MovieChat Forums > Disaster on the Coastliner (1979) Discussion > Couple of goofs/inconsistencies /plot ho...

Couple of goofs/inconsistencies /plot holes in this movie.

posted 13 years ago by gnt-driver
4 replies | jump to latest

First,how was Waterman/Prescot planning to take over the northbound train? things certainly worked out very convenient for him - the original driver forgets his lunch box and goes back to the locker room to get it,in there just happens to be waterman who takes the opportunity to attack and render the driver unconcious .
Also,the control room staff are expecting the southbound train to switch onto another track but Waterman has rigged the switch to stay put and keep the trains on a collision course,you would expect the southbound train driver to slow right down to make the switch but he drives over the switch at high speed,this would have surely derailed the train if the switch had worked as intended.
Right?

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bbmaps 11 years ago

Biggest plot hole is that a real railroad company would send a sheriff's deputy to the nearest crossing and instruct the officer how to wave his flashlight in a washout signal. Or send a railroad employee with track torpedoes (warning devices - look it up).

Basically, this would be over in five minutes in real life. This is like all of the movies that show a train hurtling on because someone "cut the brake line." Air brakes don't work that way - cut the line and you send the train into emergency braking. The only movie in the history of cinema to get this correct seems to have been "Unstoppable," which was based on reality (though somewhat amped up for dramatic purposes.

[–] dutchusc 10 years ago

Did William Shatner write this? Hehehe, he's always a hero, LOL. The movie was outrageous, but it was fun none the less.

[–] paul-warner-dogs 8 years ago

Just watching this now. Surely the trains would have an emergency brake in the passenger cars? Why not use them?