This 1958 color film is from the “Wheels-A-Rolling” musical presentation that was part of the 1948 and 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair, at which 39 railroad companies participated. This was the high water mark for the passenger railroads, and just before the nation’s airlines forced them to reconfigure their business model. The musical numbers showcase the life-size replicas of transportation and train development. The actors are dressed in corresponding costumes of the time period. This is a John Ott Picture and produced by Lenox Lohr. The show opens with Native Americans singing and walking across the stage with horses and carrying canoes. Father Marquette arrives at Lake Michigan and befriends the Indians. Their pathways become roadways in transporting early settlers (:35-2:28). The Rocket, designed by Robert Stephenson in 1829 in England, was the most advanced steam locomotive of its day (2:29-3:03). He followed that in 1831 with the John Bull (3:04-3:15). The 1831 West Point was the third steam locomotive constructed in the U.S. and built for the South Carolina Railroad (3:16-4:07). Also in 1831, the DeWitt Clinton was the fourth steam locomotive built for service in the U.S. for the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad to operate in New York (4:08-4:30). In 1829, the Tom Thumb was invented by Peter Cooper. It races against a horse-drawn carriage and loses (4:31-5:20). In 1832, the Atlantic was built by Phineas Davis for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (5:21-6:37). The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad used The Pioneer as its first locomotive in 1848 (6:38-7:29). Conestoga wagons take the stage, representing the gold rush west (7:30-9:34). A Wells Fargo stagecoach and the Pony Express are depicted on stage (9:35-10:50). 1861, Abraham Lincoln gives a speech in Springfield and leaves for Washington in a carriage. Civil War soldiers face each other and the wounded move across the stage. The Lincoln Special brings his body back to Springfield for burial (10:51-14:41). The men lay track for the first transcontinental railroad and Indians ride by on horses. On May 10, 1869, the final ceremonial spike of gold is driven, connection the rails of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads (14:42-16:41). A train for the Santa Fe Railroad passes. A group of Harvey Girls, who worked at AT&SF depots, sing (16:42-17:41). Western towns are represented with gun-shooting cowboys and Can-Can dancers (17:42-18:25). The Minnetonka steam locomotive was used by the Northern Pacific Railway (18:26-18:44). James J. Hill was CEO of the Great Northern Railway (18:45-19:01). The Milwaukee Road and Burlington Line bring immigrant farmers to the mid-west. They perform multiple dances onstage (19:02-21:52). The 1890s brought horse-drawn cars and cable cars (21:53-22:10). Horses pull a steam-powered pumper fire engine (22:12-22:25). Various antique bicycles ride on stage to watch a turn-of-the-century fashion show (22:26-23:15). The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad No. 999 was the first high-speed steam locomotive (23:16-23:27). Horseless carriages, vintage cars, and a vintage fire engine drive past a Charlie Chaplin act (23:28-25:22). A diesel electric locomotive represents the next advance. The actors create an outline of the United States (25:23-26:40).

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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