Hollywood "Star" Power
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Revised: 23 Nov. 2013 |
Richard Thompson photo at Rayland, Ohio |
Data compiled by: R. Craig |
Photo courtesy of RR Picturesarchive.Net |
The Silver Streak
B&W drama, produced in 1934 features Burlington's "Pioneer Zephyr"
Theme: Locomotive builder races clock to deliver life-saving medical equipment
Note: Good footage of Zephyr's actual history-making run of May 1934
Notable cast members: Sally Blane and Charles Starret
Image: Pioneer Zephyr at Chicago's Museum of Science & Technology (Marty Bernard photo)
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My Friend Irma Goes West
B&W comedy, produced in 1950 features Santa Fe passenger trains
Theme: New Yorkers take Super Chief to potential Hollywood career
Note: Several good scenes of ATSF F7 action included
Notable cast members: Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, along with Marie Wilson
Image: F-unit sets were standard power for east and west Super Chief trains (Ted Ellis photo in Chicago)lots of mainline footag
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The Day The Earth Stood Still
B&W science drama, produced in 1950 includes New Haven EP-4 Electrics
Theme: Visitor from outer space warns earthlings of potential threat
Note: Classic film includes electric motor shots after earth's electricity neutralized
Notable cast members: Michael Renee and Patricia Neal
Image: New Haven EP-4 #360 poses at The Bronx in New York. (Photographer unknown / Dave Witty collection)
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Human Desire
B&W murder plot, produced in 1954, with lots of railroad scenes
Theme: Locomotive engineer gets involved with murderer's wife
Note: Weak story, with lots of excellent mainline footage, including Alco FAs
Notable cast members: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame and Alco FA-1
Image: Rock Island FA #153 masquerading as Central National #153 (a scene from
Columbia Pictures film)
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Bad Day at Black Rock
Color drama from 1950 features Southern Pacific "Black Widow" F-units
Theme: Handicapped World War II veteran solves small town murder mystery
Note: Two F7A&B sets (SP #6151 and #6386) power passenger trains
Notable cast members: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan and Lee Marvin
Image: SP 6151's sister units also wore "black widow scheme. (John Shaw, jr photo / Greg Brown collection)
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In The Heat Of The Night
Colorful murder mystery from 1973 features Gulf Mobile & Ohio E-Unit action
Theme: Out-of-town detective solves small town's murder mystery
Note: Movie opens and closes with scenes of E7A #103A leading passenger train
Notable cast members: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger
Image: GM&O E7A #103A idles in Chicago. (Lee Hastman photo / Craig Garver collection)
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Runaway
Railroad drama in color, introduced in 1973, features three Rio Grande geeps
Theme: Crew and skiers try preventing the crash of a runaway mountain train
Note: DRGW GP30 #3011, GP35 3032 and GP40 3081 don Sierra Pacific identity
Notable cast members: Ben Johnson and Ben Murphy
Image: Sierra 3011 was spotted at Denver, Colorado. (Bob Jordan photo / Wil Hata collection) |
Silver Streak
Colorful comedy thriller from 1976 features lots of F-unit action
Theme: Two make-shift friends attempt rescue of train passenger
Note: Many close-ups of Canadian Pacific FP7 attired as AM Road #4070
Notable cast members: Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor
Image: EX-CP 4070 wore temporarily AM Road identity. (xxxxxxx photo / Dwayne Pound collection )
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Continental Divide
Romantic comedy, produced in 1981, features Amtrak passenger equipment
Theme: Big City newspaper writer learns about life in the wild
Note: Equal doses of Amtrak's GE P30CH and F40PH-led passenger trains
Notable cast members: John Belushi and Blair Brown
Image: Two W/B P30CHs pause in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Bob Anderson photo)
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The Fugitive
Colorful murder mystery from 1993 features ex-N&W GP30 and CSX U18B
Theme: FBI hunts for prison escapee who was unjustly convicted
Note: Neat crash sequence between Illinois Southern locos and prison bus
Notable cast members: Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones
Photo: Ex-CSX #1901 wearing its Illinois Southern identity at Dillsboro, North Carolina.
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Courage Under Fire
Suspense-filled drama from 1993 features ex-GCSR GP9s (ex-C&NW same #)
Theme: Two post-Gulf war investigations become intertwined in bazaar fashion
Note: Ford Mustang goes head-to-head with GP9 #4303 & 4308
Notable cast members: Denzel Washington & Meg Ryan
Photo: GCSR GP9R #4303 after shedding military paint scheme. (Matthew Griffin photo)
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Under Siege 2
Thriller produced in 1995 features a GP7 ex-USATC/Alaska RR #1834/1804
Theme: Ex-Navy Seal fights mercenary train hi-jackers while in "Dark Territory"
Note: Lots of great scenery as train traverses Colorado Mountains
Notable cast members: Steven Segal and Katherine Heigl
Photo: The 1804 ditched movie garb for Gulf Coast Museum purple. (Claudia Domening photo)
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Broken Arrow
Thriller produced in 1996 features a GP9 CMR #1814 (with Alco trucks?)
Theme: Nuclear weapons stolen and placed on high-jacked train
Note: Locomotive and equipment spend a fair amount of time on camera
Notable cast members: John Travolta and Christian Slater
Photo: Good closeups of #1804 during action sequences (Kenneth Lehman photo)
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SwitchBack
Drama produced in 1997 features two leased ANDX SD39s
Theme: Ex-FBI agent's search for serial killer leads to train ride
Note: Good shots of SDs impersonating D&RGW power, plus railway equipment
Notable cast members: Danny Glover and Dennis Quaid
Image: Ex-SP #5319 & 5325 wear Rio Grande 4027 & 4028 garb. (Sam Botts photo)
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Unstoppable (GE units)
Train chase film (2009) features CPR GEs #9751, 9758, 9777 & 9782
Theme: Yard crew chases runaway freight train to avert disaster
Note: Loosely based on a real event; good shots of fictitious AWVR AC4400CWs
Notable cast members: Denzel Washington and Chris Pine
Image: AWVR #777, ex-CPR #9777, stands idle at Rayland, Ohio. (Richard Thompson photo)
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Unstoppable (EMD units)
Train chase film (2009) features W&LE EMDs #6351-6354
Theme: A locomotive crew chases runaway freight train to prevent urban area crash
Note: Loosely based on a real event; good shots of fictitious AWVR SD40-2s
Notable cast members: Denzel Washington and Rosario Dawson
Image: W&LE #6352 portraying AWVR #1206 at Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (Sun Lit Rosters)
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Abbreviations:
- ATSF - Atchison Topeka Santa Fe
- AWVR - Allegheny & West Virginia Railroad
- CPR - Canadian Pacific Railroad
- D&RGW - Denver & Ro Grande Western
- GM&O - Gulf Mobile & Ohio
- N&W - Norfolk & Western
- NH - New Haven
- SP - Southern Pacific
- W&LE - Wheeling & :ale Eri
Sources: MyRailfan.Com (Tom Habak); RR Picture Arhives; and Ed Weisensel |
Your help in the further development of this list is solicited.
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