Since The CineTrains Project is taking off, I have been asked by members of the Yahoo! Groups that I am part of of what information is needed in order to get the information of a locomotive of other piece of railroad equipment that is seen in a Movie. Here is the information that will be useful, but if you do not know all the facts, that is not a problem, as I can dig more and more into the history of the equipment shown. Here is a general guide line of the information I would like to have before starting a subject.
- Movie Name
- Year Movie was made
- Screen shot (If possible, I might be able to find one, but it will delay the progress)
- Equipment seen in the movie (Specify Diesel or Steam!)
- Equipment type (Locomotive, Passenger Car, Freight Car, Caboose)
- Builder (If known)
- Model (If known)
- Original Owner (If known)
- Original Number (If known)
- Any renumbering s and date of renumbering (If known)
- Date of retirement (if known and applicable)
- Any famous people ride the train (If known, passenger cars only)
If the equipment you see is in a TV show, then please add the following information so I can better find the equipment please include the following information
- TV Show
- Channel the show was originally broadcasted on
- Season number
- Episode number
For the Season and Episode, please list it as following
- SE01EP01
That stands for Season 1, Episode one
In order to contact me with the information, please, send me an e-mail with the information needed to
Jim Tiroch, idiotfoamer@yahoo.com
As always, anyone giving me ideas will be credited in the “Special Thanks” page!
The CineTrains Project - Trains in the Cinema and TV 
Dear JIm,
Love the “Cine Train Project”. Just found it and you’ve got some great research and info here!
Some suggestions and comments for your consideration.
– RE “The Fugitive”
Wasn’t there a slug (loco with traction-motors only) in the consist that derailed? This is AFAIK the only time a slug has been featured onscreen…
– RE “Tell us what you think” post
That pic of the motorbike in front of the silver F-unit is from the 2004 movie “Torque”
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329691/
– Suggestion : Steven Seagal and Katherine Heigel in 1995 “Under Siege 2 : Dark Territory”, set mostly on a 2x EMD GP-powered passenger train
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114781/
– Suggestion : John Travolta in 1996 “Broken Arrow”, with a EMD GP-hauled freight train
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115759/
– The 2003 remake of “The Italian Job”, with Mark Walberg and Charlize Theron. Final scenes have a carchase thru a UP (LA?) yard, and the Minis loaded onto an Amtrak passenger train
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/
(also some subway action, although that may not fit the “train” criteria?)
– If subways are “iffy”, then either the original (1974, Walther Matthau) or remake (2009, Denzel Washington and John Travolta) “Pelham 1-2-3” may not be worth chasing?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072251/ (1974 original)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1111422/ (2009 remake)
Hope this helps, keep up the great work!
Happy Researching,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr
Did you ever see that movie Steel? It stars Shaquille O’neil (I probably mispelled his name). The movie was from the mid 1990’s. Regardless there’s a great scene where Steel chases a bad guy into what looks like the former ATSF yard in San Bernardino, although it could be another yard in the LA area. In the scene a crew is kicking cars along the yard leads and the on the ground conductor sees the men run into the yard and holler’s “you can’t be here we’re switching!” However they never stop kicking cars and it makes for a crazy five minute scene. I don’t know the story on the power in the scene, It appears to be from the initial phases of the ATSF/SP speculative merger that didn’t happen. It has what resembles that paint job anyway. If I got the place and the power livery correct please let me know, if not and you find out please let me know. Happy Holidays
Hello,
it’s a only short take, but I would like to know more about train used in opening racing scene in “Need For Speed” (a movie). Scene is here: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/need_for_speed/trailers/11198575
It looks like Southern Pacific repaint (SD40-2?) and it’s visible reporting marks and road number PV 3086. V means Valley, but I think it’s fictional railroad?
Greetings
Richard Spitzer
That is DRGW GP40 3086 (38571 11.1971) One of the few Rio Grande units to be repainted in SP livery. The unit was retired by UP August 27 2009 never having gained its assigned UP 741 number. 3086 is now operating on the Great Walton Railroad in Georgia
Thank you. Finally I got some information about this engine :-).
SUGGESTION – NARROW MARGIN
■Movie Name – Narrow Margin
■Year Movie was made – 1990
■Equipment seen in the movie – diesel locomotive
■Equipment type – BC Rail locomotive (painted as Via Rail Canada) and VIA Rail Canada passenger cars
■Builder – EMD
■Model – SD40-2
■Original Owner – BC Rail
■Original Number – 757
■Any famous people ride the train – Gene Hackman doesn’t ride the train, but use it for escape with the eyewitness (Anne Archer). There are many “climbing” scenes on train.
Movie is heavy based on trains scenes. As for Wikipedia, the train used for both interior and exterior scenes consisted of a BC Rail SD40-2 diesel locomotive and 12 privately owned passenger railcars, all painted in Via Rail Canada livery to represent the Toronto-Vancouver passenger train.
Another source (Trainorders.com) says that “The movie ‘Narrow Margin’ was set on a Via train, but was filmed using x-California Zephyr equipment leased by the movie company. The location shooting was on BC Rail.
There is a 1952 version of The Narrow Margin. The witness is transported by train Chicago/LA t testify.
Thank you for the notice on this movie. Yesterday I watched it and found some informations/trivia:
The route the train takes is the route of the old Santa Fe Railroad. The Amtrak Southwest Chief takes that same route as of 2009. Even though the train is supposedly a Santa Fe going through the Southwest, the stock footage often shows a Southern Pacific “Daylight” engine, which ran north through California and Oregon.
Main character came by the Forty-Niner from L. A. (run from Chicago to SF in real) and then went back to L. A. by Central Pacific #10. We can see some named passenger cars of the 49er: Glen Gardner (not found anywhere), Glen Springs and Pacific Skies. Glen Springs was a Pullman Plan #3523A 6C-3DR sleeper, built in November 1925 in Lot #4922 for the general service pool, repainted to SAL colors in November 1951, repainted to Two-Tone Gray in September 1954, sold in December 1964 to William W. Kratville’s Autoliner Corporation in Omaha as #101, now in the collection of the Illinois Railway Museum. Scanned with an Epson V550 from an original Kodachrome 35mm slide. Pacific Skies is AMTK 2517 now.
When the detective wants to witness board on train going back to L. A. (Central Pacific #10), the “Glen Gardner” and “Pacific Skies” car names are visible again – obviously creators used the same cars for the another train, although “Mc. Clane” named car is visible in one short take too (not found anything about this car). Later we can see a telegraph informed about detective and witness ride on Golden West Limited. It probably should mean CP #10 “Golden West Limited” and it was probably fictional train.
Maybe someone will add more informations or fix them.
SUGGESTION – UNDER SIEGE II
■Movie Name – Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
■Year Movie was made – 1995
■Equipment seen in the movie – diesel
■Equipment type – locomotive and passenger cars of (fictional) Grand Continental railroad (cars were built especially for the movie by the now-defunct Colorado Railcar)
■Builder – EMD
■Model – GP7
■Original Owner – Alaska Railroad
■Original Number – 1804 and 1812
■Any renumbering s and date of renumbering (If known)
■Date of retirement – GP7 #1810, which was the second locomotive in Under Siege 2, is now owned by the Oregon Pacific Railroad and is stored in Milwaukie, Oregon.
■Any famous people ride the train – Steven Seagal
Another movie based on train scenes, this time mostly on mountain route. More information about ex-Alaska locomotives are here: http://alaskarails.org/sf/film/undersiege2/index.html
1804 is now in the Gold Coast Railroad museum in Florida painted in Seaboard Airline colors. More history of these two units:
US Army 1839 15709 09.1951 to ARR 1839 04.1960 Chopped nose 1965 rebuilt ICG Paducah 09.1976 and became ARR 1804 retired by ARR 1986
US Army 1821 15691 08.1951 to ARR 1821 04.1960 Chopped nose 1965 rebuilt M-K Boise ID 10.1975 at that time retained # 1821 became ARR 1810 04.1976 retired by ARR 1986
hi i watched a movie called who’s that girl by madonna and there was an alco s6 in there and it didn’t
say the railway and i wanted to fined out the railway.
You are very knowlegable. Check out this train packed movie. Human Desire(1954 B&W) starring Glenn Ford as a returning Korea vet back on his engineer senority. Broderick Crawford plays the asst yardmaster. The locomotive appears to be a CRI&P Alco FA(153) slightly modified. Opens with SP tunnel shots from cab. All the fill shots are everywhere.PRR multiple tracks,Wash Union Station,An early E-unit runby(sounds Winton powered). ATSF streamliner,even an arial shot of B&O Harpers Ferry WV. I’m guessing the turntable shot as Tucumcari MN? Some yard goats too. You will have a field day with this one. Of course there is murder and mayhem involved.
https://obscuretrainmovies.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/human-desire-1954/ Staring a Rock Island FA-1
Glad you found this on tv. It is available in a film noir set of dvd. Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classiics II.
153 was ALCO 76250 10.1948 In October 1956 it was rebuilt with 1500hp EMD 16-567C. Unit was retired in 1968
Something from TV series: “Breaking Bad” episode S05E05 called “Dead Freight” is a great “train robbery” scene, for my opinion one of the best scene from this serie and from train scenes at all.
Main character Walter White and his “co-workers” try to stop the train with tank cars on xing. They put a truck on xing which simulates engine down. Meanwhile White tries to unload tankcar wchich contains a commodity for drugs cooking.
I will try to play your role and write what I have found about engine used in this scene:
Santa Fe Southern Railway (SFSR 927) used in this episode is actually SPS #07. The GP7 locomotive was originally bulit as ATSF 2744. She carries the serial #16388 and was bulit in August 1952. Would be rebuilt emerging from the Cleburne shops as GP7u #2234 in April 1981. Retired by ATSF on July 19, 1991 then sold to RailTex in October of the same year and sent to Texas & New Mexico as TNMR 2234, later to Dallas Garland & Northeastern as their DGNO 701, then to West Texas & Lubbock (WTLC 701). Then sold to Santa Fe Southern where she became SFS #07. Today runs with Excursion Train at Santa Fe, NM.
Really rich history :-).
BTW there are some goofs (according to IMDb.com):
Train in this episode should be longer than 1 000 ft (305 m), would need multiple 4400hp locomotive instead of one 1500 hp engine (GP7u). Also would be running on BNSF Railway’s Transcon on a modern double track line.
Another train packed film to look into. It Happened to Jane (color 1959). Doris Day,Jack Lemmon and Ernie Kovaks as president of Eastern&Portland RR. Her lobster business is ruined by a mishandled shipment by the E&P,she sues and gets into a battle with RR. Star of show is New Haven 3016 lettered over as 97. Believe this was the last steam on NH. The story carries on just hilariously as Kovaks runs this train all over New England and runs out of coal right over a main Jct. This blocks every E&P(NH) train in the area. FL9s and alco frt too. Over a barrel, they push 97 with FL9s. the Jct I believe is Plainfield Jct CT. Trains run on Colchester branch NH. Some other NH action is in the not so obscure The OUT of Towners (color 1970)also Jack Lemmon,Sandy Dennis. Their flight to NYC is fogged in and routed to Boston. They now catch a NH train back to NYC. Station shots in Boston and running shots of FL9s on a limited.
Here are 4 movies with various equipment. The Phantom Express(1932) done in a serial style. Wrecks done with model trains but many real train,roundhouse,tower shots. All SP,all steam.
Sleepers West(1941) Lloyd Nolan. Film Noir,detective following suspect on train. Collision(model) with gas tanker and lots of real shots.Steam SP.
The Major and the Minor(1942) Ginger Rogers. Comedy, lengthly sequence PRR train NY-IN. Appears to be Steamlined K4.
White Heat(1949) James Cagney,Edmund OBrien. Opening segment SP 2440 being held up by gang,stopped near tunnels and spring switch siding( near Chatsworth)?
OOPS..Forgot one. Livin IT Up(color 1954) Dean Martin&Jerry Lewis. Comedy,Jerry plays ATSF station agent New Mexico. Big SF steam eng and Funit diesels.
Please revise the rail related information to add this small bit of railroad trivia. GM&O discontinued all passenger rail service south of St. Louis in 1958. Yes, the GM&O was still, in the popular mind, associated with the deep South in general; and Mississippi in particular. And operated freights in both.
But at the time of the filming (1967), it was long gone from passenger service south of St. Louis. The passenger train (carrying passengers) seen in the film is departing from Alton Illinois, northeast of St. Louis. The “Sparta” station is real (and in Sparta Illinois) but it saw its last passenger in 1958.