Author: John Netzlof
Pictures relating to the Filming of the movie "Unstoppable"
1:1 Model of an SD40-2 being assembled in Emporium, PA for the Movie shoot. The hood section, I'm assuming its a clone of A&WV 5426, is visible with the trucks and fuel tank seen in front of it.
A very blurry, through-the-windsheild shot of thee Production company's camp outside Port Allegheny, PA.
AWVR Hi-rail is set up for a few test runs down the track a day prior to filming.
The Film Crew has overtaken much of the side streets parelleling the tracks in this small town.
More of the Film Crew in downtown Port Allegheny.
SWP 2002 is the Power for this unpowered SD40-2 "shell." The SD40-2 has had parts of the hood removed as well as extensions added to the walkways to aid in filming in cab and walkway shots.
The camera "buck" locomotive and SWP 2002 again
A string of Police cars intended to represent PA State Police vehicles, there's Four there, and an additional 3 on a car carrier to the left.
Movie Extras sit in WNYP's Olean yard. These units all have the same numbers as the others in Port Allegheny being filmed. Taken from a Public walkway.
Where else but in a fictional world can you find Two identical locomotives coupled together? No editing here, just two movie doubles coupled up in storage.
Just south of the former interchange in Emporium finds a double-ended train setting up for the movie. In town the film crews had the 1:1 models of 7346 and 7375 rolled over with a few freight cars for filming the wreck scene
Just as I was getting ready to leave, they cranked this locomotive over. On the other end is the other operable 1206. I speculate this trainset was headed into Emporium to roll past the wreck scene, by the time I got to town however all the good watching spots were taken.
"Peensylvania State Police" "Wilkins County Sheriff" and News vans for the movie "Unstoppable" in a storage yard.
This Cab prop/set was sitting on a siding with a similar prop for a hopper car in Port Allegheny.
The back side of the Cab prop. Note the EMD SD style truck side frame castings used.
"PA State Police" cars and a "Safety Admin" something-or-other (Representing the FRA??) SUV for the Movie "Unstoppable."
"Wilkins County Sheriff" and "Pa State Police Trooper" cars for "Unstoppable."
Fake PSP and Sheriff cars for "Unstoppable."
They look real, but these are actually 1:1 scale models of SD40-2s. I have no idea what the crane like attachment is on 7346.
In this shot its easier to tell this is actually a 1:1 model, This unit and 7375 are draw-barred together and are both propelled by a small diesel motor in the lead truck seen here. Note the Fuel and Air tanks are "backwards" as well as a solid piece (like the newer Atlas models.) No idea what the tarp is covering, or how thes emodels are ocntrolled. There's no controls in either cab, nor did either of the crew members ridding them have any handheld controls, but sure enough they wer emoving down the tracks slowly on their own. They even let a couple blasts from an air horn at the crossing.
The crane attachment and draw bar are seen here, note the un-connected hoses, these units are actually 1:1 scale models. They're filming a wreck scene with these full-size models, and seeing how the "crane" is anchored to this side of the frame, I wonder if it will be used to change the center of gravity, and start the locomotive tipping over.
Note the lack of traction motors, and that the middle wheel set doesn't even contact the rail head, these are 1:1 scale models.
Trans-Grain Covered Hopper and a Murrigan Box car receive modifications for pyrotechnics. There'll be a wreck stages between the tracks a small Creek, these cars are to be layed over, with "boom tubes" at various places on them.
More modifications for pyrotechnics.
The Model locomotives moving (very slowly) under their own power.
Two shiney new wheelsets sit out in front of a production company's trailer along the track in Emporium.
a "PA State Police" car sits on the storage lot with several other 'fake" police cars for the "Unstoppable" movie. I think the PSP logo is a large magnet, as its crooked and off-center compared to the others on the lot. Apparently its from Troop G.
Pollerst (?) Steel Coil Car for "Unstoppable" movie.
You can see the small diesel motor powering the truck here. The muffler is visible between the furthest left wheel an dmiddle wheel, with the exhaust exiting by the pilot steps, and the engine block between the middle and right wheel.
Another shot of one of the 1:1 models.
Aside from the bogus fuel and air tank combo, and the frame sitting too high off the trucks, this could be a very believable railroad scene...