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TYRONE - "He was right on top of the train," said resident Rick Sessamen of the aerial acrobatics that punctuated the first day of filming in Tyrone for the movie "Unstoppable."

Throughout the day, residents jockeyed for a glimpse of the action. In between long stretches of waiting, what they saw was the movie's runaway train rolling just off Lincoln Avenue on the Nittany & Bald Eagle rail lines as helicopters gave chase to capture it all on film.

Monday's set for the 20th Century Fox runaway train thriller starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine was just off 23rd Street, along the railroad right-of-way and on American Eagle Paper Mill property, and extras, crew and props - such as two sheriff's cars with smashed windows - were shuttled in and out all day.

Along West 15th Street, the film's crew packed the American Legion parking lot with trailers that would comprise its base camp. A few blocks away, at the Church of the Good Shepard, was the staging area for extras. State and borough police joined private security in blocking streets and key intersections, and the only thing anyone talked about was the movie.

"The helicopters got us out of bed," laughed Donna Barto, 71, who along with her husband, John, made a day of the filming and brought lawn chairs to the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and 21st Street, where a clear view of the tracks attracted like-minded residents.

Donna Barto said the couple was there in the morning and decided they'd bring chairs for the afternoon.

"There's a lot of standing around waiting for them to do something," she said.

"It's the first Tyrone's had this much excitement in years," John Barto, 74, said.

South Lincoln was closed from 21st to 23rd streets as filmers invaded the normally quiet east side of town. But for residents such as Joe Cannistraci, who lives on the 300 block of 23rd Street, the slight inconvenience was nothing compared to the chance to see the action up close.

"There were some people who wandered into the yard but once they got a look, they would leave," Cannistraci said. From his backyard, he and other neighbors likely had the best view in town.

Cannistraci said the train made three passes, and filming included explosives set off between the tracks as the train went by his yard.

"I think it's a good thing for Tyrone," he said. "I learned a lot today."

Mayor Jim Kilmartin said the film's producers indicated a slight shift in filming that will include being in the Washington Avenue area between 14th and 10th streets today and Wednesday. He said Washington is expected to be in town both days for scenes.

According to borough officials, the filming shouldn't interfere with voters going to the polls and to accommodate voting at the First Presbyterian Church, 13th Street will remain open between Logan and Burley avenues.

The film has given the town a great boost, both economically and from a morale standpoint, Kilmartin said.

"It's a shot in the arm for the community in such a big way," he said.