This 1948 black and white promotional film is a presentation by the Association of American Railroads showcasing steam and diesel trains. These include ALCO PA, Southern & Pacific, Atlantic Coast Line, and Baltimore & Ohio. The film opens with a view of the tracks from the engineer’s perspective and the sounds of track and whistle (:02-:18). A curtain blows over a sleeping boy, awakened by the train (:19-1:25). The steel bands of the track shine at night from the engineer’s perspective. The silhouette of steam pouring out of the train chimney in the moonlight is magical (1:26-2:18). The switching rail yard has many tracks overlapping each other (2:19-2:28). The streamline train pulls in and the brakes applied (2:29-3:00). Inside the station, passengers shop at a magazine stand. Others pick up suitcases. A little girl waits with multiple suitcases, as does a dog, and an elderly couple (3:01-3:40). Passengers move up the stairs, a couple kiss goodbye, a mom kisses a son and waves goodbye with her hanky, a honeymoon couple is showered with rice, and a man reading a newspaper walks into a woman (3:41-4:21). The camera focuses on shoes (4:22-4:40). Shown are tickets being printed, a giant roman numeral clock that says “Eastern Standard Time”, people boarding a train, and the conductor (4:41-5:07). The passing train kicks up dust. It speeds past fields, over a trestle, past towns, and over bridges (5:08-5:40). The thundering sound of multiple train engines is heard, the view is of steam behind the train bell (5:41-6:18). Four tracks of trains race to the camera side-by-side, a steam train in between the streamliners (6:19-7:05). A boy waves at the conductor in a slow train (7:10-7:42). A coal miner, a lumberman, and a farmer individually watch the locomotive pass. Shown are piston drives and the molten furnace (7:43-8:25). Multiple trains pass the camera, with some closeups of the metal sides in motion (8:26-8:55). The engineer pulls the horn chord (8:56). Various signals and a switch tower are shown (9:00-9:50). Trees seem to fly by and the train passes through a mountainous area and around a large curve. A trestle bridge is above the train below (9:51-10:25). A long line of steam follows the train engine (10:26-10:40). It winds through steep rocky sides, flat fields of corn, and forests. Cows scramble across the tracks, as seen by the engineer (10:41-11:20). The train reflects in the water, passes tugboats, a fisherman, swimming boys, and deer (11:21-12:38). The African American staff of the dining car serves passengers (12:54-13:15). In coach, people talk and enjoy the view out the windows. The mail car is busy sorting mail. Passengers read newspapers and get drinks from the water cooler (13:16-14:18). A mother tucks a child into bed, women eat soup and dessert (14:19-14:35). An oncoming train passes narrowly by, as seen by the engineer (14:36-15:07). Two trains approach the camera side-by-side, and others pass face-to-face (15:08-15:58). The overhead view looks like a train snake (15:59-16:24). The Pullman porters make the beds and berths and gather shoes (16:28-16:50).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com