Eastern Railroad Discussion > Silver Streak

I was watching Silver Streak last night and would like to know if anybody has the history of the two F units they used in the move. I know a lot of the trackage was on Canadian Pacific Rwy. I thought it was funny instead of Amtrak it was Amroad and when Gene Wilder stood up on the passenger car he got slammed into an overhanging signal and swung the whole signal around. Oh what station did they use Lasalle or Dearborn in Chicago to slam the train through?
-Happy Fanning!

I think they "crashed" into Chicago Station, but they really used two airplane hangers for the crash.

Warren
http://www.geocities.com/sp4449fan/mypage.html

Looking at the paint scheme on those FP7's, it's a good bet they are former CP units.

Just before the crash, for a few seconds, you get a view from the front of the train as it rushes between platforms toward a bumping post, with gates beyond. This was filmed in North Western Station. You don't see any part of the train in this shot, so they didn't need to bring in any railroad equipment, just film equipment.

im not sure of the part your talking about but i do know that the station that the train went through is central station in toronto

they ARE both CP units...

As a kid, I loved that movie. I didn't know how cheesy it was until I was older. Great footage though!

One of the only issues of X2200 South I have is an old ragged issue dated Jun-March 1976, Issue 55 for $1.35
An old friend gave it to me because it has the original Conrail roster.

Anyway, I remembered that this issue had a blurb about the CP units, so here you go!!! :

"On 5/13/76 CP FP7A 4070 showed up at John Street in Toronto with the words "AmRoad" printed across the sides. Unit is to be used in filming of 20th Century Fox feature film "The Silver Streak", starring Gene Wilder. Unit is still in red, but the "multi-mark" has been replaced with an Amtrak-like arrow, and the "CP Rail" has been replaced with "AmRoad". Inside Toronto Union Station, all CNR and CP Rail trademarks were replaced with an "Amtrak-like" pointless arrow symbol - - Kevin Holland, Mississauga, Ont."

That also answers the station question, I guess.

A later blurb mentions filming around Calgary in 4/76.

It's funny what you remember...
-Alex

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0022236

Here is an interesting railroad-themed movie, with
what looks to be a real train wreck about 2/3 way into it.

1931

Our Gang's
"Railroadin'" (1929)
is quite intriguing. The Santa Fe locomotives
are great. Super close-ups.

Find a railroad today that would go along
with this kind of movie making! Whew!

In the scene where the police chasing the train call the station control tower to notify them that it's a "runaway", it appears that stock footage of the Chicago Union Station throat tracks has been used in the background. An AMTRAK train can be seen being switched in the background.

The station used at the end of the movie was, without a doubt, Northwestern Station in Chicago. Anyone was has ridden a scoot on the ol' C&NW downtown could certainly testify to that.
There was a story 'way back then' that the producers had approached the ATSF wanting to use "Super Chief" as the title for the flic, but John Reed declined their request citing the many "liberties" the film was going to take with the way things really are on the railroad. The fact that "Super Chief" was a registered trademark that reflected the quality of ATSF operations also is the reason that Amtrak's "Southwest" Chief is named such.

DD

As I recall, there are several station shots, both outside and inside and then the famous crash scene. I believe the crash scene represents the large waiting room at Union Station (the current amtrak station). There used to be an Island type gift shop toward the south end of this area and, if memory serves, this shop is depicted in the movie and is destroyed. The "Ah Ha!" in this scene is that all the stub end tracks are east of this building so nothing could really crash into it.

As I recall, all the station interior scenes were shot in Toronto's Union Station and the "on the road" scenes were done on the CP line in western Canada.

Bruce
Halifax, NS