Unstoppable Engines

[Rickenbacker 325]

Can the Bachmann make a line of engines and cars from the new movie unstoppable? I just got back from the movie and it was awesome.

[Michigan Railfan]

 I doubt it. I could see Athearn doing them more than Bachmann, only because they've made fantasy engines, such as the F59 fantasy. I would love to see someone make the engines and cars, because I too thought the movie was awesome. It would be cool to buy all the frieght cars to make up the whole train. Maybe sometime in the future one company will make them.

[WTierce1]

I'm like you, I think it would be AUSOME to have that train. By the way... Wasn't that train on unstoppable BNSF?

[simkon]

No, due to licensing they could not use the actual road names and liveries on the locos and freight cars, and due to licensing it and the nature of the film (not small child friendly), it won't happen.

[Michigan Railfan]

and the nature of the film (not small child friendly), it won't happen.

I dont think it would have to be small child friendly for someone to make them. When I saw it, there was hardly any kids in the theater, and it was pretty packed. Alot of the people most likely liked trains, considering it's a movie about a train. But, you don't have to like trains to see the movie, but i'm sure alot of them liked trains. It's possible that someone will make the engines + cars, but there's also a good chance that they won't be made too.

[Joe Satnik]

The next Lionel operating car will be a broken grain hopper with internal fan.....

[J3a-614]

There were a variety of locomotives used in the movie, which was shot on several railroads, including the Nitanny & Bald Eagle and the Wheeling & Lake Erie's former B&O trackage in Bellaire, Oh. (large bridge and curved deck bridge approaches, the climatic curves sequence; note that those oil tanks and the like aren't there in real life, they were added digitally).  The principle "star" locomotives were leased Canadian Pacific GEs; I wonder what the CP management thinks about the film industry after seeing what the movies people did with their locomotives!

The incident the film was loosely based on did occur in Ohio on CSX; the locomotive that ran away was numbered 8888, and since then has been called "Crazy Eights" and "Li'l Runaway" by the people who work around it.  The movie incorporates plenty of "Perils of Pauline" or "Hazards of Helen" material to spice up the action, such as the excursion train with the kids near miss, the horse-trailer strike, the boxcar strike, the attempted helicopter drop, and the derailment and explosion of the units attempting to slow the train.  

The explosion was ridiculous to me.  Diesel fuel is essentially kerosine.  Did you ever try to use kerosine to start a brush disposal fire?  You practically have to light it with a blow torch, and then you watch a flame about the size of one from a candle gradually spread the fire.  Gasoline is much, much more volatile (and dangerous because of that), and it's likely that was at least part of what was used to create that massive explosion.  That's one thing you wouldn't see in real life.

Having said that, I've seen much worse, such as "Atomic Train," "Supertrain", and "Chatanooga Choo Choo" (although Barbara Eden still looked good--huffa, huffa!)  Better films have included "The Train," directed by John Frankenhiemer (1964), "Union Pacific" (1939), "Denver & Rio Grande" (1952), "The Tall Target" (1950-something again), "Narrow Margin" (original 1952 version), "The Great Locomotive Chase" (Disney, 1956), "Whispering Smith" (1947), and one with only a bit of rail action in it but also shot in the same general area as "Unstoppable," which was "Fools Parade," (1970), which included a huge cast for the size and typ of movie (James Stewart, George Kennedy, Anne Baxter, Kirk Russell, Strothers Martin, and David Huddleston, with Southern 4501 as a B&O Q-3).

[Rickenbacker 325]

I'm like you, I think it would be AUSOME to have that train. By the way... Wasn't that train on unstoppable BNSF?

The roadname of the train was AWVR. I have no idea what that stands for. I got to see the trains when they were filming in Bellaire, Ohio.

[jward]

awvr= allegheny & west virgiinia railroad.

to model the locomotives (there were at least 9 of them) would range from easy to a difficult kitbash. here is how i'd do it:

awvr 767 & 777 (there were two of each number) were borrowed cp rail ac4400cws, athearn makes these and they should be pretty easy to do.  the blue sd40-2 1206 (3 identical units) are pretty much standard sd40-2s, athearn or bachmann would work for this locomotive.

the two grey sd40-2s, 5580 and 5624, are a whole nuther story. these two were part of the last order of sd40-2s built. as such, they have some detail differences that are not for the faint of heart. being so late in sd40-2 production, they were built alongside sd60s and share the angled blower duct housing on the left side that was used on the sd50/sd60s. this is available as a detail part from cannon, i believe. you'd have to carefully trim the old blower duct away, and glue the correct duct in its place.

now comes the fun part. since this blower duct is much wider at the bottom than the older style, the walkway along the side of the hood becomes a small platform welded to the side of the blower duct, a foot or so higher than the rest of the walkway. this causes the handrail stanchions on either side of the duct to be taller than normal, and the handrail itself is bent to go up and over the duct. the effect is similar to the old u25bs for those who remember them. you'd have to make new handrails for this side of the locomotive as i don't think  they are available commercially. this variation of sd40-2 were very rare, fewer than 100 units out of a production run of over 4000 had them....


i am sure somebody like microscale will come out with a decal set for these units.....

[simkon]

i am sure somebody like microscale will come out with a decal set for these units.....

I wonder what the movie company will charge for licensing fees for the decals.

[richg]

"The real story".
SD-40-2 locomotive, 22 loaded, and 25 empty cars, 2898 gross trailing tons,
The runaway loco was a SD40-2. The chase loco was a SD40-2.
The chase loco running backwards at up to 65 mph and caught the runaway which was running at near full throttle. The chase loco caught the runaway which was at about 51mph.

You can believe what you want.

Rich

[J3a-614]

I've commented above that I've seen better, and much, much worse!  Either way, for those with an interest in modeling the locomotives, here are some shots you might find useful.

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php

I'll try to get some other material up later on.

[Rickenbacker 325]

Does anyone have any pictures of the AWVR diesel engines? I cant seem to find any good ones.

[jward]

i have photos of 6 of them. i was fortunate enough to catch them moving their equipment to another location in a special move. contact me off list and i can send them.

[rogertra]

Can the Bachmann make a line of engines and cars from the new movie unstoppable? I just got back from the movie and it was awesome.

We hope not.