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Reading Topic #2112
Did anyone ever notice in the movie Atomic Train that the chase train that they use later in the movie can be seen sitting in the yard at the beginning of the movie?Also in real life can you use full throttle reverse for brakes?Adam
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Yes, but didn't you know that whenever you add the word "atomic" to a movie... all normal rules of physics no longer apply???Why? Hollywood wants action and suspense more than they want facts and since 90% of the movie going public will never know the difference... Action and Suspense WIN!(besides... I think the term Artiistic License means "shoot the nerds")
Pete Willard
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I remember the movie; Had one scene where the crew was on the rear platform of the caboose trying to couple up to a following rescue locomotive. The crew was actually hanging off the handbrake wheel, but made no attempt to turn the wheel and set the brake. The crew also seemed unaware of the idea of opening a knuckle before attempting to make a coupling. Then in the next scene, the engineman attempts to 'use the hydraulics' and burns them out. I'm wondering what was meant, I've never seen a full-size locomotive with hydraulic brakes. So, the credibility of this movie was severely strained, no doubt by a Hollywood screenwriter who knew nothing about trains.<< Also, in real life can you use full throttle reverse for brakes? >>I once read through the operators manual for a GE 44 tonner. The use of reverse as a brake was described as a last-resort emergencey procedure. The operator was supposed to warn everyone in the cab to hang on for a rough ride, then, with the throttle at idle, place the reverser to reverse and gently ease open the throttle.
I've never tried the procedure in real life; seems very likely to break a traction motor mount (probably resulting in a derailment), as well as very likely to burn out a motor or main generator due to excessive back voltage.
So, while reverse throttle might work as a brake in MSTS, or in Hollywood, not recommended in real life.
Dan
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Ah yes Hollywood.
I tried to watch Atomic train for the train scenes but it was just too painful.
Other good films
Runaway Train: Enginer slaps the throttle to run 8(for a yard move) has a grabber slaps the brakes and keels off the train,brake shoes burn off, we've got a run away.
Disaster on the Coastliner: a shlocky 70's Will Shatner film. The locomotive becomes a run away because the bad guy uncoupled the rest of the train.Silver Streak was one of two films I've seen with a runaway train with a plausible scenario ie bad guy and his flunky take over locomotive and the engineris shot as he tries to bail off,bad guy drops tool box on deadmans peddle, bad guy gets killed,train is now a run away.
Runaway: this was an early 70's made for ABC using the DRG&W's ski train though several reasons(Ice buildup in a brake line,a closed angle cock, ETC) no reason was given
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I ADMIT IT!! Ive done that many times as to help the emergency brake. (lets just say i find myself on the wrong track alot!)
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LAST EDITED ON Aug-06-02 AT 08:59 PM (EDT)
I got Atomic Train at my house on VCR Tape. I also rented it one time and found out then that the conductor was killed at the end of the movie because he got off the front loco when the engineer told him to get off and then got on the second one and went back and tried to hook the brake hoses up. He went to lean off of a barrel to get down on the ladder of the gondola, the barrel fell over, and he fell right in between the cars and of course it killed him. I guess they cut that part out on the TV version.
Also after the train had it's electrical knocked out and that didn't help the engineer and the NTSB guy jumped off of the loco front. Why didn't they step off of the ladder, it was only going 20 mph?I was kinda thinking about the hand brake wheels too. They were trying to hang off of the gondola ladder to get them brake hoses hooked together. Couldn't they have just turned the hand brake wheels on all of the cars including the locomotives?Also if you know a lot about trains you would know that when brake hoses break apart it causes the train to go into emergency.That's the point of a movie, most movies aren't near realistic, that's why their movies! Now videos are a different story!Adam
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