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[ Video ] 1930s Midwest Steam Trains and Streamliner in Action

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Posted by TheFlyingScotsman on Sunday, March 21, 2021 1:55 PM

That was brilliant thanks. The colour footage is particularly good.

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Posted by Jones1945 on Saturday, March 20, 2021 5:37 AM

Thank you so much for that, Overmod.Yes (The first post updated)

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, March 19, 2021 10:47 PM

This version of the video (on YouTube, from Periscope) is now flagged as 'unavailable'.  Fortunately Jones1945 has found it in the Internet Archive and it can now be seen here

https://archive.org/details/md-86544-railway-sections-escape-to-life-mos-vwr

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Posted by Jones1945 on Saturday, December 22, 2018 11:42 PM

MidlandMike

Fifty-plus years ago my brother owned a TR3.  For a time in my high school years I would commute part way with him and my father.  On days when my brother would drive, I sat crosswise in the space behind the passenger seats.  After sitting curled up in that spot for about a half hour, it took a while to straighten out.

Haha, no such problem would happen in my dream car 1938 Phantom Corsair! Front seat have enough space for 4 people, 2 more seats behind it, top speed is 115mph. Best machine to test if travel by automobile was faster than a named train powered by a steam engine...

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Posted by MidlandMike on Saturday, December 22, 2018 10:50 PM

Fifty-plus years ago my brother owned a TR3.  For a time in my high school years I would commute part way with him and my father.  On days when my brother would drive, I sat crosswise in the space behind the passenger seats.  After sitting curled up in that spot for about a half hour, it took a while to straighten out.

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Posted by wjstix on Saturday, December 22, 2018 10:08 PM

Jones1945
NDG

Great Film that I had not seen B 4!!

Lots of action and interesting views Terminal Trackage and Slip Switches.

Time 9:39 Stationary Boiler from steam locomotive.

 

Great Stuff.

 

Thank You!

 

 

You are welcome, NDG. Nice catch of the Stationary Boiler from a retired steam locomotive!

 

 
Firelock76

There is sofware and procedures to restore old films, or at any rate boost the quality of the same.  Whether or not it's proprietory I'm not sure.

There's a gent named John Pechulis who's made a business out of it, especially as far as railfan videos are concerned.  I've gotten several of his DVD's made from 8mm films shot by railfans, and his results are amazing.  When he's done with them you'd swear they were shot on the best quality 16mm film.

Here's his website, https://johnpmedia.com

Go through it and there are some great examples of his work.

 

 

Thank you very much for the info, Firelock76! I remember there was a heroic project (not in the States) to retouch some movies from 1960s frame by frame (!) and re-release them in HD format, the outcome was jaw-dropping. :- )

 

 
 I notice that right after that shot of the engine / stationary boiler, the film goes "up north" for a brief look at what I think is unloading coal in Duluth MN, and then the depot 26 miles up the northshore in Two Harbors.
 
BTW the DM&IR Mallet shown at 16:20 isn't a Yellowstone (2-8-8-4), those weren't built until the forties. 202 is a 2-8-8-2 built in 1910 for the Duluth Missabe & Northern. They were often called "Hill Mallets" since one of their primary jobs was bring cars up Proctor Hill from the Duluth ore docks up to the yards in Proctor MN.
Stix
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Posted by Jones1945 on Saturday, December 22, 2018 8:38 PM

TR-7 Convertible is another automobile fashion icon of a colorful era. 

Speaking of sports car, I note some Art Deco styling reappeared on many vision cars these years, including the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet (2018)

Can our trains manufacturers design something as awesome as these vision cars for the sake of human civilization?  

 MARC SC-44...In terms of the design of appearance, there is still room for improvement...

Wiki

https://smworks.weebly.com/the-milwaukee-road.html

...

Tags: MARC SC-44
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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, December 22, 2018 7:02 PM

Overmod
 
BaltACD
Got off at 7AM and drove home to Washington, IN - when I got there I could barely move my legs to exit the Triumph TR4a I was driving at the time. 

Could have been worse -- in a TR3a you might have gotten your pants leg caught in the chain while you were pedaling and have to have somebody unjam it from underneath.

In grade school there was a Triumph dealer next door to the school - where I first saw TR-2s and TR-3s and fell in love with Sports Cars.  Still have my 1979 TR-7 Convertible.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, December 22, 2018 10:52 AM

BaltACD
Got off at 7AM and drove home to Washington, IN - when I got there I could barely move my legs to exit the Triumph TR4a I was driving at the time.

Could have been worse -- in a TR3a you might have gotten your pants leg caught in the chain while you were pedaling and have to have somebody unjam it from underneath.

 

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, December 21, 2018 5:53 PM

wjstix
SPUD used loudspeakers to bark out orders to the yardlets as to which track to clear. Amazing to see how busy it was, considering it now only sees two trains a day, the Empire Builder eastbound (morning) and westbound (evening). I go by it every day going to/from work, and see the Empire Builder in the morning (IF it's on time!). On the back/downtown north side of the building (the station faces south, right along the Mississippi) is a small station for the light rail, and a part of SPUD now serves busses.

Once worked a Switchtender's position at a location known as 8th Street in Cincinnati.  The switchtender carried out the movement instructions issued by the Operator at Cincinnati Jct.  The switches were an array that permitted the movement of trains from B&O's St. Louis Division into Brighton and Mill Creek Yards as well as route to Yard A on the B&O Toledo Division.  It also handled SOU,  C&O and NYC traffic (yard transfers) to Birghton and Mill Creek.  The switch array was laid out over a span of about 5/8's of a mile.  The job had two shanty's with telephone communication with the Operator at Cincinnati Jct - one a the geographical North end and the other at the South end of the array of switches.  The entire night was spent walking between the shantys, bending rail and giving trains proceed hand signals; back and forth, forth and back.  

Got off at 7AM and drove home to Washington, IN - when I got there I could barely move my legs to exit the Triumph TR4a I was driving at the time.

 

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by wjstix on Friday, December 21, 2018 10:07 AM

SPUD used loudspeakers to bark out orders to the yardlets as to which track to clear. Amazing to see how busy it was, considering it now only sees two trains a day, the Empire Builder eastbound (morning) and westbound (evening). I go by it every day going to/from work, and see the Empire Builder in the morning (IF it's on time!). On the back/downtown north side of the building (the station faces south, right along the Mississippi) is a small station for the light rail, and a part of SPUD now serves busses.

Stix
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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, December 21, 2018 10:04 AM

Dearborn Station in Chicago retained manually operated puzzle switches into the early 1960's.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, December 21, 2018 8:15 AM

I really liked the shot of the switchman dancing on the double slip's frog.  The linkage you see along the double slips was used to control the movable frogs from the manual switch stand.  It looks like there were two stands side by side on one side of each double slip, one for the points and one for the frogs.  Must have worked well in winter! 

Today's SPUD throat is all power switches.  SPUD also replaced its tiny 0-6-0s with 44 tonners, not exactly heavy duty power.

The Twin Zephyr with EMC 511 is at around 4:20.

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Posted by SD70Dude on Thursday, December 20, 2018 10:02 PM

Miningman

Those fellas throwing the switches sure have a hazardous job... good grief it's nuts. No country for old men indeed! I would last 4 days max then get run over for sure. 

Not to worry, we'll transfer you over to the pre-retarder hump yard.  Swap throwing switches for racing up and down ladders tying brakes, and getting on/off at well over 10 mph!

Switchmen are called "Snakes" for a reason, we slither all over the yard and up and down everything!

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by Miningman on Thursday, December 20, 2018 9:57 PM

Those fellas throwing the switches sure have a hazardous job... good grief it's nuts. No country for old men indeed! I would last 4 days max then get run over for sure. 

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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, December 20, 2018 8:03 PM

The yard scenes after 7:30 are the throat for St. Paul Union Depot.  SPUD was noted for its almost entirely hand-operated plant.

One of the shots of a Burlington Zephyr has EMC 511, one of the 1935 201-A engine demonstrators, leading a Twin Zephyr consist.  Painted silver, it was on extended loan to the Burlington as a backup to the Zephyr power cars, which were mechanically very similar.

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, December 20, 2018 3:27 PM

At the approximate 7:30 time frame in the 'Yard Scenes' the switch tender for the puzzle switches was certanily kept hopping.  I am wondering why this location had not been interlocked?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by wjstix on Thursday, December 20, 2018 11:07 AM

Thanks, very interesting. Just a 'fun fact', long before there was a Hiawatha train, the Milwaukee had built a large yard and shops complex paralleling Hiawatha Avenue in south Minneapolis. In recent years, the first Twin Cities light rail line between downtown Minneapolis and Twin Cities International airport was built along Hiawatha Ave.

Stix
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Posted by Jones1945 on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 4:32 PM

NDG

Great Film that I had not seen B 4!!

Lots of action and interesting views Terminal Trackage and Slip Switches.

Time 9:39 Stationary Boiler from steam locomotive.

 

Great Stuff.

 

Thank You!

You are welcome, NDG. Nice catch of the Stationary Boiler from a retired steam locomotive!

Firelock76

There is sofware and procedures to restore old films, or at any rate boost the quality of the same.  Whether or not it's proprietory I'm not sure.

There's a gent named John Pechulis who's made a business out of it, especially as far as railfan videos are concerned.  I've gotten several of his DVD's made from 8mm films shot by railfans, and his results are amazing.  When he's done with them you'd swear they were shot on the best quality 16mm film.

Here's his website, https://johnpmedia.com

Go through it and there are some great examples of his work.

Thank you very much for the info, Firelock76! I remember there was a heroic project (not in the States) to retouch some movies from 1960s frame by frame (!) and re-release them in HD format, the outcome was jaw-dropping. :- )

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Posted by Firelock76 on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 4:25 PM

There is sofware and procedures to restore old films, or at any rate boost the quality of the same.  Whether or not it's proprietory I'm not sure.

There's a gent named John Pechulis who's made a business out of it, especially as far as railfan videos are concerned.  I've gotten several of his DVD's made from 8mm films shot by railfans, and his results are amazing.  When he's done with them you'd swear they were shot on the best quality 16mm film.

Here's his website, https://johnpmedia.com

Go through it and there are some great examples of his work.

NDG
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Posted by NDG on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 4:23 PM

Great Film that I had not seen B 4!!

Lots of action and interesting views Terminal Trackage and Slip Switches.

Time 9:39 Stationary Boiler from steam locomotive.

 

Great Stuff.

 

Thank You!

  • Member since
    April 2018
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[ Video ] 1930s Midwest Steam Trains and Streamliner in Action
Posted by Jones1945 on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 2:34 PM

Youtube video removed, please use this link for the video:

https://archive.org/details/md-86544-railway-sections-escape-to-life-mos-vwr

 Some nice clips of Rock Island Rockets, Seaboard E6s A-B-A set, The Twin Cities 400, MILW Class A and F7 Hudson in color...(Thank you for the upload)

There is software to improve the resolution of old films, I might give it a try to see how it goes.

"Shots include:

  • 00:06 Train passing over movie camera
  • 00:14 Milwaukee Road streamlined Hiawatha steam train, most likely scenes filmed in twin cities, St Paul and Minneapolis, Mn.
  • 00:37.23 CB&Q Steam train, no location
  • 00:48   0-8-0 USRA designed No 60 Steam switcher
  • 01:00.11 Milwaukee Steam locomotive 4-6-4 6421 (built 1931)
  • 01:05 Shot of railroad from last car passing small depot
  • 01:10 Passing scenery
  • 01:37 Hastings, Mn. Mississippi River bridge
  • 01:54 Milwaukee Road steam train
  • 02:12 Milwaukee Road 4-6-4 6405 St Paul Roundhouse
  • 02:45 Scenes around shop area
  • 03:19 Hiawatha streamlined locomotive
  • 03:24 2-8-0 Consolidation 7612
  • 04:02 Steam engine 8515 switching
  • 04:09 watering steam engine
  • 04:17 Rock Island train
  • 04:30 Great Northern steam engine 2515   
  • 04:17 Rock Island train
  • 04:50 Pacing steam train
  • 05:18 Great Northern steam loco
  • 05:33 St. Paul rail yard scenes
  • 05:50 Mississippi River scene
  • 05:55 St. Paul Minneapolis Junction Yard scenes including Gas Electric car, Chicago & North Western
  • 07:11 Twin Cities CB&Q Budd built Zephyr
  • 07:20 Yard scenes
  • 08:48 In switching Tower – Minneapolis Junction, St. Paul
  • 09:37 View of track switches
  • 09:45 Overhead view of tracks
  • 09:59 Leaving St. Paul, viewed from Twin Cities Zephyr
  • 10:48 Along Mississippi River
  • 11:36 Twin Cities Zephyr entering station
  • 11:42 Steam engine
  • 13:03 COLOR section begins
  •           Milwaukee Road Hiawatha
  • 13:35 Diesel train
  • 13:45 Milwaukee Road Hiawatha – steam loco
  • 14:37 Along Salt Lake, Utah
  • 15:06 Union Pacific/Chicago & North Western early streamliner
  • 15:12 Milwaukee Road through Pipestone Pass – Western Rockies
  • 15:45 Train wreck
  • 16:20 Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad “Yellowstone” locomotive 202
  • 16:42 Florida East Coast EMD E6 passenger diesel
  • 17:33 Seaboard Coast Line passenger diesel no 3000
  • 17:50 Atlantic Coast Line diesel
  • 18:15 Rock Island Lines locomotive
  • 18:30 Old Steam Engine 132
  • 19:00 People in costumes – early Midwestern settlers reenactment
  •  19:19 Shooting artillery guns in river
  • 19:30 Boat races
  • 19:40 Engine 136
  • 19:50 Train Wreck
  • 20:32 Chicago & North Western
  • 20:42 Great Northern Railroad
  • 20:52 Steam train
  • 21:50 Southern Railway
  • 22:11 Rock Island diesel
  • 22:38 Milwaukee Road Hiawatha
  • 22:45 Santa Maria steam train
  • 23:22 Rock Island diesel
  • 23:23 Milwaukee Road Hiawatha – Minneapolis, Mn.
  • 24:14 Dead Wood Central
  • 25:40 Edaville 2 ft railroad Massachusetts
  • 26:43 CB&Q Cab ride
  • 28:30 C&NW Route of the 400s
  • 28:48 Milwaukee Road
  • 28:57 Triple headed steam train 

 

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