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UNSTOPPABLE

009matt

By 009matt,
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trisonic

trisonic

Posted
Posted

Supposedly it is based on a real incident involving a real locomotive: CSX 8888 (SD40-2) now termed "Crazy Eights". Considerably fictionally enhanced! You can google the engine number to find the real story. The movie came out here last week.

 

Best, Pete

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Lady_Ava_Hay

Lady_Ava_Hay

Posted
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I do hope that this isn't the usual Hollywood stunt of showing all the best bits in a 30 second bite and the whole film is boring. I can't see that its release over here would fill any empty seats in the cinema. Blink and you will miss it.

 

Give it a year and the DVD will be on secondary follow through at £9.99.

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Allegheny1600

Allegheny1600

Posted
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Funny!

Very Hollywood - "inspired by true events"? A; very poor grammer, B; how much inspiration, how much imagination?

The train "has no air" - in which case, there is no problem right? The train will not be moving!

"A train going that fast - will vapourise anything in front of it" - Phew, I didn't know trains could travel at or near the speed of light!

"Only way to stop it is to grab it by it's tail" - maybe, without derailing it or getting someone on the train to take control. However you could always derail the train once the hazarous cars are clear of a derail or catch point, use military equipment to blow the train/lead loco up (or even, knock out the fuel tanks?), route it up an abandoned branch or simply rip the track up in front of it!!!

But, that would not make such a good story, would it???

(Geek mode off, now!)

Having said all that, I shall watch this film as I'm a film nut as well as a train nut plus on the positive side, if this film shows people just how dangerous is it to get in front of ANY train - then it may well save some lives!

Cheers ;) ,

John E.

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Arthur

Arthur

Posted
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Rubbish or not, certainly it will be over dramatised, but it would appear that the basics do follow the real life incident. CSX SD40-2 8888, unmanned, rolled out of a freight yard hauling, amongst other things, two tank cars of toxic phenol, and went on a 47mph, 66 mile run across Ohio.  Police did try to stop it by shooting at the fuel cut off valve though it was eventually halted by running a second loco behind it, coupling up and slowing it down thereby enabling a CSX employee to board 8888 and bring it to a halt.  Bizarre but seemingly true.

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The Stationmaster

The Stationmaster

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Hold on, hasn't there been a similar film before????

 

it was an 80's one or something, train with hazardous chemicals??? seems to get repeated sometimes????

 

I think that might have been the one with the illegally imported nuclear weapon and the chemical that reacted with water and it all went off in the end a few miles from Denver (or somesuch place) after the train had been involved in the sort of ludicrous runaway incident that - it seems - could probably only happen on a fictional US railroad. Can't remember the name of it tho' but Kristin Davies was in it her in her pre SITC days.

 

 

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Arthur

Arthur

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I think that might have been the one with the illegally imported nuclear weapon and the chemical that reacted with water and it all went off in the end a few miles from Denver (or somesuch place) after the train had been involved in the sort of ludicrous runaway incident that - it seems - could probably only happen on a fictional US railroad.  Can't remember the name of it tho' but Kristin Davies was in it her in her pre SITC days.

That's 'Atomic Train', 1999.  

 

Another is 'The Runaway Train', 1973, about a ski train coming down the mountain with frozen brakes.   Ben Johnson plays the grizzled engineer, one day from retirement.  Another loco is sent to chase after it, coupling on and hauling it to a halt, yards before the station terminus.   

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Arthur

Arthur

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And the one in Alaska(?) with the escaped prisoners. Starring Jon Voight IIRC. I have enjoyed this one more than once. Can't recall the title though.

 

Ed

 

That's 'Runaway Train' too, 1986, also stars Eric Roberts. The earlier film with the same title, I think, has been shown over here as 'Ski Train'.

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GreenDiesel

GreenDiesel

Posted
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I've also been watching the movie trailers online and checking the Unstoppable website. I can't wait to see this movie -- my wife & I are both planning to see it!

 

Sure, it's going to be farfetched, but then most movies are, even "non-action" ones. And yes, it is somewhat based on a real-life event, but exaggerated for the movie. It's supposed to open tomorrow, here in Canada.

 

Rob

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dibber25

dibber25

Posted
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I seem to recall hearing of incidents where the 'parking brake' leaked off and locos were found the opposite end of the yard from where they had been left. I think they were either CP SD-40Fs or CN SD-50s so there might just be a tiny element of truth in this tale. Overall it looks like a piece of nonsense that provides a good excuse for smashing lots of things up. That seems to be what today's cinema audiences want. Maybe its better than spooky kids and hideous CG monsters, but not much better, in my view. Now where did I put that Jamaica Inn DVD?!!

CHRIS LEIGH

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corax67

corax67

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Went to see a pre-release screening of this on Tuesday evening with my wife (very definitely NOT a train fan) and we both loved it. Of course it is a wildly dramatised version of the actual facts relating to 8888 but the news reportage footing interspersed with regular film style footage draws you into the drama plus Denzel Washington & Chris Pine deliver really solid performances.

 

Definitely getting it on video when it is eventually released.

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Fenman

Fenman

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I seem to recall hearing of incidents where the 'parking brake' leaked off and locos were found the opposite end of the yard from where they had been left. I think they were either CP SD-40Fs or CN SD-50s so there might just be a tiny element of truth in this tale. Overall it looks like a piece of nonsense that provides a good excuse for smashing lots of things up. That seems to be what today's cinema audiences want. Maybe its better than spooky kids and hideous CG monsters, but not much better, in my view. Now where did I put that Jamaica Inn DVD?!!

CHRIS LEIGH

 

This is on the internet, so it must be true: http://kohlin.com/CS...inal-report.htm

 

Paul

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Edwin_m

Edwin_m

Posted
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A lot to be said for No Air = Brakes ON.

 

But unfortunately it is not always true either in the US or anywhere else.

 

The air brakes require air in the reservoirs in order to force the brake shoes against the treads, and if for any reason the air in the reservoirs is used up then the brakes will not operate. According to the link this train was being shunted with the train brakes not connected to the loco, therefore no way of operating them. The driver (engineer) applied the loco brakes but by error also applied full power and it seems the tractive effort of the engine exceeded its brake force by some margin. Apparently also their driver vigilance equipment was ineffective if the brakes had already been applied.

 

All railway air (or indeed vacuum) brake systems work in this way, which is why fitted wagons could be worked in unfitted trains, and why a train left alone must always be secured by one or more parking brakes or scotches because the air brakes will eventually leak off. Some modern passenger trains and light rail vehicles have a parking brake which is applied by springs and held off by the air in the brake system, but I'm not aware of spring-applied brakes being used anywhere to stop a train in motion.

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Arthur

Arthur

Posted
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But unfortunately it is not always true either in the US or anywhere else.  

 

All railway air (or indeed vacuum) brake systems work in this way, 

Is that correct about vacuum brakes? I always thought that the vacuum was raised to release the brakes which accounts for problems loco men sometimes had with dragging train brakes when the locomotive ejector was not creating sufficient vacuum.

 

 

 

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