Disaster on the Coastliner (1979)

Really Surprised!

One of my all time favorites.

Great Film overall

Admirable film.

In 1978, when this movie was shot, I lived in East Lyme, CT and I was an extra for this movie (the big crowd at the railroad crossing, waiting for the train to come - I was paid $35, a fortune to a 14 year old in 1978). I got to meet Shatner at the New London Outlet Mall (yeah, I'm sure he remembers THAT), and my friend's father was the town cop who hauled the bad guy away in the police cruiser at the end of the movie.The funny thing is that the continuity person let a detail slip through. The action was supposed to be taking place in California, yet the police cars all have Connecticut plates. Guess they were outsourcing.I watched the movie when it came out (and again when it ran in reruns about a year later) and from what I remember it was typical shlocky '70s action-adventure stuff -- actors trying to either start a career or resurrect one, a suspenseful moment every fifteen minutes or so to allow the director to fade to black and go to commercial, horrid disco-inflected "Charlie's Angels"-ish soundtrack, etc. It was pretty bad, but I got to see myself on TV for a fraction of a second.And now, when my kids are a little older, I can tell them their dad was in a TV movie with William Shatner, and they can say "A what with who?" And then they will go back to using nanotechnology to build robots that will automatically clean their rooms, do their homework, and stop their terminally uncool dad from ever mentioning the 70s again.

Yeah, the air hoses had busted open when the engine uncoupled from the cars, so the train line brakes were useless. However, the hijacker didn't know enough to reach for the smaller engine brake handle above the train line brake? That would have stopped the engine; as well as the emergency fuel kill switch on the rear panel which is clearly visible numerous times. Should have done his homework before hijacking a train. Also, If you take a train traveling at 120 mile per hour, and send it sailing over a newly-welded, 30 yard crossover, guess what...it's not going to make it! Regardless, the movie was enjoyable -good story, good acting, and good use of trains! Oh, and who are they fooling with "Trans Allied?" It was Amtrak!

Being an avid railroad buff, I have to say that I really like this movie. There's a fantastic mix of light comedy, romantic drama, and high paced action here. Although the track splicing idea is totally rediculous in the time allowed, (and the foreman was 100% correct, the train was moving way too fast for the weld to hold), it was executed with taste and efficiency.On the technical end, no train travelling 120 mph could survive a sudden 30 yard track switch. Here in NYC, the Metro North Commuter Railroad uses 100 yard switches that trains can only handle at about 50 mph. That train should have derailed instantly on such a sudden turn. Also, when uncoupling the cars from the locomotive, the sudden decompression of the air lines should have clamped the brakes on in the passenger coaches by locking all the wheels, and not as a slow gradual coasting as depicted.This is one movie that really should be released on VHS/DVD. There's enough action and suspense here for any action lover. And its a family friendly movie as well.

Effective TV-movie about two trains on collision course due to sabotage. Not as silly as many other disaster movies, but equally star-cluttered. William Shatner is funny as a con man, who might not be such a bad person after all. Exciting with good special effects.