Re: Some not so bad railroad-themed movies.
Author: Bruce Kelly
Date: 05-01-2009 - 08:08
"Timberjack," released in 1955, has some great scenes of log trains powered by Shays or Heislers (can't remember which, been a long time since I've seen it). Similar to "Danger Lights" (which is famous for its abundant MILW action), but Timberjack has slightly better production quality. Amen to that earlier mention of Denver & Rio Grande. Better than DeMille's UP epic in my opinion. Got the recently re-mastered "Emperor of the North" a year or so ago; hadn't seen that movie in almost 20 years. Yeah, it's still one of the greatest rail flicks of all time. But I had memories of this damp, foggy, sequence when Shack tries to highball out of the yard, only to learn that the "fog" appears to be a cheesy static filter or post-production effect. And the 'bo's manage to find themselves back at the same trestle even after traveling some distance further down the track. But you can't beat those crisp, color scenes of period equipment on the move, and a big-screen story where railroading plays the central role, not just a background prop.