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Is Unstoppable movie a true story?

The movie Unstoppable was based on the real-life CSX 8888, also known as the “Crazy Eights,” occurrence. The incident involved a CSX Transportation freight train in the U.S. state of Ohio and occurred on May 15, 2001. The film’s plot is based on two train yards on the Allegheny and West Virginia Railroad (AWVR).



Director: Tony Scott

Premiere year: 2010

Budget: US$100,000,000

Box office in the USA: US$81,562,942

Total box office: US$167,805,466

IMDB: 6.80/10 (166,127)

At Fuller, the yard in northern Pennsylvania, hostlers have to move train 777 (Triple 7) off the track to allow an excursion train to pass through. The crewless train, led by Locomotive #8888, an EMD SD40-2, exited the rail yard in Ohio and made a journey of approximately 66 miles across northwest Ohio.

The incident happens after the engineer, a 35-year veteran, got out of the slow-moving train to correct a misaligned switch he had noticed. He mistakenly thought that he had correctly set the train’s dynamic braking system. However, he unintentionally failed to complete the braking selection process, meaning that the train’s engine was set to full throttle, and not coasting. The train began to accelerate. The locomotive’s air brake was the only functioning brake but was insufficient to offset the train’s engine power. Triple 7 was carrying thousands of gallons of molten phenol, a highly toxic and flammable ingredient of paints and dyes harmful when inhaled, ingested, or brought into contact with the skin. The runaway train sped down the tracks uncontrolled for about two hours reaching speeds of up to 51 mph.

In southern Pennsylvania’s Stanton yard, experienced engineer Frank (Denzel Washington) and newly hired conductor Will (Chris Pine), on locomotive #1206 attempt to stop the runaway train. A plan to purposely derail 777 as it passes through unpopulated farmland using portable derail devices fails as the train passes through unharmed.

Police unsuccessfully attempt to shot at an emergency fuel shutoff switch on the engine. It failed because the button must be pressed for several seconds before the engine is starved of fuel and shuts down. Soon, it becomes clear that Frank’s idea is the last option, the engineer and his conductor have a race against time to prevent a looming disaster. They chase the runaway train in a separate locomotive and hoping to bring it under control before it derails on the Stanton curve, a tight and elevated section of the track. A toxic spill in the highly populated area would annihilate the 752,000 people living in the town.

Finally, the railroad crew catches up with 777. They try to couple 1206 to the rear of 777. The locking pin fails to engage forcing Will to kick it into place injuring himself in the process. The conductor limps to the cab of 1206 and starts working on its throttle and dynamic brakes. Frank perilously moves from one car to the next engaging the brakes on each. They only manage to reduce the train’s speed enough to allow it to clear the Stanton Curve. It almost tips over but rights itself before the brakes on 1206 fail. 777 begins to gain momentum again as Frank struggles to access 777’s cab. Welder Ned Oldham is on hand with his truck to lend a helping hand. He drives on the road running alongside the tracks. An injured Will hops into the truck, and Ned drives to the front of 777. Will then jumps onto the locomotive. He engages the brakes, successfully bringing the train to a stop.

How did they film Unstoppable?

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the headquarter for the filming and production of Unstoppable. It was also the base of the imaginary railroad shown in the movie, the “Allegheny and West Virginia Railroad.” Filming was done in a wide region in Pennsylvania which included Martins Ferry, Bellaire, Mingo Junction, Steubenville and Brewster cities of Ohio. In Pennsylvania, shooting was done in the cities of Pittsburgh, Bradford, Emporium, Unionville, Tyrone, Julian, Port Allegany, Eldred, Port Matilda, Monaca, Milesburg, Turtlepoint, and Carnegie. Filming was also done in Portville and Olean, New York. Buffalo Line of Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad was used for two months. During this period, filming was done in daylight, while at night, the railroad ran its general freight service. The B & O Railroad Viaduct connecting Bellaire, Ohio, and Parkersburg, West Virginia is the area shown as the bridge and elevated curve in the climactic scene.

In Wilkins Township, a Pittsburgh neighborhood, filming took place in a two-day session at the Hooters restaurant. It featured 10 Hooters girls from across the U.S. At the Mogul Media Studios on 31st Street in Pittsburgh, more interior scenes were filmed. The shooting of this film began on August 31, 2009. Filming was suspended for a day on November 21, 2009, when part of the train accidentally derailed. Most of the locomotives on the film were leased while one was bought from scrap and modified.

About this movie:

Unstoppable (2010) is an American film categorized under the action and thriller genres. It was directed and produced by Tony Scott. The movie Unstoppable was the last Scott worked on before he passed away on August 19, 2012. It starred veteran engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and rookie conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine). American screenwriter Mark Bomback was the brains behind the film’s screenplay. In the United States and Canada, the movie Unstoppable was on November 12, 2010. The film got a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing at the 83rd Academy Awards. It lost to Inception.

Author: Edward K.