My maternal grandfather, George S DeBurger, retired shortly after WW2 as the most senior locomotive engineer of the B&O railroad. I believe, but cannot confirm, that his career was extended longer than was required for railroad retirement due to the need for locomotive engineers during the war. Because of his seniority, he could have been the engineer on any of the 'named' passenger trains or any prestigious route. But he was a family man ( five girls, five boys) so he remained on a nondescript leg of regular freight out of Indianapolis, Indiana till his retirement. He was not an adventurous operator either. No "Casey Jones" throttle wide open for grandpa. If for some reason his departure was delayed by two minutes, then his arrival was late by that same two minutes. No making up time! A thirty-six mile per hour curve meant thirty-six mph, not thirty-seven or eight! Sometimes, when I was in first and second grade and living in grandpa and grandma's big house, us grandchildren might be sitting on the floor upstairs playing a board game. One of us would say "Let's go see grandpa's watch!" Everyone would be heads up over such a great idea. We'd rush down the stairs with a commotion and come to a stop near grandpa. He would lay down his evening newspaper. "Grandpa, can we see your watch?" He never refused. We kids were never disappointed.

Don’t forget, right now is somebody’s “good ole days”

It never ceases to amaze me how 200-250 PSI of steam pressure working on a pair of small pistons can move hundreds of tons of rolling stock from a dead stop. Remarkable...

Great clip. My Uncle Dave was an engineer on the B&O and lived in Connellsville PA. He drove the Capital Limited between Pittsburgh, PA and Cumberland, MD for many years during the steam era. He drove freights for many years after that, during the diesel era. When I was 10 in 1962, he gave me the thrill of a lifetime by letting me drive his diesel engine in the yards at Connellsville, including blowing the whistle and setting the brakes. He complained that diesels were "unhealthy" because the crew was "cooped up inside with all that diesel smell" -- then proceeded to tell stories about walking onto the snow-covered running board of a steam engine going 50 MPH through the Pennsylvania mountains in the dead of winter in order to lube the drivers without stopping. We all laughed when I observed that the warm cab of a diesel sounded a bit healthier than that escapade.

Thanks for posting. They used to scare the hell out of me as a kid. My father would take me to the railroad station in Parkesburg, Pa. As the steam engine approached I ran to the side of the station. What great monsters they were.

Best American steam film I have seen, by far. I could actually hear the locos work rather than constant, incessant bell clanging, whistle blowing etc. I knew it was possible!

One of my earliest memories is of watching one of the big B&O Pacifics hustling a freight down the tracks east of Decatur Illinois, heading over the lake. The rails were about a half a block from my house and I had a great view from my backyard. C&O sold off the trackage to a regional about 5 years ago, but it's still in use.

Damn shame what happened to the American railroads. My Grandma's brothers both worked for the B&O, and Grandma worked in the dispatcher's office for the Union RR in Monessen, PA. I used to sit in my Aunt & Uncle's yard in Dawson, PA and watch the EMDs roll by on the B&O main in the late 60s / early 70s.

Steam rules ! nothing excites me more than the sound of a steam train going full noise with the whistle blowing

yes, we remember the past with fondness, and sometimes forget the difficulties.

Blackhawk had quite a few great old movies. Many with actual sounds. This B&O one is one of the best B&O movies I've seen.

Wow, this was really nice; I live in Fayette County, Pa. ; these tracks are not far from me. Sad to think how many passenger and mail trains there were. It seems they did a better job of keeping joint-rail track level than the continuous welded rail of today; I certainly love the clickety clack of joint rail. Thanks for sharing this.

The World seemed a lot more stable and peaceful back then,thanks for sharing.

Fascinating film footage of a bygone era

Thanks for posting footage of these Old Steamers! It truly invokes the thought of what it would have been like on the rails back then, when steamers were commonplace! Luckily for us scenic railroads and museums keep the memory alive for all to see!

This is what was, and will remain in our hearts as the Monsters of the rails, With Hearts of fire and iron! I was told by a older gentleman, "A steam locomotive is the only man made machine with a soul, Even if the fire is out, it is still breathing." That man made these words stick with me forever, And he is right!

Thanks for posting this! I won't complain on how many pixels the Super8 had! Just glad to watch it!!!

Those trains were simply amazing especially back then thanks for the video 👍🇺🇸

That was amazing. Also, for a second, I thought the locomotive in the thumbnail was Strasburg 90, lol.

In addition to what jbass said, with steam they needed as many crews, working together, as they had engines on the train. With diesels you could run multiple engines with just one crew. But, yeah...Steam rocked, and so did the crews.

Awesome video thanks, this stuff was almost gone when I was a young kid , and everybody traveled by train and going down to the Union train station in Portland, Oregon to pick people up that came into town.

Great video! I live in Ridgway and know exactly where those shots were taken. I wish I would have seen this video sooner, my Dad would have loved it.

That Pacific first up slipped the heck out of those drivers starting that train :D

thanks for shareing.

When these films were made, most of the Steam Locos had stokers, a big screw/auger type thing that fed coal into the firebox. This being said, on some of the steeper grades, the fireman would have to shovel by hand. As the stoker couldn't keep up. The reason we use the diesel loco is because they are less labor intensive in the maintenance dept. Steam loco 2hours use=10 hours maintenance, diesel loco 2 hours use, 0 hours maintenance. that being said, I love steam

I noticed that all the diesel locomotives, electric locomotives, and steam locomotives doing teamwork in the old days

Thanks for sharing nice piece of history.

What a treat @ 7:06 +/- a Yellowstone and a set of Baldwin Sharks A-B-A would have been great to be trackside for that! Great stuff from what is clearly a bygone era. Thanks for the posting!

I really enjoyed this!!!!!

Perfect sounds to fall asleep to

1:27 that's cool, I didn't know they used the standard horn pattern back then

Super video.

i love trains

Thank you so much my dad and I used to sit around and watch old train videos he grew up in TexasHe said you could tell which train went by the sound of the whistle

The earlier Diesel Electric engines looked quite futuristic in their day, relative to virtually everything else that was on the tracks at the time.

nice video, love this!!

The whistle at 2:02 is so haunting!!! It sounds like a ghost!

Noticed the wheel spin as the Washingtonian started to move.

Wow. Amazing!

Bring back steam!

Love the sound!

I was born right after steam was done. I love the steam locomotives and the history.

Steam will ALWAYS be awesome! :D 3:03 Best part! :D

I was a little boy then.Love them dirty old smokin trains.

Edith Head. 1hp = 33,000lbs 1foot in 1 minute, super heated water has an extream ability to shove a huge piston! Cheers! RCF!

both of my Uncles worked for the B&O in the 40's, one was a contractional lawyer the other worked in the yard. Both were in Baltimore.

Great 👍 Video 😊

sat in the conductors chair on a steam locomotive at idle for a photo shoot in old sacramento. the heat in that thing was miserable

Tough work for the locomotive in the last scene- drag that whole train, and push the three GMs also!

Que raridade! Que saudade desse tempo que já se foi. O PASSADO MANDA LEMBRANÇA.

It is very enjoyable to see film footage of the steam era with steam locomotive action, I actually live in the Baltimore, MD area somewhat nearby the B&O rr museum which is home base B&O rr territory.

i grew up western pa and western newyork in those mountains back then. memories. but the smoke looks bad now but back then it was only impressive of power. a big steam engine is still more scary if you stand by the tracks watching it come at you. [ witch i did often as the tracks cut throught the back of our farm near frewsburg ny.

Never seen a combination of Diesel-Electric and steam working together- that's way cool! If I recall correctly it took about 20 years for Diesel-Electrics to catch up to the tractive effort that steam locomotives could produce...

Steam locomotives were very inefficient and required MUCH maintenence and repair. Buthey were also so much fun. My great uncle, a 4-8-4 locomotivenginer, LOVED his locomotive, even though it was terribly hot in the hot summer months.

Real steam real sound!

Good morning from SE Louisiana 17 Feb 21.

7:08 that's petty neat rightthere

Rode and met many hobos on the B&O

At the very least P7 Pacific 5300 and the Mikado behind it are still with us. Everything else unfortunately was scrapped by the late 50s and early 60s

3:01 I love that whistle

And I have fired, by hand a team loco, and I've run a steam loco,and I've maintained a steam loco.

Nice

These were the engines running the year I was born 1954.

Well said! As close to convict labor as you can get without being a convict! Easy for people to romantacize an experience they will never have!

2:50 the EM-1 sweet

If only we could time travel and bring back with us the trains, cars, morals, patriotism, and (especially) prices from a better time, while retaining our computers, Nintendo, etc.

People have been recording trains for as long as they've been running.

Steam Locomotives in Action on The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

This should teach us that model this line in the 50s, that if running old steam like P7 Pacifics for passenger trains we should invest in baggage, REA and RPO mail cars three to one over coaches. Look how many mail and parcel cars are in these consists with only one or two day coaches tacked on. The long limiteds and fast passenger were becoming EMD and the refitted streamline WWII Pacifics pulled like The Cincinnatian.

2:02 a T3 mountain with a Nathan hooter whistle. That's something I've never heard before

@09JDCTrainMan From what I understand, it's a Baldwin hooter. But ya, it sounds pretty much the same as an N&W hooter

Indeed, steam locomotives were very maintenance-intensive versus Diesel-Electrics. I believe you are also 100% correct WRT railroads would no longer be in business due to lack of profits related to locomotive type, especially steam.

I can't begin to imagine how much damage if one of those rods ever break.

how many of those old steam locomotives were oil fired?

Even in the 1940's, see how the formerly double tracked right of way has been reduced to single track because of CTC and other advances in signaling and track use management.

WOW

I'm surprised more emphasis isn't put on the audio which is quite obviously synced to the video and not dubbed...

I'm a little puzzled technically regarding the sound aspects of this footage. Not sure when the 16mm film was mag striped to record sound for TV station news but I don't think this was available in the early 1950's. The soundtrack seems to be in synch with the initial footage, so this was either done after the fact or recorded at the time the film images were shot with a technical setup beyond what most hobbyists would have access to.

Steam Locomotives

Film from THE SUNNY side so that we can see. Wish he had shown the grade crossing signals operating. Follow the locomotive withe camera so we can see more of it.

a 4-8-2 Mountain Type with a Hooter Whistle

It was economics that did in steam. For each additional diesel, you didn't need another crew like you did with steam. Plus diesels were not as maintenance-heavy. As much as I love steam, without diesels, the railroads would be out of business by now because they would not be profitable...

most of the engines have stokers in this footage.

Are there any videos of C&O steam engines or RF&P steam engines of this era?

7:08 Whistle of B&O EM1

Por que sai vapor nas rodas dos carros da maria fumaça?

2:02. Almost sounds like the n&w A's whistle.

@Cockroach2008 Your comment about scrapping steamers is WAY different from your latest reply to me. If you are REALLY salvaging parts from abondonde steamers and selling them to collectors, then good for you and all involved! Maybe you should word your comments in a more polite manner than you have in the past.... Your stepping on the toes of the people that built YOUR country.... Steam was cool, but now diesels rule..... Peace, out!

Ain't it a pleasure to watch freight trains without all the modern graffitti? Too bad the railroad companies have allowed it to happen, but then it is difficult to control it when the cars are in storage on a siding. They need more railroad cops, I would say.

At 6:22 it says train is slowing for stop? Thing is going balls to the wall!

I hope the 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone Mallet Steam Engine will be restored and returned to service.

The golden age of railroads. Now gone but never forgotten. I swear England is better than the US, with the A1 Peppercorn Torando

Anyone know the location "east of Confluence" at the 2:04, 5:19, and 5:44 marks?

What do the numbers 4-6-2 stand for?

wow thank you world job economy depend her a long amercan civil war world war one. two s depend on steam locomotives what world be like with out her I don't want think about?

@priceman141 I don't know, but If I ever saw him you would have to hold me back from putting him in a firebox. What is his problem? What, was he burned on his butt by a boiler when he was little? I am sorry but he is so ignorant when it comes to steam locos. Take it from someone who drives them.

10 people dislike this?

Why do. Like this ?

Dont forget the baltimore & ohio 2-10-2 "big six"