DANGEROUS PLAYGROUND
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Year Published: 1950s
Format: 16mm
Description: This 1950s film produced from the Southern Pacific railroad highlights the dangers for children of playing on rails and in railyards. The film goes over basic things to keep in mind like not trespassing on railroad property, not committing acts of vandalism like throwing rocks at passing trains, not walking on rails or switches, not playing between sitting cars, and waiting patiently until the lights and bells go off before entering a crossing. A friendly train engineer explains this to a group of children who he caught breaking into a railyard. This film was shot by Ed Carroll and Norm Butler, directed by Pete Oakeshott and edited by Ed Carroll. It is believed that most of the film was shot in Southern Pacific's Oakland Terminal in Oakland, California. It contains footage of both steam locomotive and diesels, as the 1950s were a time of transition. Steam locos lasted well into the late 1950s on major American railroads, and in isolated cases into the middle 1960s on small common carrier roads. 0:08 a train ride in an amusement park in the color scheme of the Pacific Daylight passenger train, Goebel Beer advert sign in background, indicating this is likely the Detroit Zoo 0:29 The Southern Pacific Company presents "Dangerous Playground", 0:53 "A Safety Department Production", 0:56 the Southern Pacific Daylight, pulled by an Alco PA locomotive, thunders past. Freight trains driving in different environments including an EMD E8A F-unit diesel, 1:01, and a heavy steam locomotive 1:06. Interior locomotive cab POV. 1:30 Alco PA #6016 pulls a train through a grade crossing, 1:46 children playing on playgrounds, 2:03 children playing on a rail yard as an Alco S4 type diesel switch engine moves past, 2:18 group of children look over a fence and they enter the railyard, 2:44 the children begin playing on the tracks, 2:54 two kids throw rocks at a passing train, 3:03 two children passing under cars, 3:07 a child balancing on rails, 3:17 children start climbing up a car 3:37 a police officer spots them and begins running after them, 4:11 a train driver climbing out of a locomotive, 4:27 he begins showing the kids how unsafe the railyard is through examples of moving cars. A Tom Corbett Space Cadet lunchbox sits by the tracks. 5:00 train driver sits with the children and speaks to them, 5:36 a child walks onto railroad bridge, 5:56 a train, Southern Pacific #2525, a Consolidation Class C-9 2-8-0 steam locomotive approaches the bridge, 6:25 train stops just in time to save the child, 6:48 a railroad switch tower, 7:05 a boy walking along and slipping into a closed switch, while Southern Pacific #1217, a S-10 class switcher steam locomotive approaches. 7:28 boy on crutches at the Allendale Recreation Center, after surviving a near collision with a train, 7:49 a child throwing rocks at a train, 8:12 a girl on the Pacific Daylight passenger train with her mother, is thrilled to watch the scenery go by 8:40 boy throws rocks at a passing passenger train in an act of vandalism, and glass hits the girl, 8:58 a car racing a train to a crossing, 9:23 the car cross and narrowly misses the train, 9:43 children waiting at a railroad crossing, 10:08 children cross the crossing, 10:18 the children speaking to the train driver, 10:58 engineer gets back in his locomotive, the Alco PA #6016, City of San Francisco 11:20 "The End"
Complete Record:
Transcription
[Music] [Music] railroads are very important to America they almost of this nation's passengers and freight railroads take people where they want to go it brings and farms to the cities and factories and they deliver the foods and the tools and the other finished products that we railroad engineers worry when you see boys and girls near the track you know we just can't stop as quickly as we would like to because our trains our feet heaven so we try to see as far ahead as possible ring our bells at Street crossings near schools children are protected by police officers Junior traffic patrol in everybody there are fine safe places to play there are schoolyard playgrounds fields and parks where children can have fun in perfect safety but railroad property is a dangerous playground for young people [Music] not long ago five children who live in my neighborhood went down towards the railroad yard on the way home from school they noticed a hole in the fence being curious they looked through some of them were not quite sure that they should go in but Glenn the oldest boy soon persuaded this was a very busy with many switch engines working cars moving back and forth but the children never gave a thought to the danger they had a final time for themselves I guess they broke about every railroad safety rule Glenn and Dennis threw rocks at passing cars never thinking they might hurt men riding on them Kathleen and Danny crawled under standing cars without realizing they might suddenly be moved at any time Pamela walked on slippery rails [Music] first Glen started climbing up the side of a car while the others watch and then Dennis came along of course he had to follow the leaders Clem saw a railroad policeman and warned the others officer Conway patrolling the earth saw him at about the same how those children did run with officer Conway after them but he was too far away to catch up Dennis and his haste forgot his lunch box they all ran for the fence just as fast as their legs could carry [Music] they came through the fence close to where I was standing in the cab of my locomotive and I had seen the whole thing first they looked as though they would run when I called to them but then they recognized me in stayed I climbed down from the cab I took them back to the hole in the fence to show them just how very unsafe a place a railroad yard is to play and as we watched there were cars and engines moving back and forth up a little way from where the children had been some cars were coupled together and started to roll and there was Dennis's lunchbox right in the path of the rolling car as we watch the cars rolled right over the lunchbox and smashed it to smithereens now I want you youngsters to just think what could have happened if you'd been where that lunchbox was now you can see that officer Conway was merely trying to save you from danger and you know I think that a lot of my gray hair comes from watching you youngsters play on railroad property I tell you it's an awful helpless feeling when suddenly you see a bunch of boys and girls out in front of your engine and you wonder whether or not you're gonna have time to stop you know I've been railroading for many many years and I'd like to tell you some of the things that I remember one day a long time ago young Don Walker decided to take a shortcut across the trestle he thought it it'd be more fun to walk the thais than to take the path where he knew he should have gone he just started right out across that trestle never thinking what he would do if a train came over how about the time I was whistling for the day young Don must have been known about a third of the way up even halfway across hi Don wasn't much skin that is not until he heard my engine in something and then I ran for I saw him too who on the air but by the time the heavy plane stopped was out of sight Don was mighty lucky I saw him just in time but not before he gave both of us this scare of our lives many switches on the railroad are controlled from the tower some distance away the rails may close together suddenly without warning and with awful force railroad men have a safety rule never step on any switch I know of one boy who was walking along the rail and his foot slipped into the switch just as the column and it was packed they couldn't see his injured foot luckily the Powerman saw him and blew this woman's mother I'm determinant immigration court mccallion that was there that boy found out it was no fun de ávila round and crutches while the rest of the fellas were playing [Music] one of the worst things that children do is to throw rocks they don't see any harm in throwing rocks at freight cars seems like fun watch the rocks bounce off that's bad enough because Trainmen may be riding the cars but some children have thrown rocks at passenger trains and injured people seriously [Music] I remember a little girl who took a train ride with her mother it was her first long trip and she was happy and excited her mother let her sit by the window so she could watch the many interesting things they passed as they were riding along [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the children are the only ones who give me cause to worry there are grownups too who do some mighty silly things and never realize the danger people who race trains for the crossing have done me many of my gray hairs they don't seem to realize that trains move on tracks and can't swerve out of the way and trains are heavy and cannot stop [Music] [Music] and speaking of crossings there are proper places for people to cross the railroad tracks and there are things to remember to make it perfectly safe look both ways before crossing any tracks cross only at regular crossings obey the warning signs and when there are flashing lights or wig legs don't attempt to cross until they come to a complete stop never cross tracks immediately behind trains there may be another coming on the next track well of course we all know that it's wrong to play on railroad tracks and in railroad yards but what worries an engineer more than anything else is the thought of what might happen to one of you boys or girls we're so interested in your play that you just forget where you are you can't see an engine approaching or you can't hear a car and smaller children of course they don't realize the danger so it's up to you older children to set them a mighty good example and see that they never play on railroad tracks now let's every one of us do every single thing that we can to keep all children from playing on railroad property [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
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Original permalink · Record added: 2025-01-23 16:44:07