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I picked up a 2010 copy of Trains magazine at Hobby Towne, a local hobby shop full of great hobby stuff and way over a hundred model planes hanging from the ceiling.  It is poor in the model train area though.

The Trains issue was a "special issue" titled "Trains 100 Greatest Train Movies" and was setting on the top of a stack of used hobby magazines or I would have missed it.

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These movies were reviewed by John Farr, a movie writer and critic.  John states that "this list will not by any means settle what are the greatest 100 train movies". 

The magazine gives a summary of each movie, includes many pictures from some movies and tells about how some of the movies were filmed and what engines and cars were used.  It indicates often whether real trains were used and which ones and when models were used. 

It will serve as a good guide of what movies to look for with trains in mind.

Here is a list of the 100 from the table of contents.

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Since the issue was 2010 it does not include one other Train movie I would now include.  That is "The Long Ranger" from 2013 starring Johnny Depp as Tonto. This movie has lots of train action and stunts performed on moving trains.

 

Charlie

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  • Cover of Trains Mag 100 Greatest Train Movies
  • Table of content of 100 train movies
Last edited by Choo Choo Charlie
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That's a great find.  I'd love to get a copy.  I can see that it has  "Display until April, 2010 printed at the upper left of the cover.  What month is the magazine and is there an issue number ? 

I just checked for back issues on Google.  A page was available and had the years to click on.  But this cover does not show uno.  I wonder if it was a special issue.

Last edited by Former Member

Yes this issue of Trains was a Special Issue from 2010.

One example of the movie coverage in the magazine is the one page coverage of the number 8 rated film  "The General" (about the Andrews raid of the Civil War) made in 1925 starring Buster Keaton in B & W and the film includes the most expensive shot ever made in a silent film.  A real 4-4-0 engine and a large bridge crashed into a river below.  The engine stayed there until WW II when it was salved.  Keaton did all his own stunts in the movie.

Charlie

No. 55, "La Roue," or "The Wheel," was on TCM a weekend or two ago. Idly recorded it when I saw it was a silent movie about a locomotive engineer. Go to watch later, and Ben Mankiewicz says in the intro it's four and a half hours (director's first cut was about nine hours). Yikes. Watched it over a few days. Looks like some real trains in the filming, plus a couple scenes that could be with models. Seemed like a pretty sharp curve. But it could just be perspective making it seem that way.

Seen probably 15 or 20 of them, though some a long time ago. EDIT: on second tally (taking more time), I believe it's 28.

David

Last edited by NKP Muncie

This was released around the same time Unstoppable came into theaters, as I remember finding it at my local (now gone) Borders. Still, all chosen were excellent choices.

Nice that he mentioned The Station Agent, which many of it was filmed not very far away from me in New Jersey. It's also one of my all time favorite movies.

There is a 1936 British film, The Last Journey, that probably deserves mention, thought I don't see it on the list. 

Bob Holt's last journey as a Railway engine driver before his retirement, a journey disturbed by his distress at leaving the Railway, and his suspicions of the relationship between his wife and his fireman. Aboard the train are a pair of pickpockets, a honeymoon couple, a drunk, a temperance pamphleteer and a host of familiar types, all more-or-less bizarre in characteristically English ways. Bob takes an unexpected course of action, and the characters start interacting in varied and unexpected ways. When, at last, the train stops, all has been resolved, but not as might have been expected at the beginning of the journey.

Has anyone else seen this?

 

Danger Lights (one of my all time favorite railroad movies) and The Silver Streak made the list I see.

Here are the three that I think should have made the list but didn't

The Signal Tower (1924):

The Phantom Express (1932):

Westbound Limited (1937):

http://www.train-video.com/rvp71d.html

I've only ever been able to get this one from Walt Berko at Railroad Video Productions (yes, he is still around, he just outsourced the distribution to Anchor Videos).

Regards,

Last edited by spwills
The Grey Fox
1982 ‧ Drama/Action/Adventure ‧ 1h 50m
In this film based on a true story, Bill Miner (Richard Farnsworth) is a fearless stagecoach robber in the days of the Wild West. After he is arrested and jailed for more than 30 years, he re-emerges into a bustling new world. But Miner cannot give up his old ways. Soon he pulls off a successful rai… More
 
Budget: 4.5 million CAD

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