The Academy Award-nominated movie “Unstoppable” (released in 2010) is based on a true story of a runaway train in Ohio, CSX Locomotive #8888. Starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, the movie features plenty of footage of real people in real trains on real tracks in real towns, including being filmed in three small to mid-size towns here in West Virginia. Where was Unstoppable filmed? Let’s find out.
Based on a true story, "Unstoppable" is a 2010 award-winning film about trains. Have you seen it?
This is a shot of a train like one used in the filming of "Unstoppable."
Where was the movie Unstoppable filmed? The primary unstoppable filming locations included Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. But, here's something you probably didn't know, one of the key moments of this popular movie was filmed right here in West Virginia, in Wheeling, and the nearby small railroad towns of Benwood and Follansbee.
This is a shot of Wheeling taken from the Mount Wood "castle" overlook.
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Other interesting trivia about the film includes some of the trains used were restored just for the film. To create the high-speed train scenes, the crew used a specially built camera car equipped with a camera system able to capture the train’s movements in detail while keeping up with the train.
For the especially dangerous or expensive scenes, a miniature model of the main train engine was created. The model was so realistic that it blended seamlessly with the real train scenes. Note that "Unstoppable" is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of action and peril (including some violence) and language (including profanity).
This is a snapshot of the downtown area of Follansbee, West Virginia.
Both are small, historic railroad towns of one to two thousand inhabitants perched along the Ohio River, Follansbee in Brooke County and Benwood in Marshall County.
This is a Google street view of Follansbee, West Virginia.
If you are in an intense game of trivia and you get the question, “Where was Unstoppable filmed,” you’ll know the answer. The story of “Unstoppable,” the movie was filmed in part, right here in small-town West Virginia. Who knew? It’s not even the only film featuring a local small West Virginia town, either!
