Model Train Journal

The other day I found this video on YouTube that seems to capture late 40s and 50s railroading in the West mostly. Lots of FM, ALCO , ,END FT and steam action in color. No narration just music. If you watch with the closed caption feature (CC) on words like ‘hey’ and ‘beat’ show up. Recommend turning off the CC feature and the volume low or off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgLKWgtKN7U

Thanks for posting the link, Rob. This is GREAT. I have only made it through the first ten minutes and I am blown away. So much to like, but the sight of the H20-44 with the home-built dynamic brake grid (added for braking in helper service over Cajon) is a bonus for me. I knew of these units but never expected to see one them in action.

Jim

WOW! Thank you Sir! I have almost every UP video and DVD ever produced (many gone now) and I've never seen most of those movies.

Yep there are some truly new images to me. Plus I had no idea the number of FTs and Alco and FM units there were in the era. Nice seeing a Greyhound FEF w/o those god forsaken elephant ears.

Yeah and the brakeman putting water in the tender and then jumping/swinging down into the cab was great.....good thing no OSHA guys to blow the whistle. These seem to be videos of every operation of these trains, not the polished videos offered for sale. Great find.

A UP NW2 appears briefly at 25:25. I had never seen the "Road of the Challengers" logo on a black NW2 before. I like it.

A UP streamliner appears about a minute later (26:25). The caption says that it is the City of Los Angeles. Am I wrong, or is that an E6 in the lead? If it is the COLA, that would nominally make it the 1941 car set. All the photos of the COLA I have seen show an ABB set at the head end, so I wondered if it was indeed that train. There is an articulated car in the consist and the silver belt rails above and below the windows of many of the cars do match the 1941 car set. But the observation is flat ended -- the 1941 COLA had round-end observations. Maybe this is really some secondary train with mix of equipment? Yes, I am down in the weeds on this one.

A set of ATSF E1s appear at 29:50. That's when the light-bulb came on: I believe all of the diesels in this video (at least to the half-way point) were available in O-scale during the doorstop era. That includes FA, PA, Erie-Built, H20-44, NW2, FT, F3, E1, and E6 (or E7). My little bronze heart goes pitter-patter.

Jim

I think it is Jim. At first I thought it was an E7 but it has the side (not angled) number boards. All (to my knowledge) E-7's and beyond had the angled number boards. I know the COLA and the COSF early streamliners were pulled by E6's. But, this video is questioning the knowledge I have from books and other videos I've seen. Love it!!!

The quality of the movies adds to the nostalgia, but I sure wish it would have had better quality images.

And the NW2 with the "Streamliner" logo is new to me. And the cab number on the 2nd twotone FEF if 019 and not 819....wow this is interesting information.

Great find!

I believe we are now able to digitize, remove the shakiness, and sharpen up old movies. It is just a question of time before this one gets that treatment. It will then be spectacular.

Jim,

Good point about bronze models of the era reflecting motive power of the era. There are many little details in this film. For example, the ATSF 3121 Mikado, I have never seen that class before in video. One of the few ATSF Mikes with just one sand dome and alligator crossheads.

Like you I found the black UP NW-2 to be striking. Looks much better than the Armor yellow IMO. There is a source on the bay for a decal set for that paint scheme. Pricey but it’s for two locos.

https://ebay.io/m/KaIWGu

Rob

I enjoyed the video. It was new to me how old the NMRA is, among other things. The different power, both steam and diesel was eye opening.

Dan Weinhold

sleepmac wrote:I enjoyed the video.

Neat bits of film; someone could really clean it up with today's tech....

... how old the NMRA is

1935

Nice