This is a rather quaint production that the old-timers and steam fans might appreciate. It runs about a half-hour or so. Some great true-sound and image synch here, no canned and dubbed stuff.
http://www.nfb.ca/film/end_of_line/
Enjoy!
Crandell
Crandell,
I saw a similar documentary a couple of years ago on the web that I think was also put out by a Canadian firm. (Maybe the same?) Great footage and sound - especially for those who model the pre-60s and rely on this sort of thing to better understand the prototype. Thanks for posting that. [Y]
Tom
Tom, that would have been the CPR through the Revelstoke Division with all the snow? I may be able to find it.
[Edit] - Found it…
http://www.nfb.ca/film/railroaders
Films like these help us modellers to get details correct, things like lineside items, weathering, appliances on the locomotives, and such.
Crandell
Yes, I’ve seen the Revelstoke one before, that’s pretty cool! Actually, with all the snow, literally cool!
John
Thanks, Crandell. I haven’t looked at the link yet but is this the one that has a RR worker hand-clearing a street switch packed with snow with a shovel? Workers were definitely cheaper to employee back then.
Tom
Nope, I was wrong. That was “Street Railway Switchman”…and he’s using a broom. [:D]
Tom
I think the artist/composer and one or two of the old railroad men probably hit the attraction of steam, spot on.
The steam engine is distinctive and, like a person, is alive and fills the senses of anyone around it with a myriad of sights, sounds, smells and grimy touches. It has genuine character. It protests, belches, blows off steam, puffs and pants like some large black leviathon. Ocassionally, it hisses like some giant black cat in protest of having too much unused steam just to let you know there is a great power inside that is itching to be released. Everything about a steam engine exhudes a sense of living, latent power.
I have trod the cinder covered ballast beside a giant N&W A class articulated under a max head of steam as it waited to leave a Richmond station for a fan trip back in the 80’s and early 90’s. The monster rumble of the roaring fires and the hundreds of gallons of boiling water within could actually be felt through the feet if you stood close to the massive airpumps with their “ca chunk…ca chunk” as the greasy 2" diameter polished pump rods moved up and down in an effort to fill the train’s air tanks.
As the million pound A class left, I photographed and video taped the wild clawing at the rails of the spinning drivers as 20 overloaded passenger cars and a full water calf slowly gave up their rest inertia to the belching, hissing, growling beast at the front of the consist. All were forced to move, solely by the power of boiling water.
Diesels, for me, are pretty much monolithic rectangular blocks with humming engines in them. Much like an over sized, brightly painted building under power with large, fancy and ornate freight trucks underneath. In the end, they are electric trains minus the pantographs and lacking the cute and visually pleasing appearance of the Brill Trolly. Still, all is railroading for real, both past and present
Nice to see 2816 having the place of honour in the end. Great film.
David B
David, I’m glad you noticed and reminded me…I saw her too, and felt a pang watching the fireman who actually ran that gal in real revenue service as he sat at his seat. And she was hoofin’ it, too…no rust under her drivers!
Crandell
Thanks for posting that film, I get the same sensation as those fellas, standing beside the steam engines at the Strasburg RR. DJ.
Thanks for posting Crandell.
I got a kick out of the guy telling how the engineers had there own engines assigned to them. He said that you could take two identical Loco’s and one would run like a charm and the other would run like a hunk of junk. I didn’t know the china syndrome was in play at the Angus shops.[(-D]
Brent[C):-)]
Brent, I read some accounts of old-timers who mention that some steamers seemed to drag themselves as well as their trailing revenue, but one guy insists that bad steaming locos suffer from problems with draft more than anything: blocked netting in the smokebox was common neglect, and also the placement and design of the petitcoat pipe, also in the smokebox, was very important. If those two items were not right, no amount of swearing by the fireman at his boiler, or between the two men wanting the boiler to perform better, would make a bit of difference. The netting had to be cleaned and the petitcoat pipe had to be positioned correctly to help evacuate the smoke box efficiently. When those two were in good order, the only other problems could be linked to sub-standard coal on a coal burner. If the fire was well maintained, the boiler filled and hot, and the pressure up, and the valve timing spot on, poor performance was from the head end of the boiler.
Crandell
Most enjoyable, thanks for the posting.
Cheers, The Bear.
Things can go down hill quickly when a piece of equipment is not maintained properly. My Grandfather worked for CN in Winnipeg and I remember him spittin nails when talking about how some loco crews didn’t know what a oil can was. I’m not sure what his position was, but the condition of the loco’s had something to do with it.
It must run in the family as through my career with the federal Government I had vehicles assigned to me. Our maintenance people loved working on my truck because I kept it so clean and I often fixed things myself. My truck never had to see their steam cleaner. The only downside to keeping in great shape was I didn’t get a new vehicle every 3 years like everyone else. I usually got one every five and once went eight years. I think I would have loved to have had a Selkirk to call my own and look after.
Great. Selector!
See also related films on the site, in particular “Railroaders.”
Rick Krall
Nice film. Definitely be sure to watch Buster Keaton in the Railrodders, that is too funny.
–Randy
Just watched it. [Y]
That was a great film but it made me feel sad for what most of us are too young to know other than occasionally at best.
http://www.nfb.ca/film/road_taken
Try this one
Me too
Been going out there since 86
15 to 20 times a year depending on weather ( wife and I bike the area )
Especially enjoy the Thomas days
Click on the link in my sig for pictures