Penn Central 1974

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

http://www.lubetkin.net/blog/2008/12/penn-central-1974-movie.html

2

This past summer, I fully read for the first time The Wreck of the Penn Central. I’d had the book since I was a kid, but now as an adult, I was finally able to fully read and understand it. It was sad to hear how bad things were back then. It was even more sad to see those conditions in the video when I watched it last night. Granted, I think they were trying to get things going the right way. Buckeye yard and the shops in Columbus were signs of that. But it’s like the one guy said, the whole railroad needed an overhaul because no more than they would get something fixed, something else would break. It was a snowball effect.

Kevin

3

Wow, I forgot how bad it was. Those caboose shots could make you seasick.[xx(]

4

Given that this film was produced with the intent of screening it for legislators to gain support for a federal “bailout” my first thought was that it was appalling to see the RR mgt. essentially let the infrastructure fall apart and then go begging to Uncle Sam. However I do realize that the situation with PC (and indeed many of the Class 1s) in the Northeast at that time was largely the result of an archaic regulatory climate and that does put things in a different perspective.

5

After watching the movie I have two thoughts, first this is pretty much exactly what executives of many contemporary companies are doing right now (i.e. asking Uncle Sam and we taxpayers for bailout money after screwing things up badly), and my second thought (keeping in mind how Conrail and now NS/CSX have fixed things up immensely) is that MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN!

6

Speaking more to the point as one that is involved in one of those contemporary businesses I just hope that there is a L Stanley Crane around that understands the right way top run things as well as Mr. Crane did. From my own reading on Crane (Brosnan by Charles Morgrat and The Men who loved Trains by Rush Loving) A personage such as him would be required for many of the institutions.

My own personal feelings are that there is indeed such a person or persons like a Crane or even a Downing Jenks (MOPAC) waiting in the wings. Maybe we are just now seeing the emerging of those that know their business, how to get it moving in the right direction and rebuild it better than ever. As to the future …stay tuned, its gonna be interesting…beyond that… My Chrystal ball gets a bit foggy

PL

7

I have the book, but I didn’t know about the video. Is it still available?

George

8
9

Apparently so far only by downloads from the website in the 1st post above - see the comments that are posted there, because it appears that others are interested in this as well (including me !).

THANKS ! to the 1st poster - I too have been wondering what happened to this movie. It was described in the “editorial and comment” columns in the first few pages of one of the issues of Trains at the time (1974 or 1975) with the opening lines of something like: “A car rolls down a hump and derails into the dirt - an elderly RS-3 covers a yard with a pall of black smoke”, etc., and goes on to describe how the movie was produced and given limited distribution as essentially a “parade of horrors” to show the Congressfolk and Washington, D.C. bureaucrats how bad it really was out there. With that mission accomplished and the United States Railway Administration (“USRA”) authorized, formed, and funded, the movie was then withdrawn.

I’ll see if I can find that reference and post if here sometime over the next week or two (New Year’s holiday). I’m pretty sure I know where that box of magazines is now . . .

  • Paul North.