MOVIE: Runaway Train

[brward]

The acting is to be desired but the rail shots are great. The end sequence is epic. Anyone else see this? Its been a fav of mine and I have yet to see the power of the images caught on film since.

Brian R. Ward

http://www.trainworks.net/

[CP169]

I thought the actors were great in that movie. On the other hand , I thought the storyline was not based in reality.

[O-6-O]

Oscar Manheim is NOT someone I'd like to meet in a dark alley. This
movie while a little hokey at times is one of my favorites. John Voight
is one terrific actor.
BTW, besure and keep your hands out of those
coupler knucles.

STEAM ON
/--OOO--:-oo--oo-

[MR77100]

Runaway Train is one of my favorite flicks! Jon Voight gives possibly the best performance of his career as Oscar "Manny" Manheim, an escaped bank robber who teams up with cocky Eric Roberts, a rapist. The two hop onto a set of 4 locomotives on the Alaska Railroad and have the breaks burn off and realize that there is someone else on the train, a female brakeman! The characters in the movie were done very well, and both Roberts and Voight were nominated for 2 awards each. The opening scenes at the train yard of them walking along the freight cars was filmed in Montana. The rest of the movie was filmed on the Alaska Railroad. The first unit was a GP-40, the second an F7, and the last 2 were GP7's. I remember reading somewhere that the GP7's were chop-nosed, but had their noses raised in the movie! But they didn't do a perfect job, because the head of the units are offset from the rest of the hood. This is apparent in the shots from a distance. Oh yeah, F7 #1500 was retired a year later and is now at the Alaska Museum of Transportaion.

[SubaruWRX]

Darn this was one movie I had on my wish list on netflix but I forgot all about it when I dropped Netflix for awhile.. I heard the story line was a bit weak but from the short time I saw it at work while on break I thought the shots looked good..

lol lets face it I just wanted to see it for the trains

[Tracer]

Just saw it. Man, Rebbeca Demornay looked awful in this movie!

[3rdrail]

I've heard people say that this could not technically happen, but what about these incidences on record where trains run for miles unattended ? Obviously the deadman didn't stop them. If, as in the movie, the lead engine was sending a signal to operate, as well as air pressure, would that not keep the train in operation ?

[Tracer]

Check this story out http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/05/15/runaway.train.05/ I remember this live the news, they had news choppers following it.

[Jtgshu]

I've heard people say that this could not technically happen, but what about these incidences on record where trains run for miles unattended ? Obviously the deadman didn't stop them. If, as in the movie, the lead engine was sending a signal to operate, as well as air pressure, would that not keep the train in operation ?

ANYTHING can happen on the RR!!! While its not uncommon for stuff to roll away, rolling away under power is rare. While im not going to get into how its done, it could be possible to have the train leave under power, and realize that there are no brakes, espeically if its light locomotives. Brakes could burn off, that has happened before, i believe that is what happened in one of the runaways and wrecks at Cajon Pass in 1996 or so.

[Cosmo]

ANYTHING can happen on the RR!!! While its not uncommon for stuff to roll away, rolling away under power is rare. While im not going to get into how its done, it could be possible to have the train leave under power, and realize that there are no brakes, espeically if its light locomotives. Brakes could burn off, that has happened before, i believe that is what happened in one of the runaways and wrecks at Cajon Pass in 1996 or so.

Try 1988-1990-ish!
Unless there was a similar runaway-wreck in the '90's.
I remember this wreck well! It actually made it into the tabloids in a story about a dude using the bathroom and getting buried under tons of potash from one of the hopper cars.

[donredhead]

They never think about using the Dynamic Brakes! WTF!

[Tom6921]

Plus the scene where the locomotives crash into the caboose of a slow moving freight train trying to clear the main. That wouldn't happen in real life I believe; the locomotives would have derailed thus stopping the runaway.