Training Day

Ack.  I thought today was National Train Day.  (Yes, it really exists.)  It was May 12 last year, so I figured it would be the same this year.  But it was May 10 this year.  And will be May 9 next year -- mark it down...  Apparently National Train Day operates on the Jewish Calendar and changes days ever year.

Well, I missed it and didn't even get a chance to give it a present.  But I do like to list my favorite train movies -- which are among my favorite kind of movie.  Make a movie about a train, and there's a good chance you'll get me.  

If you know of any other great ones that I've overlooked, pass 'em along.  You can never have too many train movies...!

Around the World in 80 Days

Bridge on the River Kwai

The Darjeeling Limited

The General

The Great Locomotive Chase

The Great Train Robbery

The Lady Vanishes

Murder on the Orient Express

The Narrow Margin

North by Northwest

Northwest Frontier

Night Train to Munich

Polar Express

Runaway Train

Shanghai Express

Silver Streak

Strangers on a Train

The Train

Transsiberian

Twentieth Century

Union Pacific

Unstoppable

Von Ryan’s Express

And in honor of Chris Dunn, just because he deserves it, this year we're going to include the exciting option of adding Throw Momma from the Train to the list.  A movie that isn't really about a train at all, but it only comes in at the end, though prominently.  (This as opposed to Bridge on the River Kwai, one of the all-time great train movies, though only has a train at the end for 30 seconds, but the whole movie is about that train, waiting for it.) 

So, happy National Train Day. 

And enjoy one of the the great train songs ever.  Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans."  Sung by the man himself.