History of the Pennsylvania Railroad | Vintage Promotional Film Series

The powerhouse Pennsylvania Railroad was one of the largest railroad networks in the United States and at one time was the largest transportation company and the biggest corporation in the world and dominated the south side of downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana with a massive shop for building and repairing freight cars, passenger cars, and steam locomotives and was the city's largest employer during the Great Depression. Though little evidence of the historic railroad remains in Fort Wayne, it's former Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railway route is owned today by CSX and operated by Genesee & Wyoming. The railroad's Baker Street Station survives to this day after an extensive restoration in the early 2000s and at one time hosted 4,000 passengers a day!
#PennsylvaniaRailroad #Vintage

[@southernpennsyrailfan8579]

Man I learned more in this video than I ever have in almost 12 years of school. Especially since I’m very passionate about railroad history

[@OKFrax-ys2op]

Professional school daydreamer for sure

[@Pamudder]

Marvelous film, but in light of the decline and final collapse of the PRR, which commenced even as this film was being filmed, it recalls to mind the ancient adage, "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make proud."

[@johnshiner3295]

Great film,sad to see the penncentral gone.

[@mitchdakelman4470]

a fine film, this 1946 production was revised two years later when the PRR began to dieselize. New footage was photographed with Jim now running new EMD E7's on the Middle Division. The PRR had high hopes for their T-1 Duplex Steam Loco at the time this film was made.

[@lennyhendricks4628]

No kidding. Seems like 2/3 of the loco shots were the T-1 4-4-4-4's. Then the T's and their duplex drive first cousins the Q's ended up getting scrapped before a lot of older power like I's, M's and K's.

[@trevorstein4603]

That in house Engine tester would have been marvelous to see in action

[@frankschultz4170]

Dynamometer.

[@Mr.RailYard-LJLRailYard]

Man I used to watch this video on the time as a kid.

[@OKFrax-ys2op]

VCR action?

[@Floedekage]

On the time?

[@AlexWeiss94]

This means a lot to me, as I live right next to Pittsburgh and have been to Strasburg

[@Kmaster2007]

This is one of my favorite films

[@b3j8]

Imagine being that guy under the track on the Enola Hump looking over the underside of dozens of cars for defects! If you missed something that later caused an injury or major derailment, you'd feel terrible and probably be fired!

[@brianfreeman5208]

Went to school in Enola. Love seeing the Enola Freight Yard, the Bunk House, Rockville Bridge and the many beautiful shots in Perry County along the Juniata River.

[@williamschlenger1518]

Amazing to see these old films.

[@justahillbilly7777]

Man, first The Nickel Plate Story, now Clear Track Ahead. I have both of these on a two disc DVD set of a lotta documentaries like this made by the railroads.

[@markschaefer4810]

I have the whole set

[@williamschlenger1518]

My town Long Branch N.J.was a Seashore resort even in early 1800s President Garfield died there after being shot in Washington.The locals built a line from Elberon station to his home on the ocean front.

[@naoro]

Amazing film. Thank you for sharing this.

[@gleanerk]

Thanks for sharing, enjoyed watching!

[@skylandersgeek7122]

I have one of the original Pennsylvania Railroad spikes from 1950

[@MMID303]

Great video! It's sad what happened to The Standard Railroad of The World during the 60s. I wonder what it would be like today, if the PRR survived.

[@paducahandlouisvillerailro1694]

On nkp 765 we had the Pennsylvania Railroad whistle

[@PRRFanDoesTrainz]

YES

[@bigridge717]

3:19 LEWISTOWN NATIVE, HOLLA AT YA BOY

[@bobbybrooks2078]

Number#1railroad

[@jalilmuhammad8270]

10:21 That car later evolved into TOFC/COFC.

[@judyrush3219]

My N-scale is all PRR and PennCenn up to the Amtrak era. Have a lot of History that don't see on some layouts.

[@TheJokohariyanto]

1:26 "it will take 6 months to get there" Me: Stop the cap

[@user-it6mh3iy4g]

PRRよ 永遠なれ！

[@TraceKillTv]

The one dislike is from a boomer who still rides a horse everyday

[@iowa_tactics1450]

“They ruined the central!” Rodney

[@luisenriquealdana6709]

8:07, NdeM, Nacionales de Mexico 😍

[@Typing.._]

Maybe one day we can repurpose these industrial areas that are mostly abandoned across the east

[@OKFrax-ys2op]

Wish they had real sound to go with the actual film 🎥

[@danielboone3770]

😍😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@billolsen4360]

2:19 1800's family with only one child, LOL

[@billolsen4360]

@@johnperic6860 I didn't phrase my remark very well. If most families had a 12-year-old back in the 1800's most would also have a raft of younger kids too.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

The others likely died in infancy.

[@berthasitumorang9982]

13:51 Is this Sodus Point? Anybody?

[@paducahandlouisvillerailro1694]

I have a Brand new Pennsylvania Railroad spike from 1950

[@rafaelallenblock]

02:52 Looks like Jerry Mathers.

[@cykablyatman6242]

please get the new t1 and 765 to doublehead 👀

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

8:07 N. DE M. or nationals of mexico

[@markschaefer4810]

At18:30 what is that tank looking equipment

[@railtrolley]

That is some footage of the running gear on the side of a T1 Duplex steam loco. The tanks are the pistons and valves. 4 sets of pistons and valves on a T1. The 2 tanks - stacked on top of each other, are the driving piston, and the valve piston on top of the driving piston. The piston drives the rods on the locomotives wheels. The valves open and close ports behind, and in front of, the piston to admit steam, which pushes the piston back and forth.

[@OKFrax-ys2op]

America running at full throttle

[@djcb4190]

It must be true. Shin Chan must be made by one of these boys.

[@djcb4190]

You must be looking at my Shin Chan Archives.

[@staceyisaacs5335]

Can someone please tell me… I’ve searched and searched… is that Johnny Carson I hear narrating?

[@westernmarylandrailproduction]

Do western maryland railroad

[@fortwaynerailroad]

We're only focusing on the railroads in and around Northeast Indiana :)

[@westernmarylandrailproduction]

@@fortwaynerailroad oh ok.

[@peterrosenquist]

@@fortwaynerailroad would the Baltimore and Ohio count? Hope you're all doing well.

[@CrossOfBayonne]

@@peterrosenquist Considering the B&O was the original US railroad when it began in the early 1800s long before anyone else.

[@JessicaKasumi1990]

@@fortwaynerailroad Don't forget, Fort Wayne was once part of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Fort Wayne and Grand Rapids Divisions. The east - west Fort Wayne Division from Wheeler, Indiana to Crestline, Ohio and Logansport to Butler crossing each other at Columbia City, and the Grand Rapids Division to the north to Mackinac City, Michigan.

[@minnayang9491]

Wow they scrapped everything like this and they didn’t even keep a thing kit event that speed reducer how unkind and rude these ppl are

[@AdmiralColdhead]

Tell me about it. What pisses me off about America is that during the end of the Steam era, they were so curious with diesel technology from other country railroads that they eventually failed to see how their Steam classes were better. Right now, in America, we have the most terrible speed in diesels, and some of the foundations aside from railroads have been replaced. Our railroad economy nowadays in my opinion is TERRIBLE. It was better back then.

[@TheGs4_4449]

Hey, at least we have 2 K-4s, many diesels, and multiple non-functional GG1s left.

[@russellmancillas4464]

Why did the PRR go bankrupt?

[@thatd59ladlarry]

It merged with the NYC creating Penn Central which wasn’t the best and they lost a LOT of money But in 1976 they merged with 10 other railroad creating Conrail and in 1999 it split between CSX and NS And most of the original structure is still standing

[@kelvintorrence5994]

Mismanagement and cheap practices made it go under ,watch the Penn central video they used to get cash from the u s. Government like g.m and dodge did.it wasn't just passenger and coal going away that made them go under.

[@vintagehaynesflute]

@@thatd59ladlarry mismanagement as well as the government refusing to help the railroads (after subsidizing highways and airports!). WWII wore out the physical plant and there was little money for repairs

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

@@vintagehaynesflute - I can't understand why there was no money after the railroads made money hand over fist during WW2. They didn't spend money on infrastructure during WW2 because it was too busy to do anything but immediately-necessary repairs.

[@vintagehaynesflute]

@@OldsVistaCruiser well the PRR’s physical plant was worn out thanks to round the clock use during the war. At the same time the PRR was investing in tons of companies to try to counteract the boom and bust cyclical way the railroads were going through. In addition they tried to invest in the Executive Jet fiasco as well as having a board that either didn’t give a crap or was clueless as to what was going on. It was a perfect recipe for disaster and then bankruptcy. Then came the merger and Stuart Saunders (the CEO) gave away the farm to the unions so they wouldn’t object and then you had the CEO (Saunders) and FO (David Bevin) and president of Penn Central (Al Perleman) not speaking to each other. My only question was how did it hold on for a year before the bankruptcy.

[@tobygoodguy4032]

12:48 So much for coal. Today we have the cohorts of the NexGen who have in all probability never done a day of physical work in their lives hysterically crying that their world is coming to an end. (Its coming to an end sooner than they think ... and not because of coal. 🤠)