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The Leaping Train
The
Die Hard Train. Built on site in S. Carolina, the train travels down a 1/2 mile track, that was laid to run through the middle of the 10,000 sq. ft. General Dynamics building, and out the other
end.
Inside the building a full scale replica of the New York subway station was built. The train leaps up onto the passenger platform as a result of an explosion. All this is controlled by the motion control computer.
The car covered with the blue tarp, is the motion controlled "gagged" car, the other car has the motion control operators, Doug Calli and Terry Chapman. We know where to be! |
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 The inside of the "gagged" subway car. Close to
us is the pivot point. The 10" x 8' shaft was made of high tensile strength steel, to withstand the more than 1 million foot pounds of torque expected. Hydraulic actuators were energized
from charged accumulators, the only way we could get the 270gpm we needed, and stay mobile.
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 Inside the motion control subway car. On the left is the MC system, using
Kuper Controls RTMC48 card.
The MC system monitored train velocity, position and safety limits, while running 2 hydraulic axes, one pneumatic axis and setting off the sequential pyrotechnics rigged by the special effects crew. On the right are the joystick controls, used to teach the system it's initial move. Terry Chapman worked the
controls during the shot, while the MC system monitored the entire event. This gave us maximum safety and certainty, considering the proximity of the stunt personnel during the action.
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Bridge Launching Tank
On the left, the deployed bridge in Wall Street New
York. Doug (below, center), controlling the bridge
deployment, Richard Cory (lower left), driving the tank.
The tank was completely rebuilt and outfitted with new hydraulics to drive the tank and deploy the bridge. The bridge was operated via joy stick. |
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Mobile 3 axis gimbaled Cars
Mobile gimbal designed and built by Richard Cory (left). Electronic Hydraulic
controls designed and built by Doug Calli (right).
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A Taxi and Mercedes were set up to use this gimbal. The gimbal was pulled with a camera car.  |
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Rear drive Car
 Pictured L to R, (a couple of the masters of Special Effects) Phil Cory, Paul Stewart, Billy Lee and Bill Shirmer. Bill Shirmer
designed this rear drive car, using Taxi, Police and Mercedes bodies as needed. The rear drive car was used extensively in the chase through Manhattan.
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