Riding the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton in the 1920's

A few years after he bought the railroad, Henry Ford had his cameramen film the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton right-of-way from trains running along the line. The resulting film is now in the National Archive collection. The old nitrate film had decayed quite a bit before it was digitized.

[@xiangqiforchessplayers9209]

The terrain looks like southern Ohio mostly, probably from Ironton in Lawrence County, up through Jackson where DTI had car shops for maintenance. I was a little disappointed not to see the car shops in Jackson shown, though I might have missed it. Some of the larger DT&I buildings in Jackson Ohio are still standing.

[@rickprusak9326]

In my Southwest Detroit neighborhood called Delray, the DT&I was referred as "The Dirty I" or "The Dirty Eye". The music reminds me of the music used on The Three Stooges films. Or Laural and Hardy films. Maybe even the "Our Gang" flicks. The DT&I used to travel right down Jefferson Ave in Delray Mi. to the Rouge Plant.

[@NickBurman]

Definitively filmed on the southern end of the DT&I. The narrow gauge heritage can be seen on some of the very sharp curves.

[@mediatrainfan0282]

From the 1820s to the late 1950s considered to be the golden age of American railroading.

[@Weesel71]

A wealth of modeling ideas here. Hard to imagine all that smoke in the air being considered normal.

[@CarvesGirl]

at 3:34 I know it is Ironton, Ohio..That is the Ironton-Russell Bridge that was demolished a couple of years ago

[@dennis-ul5ht]

Make sure you pronounce it "arn-tun"...

[@michaela.chmieloski3196]

4:21 Double-wide covered bridge serving the highway. Nice! The closing views from about 10:00-on might be of "the most dangerous railroad in the world."

[@williamcharles9480]

That iron trestle at 7:52 is something else. It's unimaginable how difficult it must have been constructing that thing then, let alone now. I wonder if it's still standing?

[@steveneff5402]

William Charles Yes, still in use today. Located just north of Quincy Ohio.

[@tonyhoneyman3693]

Love to see how Ironton looked back in the day of my GrGrandparents. Pembertons of Kitts Hill/Greasy Ridge. Gave me some ideas for my model RR.

[@BogieboyChris]

The part where it goes through a small town is Ironton Ohio..which is on the Ohio river..my home town

[@dennis-ul5ht]

They still had street running on the town square until abandonment in 1981...unless they've pulled them recently, there are still imbedded tracks to be found...

[@dannylittle6766]

Royersville tunnel at 1:30.

[@owboky102050]

What's that sizzling in the back ground ? Was Henry cookin a steak on the grill ?

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

Nothing like the sound of genuine shellac!

[@dumdum7786]

RIP DT&I RR

[@82149]

Great stuff...btw..what is that first musical piece?

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

The closing credits list all the music.

[@trashtrainpunk1542]

Great" Good Music. Interesting for model train enthusiasts: A tunnel portal without a portal! Just lleft it without change after dynamiting it into the rocks. Onöy two pillars to hold the ceiling at hte tunnel entrance. fine loco. seems a 2-6-0 Mogul but its not clearly visible

[@jordankramer9523]

Looked to be one of the 2-8-0s the DT&I had.

[@thomasdupee1440]

At 2:39, the cameraman's shadow can be seen.

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

Wow! I never noticed that!

[@Zebrails]

Did ya catch the kid at 3:22 wheeling his non-pedal cart? AWESOME! 9:15 dude almost bought his two-wheel cart on the chin... or maybe he did and the photographer cut out the scene (zip break in the film.)... ...and all those thumbs down have their other ones in their mouths.

[@johnhirtle4300]

Hand crankin'!

[@johnhirtle4300]

Looks like Mr. Ford bought him some nice rail estate!

[@robertkline2744]

That certainly is not the route between Detroit and Toledo!

[@jordankramer9523]

No this is the part between Ironton and Lima

[@marvinwatkins8889]

Chances were excellent almost none of those farm houses had electricity much less indoor plumbing then.(Yeehaw!)

[@williamschlenger1518]

marvin watkins for sure.My aunt&uncle at the Jersey shore had no electric or plumbing in 1960.Karosine heat,

[@williamschlenger1518]

Great film.I love the music.I recognized some of the songs🤣

[@Hooftimmer]

...and shivered all winter long.

[@trashtrainpunk1542]

My mother , God bless her soul, has grown up in a farmhouse in Ucraine in those days. It was made of wood in the same style with a veranda (porch?). She told me, they had an electric bulb lighting the corridor after the entrance.....but it was rotten and she never saw it alight,

[@sardu55]

Part of the old Masabi Range line?.

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

The DT&I ran south from Detroit to Ironton Ohio, on the Ohio River.

[@bendover9411]

The scratchy music had me ready to slit my wrists!

[@davidmanning5665]

FIRST RATE Presentation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank-You.

[@coldspring624]

looks like southern ohio

[@christopherloftus6040]

This film, without place names or landmark designations, is of little value unless you lived in the area in the 1920's. Many of the depots or wonderfully ornate and pristine in condition. But, without locations...little historical value.

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

The US National Archives, where this film came from, has released a better transfer of these films, along with notes indicating where each sequence was filmed. When I have time, I mean to put the film and the notes together into a better version of this video.