B&O Memories 1930's to 1950's

A compendium of all the B&O footage in my archives. We begin in the 1930's with some B&W newsreel footage of the experimentals and EA's with the early Royal Blue trainsets, then move to Cumberland and Sand patch. The color footage is from various locations including Baltimore and Cumberland, as well as further west in Ohio and West Virginia. Of note is the rare film of the Mt. Royal Tunnel electrification with steeplecab electric helpers pulling steam, later diesels replaced the electrification.

[@trevthetruckie7184]

Great video with lots of sound too no cheesy elevator music! pure magic thanks for sharing

[@Eli_Santin]

Never thought I'd see footage of the B&O's Duplex in action. Glad I found this!

[@cats0182]

The B&O was a class act to the end.

[@jacktyler5186]

Growing up in Ross County Ohio near Chillicothe, my father worked through this era as a brakeman for the B & O. He worked out of the roundhouse in Chillicothe and worked the "Extra Board". His runs were mostly between Chillicothe, Portsmouth and or Parkersburg, WV. Sadly he was involved in a fatal accident in April, 1952 being crushed between two cars while switching in a yard near Jackson, Ohio. Thanks for the beautiful video of the old days of railroading.

[@georgewhitacre8276]

My grandfather fired the 7600's and the Big Sixes during this era! So happy this came up on my youtube feed. The shots from fireman's side of the 7600 brought tears to my eyes!

[@trussell8510]

Very nice, i'm thankful that someone took these and that they were saved. This was a great era in railroading in the US.

[@mediatrainfan0282]

I agree. From the 1830s to the late 1950s considered to be the golden age of American Railroading.

[@cats0182]

B&O ran a "class act" up to the day it folded into the C&O. The Royal Blue and the Capitol Limited were luxury trains, equal to the best offerings of the PRR and NYCRR.

[@hakeemsd70m]

Absolutely. In addition, the Cincinnatian was a lovely train. The B&O is my all time favorite railroad.

[@CrossOfBayonne]

​@@hakeemsd70m Same here

[@brianmorgan5739]

Don't forget the National Limited, the Shenandoah, the Cincinnatian, the Columbian, the Diplomat, the Ambassador and the Chicago Night Express. I grew up in Chicago and spent much of my time in the summer months in and around the loop area at the seven train terminals in the city and my favorite station was Grand Central Station Chicago formerly located at the intersection of West Harrison Street and South Wells the Chicago launch pad for Baltimore and Ohio in Chicago.

[@stephenheath8465]

5:05 My goodness that E unit is freaking gorgeous

[@pilsudski36]

First video I have ever seen of the George H Emerson 4-4-4-4. So little is known about this first American duplex drive engine.

[@Celluloidwatcher]

Thanks a huge million for the compilation footage of the B&O Railroad's history through steam and diesel locomotives carrying passengers and freight across the country. As a longtime train enthusiast, this gains my interest greatly, as I have always been fascinated by the history of the railroads in the U.S. and, eventually, worldwide. A time when multiple railroads stood on their own before their decline due to the increasing use of planes and cars. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. However, there's nothing wrong with remembering.

[@tommythomason6187]

Flat-out awesome! And, in expensive color film, at that! Gives me a real chance to see steam power in action. I was only 3 years-old when they mainly disappeared from the scene. I see why old timers would say the steamers, "seemed alive." That E1 diesel's horn sounds like a tugboat. Read somewhere that B&O maintained high passenger standards to the end. Tried to keep the trains clean and on time. Southern Railway was like that.

[@jerryelder9298]

Great video. I grew up along the mainline of the B&O in N.W. Ohio in the 40’s and early 50’s so this brings back wonderful memories.

[@shortliner68]

When in my teens back in the mid-1960s, I remember seeing huge Queen City Station/Hotel in Cumberland, MD when taking Fall Foliage excursions on the B&O from Baltimore to Oakland. Miss those days of train riding through the mountains of western Maryland. Neat to see all the old roadnames on freight cars shown in this video, too!

[@carbidejones5076]

The twilight of steam, very special, thanks.

[@n8tuwstevenewland933]

I remember as a kid. Hearing Steam heading North. Just north of Chillicothe Ohio at night. Loved the one where the little guy. With the red hat. Watching the Steam go by. Thanks for sharing memories.

[@historymuseum2000]

amazing footage a must watch for any B&O fan! Thanks for sharing!

[@mjrodriguez8670]

I really enjoy watching films of classic trains! They are informative and entertaining to watch! I like the B&O Mikados, 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone articulateds and the ALCo-GE FA units. I have been to the B&O Railroad Museum back in 2012!

[@oldenweery7510]

It's nice to see and hear steam locos at work, instead of hauling tourists. Seeing and hearing them spraying steam from their cylinder cocks when starting, or from their injector overflow pipes, shooting coal smoke high into the air when pulling a grade, is great! I was born in a house a hundred yards from a double-track main line and moved into a village a half-block from the same "main," I saw trains mostly flying by at the "slow" rate of about fifty, leaving behind a rolling pall of bituminous coal smoke, whose sulfur content I could always _taste_ at the back of my mouth. (Of course, all the housewives disliked those clouds of sooty smoke!) My brothers and I later thrilled to the streamlined "Double Diesels" that took over the chores of the streamlined Baltics (oops, did I give away the railroad name?). I became a steam nut in my late teens and twenties, modeling in American Flyer S scale and later HO, where my first locomotive was a rubber-band drive EMD F7. Over the years since, I've come to regard what they called "First Generation Diesels" as "Honorary Steam Locos," because they shared the rails with the chuffing giants. Thanks for posting this!

[@echoecho3108]

Wow. Just wow. I love the sight and sound of these magnificent beasts. I was born in '49, and I know I saw and heard, and probably rode, a train like one of these fabulous beauties. My granddad retired from C&O at Uinon Station in DC. I've always loved trains. I miss them. Thanx muchly for sharing this little treasure!

[@iusetano]

Thank you for this upload. I enjoyed watching very much.

[@drby0788]

This is some pretty AMAZING footage

[@markhouse256]

This video is amazing! Such a treasure trove of classic rail and landscapes. I watched it twice!

[@bonzeroo]

Excellent video - loads of variety & great sound as well. Thanks for sharing this!

[@seven8n235]

Amazing films, such a pleasure to watch since I was born too late. Gotta love those EM's

[@Mumbles19852007]

The EM1s were great. I have one in HO scale. Some say they were better than the UP BigBoy.

[@danielboone3770]

Boy, this is a really wondrous sight to see! B&O trains in action with color footage and especially the Yellowstone locomotives, freight train action and the passenger service! Thank you for posting this!!

[@Mumbles19852007]

My grandfather served as a medic in Korea. He started on the B&O when he got back as a brakeman in Connellsville yard in Pa. He retired from CSXT in 1993. He would have loved to see this video!

[@christopherwagner2395]

Superb document. Thank you.

[@whatdoidonext2234]

at 5:20, you can clearly see peoples reflections in the paint. WOW! beautiful consists!

[@oldenweery7510]

That's been true since the days of wood cars and iron men: they used to call passenger cars "Varnish" because they so carefully "clear-coated," as the custom car builders say. I modeled 1895 for a long time and achieved the same effect with clear gloss model railroad paint. Railroaders were proud and artistic in former days.

[@redbarnz]

Fabulous! Thanks for sharing.

[@wabisabi6875]

Nice footage! Lots of variety. Best footage of the Big Six I have seen. Thanks for sharing!

[@robertdipaola3447]

The good o'l B&O!!!--- THANKS FOR SUCH NASTALGA AND FORGOTTEN RAILROAD HISTORY!!!-- YOUR THE BEST!!!

[@stevehazzard3120]

There is nothing like the raw power of a steam locomotive at speed pulling a long line of freight or passenger cars. Thanks for posting this memory lane video of steam railroading from bygone years!

[@larryloveless2967]

I really enjoyed seeing so much good video of these B&O trains. I have ridden all the AMTRAK routes west of St. Louis but none of the routes east of STL. I liked seeing how the people just admired these trains. Reminds me of when I travelled in Euope by rail with a daughter on 3 trips we went together seeing the sights. I enjoyed just spending time in their great train stations seeing their high speed rail and taking pictures of their many sleek looking trains.

[@DanielPRails]

I've been on sort of a history kick since i found a date nail from 1931 on some old abandoned old B&0 trackage this past summer. This was excellent.

[@allegheny48]

Thanks for another classic gem of railroading as it used to be. The continental styling the B&O used on some of their passenger power was unique and rarely seen in the U.S yet further north the Canadian Pacific created some of their own. The color footage showing the last years of B&O steam and the first generation diesels was a fitting way to wrap things up.

[@rogerhuber3133]

The early stuff was amazing....Emerson, Lord Baltimore the original Royal Blue and the EA's. WOW! The later stuff covered so much territory and equipment. The semi-elusive T-4's and the Baltimore electric helpers. Just tremendous stuff. Oh for a time machine! Mr Peabody, I'm not coming back so set it for one way only!

[@mmi16]

I also noticed that the lightweight streamlined Royal Blue was running with a RPO head out on the train; the heavyweight streamlined Royal Blue did not have a RPO in the train.

[@rtrobinson88321]

Very cool video. Thanks for sharing

[@sgtreynolds3946]

This is awesome seeing this footage. Makes me wonder if my grandfather built any of those engines.

[@105C09]

Fantastic. Thanks!

[@the.porter.productions]

Greetings from the Ohio Porters. 🇺🇸 Wouldn’t this be so beautiful in color!? 🥰 Wonderful action!! 🤩 I grew up around the C&O shop in Huntington, WV and remember the Chessie and other old engines! 🥰🤩😎🇺🇸

[@gregg-wb8yys517]

!st time I'd ever seen 51 under its' own power. Great collection of B&O history

[@darnoldie]

Had not seen a Yellowstone type steam engine before. Thanks for posting this.

[@oldenweery7510]

I was interested in the exhaust notes of the EM-1, as well as the EL's, especially when the latter got out of sync! The latter weren't beautiful beast---except to us Steam Nuts---but the B&O owned a lot of them and they did yeoman service on the various "Hills," two on point and sometimes another pushing behind the sturdy bay window cabooses.

[@hakeemsd70m]

@@oldenweery7510 Totally irrelevant, but do you know if the B&O ever ran any EM-1's to Cincinnati or Points West?

[@oldenweery7510]

@@hakeemsd70m Actually, no. The HO model railroad I was building back in the '70s-'80s was what we called "Prototype Freelancing," the Potomac & Ohio, set in about 1904, but presuming the Pennsylvania never got receivership control in the late 1890s, so I could develop my own stable of locomotives NOT based on the Pennsy's. I've always loved the B&O, so I joined the B&O Railroad Historical Society and bought as many books as I could afford at the time. The B&ORHS might be able to answer your question---maybe there's a member viewing this?

[@paulbislin8471]

Hakeem Sd70M In regular service, they drove no further west than Grafton, Wheeling and Lorain.

[@Mumbles19852007]

The old B&O had some beautifully painted engines back then.

[@wurlitzer1538]

Nice collection!

[@mmi16]

First time I have seen a video with the electric Belt Line helpers in actual operation.

[@nicholmansgarage3501]

3:50 yes!!! I finally found an actual running video of the Royal Blue!!! Yay!!! I wish it was in color, but I'm so happy I don't care!!!

[@STho205]

It is rare. That may have been the "Cincinattian". I can't distinguish the setting but it seems inland of Frederick. Could you read the number or cab? Color would have been great.

[@howiesmith1504]

@@STho205 The b&w clip at c. 3:50 of the streamliner passing a factory and under a double track electrified rail line is the Royal Blue. The Cincinnatian P-7s had different streamlining. GREAT composition, BTW! Does anybody know the exact location? It looks like Philadelphia and the electrified trackage could possibly be the Reading, but I'm just guessing.

[@cats0182]

The B&O was a "class act" passenger operation. The "Royal Blue" was a luxury train on a 4 hour trip from NJ-DC/

[@ricksadler797]

Nice video thank you 😊

[@wisentwisent9150]

Check out that engineer with the visor hat in the cab of the Lord Baltimore duplex! Absolutely priceless.

[@stephenwilliams5201]

Lived along the nickle plate line as a kid. And would watch engines go by. the man in the caboose. Would toss out bags or chips or cookies. Never when fast mind you. Usually on a grade. ( slower)We thanked them . Sgt williams retired.

[@lazyrrr2411]

👍 Outstanding ! 👏

[@wisentwisent9150]

A great video with lot's of stack talk. I remember seeing B&O steam in Dover, Ohio in 1956. Their engines usually looked clean, compared to the Pennsy.

[@whatdoidonext2234]

It is interesting to go to Halethorpe and see where the fair of the iron horse was and what is there now. That had to be huge!

[@tibbers3755]

Late to respond, but i happened to be recently looking for the site, but sources i had were vague. Are there any landmarks or points of interest to help locate where it was held?

[@Robbi496]

A railroad that worked hard to do things well!

[@thomasavensjr.2790]

There were many interesting types of steam locomotives that were operated by the B&O rr during the steam era ; the Pacifics, Big Sixes, T3 Mountains, Mikados and the EM-1 articulateds were all enjoyable to observe in operation hauling freight and passenger trains. It is a shame however that none of the EM-1 class articulated locomotives were preserved and saved from being scrapped after the steam era ended. I would enjoy to see at least one example of B&O rr articulated steam power still in existence to be preserved for public display viewing.

[@stephenwilliams5201]

Used to set in a 3 story house and late at night I would see the B&O pass Bascom ohio. In the distance. With the aid of a telescope. Late at night circa 1950s.

[@onionhat9141]

Soon as time travel is possible in the future I’m going to the 40’s-50’s just so I can watch trains pass by and get a ride

[@stephenwilliams5201]

@@onionhat9141 train was on its way out when I was a child. But to rember a ride from arcadia ohio. To LIma ohio and a ride. To the S.S. KRESKIE store was a treat. As a child I had more freedom than a child of to day. Ps it was $1.65 each way. And 50. Cent taxi. Got Christmas's presents. And home. We went as a group. Ha! Can't even buy a soda now. For that much. Oh yes LIma was and still is the land of the qupie hamburger." A pickle on top will make your heart go flipity flop.".time trave?l Shure! could use some living like that again 73 de kv4li

[@onionhat9141]

@@stephenwilliams5201 Dang wasn't minimum wage then like 30-50 cents then? Also lucky as hell lol. Yeah totally compared to this year the 50's were care free but totally way more dangerous. I think there were chemistry kits back then that could blow stuff to bits. Which to be honest sounds like more fun than to playing with a furby

[@stephenwilliams5201]

@@onionhat9141 hi hi my mother was a phone operator. And hanging around her I built my first radio"Crystal" set at 5 years old. The lightening found its way in the house.the fire ball danced across the room. Learned to un hook the wire and toss it out the window. Every as much as a fart poped in the night. Wfob fostoria was a favorite. Golden oldies. I had a bicycle a western flyer ' chrome' model and sold "grit" magazine. And hallmark cards from farm to farm. And house work for neighbors. You see my dad had gotten injured and retired. When I was 13. No extra money to be had. So to use the term "free lance" was in play. To get the extras. Even had a girl frend I'd stop to visit. Just be home by dark mom said. Now that was trust. You couldn't buy to day. A cop got jealous. But couldn't keep me home to save his butt. I was Hungary. Like I say it was a good life.

[@onionhat9141]

@@stephenwilliams5201 would definitely agree with ya. Always good to listen to peoples life. Specially back then, I enjoy listening to what it’s like back then

[@pravoslavn]

Nice !

[@Robbi496]

Either remastered or you had an EXCELLENT camera!

[@fmnut]

Not my filming. The Black and white film at the beginning was done from 16mm with modern digital capture, which accounts for the quality. Most of the rest came from a VHS tape of optical transfers off 8mm film done back in the 1980s. I did my best to enhance it with software, but it still suffers in comparison.

[@roberttuss5349]

What a great country!

[@bobpaulino4714]

Wish i had around 20 -25 years earlier

[@jacksalvin364]

Steam and Diesel on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

[@sharonwaldron8405]

My dad worked for the B&O in Ohio.Good memories.

[@DAVIDKELLY12]

This is great! Is it alright if I use a short segment of the train at 6:30 & 20:10 for a documentary I'm making?

[@brianhanley1903]

Hate to say it but the new diesals did look good, new, clean and quiet no wonder people liked the change. But they also liked the new change to private travel more.

[@shammshaw7901]

RIP B&O 2-8-8-4 I wish 2 em-1 survive like B&O 650 and B&O 659

[@shammshaw7901]

At the B&O railroad museum

[@whispofwords2590]

Lord Baltimore. What a strange locomotive.

[@mmi16]

Only thing missing was some shots of the Baldwin Sharknose units.

[@JohnDoesItAll]

❤

[@mmi16]

Individual crossing in front of the camera at 32:49 looks straight out of 2020.

[@nicholasfilips9540]

B&O WAS MY FAVORITE SORRY TO SEE IT GO AWAY! GARRET INDIANA @ CREW CHANGE!

[@seven8n235]

Amazing and fantastic. Is the sound original or added?

[@fmnut]

The sound is added from a variety of sources, including Reading 2102, R&N 425, SP 4449, UP 3985 and N&W 1218.

[@st3ph3nms3]

Does anyone know if some of these clips are in Athens, OH on the mainline?

[@amyreynolds3619]

I wish that there was a scene with the President's train in the movie. I am trying to get information on that train set for my Southern Layout. B&O, Southern, and Pennsylvania Railroads jointly own the passenger cars that the government bought.

[@fmnut]

Get a copy of "The President Travels By Train" by Bob Withers. Several copies are currently available on ebay.

[@vettebecker1]

Those trains were limited by the track they ran on, imagine those trains running on today's welded rails. It would be something!!

[@fmnut]

Welded rail has a limited relationship with track speed. It simply enables the existing speeds to be more easily maintained. The real factors that determine train speeds are grade, curvature, and signal system capability. The tracks shown in this video generally don't see trains running any faster today with welded rail than they did in the 50's with bolted rail. Also, the trains in the film appear to be running a bit faster than reality due to some technical reasons in the film/video transfer.

[@paulbislin8471]

fmnut there‘s another factor for trainspeed: superelevation of curves. In the past the superelevation was mostly higher than today, to allow higher speeds of passenger trains in curves, especially on roads with many named trains. This practice had a downside, cause for slower running freight the superelevation was too high and caused wear on the inner rail the more slow freights ran on such tracks. So, when the passenger trains lost their importance for the railroads or when the roads went all-freight they lowered the superelevation more suitable for slow running freights. I guess that today the superelevation is mainly set for „slower“ freight trains/lesser wear on tracks, except for maybe important passenger lines like the Northeast-Corridor or the Keystone-Corridor.

[@fmnut]

@@paulbislin8471 I was a track engineer for 2 class 1 railroads for 36 years, I fully understand what you are talking about.

[@paulbislin8471]

fmnut That‘s very nice! I still am a railroader! Greetings from Europe!

[@b3j8]

B&O, like all railroads that ran passenger trains had excellent track in this era! Speed limit was usually 80. But, to make up time you ran as fast as possible "consistent with safety!" That loose interpretation could mean 95-100 mph if the track was good for it!

[@kevinhoward9593]

2:34 Im almost certain that is Wayne Junction Station.

[@travelingman484]

The first loco on display is completely new to me. This was sort of like a reverse duplex. What was the benefit of this??

[@fmnut]

This was the first US example of a duplex drive locomotive. The purpose of reversing the rear set of drivers was to keep the same rigid wheelbase as the existing B&O 4-8-2 types. It was less than successful due to the size restriction of the rear cylinders and the dirty environment next to the firebox/ashpan. The PRR tried the same arrangement with their Q1 prototype with the same result. The production model Q2 reverted to the conventional arrangement. Generally, the duplex idea was a flawed concept from the beginning, IMHO.

[@Bamaji2]

Does anyone know what the catenary was doing there at 3:48 I didn’t realize the B&O had electrified trackage!

[@fmnut]

The catenary visible in the early segments of the video is on the Reading's Philadelphia area electrification. The B&O used the RDG and CNJ to get from Philly to Jersey City. The B&O did have an electrified segment, the Howard St. tunnel electrification in Baltimore. Originally overhead third rail, it was later converted to ground based third rail. Two of the steeple cab electrics can be seen in the video at 17:39.

[@Bamaji2]

@@fmnut amazing thank you!

[@solodatemaru]

At 4:41 the station says Wilmington. Is that Wilmington, Delaware? I'm just asking because I'm from the area and I've never seen the B&O station there.

[@fmnut]

Yes, that's Wilmington DE. I think the station is long gone as passenger service ended about 60 years ago.

[@solodatemaru]

@@fmnut Thanks for confirming it. Yes the station is long gone and it's actually the first time I've seen it.

[@jonnybeck6723]

@ 22:44 it almost looks like this Pacific is hauling a string of "Blood and Custards" straight out of the UK... Well maybe blueberry and custard?

[@fmnut]

It's actually blue and gray, but the color shift in the film gives the gray yellowish cast.

[@michaelbragg6903]

Wonder where the town was with multiple tracks running through it is when the freight train passes through at 6:20

[@fmnut]

Cumberland MD

[@judpowell1756]

11:05 Akron Ohio Valley branch turning on wye

[@Steven_Rowe]

What fabulous old footage. I'm not American and do t know to much about American Railways, I know the Us stars dieselization very early and wonder when the end of steam happen in the US and which railroad it was. Sad to think that the railways took a massive hit to the private car and the airlines. There is something so superior to travelling by train I feel I travelled from DC to NY city by train in 2019 and also NY city to Niagara falls and loved it. Let's hope high speed rail makes it big in the US. I know the US has the Acela but it's not running on purpose built high speed tracks like the Europeans do.

[@fmnut]

The last regular standard gauge main line use of steam in the US was the Grand Trunk railroad in its Detroit area commuter service. The last regular daily use of steam by a Class 1 railroad was the Denver & Rio Grande Western on its narrow gauge from Durango to Silverton.

[@Steven_Rowe]

@@fmnut Thanks for the info, do you know the date hey Dan, I'm guessing late 50s or early 60s

[@fmnut]

@@Steven_Rowe 1961. Sorry, I should have put that in my original answer.

[@Steven_Rowe]

@@fmnut theatre Kim, thanks for letting me know

[@o484]

2:31 is Wayne Junction 4:20 is Newtown Junction Both in North Philadelphia.

[@howiesmith1504]

@ Ollie Shortridge. You obviously know the Philly area well. Do you know the location of the spectacular shot at c. 3:50 of the streamlined Royal Blue passing a factory and under an electrified double track rail line? And what was the electrified line? Thanks.

[@jm-bv1wh]

@@howiesmith1504 Just a guess here, but I'm thinking that it is North Philly. The old Pennsy line ran over the old Reading line, and does so to this day.

[@drby0788]

Was that engine in the beginning saved at all??? What an unusual looking loco

[@fmnut]

If you're talking about the George H. Emerson, no. It was scrapped. The slant nose diesel was saved and recently restored and is at the B&O museum in Baltimore.

[@stephenwilliams5201]

When I got a chance. I would get a stop at the LIma loco works. And wach all the cranes, and repairs going on.( In plant). We would wrangle a tour now an again. Also worked at the tank plant to help referb the rails that hadn't been used since Korea/ww2 // general dynamics. We were combat engineers and got a lot of stuff under our belts. As practice, and used In central America. Soldiers? With these skills? Wow! a Honduran commander said.

[@robyoungquist5803]

Excellent footage 👍🏻. As I watched this I just couldn’t help but think … my gad what polluters those coal fired trains were. 😞

[@GOLDFORDAYS]

Isn't that one diesel engine in the B & I railroad museum in Baltimore

[@fmnut]

Yes, the EA.

[@Taoseno2007]

Does anyone remember when US railroads began using their headlights night AND day?

[@fmnut]

It depends on the individual railroad but generally by the mid 1960s just about all of them were.

[@maxwellwalcher6420]

It has a Hudson No Way.

[@markcinque167]

Hey, i have the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad hat 0:12

[@jessiehandlyger]

IM A, JEW.

[@dstuart2918]

needs narration

[@fmnut]

I don't do narration as my voice is not suitable for it. Plus, I went to a hell of a lot of work adding appropriate sounds to the silent film, why would I then ruin it with a lot of chatter over top of it?

[@MikeCasey311]

I loved the videos, but without place and date they are meaningless.

[@fmnut]

Maybe to you, but not to others. I got these films with no date or location info, so pinning down dates and locations is beyond the scope of what I can do.

[@MikeCasey311]

@@fmnut thank you for the effort. All the best.

[@jmtpubs]

I admit, I'd like to know the locations as well. Some of the scenery looks familiar. But I do love the collection, it's well put together.