This film from the 1950s, “Factories, Mines and Waterways” was produced by United World Films as an educational resource, depicting the logistics of coal shipping in the waterways of France, and briefly on the process of smelting the coal into iron ore upon its arrival.

Various exterior shots of a coal factory. Workers are seen entering factory (:06-:31). Mine cage opens, and workers enter the shaft. We see trolleys of coal in motion on rails, and a miner digging the coal from wall of the shaft (:32-1:10). A train departs mine, loaded with ore (1:10-1:19). A map of Western Europe shows major factory locations, and train/river routes taken by freight (1:20-1:41). A boat tows freight down the river Rhine (1:42-2:10). Shots of the canals of Strasbourg, then of the port of the town (2:11-2:38). Men hit the side of a carriage with large hammers to release its load. This load is seen being drawn out by a conveyer belt (2:39-2:59). Lumber is winched onto a barge via a crane (3:00-3:07). Exterior shots of headquarters of L’Office National de la Navigation in Strasbourg (3:00-3:22). We see a meeting about allocation of freight to certain barge captains inside the headquarters (3:23-3:56). Map of waterways of area animated to show route a particular captain will take (3:57-4:12). A crane fills barge with coal, supervised by the boat’s captain (4:13-4:48). The barge leaves the harbour. We see it entering the Rhine-Main canal (4:49-5:25). We see captain steering. Footage of farmland on the banks of canal (5:26-5:49). Footage of ice on the water and frosted over plants on the banks of canal (5:50-6:16). Close up on the bow of the ship. We see the engineer, also the captain’s son, doing maintenance on the engine (6:17-6:50). The captain’s wife prepares a bed. His two daughters are seen in the kitchen (6:51-7:15). Shot of bridges over canal, upon which sailor’s messages to one another are chalked (7:16-7:32). Long shot of barge. A train passes nearby. Barge passes a town (7:33-7:56). The captain moors the barge, and his wife walks along a plank onto the shore and enters a grocers’ (7:57-8:34). The barge passes through centre of the town. Shot of it in closed lock, with water released to raise level (8:35-9:10). Captain’s wife returns to the vessel, then we see the barge leaving town (9:11-9:27). We see her cooking, and calling her husband to dinner (9:28-9:50). The son takes over steering of the barge, and the family is seen eating dinner (9:51-10:46). The captain takes back the wheel of ship (10:47-11:12). Captain’s wife goes ashore and collects water from a well (11:13-11:33). Gates of lock open. Wife climbs back aboard ship. Waters of lock seen lowering (11:34-11:57). Shots of captain steering and his wife hanging up washing (11:58-12:33). A train passes barge. Barge enters a narrow tunnel running through a mountain. Close up on electrical locomotive that drags boat through (12:34-13:24). Train seen emerging from tunnel, and barge does likewise moments later (13:25-13:42). Barge passes through an industrial town (13:43-14:20). Exterior shots of a glass factory (14:21-14:30). Interior footage of a pottery workshop. Men are seen working clay on the wheel, and women painting fired items (14:31-15:12). Family observes the view of Moselle river from the barge. Barge seen passing above the river on an aqueduct (15:13-15:37). The barge enters its destination, Pont-à-Mousson. Exterior shots of town’s factories (15:38-16:10). Barge’s coal is unloaded via crane (16:11-17:03). A train arrives, also loaded with coal (17:04-17:20). Smelted coal is seen being released, then hosed with water to produce ‘coke’ (17:21-17:44). Blast furnace seen in action, then melted steel seen running out of bottom of furnace down a trough (17:45-18:03). A mould mechanically brought up to spinning mixture of molten metal to produce a cast iron pipe. Mould is withdrawn. A worker strikes seal off mould. (18:04-18:46). Footage of a store yard of cast iron pipes (18:47-19:02). Extreme long shot of a train leaving the factory (19:03-19:24). Barge runs under a raised bridge. Family admires view from the deck (19:25-19:43). Zoom out from a map demarcating Western Europe. Credits overlaid over the top (19:44-19:52).

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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 and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com