Nice effects though.

Just what I expected

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

In the years right before the Civil War both the North and the South struggled over the state of Kansas. It got so bad that the state was nicknamed "Bloody Kansas" due to all of the violence. Since many on both sides realized that war was about to erupt it became imperative for the North to complete a railroad through the state that would link up with their forts out west. Conversely, the South wanted to stop the Kansas-Pacific railroad from being built at all costs. This film is about the building of this railroad and features a Union officer named "Captain John Nelson" (Sterling Hayden) being dispatched by General Winfield Scott (Roy Gordon) to Kansas to try to prevent any disruptions. Fearing any possibility of a misunderstanding which might trigger a war, Captain Nelson is sent in civilian clothes and given the title of the lead engineer. This infuriates the current person-in-charge "Cal Bruce" (Barton MacLaine) and his daughter "Barbara Bruce" (Eve Miller) who have worked very hard building the railroad and feel that they are being demoted. Likewise, the main antagonist named "Bill Quantrill" (Reed Hadley) isn't too pleased about his sudden appearance either. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a solid B-movie which should appeal to most fans of the western genre. Admittedly, some parts were a bit corny but since this is a movie about Kansas I guess that's quite alright. In any case, I have rated the movie accordingly. Average.

"Kansas Pacific" is a poor, generic, low-budget Western. It stars actor Sterling Hayden as a Union soldier tasked with protecting the Kansas Pacific Railway from Confederate attacks. The complex, parasitic relationship between Union forces and Industrialists - the army essentially protected northern business cartels - isn't examined, but the film does contain several lovely shots of a grand steam engine, which is unusual, as the film was produced by Allied Artists Pictures Corporation, a Poverty Row "studio" renowned for its unwillingness to spend money. Today the film's mostly forgotten. Sterling Hayden completists may find it interesting.2/10 - Worth one viewing.

On Civil War's eve, the Union pushes for completion of a railroad to the West, while the Confederacy works to prevent it.Decent western that makes good us of its limited budget. The cannon duel is imaginative as heck and a good effect that avoids western cliché. Lots of familiar faces in supporting roles, especially MacLane, Hadley and Fowley. Since the plot concerns Civil War rivalries, the bad guys can't be too bad since they're fighting for the Southern cause. I like the way attention is paid to technicalities of railway building, which lends realistic atmosphere. Too bad they have to work in a romance that dangles like a needless appendage, but I guess that's commercial filmmaking Something should be said for Sterling Hayden, always an interesting actor even if he hated the profession. Too gangly and taciturn to be a leading man, he's perfect for an action role like this. And who can forget his grim- faced attachment to his horses in The Asphalt Jungle (1950). It's an outward stoicism that still conveys unexpected feeling. Or his philosophical resignation upon leaving the airport in Kubrick's masterpiece The Killing (1956). By all accounts he was a fascinating man as well as an underrated actor.Anyway, this is a nicely done outdoor western with a good cast.

I would have given this a 10, backing down because it played loosely with history. Otherwise, it was a helluva good movie - rousing, exciting, constantly moving like a train with the tracks intact.It has to do with building the rail through Kansas to the Colorado border, train/tracks coveted by the Confeds and the Union.The action is never-ending, most of the fight scenes convincing and leading man, Sterling Hayden is rock solid (not Rock Hudson). His own life was far more exciting. Check his unbelievable bio. Wow!! All in all, there is not a thing wrong with the movie. If you like westerns, if you like action, it is all there on the "Kansas Pacific." Final thought: If Sterling Hayden married Robert Sterling, he would be Sterling Sterling.Speaking of sterling - as in silver - the hi-yo man has a small part in this adventure.