Video tape came along in the late 60's but became more portable after 1970. At the stations I worked at back then flim was developed and stored and catalogued and kept. Also, up the time of the kinescope, all TV shows, like radio shows before, were rebroadcast live from NY for the West Coast. The video tape changed that, of course. Johnny Carson could tape his show at 5 or 6PM and it would be fed after the 11 PM news on both east and west coasts. But yes, too, tapes were often reused and taped over until a few people got wise and they began to be "kept". However, the ferrous oxide was tenuious and often dried and disintegrted leaving what was saved useless anyway. Ironically, kinescopes often preservered better than tape. The 6PM EST news, repeated at 9 on the west coast became a video rebroadcast but able to update, etc. by tape if neeeded. The bigger the station market, and the networks, did have extensive archives. But with big conglomerates and investment companies purchasing so many stations in each market and across the country, consolidating studios and staffs, so much had to go and has been lost. And again, only if a person working today knew about something from any given yesterday, most don't know enough to look or even where to look. As for the NFL...their whole marketing was based on a game made for TV and NFL Films has quite an archive and library. Today, digitalizing is so amazing for saving so many images!
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
p.s. Keep in mind the stories you find might have more value as humor than anything else. Some of the stories of the last run of a Pennsy GG1 referred to it as a steam engine for example, others thought it was a diesel.
henry6 Networks will keep but local stations probably not or if saved, who remembers or knows enough to look. Constant changes of ownership, changes of locations, the fragility of film and tape, the advances in technology, and new kids who don't remember much before last Tuesday all add to the improbabity of remembering and finding something in an archive if it actually exists.
Networks will keep but local stations probably not or if saved, who remembers or knows enough to look. Constant changes of ownership, changes of locations, the fragility of film and tape, the advances in technology, and new kids who don't remember much before last Tuesday all add to the improbabity of remembering and finding something in an archive if it actually exists.
Film was generally just used and discarded. In a few situations they were kept, sometimes because of kinescopes. Before tape, TV stations in the western time zone would set up a camera to film a live program coming from New York so they could re-broadcast the show at a later time (because of the time difference of course, a 7PM show in New York would be 3PM in Los Angeles). That's why often the existing footage of old TV shows is so grainy - the original broadcast was quite good but the only recording of it was kinescoped film.
Videotape was hugely expensive, and almost always was re-used (taped over) until it basically disintegrated. It's amazing what was taped over. For example, Johnny Carson was outraged when he found out that NBC had kept the first several years of the Tonight Show on tape, then re-used it so nothing is available before about 1970.
Locally, back in 1969, the Minnesota Vikings hosted two playoff games (a divisional playoff and the NFL championship game) at Met Stadium in Bloomington MN. Since the games were blacked out (back then ALL home games were blacked out, even if they were sold out) so the local CBS affiliate in Minneapolis taped the games and showed them the next weekend. If they had kept those, they'd be the oldest NFL games on tape, and would be worth thousands of dollars as they could be reissued on DVD. O well.
Try and find The Last Train from Cherryvale. Produced in 1970 by KCMO TV, Kansas City, this is rumored to be available at Carona on DVD from the Heart of the Heartlands for $20.00.
This is the last run of Santa Fe's Tulsan.
I rode the train.
One thing to be aware of is that TV networks / stations were incredibly shortsighted about saving film (or later, tapes) used in broadcasts. The film or tape was used on the news, then discarded or taped over.
The more specific you are, the more likely you'll maybe find something. Checking with railroad and local historical societies would be a good start. But...if you have specific trains and dates in mind, you might also check local tv stations and news organizations...but, again, you have to have a specific train, incident, and as close to date as possible. If you are looking at a broad, general last runs, you will have your hands full...start local and slow and see where it leads you.
http://www.american-rails.com/phoebe-snow.html
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Does anyone have a source for any clips of TV news film of the last runs of trains in the late sixties up until Amtrak?
Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!
Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter