Southern Pacific Railroad 1950's - Dangerous Playground - Educational Safety Film

This is an educational safety film released by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1950's showing the dangers that face unsuspecting children when using railway property as a playground.
This video is uploaded under fair use terms for education and training purposes.

[@SlapthePissouttayew]

I played on the railroad tracks as a child. Most horrific thing that happened? Dealing with RR management later when I became employed by them. True story!

[@MrThatnativeguy]

I used to walk through the local rail yard as a shortcut to get to school as an early teen...little did I know how dangerous it was

[@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821]

and im the king of pluto

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

Quite relatable since I'm also employed by them as railroad management is the reason every railroader gets grey hairs sooner than most people, and if it aint management it's stupid people like the ones who run the crossing gates.

[@Aiijuin]

Is a safety video about trains. Me: Look at that gorgeous Southern Pacific engine.

[@oakrail8100]

Agreed

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Me: B O T H

[@F59PHI]

Nice gg1 pfp

[@danielcarroll3358]

I think this was my father's first film. He was a safety supervisor at the time. Eventually he became head of audio-visuals for Southern Pacific. He won lots of awards in the non-entertainment film field. For example the Industrial Photography award in 1962 for "Revolution on the Right of Way". This Christmas it will be 25 years since he passed. I am the youngest kid following all the "big guys" around. I worked cheap.

[@oakrail8100]

Southern Pacific:not just a railroad with way too many cool Steam,diesal,and electric locomotives, But a railroad to teach us the dangers of playing on the railroad tracks.

[@pennypay1]

Careless children and drivers are still giving engineers gray hair, despite the fact that many are old enough to know better and nearly all of them received train safety education in school or Driver's Ed. That railroad trestle footage reminded me of the scene in 'Stand By Me', where those boys got the scare of their lives.

[@NewJerseySirensAndTrains]

so wait if i saw some kid on the track when i grow up im gonna get old really fast?!

[@NewJerseySirensAndTrains]

yeah TRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN

[@nativeafroeurasian]

Yeah, there's something fascinating about large craft and with modern technology they look fairly safe. Learning about their theoretical danger is a very important step; maybe one could have an enclosed park with trains, trucks, ships, etc. to explore completely - not with everything tied up as they are in a museum. Thereby everyone can experience what the operator of such craft can actually see and do + there would be no interest for anyone to explore in use trains or similar.

[@Doobie1975]

Plus wouldn't the railroad conductor get in trouble today for putting his hands on the children while talking with the children? It's amazing how uptight people have gotten today compared to the old days.

[@DerpyPossum]

conductor? pretty sure he was an engineer.

[@SgtChip]

Maybe the engineer? People were a lot more easygoing in the 50's, it was probably a better time.

[@justforever96]

@Lazys The Dank Engineer Why, because he pointed out that people have gotten a lot more paranoid about strangers and children since then? They have. It looks really weird to me too, to see some man sitting girls on his lap, even if they knew him. But 60 years ago it wasnt anything unusual. It used to be common to say 'what a beautiful little girl' as a compliment, now people just look at you weird and call the police. Are there really more predators around, or are we all just brainwashed into a state of fear by the news we read every day? Kids used to run around and be kids, and come home after dark. Now they cant go out in public without an adult hovering nearby watching them. That is a 'conservative' thing to dislike?

[@agoo7581]

Go away boomer.

[@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821]

theres always 1 weirdo bringing that up

[@LNERMallard]

1:54 Woah, those are some kick-ass swings!

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Swings are always cool

[@ericzerkle8486]

You ain't got nothang unless you got that swanggggg😂

[@kevinrichards254]

See tracks? Think train!

[@NewJerseySirensAndTrains]

heh, classic!

[@djchoqui85]

Classic

[@westernpacificrr]

You know it’s old when you hear organ music

[@maxpower19711]

These vids are pure nostalgia for me. Loved these when I was a kid

[@zr1rob]

The trestle at 6:00 is on the Northwestern Pacific just north of Tiburon, CA over Tiburon Blvd where it meets Trestle Glen Blvd. This film is from the early 50's before any development out there and SP was still using the Tiburon ferry for freight traffic into San Francisco. It was abandoned in 1970. I remember walking with my Dad and brother in the old yard in Tiburon, where all the businesses like the Post Office and the BofA bank is now, back in 1971 just after it was abandoned, but all the tracks were still there as well as the ferry landing. The train shown is going into the north end of the tunnel that is north of the trestle. You can still see the south approach embankment to the trestle just west of Tiburon Blvd at Trestle Glen.

[@BennettBrookRailway]

Just checked it out on Google maps. The area has definitely changed since the 1950s. Thanks for letting us know about the location!

[@melaniexoxo]

It looks like theres still a piece of train track there. If I'm seeing that right its pretty cool that its still there

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Thanks for sharing this, in the ‘50s people could listen respectfully and they had nice engines

[@justforever96]

Well, it is a film, not a live documentary. But in general, yes, kds were taught to respect adults and to emulate them, whereas most media of the last 50 years teaches kids that adults are stupid and uncool and that youth is superior in every way.

[@coldbringer9545]

@@justforever96 I think the media that survives makes us think that people were better behaved, but likely people were the same then, as now. I agree that a lot of todays popular culture has abandoned any notion of civility or cooperation outside ones peer group. However, an individual seeking acceptance through peer emulation will likely be found just as wanting now, as then.

[@agoo7581]

In the 50s, white people assaulted blacks if they sat next to them at the lunch counter.

[@aestheticcruise8807]

Those poor kids wouldn’t even hear it coming if a rail car was suddenly moved by a switcher engine.

[@HoldenJulian]

You'd struggle to hear at train coming over that music!

[@adorasas9096]

thank god everyone was safe

[@ThunderboltSirenStudios]

It's interesting how you can see the fumes re-enter the locomotive 😂

[@Neillan]

Very nice film! Love the soundtrack and the film's execution!

[@Saven_-oh8sc]

Excellent documentary.... hats off for the good work.... what else we all can do other than to pray for well being of one and all... I had seen a live boy hitting a train at a railway crossing.. he had his headphones on his ears and train was whistling too loud but he couldn't hear it and thinking that train is still far away he came into middle of the track and that was it.... I can't come over that thing and guess will never be... it still haunts me hard... I was 25 at that time.... I always ask god that we humans never wanted this kind of things which will backfire the human beings ... we were happy even more happy without high speed cars trucks trains..when we use to ride bicycles Bullock's carts horses... buffalo rides... when man used to ride on foot it took alot of time but at the same time we had less to none of the worries... the web of worries we all are in today...

[@robertcartwright563]

Sam back in the sixties they had no fences by the te

[@robertcartwright563]

I meant no fences by tracks.sorry what you saw l was in east bay and train hit a man,fatal.also more suicides now,they can fine you 400.00 if trespassing

[@nativeafroeurasian]

Sure, no worries for food, death by wild animals, death by now harmless illnesses, far more painful medical treatment, your horse dying, unexpected (natural) dangers instead of well calculatable man-made ones and no hopes of outside rescue should you be just a few kilometers from your tribe or in rouble with the whole of your tribe - those worries obviously never existed huha

[@ethanroberts3275]

9:36 cars 1 lighting McQueen vs the Train

[@Bkn348og]

Omg I saw he disappeared

[@DerpyPossum]

@Max'z Rails, Retro & More for some reason, the train in the film was actually from the 50s.

[@josephcarson8382]

@@djavidianmx1832 correct when you realize it, the stage a train coming by making it look like they are racing sleek locomotives with freight cars, then when the car actually crosses, it cuts to the scene of the crossing. they took some random switch engine to keep the crossing signals active then, the train always comes in these films when the car is out of the scene and "beat" the train. it's actually neatseeing how creative railroads got to keep people safe

[@johnhebert3855]

That 50's playground was a minefield of danger. Caused more injuries that all the trains in America.

[@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821]

and im the king of pluto

[@johnhebert3855]

@@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821 Well, hello King Salami.

[@marksark1119]

Interesting to see the old rolling stock and wig wags. 👍

[@menslady125eif2590]

Word of advice: don't think it can't happen to you. Those who it DID happen to...they thought the same thing.

[@thomasplouffe1363]

when i was little we played on the railroad tracks, i was only seven years old and i learned my lesson hard, because i was RUN OVER! i was small enough to actually fit underneath without being killed instantly, the conductor took my ass straight to my mom and dad and boy did i get in deep trouble, how i was not killed i will never know but i will never forget the sound of my friends screaming my name at the top of their lungs thinking i had been killed

[@kaedenthecsxamtrakandthoma8318]

8:48 that southern pacific passenger train is huge

[@shamaYahu8635]

I wish life was that innocent, so beautiful....

[@TexasRailfan21-RailfanRyan]

That looks a lot like the old Melody Ranch daylight engine which is now on the Whiskey River Railroad

[@cottydry]

Great video, but the kids go right back into the railyard to waive goodbye to the engineer!!

[@justforever96]

No, he was in his locomotive on the other side of the fence. Not sure how that works, but apparently that track is not IN the yard, so it is not dangerous. or something.

[@KharlPringle-gx5wf]

Pioneers of America's railroads

[@daylightdaylight6612]

In the beginning of this film there is a scale railroad with a live steam scale GS4 Daylight train. Where was it located at that time?

[@jaspercameron8268]

nice film!

[@Handlesarestoopid]

When I grow up. If I see someone doing any of these acts I will call the police and make sure the don't get away with it

[@justforever96]

Make sure those kids get thrown in prison for walking on the rails, huh? Not sure that is the best approach. Maybe the throwing rocks part. Anyway, all the police would do is remove the kids. Generally police arent interested in arresting kids for being kids, whatever the media may tell you. In fact, the police arent interested in doing much of anything about anything, unless you do it in front of them. Or more accurately, they _cant_ do anything in most cases.

[@maxpower19711]

Don’t. Yell at them to get off the tracks, hell, maybe even threaten to call the cops if they still won’t get off the tracks, but don’t get them arrested for fined for it.

[@shamaYahu8635]

​​@@maxpower19711 Agreed, more than likely they don't comply understand the danger of trains and tracks; no point ruining their entire life for something they didn't really understand.

[@ethanroberts3275]

8:54 oh shoot

[@Ethan_Odom]

Throwing rocks at a passenger train is so illegal

[@CycolacFan]

Man this guy attracts bad luck wherever he goes…

[@gatormangrove3129]

I jumped off a boxcar down around Tennessee. I was cold, tired and dirty. As hungry as I could be.

[@crossovertrainfan8345]

Within this year, the children would be in their 80s by now

[@danielcarroll3358]

Actually, most are dead and I, the youngest, am 77. So not far off. My father was Edward Carroll. See the titles.

[@michaelturner4457]

Tha Hammond organ is awesome.

[@charleslittleba]

2021: parents:SUES RAILWAY EVEN THOUGH THERE KIDS WERE OBVIOUSLY NEGLECTING RAILWAY LAWS LIKE IT BEING ILLEGAL TO TRESPASS ON RAILWAY PROPERTY 1950: parents worried about there kids instead of useing them as a court case

[@agoo7581]

No parent does that, stop making shit up.

[@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821]

and 2021: drunkards screaming in comment for no reason

[@2fr56]

What locomotive is that? 6:10

[@Tristvn3585]

my town has a 2 railroad crossings 1 with 3 tracks and 1 with 2 tracks witch people don't got to worry because its an exempt line witch means a train once a week comes

[@eoj2495]

The organ music reminds me of the skating rink….

[@DonaldTheScottishTwin57646]

The budget was so low, they could only afford 1 instrument 🤣

[@kevp9601]

Nice.

[@BlueCometDude]

Back then when kids safety films weren’t repetitive

[@westcoasttractionsupply5224]

I have that exact same Tom Corbett Space Cadet lunch box.

[@justforever96]

I like how they have the little girl walk on the tracks to illustrate how dangerous walking on tracks is, LOL. Although if it was really that dangerous, many kids would be dead today. I still walk on the tracks (we get like 1-2 trains per week on our through town line, and they go about 3 mph). Interestingly, the rails are still 1928 bolted rails, still in service.

[@oregonrailfan7046]

You are a fucking moron you know that?

[@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821]

did u bother to watch this video

[@ericzerkle8486]

We had an abandoned rail line close to my house we'd ride our bikes down and explore. Then one day, it was all removed and the property reverted to the land owners and completely obliterated.

[@Railfan-uf9mw]

Don’t do that you’ll get caught or killed

[@kepoexpresssurabaya162]

This is interesting

[@michaelt.9372]

Shake hands with danger

[@ronwaldombartolay]

I like SP #4449 Daylight and yes the pre-war one.

[@Isochest]

Timeless film. But children need to keep away from the railway. Prevention not punishment is the answer.

[@tjminimoto]

Stop trains cant

[@lilylyons961]

I thought in the original script, the other kids weren’t going to be lucky and would all be killed. They changed it to make them survive.

[@eddieknox9874]

wow,neat

[@JohnDoe-sc7vz]

Kids are too busy playing fortnite to even care about a train, heck they make fun of you for liking trains

[@aestheticcruise8807]

Union pacific alco fa I am 24 years old and I love trains, they represent the foundation on which my country was built on (Canada)

[@pennypay1]

I love trains too, and while fortnite is okay, trains are history and travel and romanticism combined. Of course I was a 70's child, and it was a real treat to ride those kiddie trains or visit Travel Town. But there are still plenty of younger railfans out there. Some even create KZbin trainspotting channels.

[@siriusxakanscaleguy7147]

@@pennypay1 Think AJ Railfan.

[@justforever96]

Nah, there are plenty of young railfans, and kids still like trains, when they see them. Just like they like trucks and construction equipment. Just kids have a lot more distractions now, they dont need to amuse themselves with anything outside. I remember when we were kids, our daycare was right beside the local creamery warehouse, and we thought it was exciting every time a truck arrived, no matter how many times they came per day. or even when they passed o the road, because they would honk for us. We didnt have any railroads near me, but I was thrilled whenever I actually got to see one. What am I talking about, I still am.

[@Elliottblancher]

yep, i've been down that path before

[@adorasas9096]

also that was about 63 years ago

[@adorasas9096]

and never throw rocks at trains

[@coloradostrong]

Hobo Shoestring does it all of the time. He even shows the kiddos how to tell which way the consist is going to move, before it's coupled up to the loco. And how to tell when a boxcar is loaded, by measuring the spring heights with your fingers. I just go to the yards to snag the EOT devices to sell on eBay.

[@lynneurbanik8703]

Yeah in one if his videos a train crew knew him and offered him to ride in the cab in the second locomotives cab. Lol, so he would keep warm lol

[@Danvers97]

I really hope your comment is satire because if your really stealing EOTS to sell your committing at least 2 felonies

[@bluecomet9072]

Walking into a active rail yard is like giving yourself a death wish

[@DerpyPossum]

it’s like walking into a mine-field

[@menslady125eif2590]

Rail yards are natural death traps! They are NOT playgrounds or shortcuts!

[@justforever96]

Not really, not if you are smart and pay attention and know what to do. Yard men work there all day, after all. But just wandering in not paying attention, going under cars, etc, that is stupid. Generally there is plenty of room to get out of the way, if you need to, IF you see the cars coming and know where to stand. There is several feet of clearance between cars on adjacent lines. it will be scary, but a person should fit. If you are worried about something hanging off one of the cars, lie down between two tracks, there is plenty of room under the sides of the cars. Unless you get really unlucky and a locomotive comes, and then another starts pushing the second cut at the same time. That is a time to try and climb onto one of the cars instead, even if it is moving. One of the scariest videos I ever saw is of a man who went out onto a railroad bridge (said because he saw someone vandalising it, which is still a dumb reason), and a fast freight came while he was in the middle of the bridge. He had his camera on the whole time. He realized he was trapped, and squeezed tight over to the side, just before the train roared past at like 60mph. He had like less than a foot to spare, all the cars zipping past him. A a single loose piece of steel or anything hanging off, he would have been killed for sure. Scary video.

[@danielferstendig]

pre operation lifesaver

[@Dallas-Nyberg]

The steam loco @ 7:55 has a diesel loco horn LOL

[@drc403t2]

It's just an horn for the train I think it is because there's fog on the cost

[@Cnw8701]

That was a common practice used by the SP. They mostly used air horns instead of steam whistles while at-speed; they typically used steam whistles while stationary or at slower speeds.

[@time2bcoolYT]

I noticed that too

[@nostall123productions]

Southern Pacific Steam Engines Do in fact, as odd as it is, have air horns, but they were mainly relegated to the GS series locomotives such as the GS-4 And GS-3. Really they were used at grade crossings to catch people’s attention.

[@justforever96]

You can use air horns on steam locomotives. Why not, make them common on all your trains to avoid confusion. You already have an air supply.

[@RailroadNerdOfIllinois]

This is why I tell my discord friends to be safe around railroads I’m trying to save their life

[@edwardgray154]

this stuff is all true i fond out when i hired on the railroad just how dangerous it is on rail property even seen it first hand were workers got very bad injuries. rr is not a play ground, period.

[@time2bcoolYT]

1:06-1:10 how was that filmed

[@DerpyPossum]

there was probably a switch just out of frame. kinda like 7:27.

[@justforever96]

Easy, there was a bend in the track, or more likely a switch. Set the camera up directly ahead of the train and it turns out of the way at the last minute. It is even easier with a camera, because you dont even have to be close, you can put a zoom lens on it and set the camera up 200 feet away, and it will look like the train is 10 feet away. Dont even need a switch, or even a curve. But that is the simplest, most likely way.

[@time2bcoolYT]

@@justforever96 that makes sense

[@MichaelBryce1125]

Ah yes the time when Children listen to RXR employees.

[@garyhersemeyer2642]

Great film about railroad safety, but in bad need of some colour restoration. I wonder if the old railroader is the real deal or an actor.

[@adorasas9096]

those kids should know better

[@blueticecho5690]

The good news is that this keyboardist ended up in a famous psychedelic rock band in the 60's..

[@kaedenthecsxamtrakandthoma8318]

8:55 lesson don’t throw things at trains especially passenger trains

[@tonyfrancesco3701]

I'm roller skating here!

[@nikolaospeterson2495]

If I were Don and had been crossing this bridge, notice the nitches all across this bridge, I would have simply turned onto one of these nitches and let the blasted train pass, It's elementary Watson! In fact a trsin had come and went right by me unscathed and it was totally safe! Someone did not write the script correctly.

[@texastrainfan56]

They shouldn't have to say to do that the whole point was Don't Walk on Railroad Bridges at all

[@antoniobadosmunoz995]

La musiquilla es como para cortarse las venas.😵

[@lambertax]

These games was safer than Facebook today obviously!

[@RandomRetroTrainGuy82]

9:37 🔊

[@rottenroads1982]

Here is the Lesson: Teach Kid’s to *DON’T BE STUPID*

[@CycolacFan]

Should he be driving a train wearing those welding goggles?

[@ScoutSniper3124]

Moral of the story... go play at the airport.

[@trainfan32]

LOL

[@garrettsubproductions8705]

RIP southern pacific which the sp would of merge with sf to make SPSF

[@eoj2495]

Should’nt paint so fast

[@user-ny3ri4nc4z]

Сейчас родителям плевать на то, что ребенок 3-5 лет один ездит в лифте, а они сидят в кафе. Что дети от 5 дет носятся и скачут на эскалаторе. Ребенок 4 лет ломает вращающуюся витрину, на замечание что так нелизя делать--опасно, подлетает разъренная яжмать и грозит судом.

[@redsoil5821]

We used to play as kids puting coins on the track for far aproaching train . Nobody never died. It was fun and save. People today ( especially adults ) are real idiots. So today everything is dengerous and illegal. Common sence is removed ftom young people permanently.

[@adorasas9096]

they will hurt the trains 😵🚂

[@NOcollapseIN]

sh!t.... didn't Don see Stand By Me??? your supposed to yell "TRAAAAIINNN!!!" when your stuck on the trestle when a choo choo comes... I gotta say..... waaaaay to much organ....felt like I was at a baseball game or church....

[@christophercrafter2609]

8:52. That's awful.

[@melonnnnnn]

If I got a dollar every time he said "I remember once", I would be a millionaire by the end of the video.

[@justforever96]

He said it like 5 or 6 times, dude. Seriously, get over it. It is an educational video, meant for little kids. How many big synonyms do you think they should have looked up in the thesaurus to make it acceptable for your tastes?

[@MrPete1x]

Interesting video ruined by lousy music

[@DerpyPossum]

it was the 50s, what do you expect?!

[@heatherrussell8255]

I love those old soundtracks.