An Actual Hollywood Movie - Unstoppable

(This review contains some spoilers, although you can predict most of them.)

There is great train porn in Unstoppable, but the humans have to do a lot of stupid stuff to set it up. If I worked for a rail company, I would be upset at me and my employees being portrayed this way. The filmmakers did have to do something because the real life event on which this movie is based was not that exciting. But they could have made the start more realistic. Maybe the filmmakers may have also wanted to make Denzel Washington the competent one.

So Tony Scott made the train go faster, made the chemicals more dangerous, added a first failed attempt to stop the train which ended in an explosion and death of a friend of a main character, some one rappels out of a helicopter when he could have walked across an engine, and Denzel Washington runs on top of the train for basically no reason. (You have to have someone run on top of a train in a train movie. It is the funnest thing you can do. I think it is even better than a random explosion.)

There is a pro-worker emphasis to the last half which always gets points from me. The competent woman in charge is balanced out by the scenes in Hooters, though.

Overall, I am glad that I did not pay to watch this in the theater, but it is a fun movie to watch on the TV. Right now it is playing on HBO and is rentable through Netflix. It is not streaming anywhere yet other than HBO Go.

Here is some footage from news reports about the original incident. At 46 miles per hour, the real train was probably actually going faster than the train used for the movie. (Although, this movie was done without CGI.)

Auraria West Light Rail Station Remains Closed

There have been a lot of light rail station closures this summer as RTD prepared the new Millennium Bridge Station for the new light rail lines that will start running to the Union Station area in 2013. Most light rail stations in Denver have reopened, but the Auraria West Station will remain closed at least until Friday, September 30. When it reopens it will be one block west behind the Printing and Design Center.

RTD recommends that riders on the C and E lines use the Invesco at Mile High Station or ride the D or F lines to the Colfax at Auraria Station.

The last time that I took the light rail from Colfax and Auraria, there were more passengers than I remember, but the train was not that crowded. Hopefully, this change will not be too much of an inconvenience. It is too bad, though, that all the work could not be done before school started.

Bessemer Historical Society Specializes Bringing Bus and Rail Together

Want to take a bus to learn about the history of the railroad industry in Colorado? Bessemer Historical Society is again at your service. Their seventh annual bus tour on September 10 will explore Colorado Springs and Pueblo with a focus on William Jackson Palmer's connection with those two cities.

William Palmer is famous for founding the city of Colorado Springs and the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Two stretches of his railroad still operate: the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. He also founded the Colorado Coal and Iron Company to make steel rails for the railroad industry in Colorado. William Palmer also fits in well with the environmental justice aspirations as he funded a teacher college and other educational opportunities for African-Americans in the southeastern United States after the Civil War.

The tour takes place on Saturday, September 10, and costs $55 for BHS members and $65 for non-members. This includes comfortable bus transportation, refreshments, lunch, all museum admissions, and a commemorative booklet. RSVP by calling 719-564-9086 or by emailing rsvp@steelwork.us.

Have fun!

Problems Unresolved at Denver Union Station

The Colorado Rail Passenger Association released the following press release yesterday:

The Colorado Rail Passenger Association (ColoRail) congratulates the Denver Union Station developers and contractors on the opening of the light rail phase of the DUS transit hub.  ColoRail remains a steadfast supporter of public transit, particularly rail, and the FasTracks vision of expanded transportation services to the regional population.  We believe that the end result will showcase transit's critical role in the region's mobility.  We further believe that the transportation elements will be the finest that ever existed on this historic site.  However, while the new light rail station looks white and new, Colorail would like to point out some faults with the overall plan that could not only confuse but severely hamper future transportation options for Denver residents.  

1. The Denver Union Station lacks through track access. Modern stations have tracks that run through the station not into a dead-end. This provides efficiency and considerable cost savings for future commuter and intercity passenger rail services. The last chance for a through route could be foreclosed by the current development plan which values real estate over future transportation needs.
2. The new Denver Union Station complex lacks sufficient capacity for intercity buses. The new bus box has only two spots for intercity buses from around the state. These buses require more dwell time for passenger loading, baggage, etc.  Transit directors from around the state have raised this issue.
3. It is not clear that the train waiting room in the historic Denver Station will be open and available to passengers at all times. This includes passengers for the airport as well as baseball fans and others so they may walk through or sit while waiting. The protection of this historic public space is essential.
4. This light rail station is labeled incorrectly.  It is next to the Millennium Bridge so should be called that. It is two blocks away from Denver Union Station which has been in at its present location for over 100 years. We must call this light rail station the Millennium Bridge Station and not confuse it with the historic station.

These problems can be corrected. If not, they will severely hamper the future of Denver Union Station and the mobility of our residents and visitors. We are working to overcome them.

(Thanks to Edie Bryan, ColoRail Vice-President, for writing this.)


(Update: The city that is most concerned about getting more buses into downtown Denver is Pueblo.)

Light Rail Closures Continue for Another Weekend

I already reported that some light rail stations have been temporarily closed so that construction can be done to prepare for a new light rail station in the Union Station area. Apparently, construction has taken longer than expected so light rail is essentially not running within Denver this weekend. Replacement bus service is being provided. Light rail will run south of I-25 and Broadway.

If you take the light rail to Union Station, after Monday it won't actually be at Union Station anymore. Luckily, the free mall shuttle will also be making the move to the new station.

A Chance to Influence the Future of Rail in Colorado

There are going to be a series of workshops on the proposed state rail plan where people, mostly upper-middle class white people, are going to give input into the state rail plan. We need to make sure that people who ride buses and trains get their voices heard. We also need to know what the opponents of trains are pushing so that we can stop them.

All workshops are from 2-4 pm followed by an open house at 5-6:30pm. Call 303-592-5493 or 877-255-4861 to RSVP for any of the sessions listed below.

The Denver meeting is nowhere near any train station, not even a light rail station. However, both the 40 and the 79 buses serve the area and a light rail station. The workshop takes place on Tuesday, August 23 in the CDOT Auditorium, 4201 East Arkansas Avenue.

The meeting in Grand Junction has the best location. It is within walking distance of the train and the Greyhound bus stations, right downtown in the Mesa County Courthouse at 544 Rood Avenue on Thursday, August 23. The closest bus route is the 3 which is the bus route you transfer from if you are coming from Palisades. The 7 is a little farther away and is the bus you transfer to if you are coming from Fruita. The 5 also runs a couple of blocks away. Unfortunately, taking the bus may get you to the meeting slightly late. Luckily the bus is only a dollar. Also, unfortunately Amtrak gets into town just as the meeting is ending.

We need more than one train a day on this route.

We also need more than one train a day into La Junta. The meeting is not quite a centrally located as the one in Grand Junction and does not serve as many communities, but a community college is a good place to get public input. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 31 at the Student Center of Otero Junior College at 1802 Colorado Avenue. There is bus service within La Junta and to surrounding communities, but there is no bus map online. Bus trips are also a dollar with advance reservation service to outlying areas costing $2. Call 384-5453 for more information about bus service or to reserve a trip from an outlying area.

Here is a complete list of all meetings:

Monday, August 15, Washington County Events Center, 551 West 2nd Street, Akron
Wednesday, August 17, Limon Community Building, 477 D Avenue, Limon
Tuesday, August 23, CDOT Headquarters, CDOT Auditorium, 4201 East Arkansas Avenue, Denver
Thursday, August 25, Mesa County Courthouse, Multipurpose Room, 544 Rood Avenue, Grand Junction
Wednesday, August 31, Otero Junior College, Student Center, 1802 Colorado Avenue, La Junta
Thursday, September 1, Alamosa County Administration Building, Commissioners' Meeting Room, 8900 Independence Way, Alamosa