"THE DIESEL TRAIL TO THE ORIENT" 1935 CATERPILLAR TRACTOR CO. PROMO PAN AM AIRWAYS XD79124
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“The Diesel Trail to the Orient” (1935) is a black and white promotional film for Caterpillar Tractor Co - “the world’s largest manufacturer of diesel engines, track-type tractors, and road machinery.” The film follows the journey of some Caterpillar tractors and diesel generators chartered by Pan American Airways to help complete five air bases for a new plane service to the “orient” that passes by Far Away, Midway, and Wake Islands. The film highlights the journey of Pan Am’s China Clipper servicing tourists in Honolulu before stopping by air bases in Midway and Wake Island before completing the journey in Manila.
Opening credits: Caterpillar Tractor Co. logo (0:08). Cargo ship the North Haven parked at San Francisco wharf; men on dock loading a Caterpillar tractor and other machinery onto cargo freighter (0:41). Aerial view of two tractors, four electric generators loaded into holding area of freighter (0:59). New Haven crossing San Francisco Bay under the Golden Gate Bridge (1:16). Map of route across the Pacific Ocean - stops at Honolulu, Midway Island, Guam, Manila (1:23). Launch and tugboats and their crews lowered from freight ship into the Pacific headed for Midway Island, diesel tractor and two generator sets placed on ships (1:54). Tugboat tows barges with delivery towards the shore (2:17). Man operates tractor and pulls generators from barge onto shore to delivery location, tractor then uses attachment to level the sand (2:18). Workers campsite at Wake Island or Midway Island, tarps hangover sticks to make tent structures, clothes dry on clothes lines - these sites eventually turned into airports (2:35). Pan Am China Clipper exits Pan Am hangar Alameda, California - towed by Caterpillar tractor towards water (2:48). Crew steps briskly down walkway towards Pan Am Clipper that is moored to the dock (3:22). Spectators observe plane preparing for take off, ladies hold onto sun hats to prevent wind from blowing them away (3:55). View of clipper as plane skims water’s surface before taking off (4:04). View from plane window of San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge below - city not very developed; fleet of Caterpillar Tractors seen preparing earth to build Marin County approach to Golden Gate Bridge (4:23). View of airborne China Clipper over San Francisco headed out to sea; interior view of cockpit (4:57). Waikiki Beach in Honolulu Hawaii, view of Diamond Head Mountain (5:14). Camera pans buildings of downtown Honolulu business district before transitioning to palm tree lined farm land, small cabins in rural area (5:29). Caterpillar machinery on Hawaiian farms: Farmer operates Caterpillar Diesel Tractor pulling rotary hose to pulverize soil; on another plantation 40 horsepower diesel tractor pulls tool that digs irrigation ditch through hard packed field, six-cylinder diesel powering giant disc plow through field preparing seed bed, 95 horse power diesel pulls special cane plow turning over furrows in Hawaiian sugar cane field, crew of farmers ride tractor through pineapple field and unroll heavy paper (5:38). Two field hands plant pineapple plants along either side of unrolled paper (6:49). 60 horsepower diesel pulls two-row planter tractor helps prepare sugar cane field (6:55). Diesel 75 tractor drives up steep hill lined by mature sugar cane plants, carrying harvest bounty along winding road to mill (7:17). Flight officer sticks head out window of China Clipper scans harbor, radio operator calls for directions report to Midway Island (7:33). Man on Midway Island launches weather balloon, crew of man head to shore to welcome arrival of clipper (8:02). Diesel tractor pulls flight crew on barge around island for sightseeing trip (8:31). Two Gooney Birds dance (8:35). Aquatic life in crystal-clear waters, tide pools i.e. minnows, crabs, eels (8:45). Three men joke around, carry friend on wood plank as he pretends to hunt for prey (9:03). Flight crew returns to plane, clipper pulled out to anchor using mooring line (9:15). Pilot in cockpit steering plane, radio operator, ground operator rooms and Caterpillar diesel generator sets that power equipment (9:40). China Clipper flying over Manila Harbor before landing (10:10).
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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 www.PeriscopeFilm.com
Real interesting seeing Hawaii and Midway/Wake pre ww2.
Wow. Upbeat times. Unspoiled lands. Great accomplishments. The calm before the storm.
Those M-130 were awesome!
PBS did a miniseries called “across the pacific” about Pan Am and the building of the network of airstrips and radio towers necessary to span the pacific. Does a pretty good job at showing the logistics behind the work they did on the islands.
One of those workers wrote a book about it (can't remember the title) and it came across as a bunch of adventurers and nonconformists who were quite happy to be on a speck of sand thousands of miles from anything.
This is a very informative video. Well done!
I’m sure the Japanese were interested in this movie…
and very angry
They had been out there since the end of WW1.
@@io4439About what?
We did take some real precautions prior to WW2.
Grand
Hope Squatch253 sees this.
If it were left up to me, I'd wait for it all to freeze-over: considering; movement, that sort of thing.
I'm sure that doing all this was also in preparation for war against Japan. Is only a matter of time
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