[1940s-50s STEAM LOCOMOTIVE IN THE MIDWEST]

Year Published: 1940s,1950s

Creator: David J. Williams

Description: Shot by David J. Williams, a train / locomotive chaser, this reel of home movies shows steam engines operating in the Midwest in the 1940s and 1950s. The film starts with shots of the Baltimore & Ohio's P-7d streamlined Pacific locomotive. This is likely the train known as the "Cincinnatian" which ran between Cincinnati, Ohio and Washington, D.C. The P-7 class consisted of 20 4-6-2 "Pacific" type locomotives built in 1927. They were the prime motive power for the B&O’s top passenger trains for 31 years. In 1937 locomotive 5304 was rebuilt by the B&O into a Class P-7a streamlined locomotive. In 1942 locomotive 5306 was rebuilt into a Class P-7b streamliner. In 1944 locomotives 5305, 5308, 5309, 5318 were rebuilt into Class P-7c. In 1946 locomotives 5301-5303 were rebuilt into Class P-7d’s. Locomotive 5304 was also rebuilt to Class P-7d in 1946. At 1:37, a B&O Mikado 2-8-2 is shown. The first of these engines were produced by Baldwin and sold to the Nippon Railways of Japan, thus the “Mikado” designation. The B&O purchased its first 150 Class Q engines in 1910. Another Mikado is seen at 2:26 and 5:37. At 8:43, locomotive 5318 is seen. This was a "Pacific" type locomotives, class P-7. It carried the nickname of "President Garfield" when B&O were naming their locomotives after former Presidents. At 13:22, another Mikado locomotive is seen under steam. At 14:06, B&O locomotive 7613 is shown pulling a heavy load of ore. 7613 was part of the EM-1 class, a series of powerful 2-8-8-4 steam locomotives built for the B&O, designed for heavy freight service, particularly in the Appalachian mountain regions of the B&O system. At 14:40, a General Electric universal series diesel locomotive is shown, circa 1956. This is possibly a manufacturer's test unit or demo locomotive, possibly 1801. At 16:04, a Hudson type steam locomotive, probably one of the four the B&O built. Each was a different design and belonged to a unique class (Class V), built for passenger service and featuring water-tube fireboxes. The B&O built the last Hudson ever created, built in 1936, was designated Class V-4 and carried road number 5360. It had 80" drivers, 22.5 x 29 cylinders, weighed 369,000 lbs with a tractive effort of 52,000 lbs. This locomotive, built completely by the B&O was used in passenger service west of Cumberland, MD and lasted until 1950. At 17:00, a steam engine idles on a siding, a caboose behind it. At 18:12, New York Central locomotive 2933 passes with a full head of steam, pulling tanks of oil. This is an L-2d class 4-8-2 Mohawk "Mountain" type steam locomotive, built in October 1929 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The wheel arrangement is known as the Mountain type on other railroads, but the New York Central dubbed them "Mohawks" after the Mohawk River, which the railroad followed. It pulled freight trains until being retired in 1957. The locomotive is on display at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, Missouri. At 19:13, Louisville and Nashville diesel 105 passes. This was an ALCO RS-3, one of 1,418 produced. At 19:47, 4-8-4, L&N M-1 2-8-4 steam locomotives, nicknamed "Big Emmas" by crews, are shown. These engines were built in three batches between 1942 and 1949. Here, #1951 and locomotive #1963 are shown. At 28:35, a Louisville & Nashville E6A diesel locomotive hauls a passenger train across a bridge. At 29:41, Big Emma locomotive 1978 is shown assembling a train. At 31:19, Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad, F&C Railroad switch engine 100, a General Electric locomotive, is shown. At 32:47, L&N #105 diesel electric switch locomotive is shown. At 35:27, sign for the L&N first train centennial is shown, followed by a shot of locomotive #2613 pulling the commemorative passenger train. The film ends with shots of people holding signs welcoming the train on its centennial trip.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMzE7pt8qlM

Metadata Source:YouTube