GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY--Historical video ---part 1 of 4

[@bobneis55]

I was a fireman on the Great Northern in 1962 (summer job). I worked the extra board out of St. Cloud, Minnesota. I remember catching the orders. My father was an engineer and remember talking to him over the engine radios as we passed in the night. It was a great experience and remember almost every detail of the job.

[@hjalle9124]

so beautiful locomotives within their colors..

[@nratchr]

I am Most ENVEOUS of the young man. I was a member of the Burlington Northern Explorer Post # 067 In Bellingham, Washinton, from 1971 to 1979. We had LOTS of opprotunities and practical experiances in modern railroad and Steam powered railroad, thanks to the Culp Brothers and there familiy, that operated the steam excursion, at Lake Whatcom. Our Explorer Post went out every summer and " Gandy Danced " for the brothers, to help keep the roadbed proper. As a division of Scouting, "we" had the opprotunity to ride trains, if we had a " Yard Release " signed by us and our parents. It was a child hood dream come true..........B/N hardhat.....B/N Explorer jacket.......switch lantern........weigh-bill holder and train schedual and timetables.....I even had striped bib-overalls, with a pocket watch. Through my High School days, when I would travel from Bellingham, to Pasco,......I would have my "Yard Release " completed and the conductor of the passenger train, would let me occupy any un occupied " Conductors Compartment " that I wished. Of course, it was ALWAYS the last car and compartment. Ohhhh.......how I miss thoes days!

[@randycaulkins3644]

Many thanks for sharing. GN is my all time favorite RR.

[@bodryn]

I rode the Great Northern several times during the 1960's between Fargo, ND and St Paul, MN. I will never forget the old Mountain Goat logos on the sides of freight cars.

[@hjalle9124]

the 2 diesel locomotives are located in an town called as ''Kristinehamn''..

[@gregoryamer]

Awesome. What a great way to spend days as a child.

[@vernscott3737]

Brings back a lot of memories. I was the last fireman on an eastbound train pulled by electric power. We left Sky following No.4 on July 30th 1956 with the 5018 and upon arriving in Appleyard were informed that we just made history being the last electric train over the hill.Later in the day (the 31st) another crew brought the remaining engines over from Sky and the switch was pulled thus ending GN electric power forever! Shortly thereafter the wires came down...

[@ScenicDepot]

Hello Vern, so glad to hear from you. I was not born until six months later so I missed out on the electrics, but they have always fascinated me. I understand that at their 25 Hz power frequency you could not hear them, but you could feel them coming. Here is an article from Popular Mechanics showing the 5018 popping out the east portal just before they ended that operation. archive.org/stream/PopularMechanics1956/Popular_Mechanics_11_1956#page/n125

[@vernscott3737]

Thanks for the reply.The older Westnghouse motors were very scarry having all of there electrical gear exposed and sparks flying eveywhere. The Y class GE's were better but the kings were the W 5018 and 19. They were about 2 feet taller than anything else around and you could sit in the cab and look out across the top of anything else in the yard and what a smooth ride and they'd pull anything.

[@vernscott3737]

I forgot to mention and you will appreciate this.In order to catch the hooped up orders, you needed to go down 3 steps to the entry door and catch them there.

[@ScenicDepot]

I can believe that. I have a photo of catching orders from the 5018 at Scenic. It was an article about telegrapher Barbara Benson, you probably remember her. In the Charles Wood book "Lines West" it states that engineers would instinctively duck when going into the tunnel because those things were so tall. 101' feet long.

[@np1070]

These four videos are "shivers down the back" good. I have been to most of the locations shown here, and seeing what they looked like back then is fantastic! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@844jim]

Love it. My mom's dad was a telegrapher/agent for Union Pacific; this reminds me a lot of her family. Thanks for posting!

[@foosqust]

What an absolute GEM! This is an absolutely wonderful piece of video. Thanks a TON for sharing.

[@bighaus911]

My family owns a cabin about 2 miles east of Merritt along Nason creek. It's amazing to see how much it's changed over the years. I always love it when the trains go by!

[@kentcourtney5535]

Very interesting insight into operations on the Great Northern.

[@Greatdome99]

Those loaded hopper cars at 3:25 were either lime or gravel destined for the big cement plant at Grotto, just west of Skykomish.

[@kuskanook135]

Excellent video! The editing, sound and authentic radio transmissions make this a true masterpiece.

[@RainierRailroader]

This is awesome watching. As someone who operates over that area of track in the modern day, I love seeing how it was really done back in the old times, back before all the mergers and modern tech

[@htc6600]

These are the greatest movies, I hope people understand what a treasure they are. It's especially nice to see the big sky blue paint well represented. This paint scheme gets a lot of bad press but it's my favorite GN scheme.

[@hjalle9124]

I have been in one of those 2 diesels that are in Sweden..

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Great music choices.

[@ScenicDepot]

I agree absolutely. I was five when doing the typing (1962), and eight when putting out the train orders in the stand (1965). I could not imagine a better place to grow up.

[@girlfemalewoman]

My grandfather was an engineer in the Mesabi Division, retired 1957 or 1958. He drove iron ore trains in and out of the Kelly Lake area to the docks @Duluth/Superior.

[@poodlesgalore2327]

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed watching this. Thanks for all your hard work in putting it all together and posting it for us all to see.

[@ScenicDepot]

Always glad to make people happy with this little production made from old Kodachrome. Imagine what could have been if only we had HD cameras fifty years ago. We should have taken ten times as much, but: in 1969, a five minute roll of 8mm movie film cost about $5, and developing cost another $2. Translating to the inflated dollar of today, that would be like spending about $25 for a roll and $10 for developing, or $7 a minute. Long home movies were not cheap at all.

[@critter3368]

Priceless!!

[@girlfemalewoman]

thank you so much for posting this footage!!

[@TheStrodude]

Thanks for sharing. A true "take your sons to work day"!

[@bnsfjay]

The old Everett GN depot/ station which is now the roadmaster and trainmaster office still has the hoop aparatus still standing and it still functions too.

[@rocabilly5560]

This is a great movie. It was a different world then....

[@gncharlie]

Marvelous, thanks for sharing these.

[@anthonyhunt701]

Love it❤ SO little on Great Northern!

[@whhrms]

Outstanding!!!

[@hjalle9124]

there's 2 locomotives from the company of great northern...

[@magicktrick777]

this is really amazing. nicely done. i am new to model railroading and now i want nothing more than to model the Scenic St. circa 1960 s.

[@skipmil]

To magicktrick777... how goes the model railroad?

[@magicktrick777]

@@skipmil well, my rail took a left turn toward the decidedly more avant garde. sadly i had to give it all up some time ago and it’s unclear whether i’ll ever have the space and resources to jump back in. thanks for checking in.

[@htc6600]

"Great for Freight, Great for Travel;" Still seen on a few bridges in Minneapolis if you look close enough.

[@shielascovil3106]

I road this Train from Seattle to Minneapolis in 1962.

[@hjalle9124]

..one of the 2 last locomotives sold to Sweden.....

[@tommythomason6187]

Nice music!

[@ScenicDepot]

Electrification on the Cascade Division ended in November 1956, when the tunnel ventilation went into operation. Wires came down shortly after that. I regret not being able to see and hear the electrics in operation, and especially regret that no recordings were made. At 25 Hz operating frequency, I understand that you could not hear them, but you could FEEL them coming.

[@donk6002]

Awesome!

[@hjalle9124]

..which still exists...

[@cats0182]

Miss "Rocky" the Great Northern goat. Also miss "Chessie" the C&O kitten. Wonderful advertising symbols of a long-gone era.

[@garydionne1357]

My grandfather was an engineer out of white fish MT in the 1940

[@DDA40X6936]

Rocky Lives!!

[@hentailover8299]

These videos are awesome! I rode through on the Empire Builder recently, and it's still a sight to see! What songs did you use in these videos?

[@ScenicDepot]

The music was from a forty-year-old choir music background tape that I have always liked.

[@nigelmitchell351]

Is there any film on the tube of those handsome GN W1 electrics at work, I would love to see it. These old films are gems.

[@ScenicDepot]

+nigel mitchell Check this link, look at volume II : www.greatnorthernempire.net/index2.htm?GNEGNVideos.htm

[@nigelmitchell351]

+ScenicDepot Many thanks SD I will check this out. Greetings from Rugby UK.

[@hjalle9124]

I posted in an image to show those 2 locomotives.

[@MilwaukeeSDman]

when did wire come down

[@hjalle9124]

..in Sweden.

[@marvinwatkins8889]

GN management apparently had no problem with child labor. Damn the law. Who needs school? How progressive! I love it!

[@ScenicDepot]

If officials had ever known that a young grade-school boy was running the control center of their Cascades operation part of the time, it would have really hit the fans.

[@IvanAguilar101392]

Gn train