History Main / CoolTrain

The German VT 11.5 took the cake with a variable configuration with two power cars at the end. It had four different cars, all air-conditioned: a compartment car, a saloon car, a dining car and a car with another saloon, a bar (!) and an extension for the restaurant (it was always coupled to the kitchen end of the dining car). While the other trains were designed for the standard TEE top speed of [=140kph=], the VT 11.5 could reach [=160kph=] with up to six intermediate trailers (standard configuration was five) and 140 with up to eight of them.

** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' has the Excess Express, a downright badass-looking black and gold engine which serves as the main setting for Chapter 6.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' also had a train that acted as a courier of recently departed souls to the afterlife. An [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Undead Train]]. It's so cool that he made cameo appearances as a BonusBoss in both ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' remakes, and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears''.

* The Walt Disney World Monorail trains.
* The [[MemeticMutation F40PH.]] To the average rail enthusiast, they represent Amtrak's choice of motive power during the 1980s, still fondly recognized for their iconic shape and being used well into the 'aughts. To the internet, it wound up becoming a MemeticBadass on [=4Chan=] for some reason as a deterrent against the FurryFandom, who spends every waking hour hunting them down while simultaneously performing its duties to the railroad it once served. A few are still around in excursion service on various tourist railroads.

* '' Anime/ShinkansenHenkeiRoboShinkalion'' features various real-life Japanese bullet trains, all capable of [[TransformingMecha transforming]] into HumongousMecha. Some double as CombiningMecha as well. If ''that wasn't enough, the series makes ''extensive'' uses of crossovers, which resulted in not only a slightly odd Hello Kitty-themed robot but at least ''two'' based on a ''EVANGELION''. Let's face it, the ''Eva'' units are the highlight in terms of crossover mecha.

* '' Anime/ShinkansenHenkeiRoboShinkalion'' features various real-life Japanese bullet trains, all capable of [[TransformingMecha transforming]] into HumongousMecha. Some double as CombiningMecha as well.

** ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger''/''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' with the Kyoretsu-Oh/[=PaleoMax=] Megazord. In a series with animal/vehicle hybrids, these are ''[[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs dinosaur]]'' trains.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' has the final level of World 3, "The Bullet Bill Express" and World Bowser's fourth overall level, "The Bowser Express", both of which are captained by Pom-Pom (the female counterpart of Boom-Boom), who serves as the boss of those levels. There is also "The Coin Express" in World 5, which serves as a bonus level where the player collects coins and plays the slot machine minigame at the end.

* The main train from ''Undersea Super Train Anime/MarineExpress''.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' has the final level of World 3, "The Bullet Bill Express" and World Bowser's fourth overall level, "The Bowser Express", both of which are captained by Pom-Pom, who serves as the boss of those levels. There is also "The Coin Express" in World 5, which serves as a bonus level where the player collects coins and plays the slot machine minigame at the end.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' has the final level of World 3, "The Bullet Bill Express" and World Bowser's fourth overall level, "The Bowser Express", which of which are captained by Pom-Pom, who serves as the boss of both levels. There is also "The Coin Express" in World 5, which serves as a bonus level where the player collects coins and plays the slot machine minigame at the end.

*** Diddy Kong's kart in ''VideoGame/MarioKartDouble Dash'' was the Barrel Train, a tiny wooden train with a whistle instead of a horn - this kart reappeared in ''7''.

** Also, the train from ''[[VideoGame/PaperMario64'', inspired by the train from ''Mario Kart 64'' - you even get to listen to a remix of Kalamari Desert's theme while riding it.

*** Diddy Kong's kart in ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartDouble Dash'' was the Barrel Train, a tiny wooden train with a whistle instead of a horn - this kart reappeared in ''7''.

** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' has the Excess Express, a downright badass-looking black and gold engine.
** Also, the train from the first ''[[VideoGame/PaperMario64 Paper Mario]]'', inspired by the train from ''Mario Kart 64'' - you even get to listen to a remix of Kalamari Desert's theme while riding it.

*** ''Mario Kart 64'' and ''Mario Kart 7'' had a 1900s-ish steam train rolling around Kalamari Desert, occasinally crossing the racetrack.
*** Diddy Kong's kart in ''Double Dash!!'' was the Barrel Train, a tiny wooden train with a whistle instead of a horn - this kart reappeared in ''7''.
*** ''Mario Kart 8'' features a ''magic flying train'' swooping around its remake of ''64'''s Rainbow Road.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' has several to name, some of which end up being {{Locomotive Level}}s:
** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' has the Fawful Express, a heavily armoured train with Fawful's mug on it. Bowser turns giant to face off with it while it tries to escape and lure him into a trap.
** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' has the Excess Express, a downright badass-looking black and gold engine.
** Also, the train from the first ''[[VideoGame/PaperMario64 Paper Mario]]'', inspired by the train from ''Mario Kart 64'' - you even get to listen to a remix of Kalamari Desert's theme while riding it.
** A few trains show up in ''VideoGame/MarioKart'', either as drivable karts or course hazards.
*** ''Mario Kart 64'' and ''Mario Kart 7'' had a 1900s-ish steam train rolling around Kalamari Desert, occasinally crossing the racetrack.
*** Diddy Kong's kart in ''Double Dash!!'' was the Barrel Train, a tiny wooden train with a whistle instead of a horn - this kart reappeared in ''7''.
*** ''Mario Kart 8'' features a ''magic flying train'' swooping around its remake of ''64'''s Rainbow Road.
** There's also the Shy Guy Express, part of the Party Tent events in ''VideoGame/MarioParty8''.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' has the final level of World 3, "The Bullet Bill Express" and World Bowser's fourth overall level, "The Bowser Express", which of which are captained by Pom-Pom, who serves as the boss of both levels. There is also "The Coin Express" in World 5, which serves as a bonus level where the player collects coins and plays the slot machine minigame at the end.

* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' has the Fawful Express, a heavily armoured train with Fawful's mug on it. Bowser turns giant to face off with it while it tries to escape and lure him into a trap.

** Also, the train from the first ''Paper Mario'', inspired by the train from ''Mario Kart 64'' - you even get to listen to a remix of Kalamari Desert's theme while riding it.
* A few trains show up in ''VideoGame/MarioKart'', either as drivable karts or course hazards.
** ''Mario Kart 64'' and ''Mario Kart 7'' had a 1900s-ish steam train rolling around Kalamari Desert, occasinally crossing the racetrack.
** Diddy Kong's kart in ''Double Dash!!'' was the Barrel Train, a tiny wooden train with a whistle instead of a horn - this kart reappeared in ''7''.
** ''Mario Kart 8'' features a ''magic flying train'' swooping around its remake of ''64'''s Rainbow Road.
* There's also the Shy Guy Express, part of the Party Tent events in ''VideoGame/MarioParty8''.

* Creator/RudyardKipling's ''.007: The Story of an American Locomotive'' is possibly the first story about self-aware trains.

* In 1938, Southern Pacific introduced a train to run the Los Angeles to San Francisco west-coast route, and the result was known as the "Daylight" because in summer months, it could make the full trip entirely within daylight hours. They served until 1957. They also were described, quite rightly, as "the most beautiful steam-trains ever made". Only one Daylight train was saved from the scrapyard: number 4449, which in 1976, was restored, refurbished, and painted red-white-and-blue to serve as America's "Freedom Train" to celebrate the bicentennial. The original paint-scheme was orange, red, and black. Wiki/TheOtherWiki has an article on it [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Pacific_4449 here]].

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' had the Mole Train, a boss that had a giant drill on the front of it.

* On the subject of Square Enix and train monsters, ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' continues the tradition with the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Promethean]] [[KillItWithFire Fire]] summon.

* ''Comicbook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' Vol 2 has a Secret Black Government Train. Its engine number is .007, which isn't a reference to [[Franchise/JamesBond Campion Bond's family]], but to Kipling (see below).

* The large-scale ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' spin-off games ''Titan Legions'' and ''Epic 40,000'' featured a unit for the Squats (space dwarfs) called the "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Land Train]]". Each car had its own weapon system or upgrade, ranging from mortars to a gyrocopter landing pad, but then the Squats were [[DroppedABridgeOnHim removed from the 'verse]] and gamers were left with marginally less ridiculously over-the-top HumongousMecha and [[TankGoodness Super-Heavy Battle Tanks]] to wage war with...

* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'' features a levitating, probably automated network of Hyperion-owned trains. The trains roar along at high speeds (in two areas of the game it's possible to get enemies hit by passing trains) and use a system that looks like a maglev rail - sometimes switching from a rail below the cars to one beside it in mid-transit, briefly going airborne to do it.

* [[RealityWarper Yukari Yakumo]] of ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' has ''Obsolete Line "Trip to the Old Station"'' spellcard in ''Scarlet Weather Rhapsody'' and ''Hisoutensoku'' {{Fighting Game}}s, which not only does a good amount of damage (half of the life bar) for a 5 cost spellcard, but also can't be blocked or grazed. Which makes sense, considering she pretty much runs you over with a large train.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** The Flip Effect Monster [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Dekoichi_the_Battlechanted_Locomotive Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive]] is cool-looking, [[AwesomeMcCoolName has a cool name]], and helps draw cards.

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' would [[ShoutOut pay homage]] to ''Manga/GalaxyExpress999'' in a chapter where Nobita gets his hands on the ticket to the last running of a galaxy-spanning train that has been made obsolete by the [[PortalDoor "Anywhere Door"]].