Based on the true story of the CSX-8888 incident of May 2001, Unstoppable is an old-school action-adventure. The Oscar-nominated movie, which hit theaters in November 2010, chronicles railroad workers' attempt to stop an unmanned runaway train.

The real-life event that inspired the 2010 movie Unstoppable is known as the "Crazy Eights" incident, which occurred on May 15, 2001. The runaway train involved CSX Locomotive #8888 (an EMD SD40-2) and 47 freight cars, two of which were loaded with thousands of gallons of toxic molten phenol. The incident began at the Stanley Yard in Walbridge, Ohio, when an engineer exited the slow-moving locomotive to align a switch but was unable to re-board as the train inadvertently began to accelerate. The unmanned train traveled for 65 miles through northwest Ohio, reaching speeds of up to 51 mph. It was finally stopped nearly two hours later when a second locomotive, operated by engineer Jess Knowlton and conductor Terry Forson, successfully coupled to the rear of the runaway and used its dynamic brakes to slow the train down to 12 mph, allowing a CSX trainmaster to jump aboard and shut down the engine. Miraculously, no one was injured during the entire event.