Western Railroad Discussion > Your favorite train movie on Lets Talk Trains

Hello All,

Today on the Lets Talk Trains show we are going to talk about your favorite train related movie. Join us in the discussion as we find out which ones are popular. How you ask? Well,....

http://letstalktrains.us and click on the Listen Now link on the upper navigation bar. During show hours, 10am to noon Pacific time, it will take you to the live show. After that time the link takes you to the last show.

The call in number for the show is (866) 613-1612. If you miss the live show, you can always give us feedback using: ltt@letstalktrains.us.

Also, if you have not heard about SurflineHoggers Internet show we will get you connected to that too!

All Aboard!!

EngineerRichard

TalkingTrains Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello All,
>
> >
> The call in number for the show is (866) 613-1612.
> If you miss the live show, you can always give us
> feedback using: ltt@letstalktrains.us.
>
> Also, if you have not heard about SurflineHoggers
> Internet show we will get you connected to that
> too!
>
> All Aboard!!
>
> EngineerRichard


Just what IS SurflinerHogger up to these days? Is he posting under a new name? did he bail out of running the trains? What's up?
C.

I understand he is NOT doing any trains anymore.

Check out the Internet show site: http;//www.morganoharalive.com

Later,
Richard

My favorite was "Emperor of the North" with Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. It not only contained humor, but also depicted what it must have been like to be a true hobo back in the hard times.

Kent in Carmel Valley

Although I knew about this call-in, I had to be at the Orange Empire RR Museum this morning. So here is just one of my favorites probably none of you have seen. "The Walking Dead" with Boris Karloff. Near the end of this very classic old b & w film 2 of the bad guys have a fatal crossing accident with a steam powered SP train.

For a special category of "cameo appearances by streetcars"
"Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) a NOPSI streetcar appears for a short shot at the start of the movie, the only actual streetcar action. I once told my wife that I tuned in this movie for the first five minutes, and then did something else. She said, "Why, that's one of the great dramas in the history of American theater!" Then she added, "We all have our priorities".
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978 version) SF Muni PCC 1136 (I think) in the old green paint job, carries a carload of "converts". I later found the car in service, but it had been repainted into the newer color scheme.
"Comrade X" (1940) features glamorous Hedy Lamarr as a Russian tramcar operator. Her tram is Pacific Electric 332, a Birney which MGM had bought when PE was closing out its local trolley operations and going to buses. The car still exists and is often carrying passengers at Orange Empire Ry. Museum. Right now its still "in costume" for a previous "location" at Tucson AZ, so it's green and white instead of PE red.
"Singin' in the Rain" (1952) One of the all-time great movie musicals, featuring another refugee from PE, in this show, Birney 337 become a refuge for Gene Kelly when his fans become a bit to "adoring". He does not dance on the roof, as some stories have it, and the car did not survive, having been scrapped sometime around 1960.
"American Me" (1992) East LA scenes with OERM's LARy "Huntington Standard" 525, helping recreate East LA of the 1940's (I haven't seen it, reportedly very violent).
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) has a subplot about an evil conglomerate trying to buy up the "Red Car" system. The trolley is a Hollywood mock-up of a PE "Hollywood" car, running on concealed rubber tires and powered by a truck engine. Its "road number" is 717, which is one of five real Hollywood cars at OERM.
"In the Mood" (1987) has scenes with the real PE 717 running on the OERM track. There's some main-line RR action also filmed at the Museum.
"Hog Wild" (1932?) Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in a comedy short that has been used as a safety instruction film at at least one public utility. The grand finale has Stan's Model T crunched between two LA Railway Huntington Standards.
"Dirty Harry" (1971) Has scenes filmed on the SF Muni streetcar lines, including Twin Peaks Tunnel, back when PCC streetcars ruled the rails.
Not sure which "Thin Man" movie it was, but there's one that opens with an "establishing shot" of San Francisco's Market Street back in the 1930's with four tracks of streetcar action.

Always liked the Southern Pacific scenes in "Duel".

How about "Station Agent?" It touches on several aspects of train watching and portrays the hobby in a good light.

My favorite is "The Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day" which is about a young man's effort to save the Yosemite Valley Railroad. The film, shot entirely in black & white was produced in 1996 or 1997. Most of it was filmed using Sierra Railroad equipment, but there is a short clip of actual Yosemite Valley RR footage and the producers made a good effort to be historically accurate.

There are also cameos of an SP 4-8-4 Daylight and a Pacific Electric car.

Dave

I'd have to put mines as "Duel" with the SP scenes and "The silver Streak" with Gene Wilder and the late Richard Pryor!