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One of filmmaker Carl Dudley’s fine films "On the Track" is a portrait of America's railroads in this 1948 film. Shot during the transitional period when diesel locomotives supplanted steam power, film is basically a salute to America, its railroads, and the multitude of trains that criss-cross the nation. Much like Dudley's "Life Line of the Nation", adoration for American railroads abounds with scene after scene of various trains rolling down the tracks. The railroads are depicted as the “symbol of American progress and prosperity for a great and powerful nation.” The railroads “bind the country into one strong, rich and unshatterable unit.” Railroads “move anything, anywhere, and anytime at low cost.” They are “Uncle Sam’s arteries” and “there is nothing in existence or in sight that can replace the railroad.” Features rare color views of Penn Station, railroad yards and terminals, and passenger trains including the famed California Zephyr. The film was made for the Association of American Railroads.
The film opens with a speeding train racing down the tracks -- the famed California Zephyr, a Santa Fe Railroad passenger train. It then offers glimpses of iconic American locales (0:08) including the Statue of Liberty (:51), Mt. Rushmore (1:03), Capitol Building, Niagara Falls, New York City (1:26) and tenements, bustling factories and farms. Followed by views of a contemporary mass production or assembly line (2:07) and a train shown at the Chicago Railroad Fair that was simply referred to as "the locomotive" (2:17). The scenes then showcase the natural beauty of the American landscape, including the Plains (2:40) and Yosemite Falls (2:45). It then shows men traveling by horseback and wagon trains (3:00). Amber grains of wheat are shown as well as red hot metal in a foundry. At (3:30) an iconic American Plains Indian surveys the arrival of settlers.
The film then focuses on the William Crooks train at the Chicago Railroad Fair. William Crooks is a 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was the first locomotive to operate in the State of Minnesota, beginning in 1861. The narrator elaborates on the train's transformative impact on the American landscape (3:57). The film continues with footage of the swift-moving C&NW 400 train (4:06), New York City (4:17), shots from the undercarriage of a moving train showing the trucks, and a fleet of diesel locomotives emerging from a roundhouse. At (5:22) a woman poses in a fur coat. At (5:39) iconic shots of an American family eating dinner together. New York’s Grand Central Terminal (6:45), followed by glimpses of an Southern Railroad passenger train (7:08) with luxurious interiors. At (7:28) a woman reads "Californian" magazine as she sits in comfort. At (7:48) passengers in a dome car watch the scenery as it goes by. At (8:21), tourists at a guest ranch ride horses. At (8:26) shots of what appears to be Atlantic City beach. At (9:05) a steam locomotive belches smoke as it moves across screen. At (10:10) passengers eat in a dining car. New York Skyline as seen from New Jersey. Starting at (10:39) the focus is on railroads and national defense. Pershing tank (10:48); flamethrower demonstration (11:23). Soldiers are observed filing into a troop train (11:38), and there's a scene featuring a track operator with a switchboard (13:43). Further sequences include a Great Northern locomotive and a CB&Q SD9 430 train (13:49) and a turntable, along with a variety of train models such as Santa Fe 38 (EMD F7) from Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, an IC E7 train from Illinois Central, and a Pennsylvania railroad EMD F3A (15:45-15:53). The film captures the swift movement of a Baltimore and Ohio EMD train along its route (16:09) and concludes with scenes depicting passengers inside a New York Central train pulled by an EMD locomotive before wrapping up (16:48).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2K. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com