Created by Dudley Pictures in 1949, “Big Trains Rolling” promotes the U.S. railroad industry, which at the time was at something of a zenith — due to the fact that airlines were still expensive and not that reliable, and because super highways were just beginning to come on the scene. (Notably, the film was re-made in 1955, just a short time after this version was produced, to show modern developments in railroading. See that version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gScp6XtzWiM)

The film begins with passengers on a train at 0:54. The film shows the view outside the train at 1:02. Coal trains are then shown at 1:07. Freight trains are displayed at 1:18. Food transportation train is shown at 1:28, and workers loading the train at 1:32. A steam engine is shown at 1:37. The narrator begins the first section of the film by talking about the history of travel in the United States, a horse and carriage are shown at 2:34. The first steam engine is shown in a picture book at 2:53. As railroads pushed ahead, settlers followed, an image of crops being planted is shown at 3:31, mines are shown being dug at 3:33. The film shows a train coming into a city at 3:53. The film displays a train moving through nature at 4:33. The film then shows workers cleaning the train cars at 4:40. The narrator describes dining cars being stocked with fresh food at 4:50. The narrator says that usually, there is a round house nearby at 5:10. A train is shown pulling into a station at 5:57. The train is shown being loaded at 6:19-6:39. At 6:46, the passengers are shown the space in the car by the porter. The conductor signals for the train to leave at 7:00, the narrator then describes the train leaving. The film shows two children (Carol and Jimmy) at 7:43, watching the scenery. The narrator describes watching the scenery as “one of the most interesting motion pictures you could imagine” at 7:55. At 8:02, the conductor is shown collecting tickets. The mail clerks are shown at 8:19, and the narrator states that most United States trains carry the mail. Mail clerks are sorting the mail at 8:36. The narrator describes the dining car as one of the most popular cars, and the passengers are shown eating a meal at 8:48. The kid’s menu for Carol and Jimmy is shown at 9:11. The dining car kitchen is shown at 9:23-9:40. The children are shown finishing their meal at 9:49. The narrator describes modern trains as being the cheapest and most comfortable means of transportation at 10:07. A single room is shown at 10:30, compartments at 10:34. A Pullman car suite with a bunkbed and passengers getting ready for the night is shown at 10:47. Jimmy and Carol are in what is known as an “upper section car,” they have upper and lower beds 10:58. The refrigerator car is shown being loaded at 11:53. The narrator describes that railroads are of the utmost importance to moving the nation’s raw materials to factories, materials like iron ore are shown being transported and forged at 12:00-12:25. At 12:37, the narrator states that coal is one of the most important materials that trains deliver. Railroads also carry logs; logs are shown at 13:16. Houses being built by the wood are shown at 13:23. Cotton is moved to New England and the Southeast, cotton shown being made into fabric and other things at 13:35. Oil is also moved by railroads, trains transporting oil shown at 13:48. Railroad tracks go right down to the seaports, freight car delivering to ships at 14:08. Train rolling through nature is shown at 14:30. Audio cut at 14:50, the narrator jumps back to Carol and Jimmy at 14:52. Their train pulls into their station at 14:56. They meet their aunt and uncle at 15:09. The train departs at 15:19. The end screen appears at 16:04 and a message saying to visit the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair also appears at 16:09.(For some reason this print repeats the last minute starting at 16:24 through 17:33.) Written by: Carl Dudley and Herman Boxer. Photographed by: Edward Hutton, s.s.c., and Edwin E. Olson. Edited by: Ernest Flook. Narrated by: Art Gilmore. Original Music by Howard Jackson. Produced by Dudley Pictures Corporation, New York, and Beverly Hills.

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