also, the very beginning of the movie is filmed right near the LIRR's old Penny Bridge station (though Speilberg tries to make us believe its also NJ), and at one point, you can hear a DE/DM in the background.

  by Hudson Terminus
 
Just saw the movie myself. Agreed, very good and non-stop.

When I saw the train scene, I was almost sure that it was a Metro-North Genesis (which would make sense since they're supposedly about to make a Hudson crossing, even if it is on the west side of the river) unit in the silver/blue livery, which very much looks like the Surfliner scheme as well. Was too fast for me to be sure, but that was my first instinct.

But, the scene was filmed in Athens NY, Greene county, where they apparently had to build the crossing and tracks for the shoot. This is why it'd make sense for them to shoot the scene without the train and add it in later (hence the Surfliner). Not that they'd be setting any MN trains on fire if they were indeed shooting from the east side...........

edit: I found another article discussing the shooting of this same scene being done in Cold Spring NY, lower Main Street.