# Unstoppable (the movie)



## fredevad (Nov 15, 2010)

This weekend my wife took me to see the new movie "Unstoppable". For those of you that don't know, it's about a runaway freight train and supposedly "inspired by true events". It was a perfect DateNite movie for us - I like the trains and she likes the new Captain Kirk (Christopher Pine), who played a conductor in this movie.

Aside from a couple of spots of typical Hollywood "suspend disbelief", I enjoyed the move. There were lots of train shots, and it felt like they did a fair amount of homework to use railroading terms, at least to me, an "amateur-wannabe-railfan".

I think that I was in a theater or railfans or railroaders, because when one engineer said of the runaway "it's in notch 8", I heard alot of OMGs from the crowd.

I'll own it on Blu-Ray, but I'm interested to know what others thought of this movie and what people that actually work for a railroad thought of it.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Nov 15, 2010)

Considering the original story about the Crazy 8s, I really hate that they broadcast that's it's based on true events. I also find thenidea of trains hitting curves and getting one one side of the wheels is jumping the shark, even to non rail fans I think most people have an understanding of physics...

..okay maybe not.

There are a couple nice things they kept for the story, like the lead power being engine 777 still, this would be then second time Ive seen Denzel do a rail fan flick in two years, should be good.


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## fredevad (Nov 15, 2010)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> ... even to non rail fans I think most people have an understanding of physics...


Ummm, yea. See if you can find a post I made a couple of months ago about getting into a conversation with someone that thinks that riding a train in a Midwest snowstorm is dangerous saying "You hear about them going off the rails all the time.".

It was funny though, at one point during the movie my wife leaned over to me and referenced that comment - we both laughed.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Nov 15, 2010)

I enjoyed the movie and felt the writers did a good job of explaining basic railroading, although I understand from the "Crazy 8s" incident, the engineer intended to engage the Dynamics but failed to properly set them up. Rather than showing controls moving mysteriously on their own, they should have stayed with that part of the story.

I couldn't quite figure out why Denzel Washington was cussing out the Conductor on the turntable, other than something about the turntable house being on the wrong side.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Nov 15, 2010)

What was the max speed the runaway made in the movie? I noticed that the speedometer went up to 160...

The best factual depiction of a runaway vie ever seen is Runaway Train, 1985 starring Jon Voigh and Eric Roberts.


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## amtrakwolverine (Nov 15, 2010)

It's supposed to be loosely based on the CSX train that went 40 miles unmanned.


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## fredevad (Nov 15, 2010)

I found a report here:

http://kohlin.com/CS...inal-report.htm

The highest speed in the report is this:



> At Kenton, Ohio, near mile post 67, the crew of Q63615 successfully caught the runaway equipment and succeeded in coupling to the rear car, at a speed of 51 mph.


If I remember correctly, the top speed in the movie was somewhere between 75 and 80 mph.


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## leemell (Nov 15, 2010)

OlympianHiawatha said:


> I enjoyed the movie and felt the writers did a good job of explaining basic railroading, although I understand from the "Crazy 8s" incident, the engineer intended to engage the Dynamics but failed to properly set them up. Rather than showing controls moving mysteriously on their own, they should have stayed with that part of the story.
> 
> I couldn't quite figure out why Denzel Washington was cussing out the Conductor on the turntable, other than something about the turntable house being on the wrong side.


I saw it yesterday and agree with everything you said. Although, I thought Denzel was complaining because he had the locomotive the wrong way round.


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## MikefromCrete (Nov 15, 2010)

I just saw the movie this afternoon and found it to be an enjoyable experience. Some things, of course, were just silly (Like the train barreling through "Stanton" on the elevated tracks and a crowd of people watching it, waiting for it to derail and hit the oil storage tanks. Weren't they supposed to evacuate the town? ) It seemed to get its basic railroading right and I took it as a salute to those who work on the rails.


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## BigBlueBuddha (Nov 15, 2010)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> The best factual depiction of a runaway vie ever seen is Runaway Train, 1985 starring Jon Voigh and Eric Roberts.


Runaway Train is one of my all-time favorite movies. I watched it 3 times in less than 24 hours when it first came out.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Nov 15, 2010)

Kwitchyerbelliakin said:


> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> 
> 
> > The best factual depiction of a runaway vie ever seen is Runaway Train, 1985 starring Jon Voigh and Eric Roberts.
> ...


Acting was great.

They still use turntables in revenue service? I thought everything was wyed these days.


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## fredevad (Nov 15, 2010)

MikefromCrete said:


> Some things, of course, were just silly (Like the train barreling through "Stanton" on the elevated tracks and a crowd of people watching it, waiting for it to derail and hit the oil storage tanks. Weren't they supposed to evacuate the town? )


I was thinking the same thing too! And how about parking right next to the tracks where the derailers are and standing there and watching? I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to be far, far away from where I expected a 70+ mph train to derail, especially if it was carrying hazmat. But, it made for good action shots and I've learned to live with some Hollywood fantasy.

I was recently on the Texas Eagle in Marshall, TX, site of a derailment in May of this year. Supposedly some of the cars came within 10 feet of the depot, and I can tell you that the depot isn't that close to the tracks.


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## had8ley (Nov 16, 2010)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> Kwitchyerbelliakin said:
> 
> 
> > ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> ...


Two come to mind~ the New Orleans Public Belt and the Tennessee Valley Scenic RR, a tourist line in Nashville.


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## PerRock (Nov 16, 2010)

Doesn't Amtrak still use on over in LA? Albeit mainly for storage then turning engines.

peter


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## AlanB (Nov 16, 2010)

PerRock said:


> Doesn't Amtrak still use on over in LA? Albeit mainly for storage then turning engines.
> 
> peter


Yup, those at the second Gathering got to see it.


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## MrFSS (Nov 16, 2010)

had8ley said:


> Two come to mind~ the New Orleans Public Belt and the Tennessee Valley Scenic RR, a tourist line in Nashville.


The *Tennessee Valley* is in Chattanooga. MrsFSS and I have ridden and enjoyed it.


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## Dan O (May 17, 2013)

+++Warning+++Thread a few years old+++

I just saw this movie on DVD last PM. Not a bad movie. I thought it odd that they referred to sections of Pennsylvania as Northern PA and Southern PA. I think it would more apt to be North Central, NE, NW, etc.

I thought most of the footage of the runaway train looked like the train was going about 30 mph, not 50-75 mph or so as shown in the movie.

Dan


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## GG-1 (May 17, 2013)

Aloha

This movie was rerun last week in the Vegas area, so not surprised to see new comments.

Another Thread mentioned the Filmore & Western RR. While looking at their site I discovered much of this movie was shot on their RR. An earlier message suggested train speeds were around 50mph. From what I know of the movie industry I would expect much of the filming was much slower.


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## railiner (May 19, 2013)

BigBlueBuddha said:


> 'ALC_Rail_Writer' said:
> 
> 
> > The best factual depiction of a runaway vie ever seen is Runaway Train, 1985 starring Jon Voigh and Eric Roberts.
> ...


Since this old thread was brought up, I would also mention the 1973 TV Movie "Runaway", starring Ben Murphy, Ben Johnson, and D&RGW 3081 'The New Engine'.

It was about a fictitious runaway ski train on the 'Sierra Pacific RR', that lost its brakes coming down the mountain, and was in imminent danger of derailing around "the curve at Arvada'. Typical disaster movie formula, with its snippets of flashbacks, of those in danger. Lots of technical errors, as usual, but entertaining anyway, with breathtaking scenery of the Front Range of Colorado. I watched them film it at "Jackson City", aka Denver....


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## GG-1 (May 19, 2013)

railiner said:


> BigBlueBuddha said:
> 
> 
> > 'ALC_Rail_Writer' said:
> ...


Aloha

Sometimes I am sad that people can not enjoy a story as just a story.


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## railiner (May 21, 2013)

GG-1 said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> > BigBlueBuddha said:
> ...


Well I actually did enjoy watching it (I did say it was entertaining), but I also enjoy afterwards sharing my knowledge of railroading with others I see it with, by way of explaining the innacuracies of some things depicted in the film.


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## Dan O (May 21, 2013)

railiner said:


> Well I actually did enjoy watching it (I did say it was entertaining), but I also enjoy afterwards sharing my knowledge of railroading with others I see it with, by way of explaining the innacuracies of some things depicted in the film.


I enjoy reading about the things that were done wrong too. I don't know much about trains so that's how I learn a thing or two.

Thanks,

Dan


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## crescent2 (May 29, 2013)

We watched this movie several years ago, and hey, it has trains in it, so....

I thought it was loosely based, with a happier outcome, on the runaway train that actually derailed in a curve and took out several homes in California, causing several deaths. Then later, a gasoline pipeline that had been damaged in the original cleanup exploded with more loss of life.


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## leemell (May 29, 2013)

crescent2 said:


> We watched this movie several years ago, and hey, it has trains in it, so....
> I thought it was loosely based, with a happier outcome, on the runaway train that actually derailed in a curve and took out several homes in California, causing several deaths. Then later, a gasoline pipeline that had been damaged in the original cleanup exploded with more loss of life.


Wrong accident. What you are describing was a freight with a lot ofcars carrying trona. It overran its ability for the brakes and engine dymanics to stop it or slow it down. It was in Cajon Pass and when it reached the bottom there is a curve right next to a housing tract. The train derailed and took out seven houses and destroyed 6 engines and 69 cars. Clerk miscalculated the weight and one of the trailing locomotives lost dymanic braking.


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## amtkstn (May 29, 2013)

Last time I looked it was on YouTube.


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