Wifeshusband
Senior Member
I love trains. When I was a boy, we used to take the train from Columbus up to Chipley (now Pine Mt.) to go to Ida Casons (now Calloway Gardens). In the early 80's I worked briefly for Southern Railway - in their police department. In the olden days they used to call railroad police "bulls." When I came along they called them "dicks." I'm not sure who named them - probably hobos. Here are the Top Ten Train Movies of All Time, according to yours truly:
#10 MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS: a Whodunit aboard a foreign express.
#9 UNDER SIEGE 2: Although I'm not a big fan of Steven Segal, as Casey Ryback, a Navy Seal, he is good as he is all over this train trying to stop a bunch of terrorists as they use it for their mobile headquarters to create mayhem. It's action packed, to say the least.
#8 THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE: Who over 50 hasn't seen this Disney classic staring Fess Parker. Based on the real life Civil War event of Yankees who, dressed as civilians, went to Kennesaw, Ga and stole a Confederate locomotive intending on tearing up track as they headed North. They failed.
#7 SILVER STREAK: Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, Hijinks, mystery, and murder aboard a modern day train.
#6 UNSTOPPABLE: Denzel Washington plays a conductor as he and and engineer try to stop an out of control train carrying toxic chemicals. Based on a real life incident.
#5 VON RYAN'S EXPRESS: Saw this in the theater when I was about 10. Reported to have revitalized Frank Sinatri's acting career. WWII prisoners break out of an Italian POW camp and hijack a German train taking it west to freedom.
#4 BREAKHEART PASS: Charles Bronson is on top of his game at this point, playing an undercover secret service agent investigating stolen army rifles found hidden aboard an army troop train. The cast is amazing. Any movie with Ben Johnson is always good. This one is loaded with great athletes: Light Heavy Weight World Boxing Champion Archie Moore, Minnesota Vikings' QB Joe Kapp, and Chicago Bears LB Doug Atkins. What is surprising is how well these guys acted - as good as they were in the ring and on the field
#3 RUNAWAY TRAIN: Starring Jon Voight (I like this guy) as a convict, as he and another convict take over a train and the Engineer is accidently killed and everything goes wrong as the train picks up speed with no one at the helm and is headed for disaster. Very intense.
#2 THE TRAIN: Burt Lancaster is at his best playing a French train conductor in German occupied France as a corrupt German Colonel uses his train to smuggle stolen French Art back behind the lines. Lancaster is on and off the train as he plots to stop the Colonel. It's like a high stakes chess game between the two men.
And now, the Number #1 train movie of all time: EMPEROR OF THE NORTH, starring two of the greatest actors of all time - Ernest Borgnine as a cruel Great Depression Era conductor who hates hobos and makes sure none ride his train, and Lee Marvin, a seasoned hobo loved by the hobo jungles and crowned "A#1." The bet is on to see if A#1 can ride the train to the destination. Marvin has Segal, Wilder, and Bronson beat as he is all over the train, inside the cars, on top of the cars, and even stowed away in the under carriage. Great train scenes with the two man ending up in a life and death struggle to see who "owns" the train.
Which is your favorite train movie?
#10 MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS: a Whodunit aboard a foreign express.
#9 UNDER SIEGE 2: Although I'm not a big fan of Steven Segal, as Casey Ryback, a Navy Seal, he is good as he is all over this train trying to stop a bunch of terrorists as they use it for their mobile headquarters to create mayhem. It's action packed, to say the least.
#8 THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE: Who over 50 hasn't seen this Disney classic staring Fess Parker. Based on the real life Civil War event of Yankees who, dressed as civilians, went to Kennesaw, Ga and stole a Confederate locomotive intending on tearing up track as they headed North. They failed.
#7 SILVER STREAK: Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, Hijinks, mystery, and murder aboard a modern day train.
#6 UNSTOPPABLE: Denzel Washington plays a conductor as he and and engineer try to stop an out of control train carrying toxic chemicals. Based on a real life incident.
#5 VON RYAN'S EXPRESS: Saw this in the theater when I was about 10. Reported to have revitalized Frank Sinatri's acting career. WWII prisoners break out of an Italian POW camp and hijack a German train taking it west to freedom.
#4 BREAKHEART PASS: Charles Bronson is on top of his game at this point, playing an undercover secret service agent investigating stolen army rifles found hidden aboard an army troop train. The cast is amazing. Any movie with Ben Johnson is always good. This one is loaded with great athletes: Light Heavy Weight World Boxing Champion Archie Moore, Minnesota Vikings' QB Joe Kapp, and Chicago Bears LB Doug Atkins. What is surprising is how well these guys acted - as good as they were in the ring and on the field
#3 RUNAWAY TRAIN: Starring Jon Voight (I like this guy) as a convict, as he and another convict take over a train and the Engineer is accidently killed and everything goes wrong as the train picks up speed with no one at the helm and is headed for disaster. Very intense.
#2 THE TRAIN: Burt Lancaster is at his best playing a French train conductor in German occupied France as a corrupt German Colonel uses his train to smuggle stolen French Art back behind the lines. Lancaster is on and off the train as he plots to stop the Colonel. It's like a high stakes chess game between the two men.
And now, the Number #1 train movie of all time: EMPEROR OF THE NORTH, starring two of the greatest actors of all time - Ernest Borgnine as a cruel Great Depression Era conductor who hates hobos and makes sure none ride his train, and Lee Marvin, a seasoned hobo loved by the hobo jungles and crowned "A#1." The bet is on to see if A#1 can ride the train to the destination. Marvin has Segal, Wilder, and Bronson beat as he is all over the train, inside the cars, on top of the cars, and even stowed away in the under carriage. Great train scenes with the two man ending up in a life and death struggle to see who "owns" the train.
Which is your favorite train movie?
