Movies - Atomic Train

Home > Listing Index > Movies > Atomic Train

	Movies - Atomic Train

Atomic Train is a 1999 action movie about an accidental nuclear explosion destroying the city of Denver. It was originally broadcast on NBC as a two-part miniseries.

Cast

Plot

A waste disposal company has a Russian nuclear bomb to transport, and an employee decides to save money by concealing it on a freight train. This train is also loaded with hazardous and flammable chemicals including metallic sodium which spontaneously ignites on contact with water. The train suffers a brake failure and becomes a runaway heading for Denver. John Seger, a heroic NTSB investigator, boards the train and with the assistance of the railwaymen tries various ways to stop the train, but nothing works. Meanwhile, Denver residents are struggling to collect their families and then leave town, despite rioters and gridlock.

The train derails and becomes a terrific wreck. Discovering the now highly unstable bomb on-board, firefighters struggle to put out the fire at the crash site. The misinterpretation of a radio call to a water bombing helicopter leads it to dump its load onto the wreck. Water comes into contact with the metallic sodium, which explodes and in turn causes the nuclear bomb to detonate.

Plot and factual flaws

The movie is notorious for its factual and plot oversights. Most often quoted is that the train is said to become a runaway when it is still 300 miles west of Denver with a continuous decline ahead. Since this would place it on the other side of the Continental Divide, it should be going generally uphill for most of the first 250 miles, a critical plot flaw.

Furthermore, for safety reasons all trains are fitted with Westinghouse air brakes. In the event of a failure, such as an air leak like that which occurs in the movie, the brakes would be fully applied.

See for a thorough list.

Awards

Won the Golden Reel Award
(2000) for "Best Sound Editing - Television Mini-Series - Effects and Foley"
Nominated for Golden Reel Award
(2000) for "Best Sound Editing - Television Mini-Series - Dialogue and ADR"

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Atomic Train ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Atomic Train; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay