why is UNSTOPPABLE an UNBELIEVABLE movie ?

Well i'll tell you a few facts about the real event the movie is based on.The train didn't have any air in the cars because it was a switching move.The engineer had applied the independent brake fully before he got off the engine to try to line the switch.Doing that nullifies the alerter.So the alerter never tripped.Also he thought he had placed the controls into dynamic brake but they were still in power.That overcame the braking force the engines could provide.And lastly i've been a rail for 35 years and i've never seen an engine that the throttle wouldn't move when the engine brakes are applied.I don't know who told you that but it's not true(at least on any engine i've ever been on).Here's a link about the real event so you can read it for yourself.http://kohlin.com/CSX8888/z-final-report.htm I myself have no interest in even seeing the movie because Hollywood has a habit of stretching the truth to make the movie exciting.One of the only movies about railroading that was true to life was Emperor Of The North

Edit Preston there were no flaws with the engine.The new ones operate exactly the same as the old ones in regard to control operation.The flaws were all with operator errors that never should have happened with an engineer with his seniority.He made several critical errors that led to what happened.If it was duplicated with a new engine the results would be exactly the same.

> well...I'll answer it.

> Air brakes need air to RELEASE the brakes, not to activate them,

WRONG. Train brakes are not spring brakes (spring on, air off). Applying air pressure charges reserve tanks. Reducing pressure signals the cars to use the air in the reserve tanks to apply the brakes. If you never charge the air == no brakes.

The only place I've EVER seen spring brakes in railroading, was on a Boeing product.

> The Independent brake sets the brakes for the locomotive only,

True

> and on many models you can not move the "throttle" while the independent brake is ON.

That's because your model is wrong. On the real magilla, you certainly can. Done it.

>So...the whole movie is based upon technical flaws.

> Also, most railway lines have an "Alerter" system, where every so often the engineer has to do

> something, move a control or whatever, or the locomotive comes to a stop.

Correct, however, in some locomotives if you apply the Indie it defeats the alerter. This is a stupid design because traction power can overcome the indie, which is exactly what DID HAPPEN.

Railroad schadenfreude, since everybody in the business saw it coming.

> I really get annoyed about movies that are so technically incorrect!

Aren't we all. And it happens so often http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JustTra... that it'd be easy to leap to that conclusion!

Unfortunately this is not such a case.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSX_8888_incident

http://kohlin.com/CSX8888/

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DidNotD...

That last link isn't about the movie.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

First off, I will back what Andy says, I have been an engineer since 1975 and have NEVER seen a locomotive that the independent brake had any interlock with the throttle, never. And FYI, air brakes do need air, they dont activate by good wishes, hence the name . . . . air brakes.

Alertors are NOT failsafe, the can and do fail and if there is over 22 lbs of independent brakes applied the alertor is nullified.

As a locomotive engineer, the basic premise is 100% believable. It happens.

Yeah, there were a lot of things in the movie that could have been done better. Obviously they did not have an experienced railroader on the staff pointing out the dozens things that made most rails shake their heads.

The movie is actually quite believable, it is just poorly done from a technical standpoint.

Uh, before you get too mad at nothing, consider the CSX 8888 incident (which inspired the movie). Something similar to Unstoppable happened, and the train ran at full power for 66 miles.

As for the air brakes. In intra-rail yard movements, they don't use the air brake system, so obviously it can be turned off, and it does.

As for the "alerter" system, in the CSX 8888 incident, the engineer set the independent brakes, but the design of the engine caused the alerter system to be turned off.

The Independent Brake does only operate the brakes on the locomotive, Unstoppable didn't claim that it activated the brakes on the cars at all. Once again, with CSX 8888, the independent brake was applied, and the throttle was on, so obviously on some models, the throttle CAN be on when the independent brake is ON.

So... the movie is not based on technical flaws, it's based on common design flaws, which are being corrected on new models. Still, the old flawed models are still out there, and it CAN happen.

I will add one item here, cuz I'm pressed for time and have to report for work. They got around the Alerter thing with just a couple statements back at the Dispatch center by saying, "The Alerter was rendered inoperable because the train's air brake hose was never connected from the engines to the train." This was shown in one of the first scenes, when the Hostler told his Helper on the ground they didn't have time for that. Of course, that doesn't incapacitate the Alerter, but the writers must have been looking for a way to circumvent this issue should the audience be aware of the Alerter on locomotives.

Oh, and a train cannot tip up that far going around a curve either. Two things happen. The wheel flanges also tip up and are no longer in contact with the inside of the rail head. And all that weight suddenly transferred to just one rail with it's lateral stresses would easily fold the one rail right over.

I do like Denzel Washington as an actor. That Chris Pine guy was okay I guess. I really got a kick out of the welder dude. The long haired Redneck in the dually pick up. Or, "LEAD WELDER !!" as he blurted out to the police. That was funny. He was given an assignment and nothing was going to stop him from giving 100%. The kinda guy you like to see on your side. Gotta run.

Csx 8888 Incident Video

Because the movie has many inconsistencies according to most railfans, engineers, and conductors, is why it's unbelieveable.

Would like to find out more about this as well

depends what movies ur dad likes , try the shaw shank redemption, the green mile, castaway

UNSTOPPABLE is a true move go to this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstoppable_%282010_f... and this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb2OCVAiDgY