Vintage Film, 5 Discs, 22 films, 7 Hours (Pentrex Combo Series)

The story of railroading during a time of expansion, in the 1920s through the 1940s, to a period of contraction into the 1970s. Much, but not all of this film comes directly from the railroad. All of it is quality film, some originally shot in the 35mm format. Here are 22 individual films. Disaster to celebration, the railroad’s were telling their story through film.

Southern Pacific Film Archives We have two shows here: Daylights, Cab Forwards & Early Diesels From the vaults of the Southern Pacific Railroad comes a collection of rare vintage films never before released to the public. Part of the footage shown here was shot in 1941 for a promotional movie called This is My Railroad, but World War II intervened and in 1947 the film was entirely reshot, leaving the original footage unused. You’ll see marvelous images of early GS-class steam locomotives on the Coast Daylight and Noon Daylight climbing Santa Susana Pass, speeding along the Pacific Ocean and in San Luis Obispo. Also included is a rare shot of the Sunbeam in Texas. There are many scenes of the awesome SP Cab Forwards pulling freight on the Coast Line and over Tehachapi and Donner Passes. These mighty giants are also seen pulling passenger trains through the Sierra Nevadas. Mikado and Mountain types make appearances as well. A section on early diesels showcases many of SP’s first-generation models, including Alco PAs; EMD E6s, E7s, F7s and GP7s; and Fairbanks-Morse Trainmasters in freight service. And then it is on to rare railroad operations and equipment with Flangers, Spreaders, & Steam Rotary Snowplows Filmed by SP company photographers in the 1950s! Flangers are the railroad’s first line of defense when snow starts to fall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. You’ll climb aboard to watch the snow fly as the flangers are pulled by steam engines and by SD9 diesels in Black Widow colors. As the snow deepens, Jordan spreaders are called into action. Then the real show begins as giant steam-powered rotary plows are called out to do battle with the deepening drifts. Both cab-forwards and F-units are seen providing the muscle to push the rotaries over the mountains. SP captured truly spectacular footage of these fascinating machines by running a camera train just a few hundred feet ahead of the spinning blades. Freight and passenger trains run through a winter wonderland pulled by cab-forwards and F-units, and you’ll see Alco PAs being rescued at Yuba Pass after being snowbound with the City of San Francisco streamliner.

Tough Times on the Southern Pacific This collection of archival footage documents the trauma that Mother Nature and Murphy’s Law inflicted upon Southern Pacific over several decades, and how the railroad coped with these setbacks. Southern Pacific’s own film crews created most of this material to display its efficiency and resourcefulness in times of stress. Now you can experience these challenges, from an earthquake on the San Joaquin Division in 1952 to the Roseville Yard bomb explosions of 1973. Flood, fire, derailments, and worse here’s what you’ll see in these 6 films: Eel River Canyon “The Christmas Flood of 1964” was a deluge that wiped out entire towns along the South Fork of the Eel River and either swept away nearly 100 miles of rails or left them dangling along the cliffs like giant garlands. It took 177 days to repair what nature did in hours. Recovery of the 8946 In 1971, a derailed train crashed down the mountainside on Donner Pass. You’ll see how 3 bulldozers and a pair of locomotives hauled the damaged engine uphill and back onto the rails. Trestle Fire on the Great Salt Lake In 1956, a fire burned 645 feet of trestle, putting the Lucin Cutoff out of service. SP and Morrison-Knudsen cooperated in rebuilding the trestle, and SP crews laid 650 feet of new track in just one week. Earthquake on the San Joaquin Division In 1952, one of the most severe earthquakes in California’s recorded history damaged tunnels and destroyed tracks. Yet 25 days later, the tunnels were daylighted or by-passed and the tracks were restored. Flooding along the Rio Grande In 1954, one of the worst floods in Texas history stripped away tracks and soil, trapping the Sunset Limited. But within two days, 559 men and 88 pieces of equipment were at work putting back what nature had washed away. Explosion in Roseville Yard In 1973, a train carrying over 7,200 bombs caught fire and soon the bombs began to explode. Shrapnel flew for miles around. The town of Antelope was destroyed. Unexploded bombs were found up to a mile away. Remarkably, no one was killed and six days later SP’s yard was rebuilt enough to resume service. You’ll see the explosions and the remarkable aftermath.

Heritage Collection, Volume 2 Five promotional films feature both steam and early diesel power in rare glimpses of an earlier time: Song of the Pioneer
Relive the earliest days of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad with exciting footage of streamlined C&NW passenger trains. The Railroad Story This rare film tells the dramatic story of Illinois railroads, with footage of over 12 different systems. See CB&Q F-units, Wabash PAs, Nickel Plate Geeps, passenger and freight operations, Korean War troop trains, and more. A Railroad at Work In this Milwaukee Road PR film produced in the late 1940s, you’ll experience crack passenger trains, hard-working freights, solid ore trains, and streamlined, steam-powered Hiawathas. Opening a New Frontier Follow a piggyback truck trailer from start to finish on a high-speed run from Chicago to New York. This show is about the latest innovations brought to rail service in 1955. Rolling the Freight Centered around C&NW’s giant Proviso Yard, this film shows how freight was moved in the late steam era of the 1940s. You’ll see hump yard switching, freight handling, and car loading plus run-bys with both steam and early diesel powered freights.

Workin’ on the Union Pacific Here are six rare Union Pacific publicity and safety training films that have never been presented to the general public. Now this classic collection is available to you on one DVD. Produced by the Union Pacific during the 1970s, these films bring you a nostalgic view into the day-to-day workings of a railroading icon. Vintage films included on the DVD: The Trainmaster, Man on the Move Travel throughout the UP system to experience the challenges faced by Trainmasters as they keep the railroad running smoothly. Wired for Safety This safety training film for railroad electricians includes glimpses of Centennial locomotive 6902 and E-unit 954. Careful, Carman! Employees working on freight cars learn safe practices and procedures in this instructional film. Rails on the Move Follow the progress of a steel rail from its manufacture, through welding into strings, to installation in the field. Watch each machine perform its step in the rail-laying process. Ride on a welded rail train as it curves through the mountains on a Utah branch line. Track Team Produced to instruct track workers about safety procedures, this film covers the use of hand tools, power machinery, and motor cars. Freight Car Pit Stop Visit a mechanized car repair facility and learn how it functions to keep the freight car fleet on the road. These vintage films take you back a generation yet they are as entertaining and informational today as they were 30 years ago! With these vintage films, You’re Workin’ on the Union Pacific!

California Vintage Collection Three rare films are brought together here for a nostalgic and thoroughly entertaining revisit of California railroading from the 1920s to the 1950s: Gerald M. Best’s California Limiteds The films of railroad cinematographer Gerald M. Best are highly prized among devotees of the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe. This video takes you back to the late 1920s for Best’s own black and white movie footage capturing the Lark, the Daylight, the Grande Canyon Limited, and even the Santa Paula local. The action is mostly in Southern California but you’ll also see Pullmans over Cajon Pass, action at long vanished city terminals, and the only footage we know of showing the Mt. Tamalpais gravity car! California Zephyr In this rare 1950s public relations film, you’ll see glimpses of ’50s-era Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, Oakland, and San Francisco, stopping points on the east-west route of the famous California Zephyr. Enjoy images taken in the diner, the sleepers, the Vistadome coaches, and from trackside. Relish the spectacular scenery that made this route so popular. Plus, a rare newsreel is included that features the last run of the California Zephyr! Western Pacific on TV Step back to 1956 and join host Bob Day in a television salute to the Western Pacific Railroad. This “Success Story” episode begins at WP’s Oakland Yards with the 1872 Baldwin Genoa and Alco #94 steamers, Lucius Beebe’s elegant Gold Coast private car, and WP’s new F-unit #803-A, the pride of its fleet. Your tour includes the commissary, classrooms, and the Sacramento shops. Plus, you’ll see the California Zephyr on the Feather River Route. Thanks to this gem of a film, we can view the Western Pacific when it was the role model for the American success story!