I wondered if AI could solve this.
Based on your description, the Western movie you’re trying to recall from the mid-1990s on TNT or TBS, featuring railroad tracks, a switch house, tall grass, and an Indian chasing a train around a bend, is likely The Last of the Mohicans (1992). While not a traditional Western, this film, set during the French and Indian War, fits many of your criteria and was frequently aired on cable networks like TNT and TBS in the mid-1990s. It’s an older film relative to the mid-90s, directed by Michael Mann, and includes a climactic scene with a chase involving Native American characters, though not exactly on a train. However, the film does feature intense pursuit sequences and a historical setting that could align with your memory of railroad tracks and tall grass.
The specific details about a train and a switch house covered in tall grass are harder to pin down precisely. Your memory might be blending elements from multiple films or slightly misrecalling the mode of transport (perhaps a stagecoach or a metaphorical “chase” scene). The Last of the Mohicans includes a dramatic chase where Magua, a Huron warrior, and others pursue the protagonists through wilderness terrain, which could resemble a field with tall grass, and the film’s tense pacing around a bend-like path might evoke the scene you described.
If this doesn’t sound right, another possibility could be The Great Train Robbery (1978), a non-Western heist film set in 1855 England, which involves a train and a dramatic sequence with tracks. However, it lacks the Native American element and Western genre. Alternatively, a classic Western like The Iron Horse (1924) by John Ford, which centers on the transcontinental railroad and includes Native American conflicts, might fit, as it was sometimes rerun on cable channels. Yet, its silent film style and black-and-white visuals might not align with your mid-90s viewing experience.
Since the details are specific but don’t perfectly match one film, could you clarify a few points?
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Was the train definitely a steam locomotive, or could it have been a stagecoach or another vehicle?
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Was the Indian chasing the train on foot clearly trying to catch it, or was it a confrontation/ambush?
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Do you recall if the film was in color or black-and-white, or any notable actors?
These could help narrow it down further. If none of these films feel right, it’s possible the movie was a lesser-known TV Western or a B-movie aired on TNT/TBS, which often played older Westerns in the 1990s. I can dig deeper into specific Westerns with train sequences if you provide more details!
