heard the news, This new movie is nothing good

okay, so on TV tonight, there was a trailer for a new movie called "unstoppable" whose plot centers around a runaway train. Its obvious the writers and directors didn't study the railways for five minutes before they went and wrote this plot.

First off, the trailer states the runaway trains weighs "1'000'000 tons" fat chance you could get the three dash-9 units shown on the trailer to move that much, besides the fact there isn't a stretch of track in this country that could handle one million tons of train. Second off, the whole idea of a runaway in the modern era running rampant across the country is perposterous. every diesel nowadays has a button in the cab that must be pushed every 45 seconds (30 seconds if the train is moving faster than 45mph) and if it is not pushed and the audio alarm sounds for more than sixty seconds the train goes into instant emergency braking. simple as that.

And another thing. This movie just percipitates the stereotype that all the railways know how to do is crash trains. the only time, it seems, that the railway network in this country (the US) makes the headlines is when a train carrying toxic chemicals derails and a tank car (inevitably called a "tanker" by the publisher) in the consist blows up. wrecks are rare in this day in age, but if you beleive the media, they seem to happen every other day.

Ugh, sometimes i hate movies and movie companies. This movie hasn't even come out yet and its a disaster already--for the railway companies.

Well, there, i guess i've gotten that off my chest. I just wanted to rant on this while i had it on my mind. Its pathetic, really, how little they tried to understand about the railways before they made this. If you're a railfan/rail lover, don't see this movie. It will insult your railway sensibilities.

While the plot isn't perfect...this is based off of a true event. Look up the runaway of CSX 8888.

CSX 8888 is nicknamed Crazy eights.
It has been involved in a runaway situation followed by a derailment.

Even so, the movie over dramatizes many aspects of the real event.

It's still interesting to find a train movie in this day and age. Sadly, a lot of public train stereotypes of trains are negative. A common hatred is the one you experience late for work, at a crossing, and the switch crew is taking their time moving the cars nicely. While the driver exercises his knowledge of several "interjections".

Cheers,
Joshua

Are the special effects good though ? I nit picked "Runaway Train", "Atomic Train", "Dark Territory", "Broken Arrow", "3:10 To Yuma" "Breakhart Pass", Pelham 123", The Train", Bridge At Remagen", "Von Ryans Express" ... etc ... to pieces, but they were still pretty good, very enjoyable movies.

Only us rail fans know trains well ... most average railroad employees, and the common person, know little about real railroading.

yes, i know that crossing stereotype all too well. one of my family members has that problem. i had to sit through nearly ten minutes of their rant while a crew using a second-gen geep (-35 or -38 i think, not a good judge of second-gens) switched some frieght cars.

but anyway, back on topic. I never knew there was a real (diesel powered) runaway. i know of a 4-6-0 on a southern shortline that left the yard one night without her crew. the railway's onwer saw her race by his house, jumped in his car, and chased her down.

Still, all that aside, turning a 66-mile one engine low-speed move into a 90mph, three-engine runaway that breaks down barricades like she's driven by mad Alistair hehe and is about to barrel into a train full of kids is way to stereotypical. the point people with get from this is "THE RAILWAY KILLS YOUR KIDS!"

NOT good.

I saw an ad for it tonight. At least it apears to be ATSF, not a current RR.

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legolistic said:

CSX 8888 is nicknamed Crazy eights.
It has been involved in a runaway situation followed by a derailment.

Click to expand...

My ultimate goal is to one day see this locomotive, I've seen 8848, and 8808 (I think thats right)

What, Hollywood exaggerate, nah couldn't happen

Its a movie, all the Airport movies never stopped people flying,
Speed (the movie) never stopped people getting the bus, don't
over think it, just enjoy or not as the case may be.

Cheers David

Movies always get things wrong, darkrooms with red lights (not used mush after WWI) and night scopes in red (always green) bug me.

I checked ... it doesn't come out until Nov 12 ... How do you know it is not worth seeing ?

It does look like another predictable remake of "Atomic Train" though.:hehe: Quote: Leslie Nielson: "Woo Woo ?" ... "WOO !" ... "Oh No" ... "A Train" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVr5AJz2xNo

Well you also have to take into consideration who the target audience is. I come from a long backround in TV and Film production. I can safely say that they could care less about portraying a prototypical operation. What they care about is how it looks in post production and on the big screen. They certainly did not have railfans in mind when creating this movie, nor should they. I'm planning on seeing it anyway even though it's not going to be correct.

Mike

22alpha said:

Well you also have to take into consideration who the target audience is. I come from a long backround in TV and Film production. I can safely say that they could care less about portraying a prototypical operation. What they care about is how it looks in post production and on the big screen. They certainly did not have railfans in mind when creating this movie, nor should they. I'm planning on seeing it anyway even though it's not going to be correct.

Mike

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As I will be seeing it as well. I mean seriously, you don't get to see a key train runaway across the country side everyday...!

Is there any disaster/catastrophe to be invented?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disaster_films

Totally forgetable movies, just a couple of hours of fun (if any)
In this case, not even worth the money for real railfans. Déja vu.

cascaderailroad said:

Are the special effects good though ? I nit picked "Runaway Train", "Atomic Train", "Dark Territory", "Broken Arrow", "3:10 To Yuma" "Breakhart Pass", Pelham 123", The Train", Bridge At Remagen", "Von Ryans Express" ... etc ... to pieces, but they were still pretty good, very enjoyable movies.

Only us rail fans know trains well ... most average railroad employees, and the common person, know little about real railroading.

Click to expand...

Don't forget Silver Streak:hehe: Just saw the trailer on YouTube, And the first thing I noticed it said "inspired by true events" I don't think it be an interesting movie (to some) about a average day on the railroad if they're starring Denzel Washington in it. Its entertainment (just like Trainz) Thats why its called Hollywood.

well lets face it, as bad as some people want reality TV to be true, its not. real life just isnt that damn entertaining- if it was, we wouldn't need movies or fiction stories. if they have to break a few rules to make it fun then i am all for it. if its not fun and they still break all the rules and it just sucks, then it becomes a problem.

kimo505 said:

Its entertainment (just like Trainz)

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Exactly. Prototypical reality may thrill us, but not the majority of folks who would just find it boring.
Besides, pretend can be fun. I mean, who hasn't ridden a free-rolling caboose down the Avery-Drexel pass?

well I'm certainly gonna try now that you mentioned it...

Guys if you didnt notice Hollywood exagerates alot of things nothing in Hollywood is every close to the real thing. If it was no one would watch movies... Thats why documentaries arent the most watched types of T.V. You guys have to think before you really say something like its unrealistic...