" STREAMLINED " STREAMLINE MODERNE 1930s RAILROAD PROMOTIONAL FILM MD86524
Vložit
- čas přidán 2. 06. 2020
- Browse our products on Amazon: amzn.to/2YILTSD
Love our channel? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: / periscopefilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.
Made in the 1930s, this short film highlights the effort to introduce streamlining into the American railroad industry. It begins with a brief recap of the streamlining concept as applied to buses, aircraft, and even passenger cars before showing the design and manufacture of streamlined locomotives and passenger train cars. The film shows the Silver Streak Zephyr, of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in the American midwest.
On April 15, 1940 the Silver Streak Zephyr started operating on a Lincoln-Omaha-St. Joseph-Kansas City round trip daily. The new train was named Silver Streak Zephyr for the train portrayed in the Paramount Motion Picture The Silver Streak, with the starring role by the Pioneer Zephyr. The CB&Q liked the name and assigned it to the new Zephyr.
For power the new five car lightweight streamliner was assigned a new EMD E5A unit developing 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW) Passengers were obviously pleased with the new Silver Streak Zephyr as ridership showed a marked increase within days of the new trains entry into service.
The background on this film begins with the catastrophic loss of business during the Great Depression. To counter their financial troubles, American railroads cast their eyes on streamlined trains of lightweight material, streamlined to gain speed, and using an internal combustion diesel engine rather than steam. Two early American streamliners were the Union Pacific M-10000 (nicknamed Little Zip and as The City of Salina in revenue service 1934-41) and the Burlington Zephyr. Design of the Zephyr (later named the Pioneer Zephyr to distinguish it) started first, although the train took longer to build due to an advanced design incorporating a diesel-electric power system; the M-10000 used a spark-ignition engine running on "petroleum distillate", a fuel similar to kerosene. These trains were much lighter than the common engines and passenger cars of the day, as the "Zephyr" was constructed using stainless steel and the M-10000 chiefly of the aircraft alloy Duralumin. Both trains were star attractions at the 1933-1934 World's Fair ("A Century of Progress") in Chicago, Illinois.
On May 26, 1934, the Zephyr made a record-breaking "Dawn to Dusk" run from Denver, Colorado to Chicago. The train covered the distance in 13 hours, reaching a top speed of 112.5 mph (181.1 km/h) and running an average speed of 77.6 mph (124.9 km/h). The fuel for the run cost US$14.64 (at 4¢ per U.S. gallon).
For a short time in the late 1930s, the ten fastest trains in the world were all American streamliners. A variety of Zephyrs were built for Burlington by the Budd Company. For example, after the introduction of the Pioneer Zephyr, two Twin Cities Zephyrs of the same design briefly served the link between Chicago and the Twin Cities. As a public relations gimmick, the two trains first headed to Minnesota on parallel tracks while carrying twins as passengers. Within a few years, the trains were replaced with a slightly different design, and the original trains went to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
The success of the visual styling of the stainless steel locomotives did not go unnoticed by railroads still committed to the steam engine. Many steam locomotives were streamlined during this time to attract passengers, although the streamlining was less effective in improving efficiency for those engines than it was in making a visual statement.
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.
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 www.PeriscopeFilm.com
I love the upbeat, almost theatrical narration style in these old videos. It’s so refreshing to listen to. There’s a sense of optimism in them that you just don’t find in videos produced today.
Narrator Andre Baruch, the regular voice of Pathe Newsreels. This promo was by RKO-Pathe.
thats because back then america was on the "up n' up". now america in on the down n' down
Most Americans seem to have turned against trains in the 80 years since, sadly.
@@jeekboi With either Biden or Trump at the helm, HEAVEN HELP US ALL!
What a wonderful time! Back when america was actually great!
We were great in the 1930's? What made us great? Was it the Great Depression? The Bonus Army riots, where law enforcement violently battled against unemployed World War I veterans in homeless camps? The Dust Bowl? "America First" rallies in support of Nazism? Isolationism that left America with the 18th-strongest military in the world at the start of World War II? Were those things "great" compared to today?
Love the music. I grew up with these kinds of films. We would see them in movie theaters between the primary movies for that day.
No graffity and the train looks great👍
In fairness, if it was around today, there would be many a penis drawn on it
Back when trains got the amount of respect they deserved
What the hell is graffity?
@@codetafoya9763 Graffiti
Also note , they wash it mid journey
I saw a picture of my grandmother working on the railroad. I'll always remember the wheel on the train being bigger than her!
Was she working all the live-long day?
@@hoilst I'm pretty sure she did! I remember her being pretty tough. And she was an awesome cook! Her husband (my dad's dad) came from Germany in 1925. Landed in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The rest is history! 😎✌
@Walter Dumbrowski I see what you did there😁 Could you imagine if one of those wheels fell on you?! 😳
What I love most about the 30s 40s and 50s locomotives is the looks and sound of the engines and the caochs like the F units to the GS-4s and etc love them all
And also Dreyfuss J-3 Hudsons
Style, and class, combined with state of the art technology of the time. The perfect combination of form and function. Beautiful.
Designers today have no style or imagination. 🤤
Eh? Have you seen the TGV or Shinkansen? They're very stylish.
Well, the Italians high speed trains are quite stylish...
@@jjaus they are aerodynamic and streamlined
But not cool looking
@@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory My brother in Christ You have no taste in Train style.
Form and function, so important, well said
Love those old advertisement reels. They always made everything look so perfect, ha-ha. Always sounds like the same narrator too, lol.
I grew up in the 50s and my great grandfather was an engineer for Wabash. I loved getting to ride the trains to go places where we were i could go from town to town to see aunts and uncles by myself . Sad to see how our rail system went to toast. All the years in Europe in airforce loved the train system over there its what we need here
Love those EMD "Covered Wagons"!
A few times spent all around the USA by Amtrak.holidays.Wonderful...I was lucky to be on the Desert Wind in 1990 ???.The last passenger train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas ...Got off literally by the reception of The Guigans Plaza ...Now The Plaza on Fremont Street (Always stay there in Vegas).....Priceless memories..Roll on 2024....more to come!!!!
Glad you had a chance to ride the Desert Wind/ it was a fine Run.
And all possible to the Pullman workers, we owe a lot more to those men for their work and knowledge.
Happy 50th Anniversary Amtrak, it is now April 30th, 2021 AD. Truly, the 50th year since the C&NW RR discontinued the last "400" trains between Green Bay and Chicago, but also the Green Bay Packers are the Only team of the N.F.L. without access to Amtrak to the Chicago Bears and the Oldest rivalry in the N.F.L. But until 1963 the Packers fans could ride the CNW 400 on the Valley Division through Appleton, Oshkosh, and West Bend, but the West Bend track was ripped out and made into a hiking trail. What a waste!!!!! But ar least we can rebuild it with modern welded rails and concrete crossties. Also the CNW had the Shoreline 400 through Sheboygan and Manitowoc and Bellevue. Also the Milwaukee Road Chippewa, plus Copper Country Ltd., up North to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Hopefully now in 2021 we can the Economic Stimulus Money for Infrastructure, and build the N.E.W. Express Track(tm). Plus buy brand, spanking New Tier 4 Diesels and coaches. Also, historically speaking, I have located the original CNW 400 Bi-Level coaches built by Pullman in 1956 plus the Streamliner Diesels, of both the F7A class, plus the Larger E8A Units. Please send me a Gmail with your words of support, and encouragement. Plus some prayers will be a Great Blessing. One day very soon, we will board the N.E.W. Green Bay "400" at the classic station at 200 Dousman St., call "ALL ABOARD", and "HIGHBALL!!", Southbound to Chicago!! Watch out Chicago!! Lol!! Signed, Mr. Steven E. Solway. Founder, and President: Title-Town Train Tours. "T.AKE T.HE T.RAIN T.ODAY!!"(TM).
That whould be awesome!!!
The Streamlined locomotive by industrial designer Raymond Lowey. Also did the Coke bottle, Lucky Strike cigarette pack, Studebaker Avanti and much, much more.
A rather unknown genius of 20th century.. cool thanks for sharing
Scooter George and the GG1.
Henry Dreyfuss, Hudson's and Mercury trains among many other designs and Blgs.
Loewy did the S1, didnt see it in this vid.
He also did all Studebaker models, not just Avanti.
@@sharksport01 Also the US Postal Service logo (still used today) and the current livery of Air Force One.
I did a whirlwind tour of the rails a while back, from Denver to Albuquerque to Los Angeles up the coast to Seattle, overnight and back down to San Francisco then across to Reno, Salt Lake, Grand Junction the Rollins Tunnel and back to Denver. An 8 day over land cruise, meals, sleeping cabin, free flowing sparkling wines, so Worth It.
Oh, so you _caught out_ with Hobo Shoestring then. Did you ride a grainer?
Today we have a new era of streamlined trains. Streamlined diesel and electric locomotives on Amtrak and commuter
trains Love it!
Mind you, we still don't have high speed rail like they got in Japan & France. 🚅
@@luisreyes1963 Politics, culture, and society in France and Japan are very different from America. In my case the birthplace of myself and my late parents shared the love of baseball and horse racing. But due to its topography streamlined trains are impractical. Why? Too many hills. Where were we from? Cuba especially from Havana.
Wow! Accordion music on a train. No wonder everyone went by train back then!🤣
That good ol santa fe. This is why the train, the first adopted mode of mechanized transport, will never be beaten.
Some of the most beautiful copy I have ever heard in an advertisement, read with such enthusiasm!
Even though I've been avidly watching your videos for almost a decade, automatic like for the vivid and wonderful narration!!!
At 2:54 that’s Chicago, and the Santa Fe coach yards.
At 2:56 is La Salle Street Station hosting the Rock Island, New York Central, and Nickel Plate railroads. At 2:59 we can see “The Rocket” drumhead on the observation car. This was the Rock Island’s Chicago - Peoria train service. When additional streamliners were added to other cities the trains were named with the city name and “Rocket”, e.g. Denver Rocket. The Peoria trains became the “Peoria Rocket”.
At 3:05, the passenger train being alluded to is the Chicago - Los Angeles Santa Fe Super Chief. At 3:19 we can see “the club car” of the Super Chief, which is actually the Lounge Car Acoma. The streamlined Super Chief went into service on May 1937 on a once a week schedule. At 4:45 is the Dining Car Cochiti, which is on permanent display at the California State Railroad Museum.
At 7:31, (across the country) we see the Atlantic Coast Line / Florida East Coast Railroad Champion, which ran from New York City to Miami. This train began service on Dec 1, 1939.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMC_TA
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island_Rockets
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Chief#:~:text=The%20Super%20Chief%20(Nos.,trip%20on%20May%2012%2C%201936.
www.aaprco.com/rail-car/acoma/
www.american-rails.com/super.html
www.californiarailroad.museum/visit/exhibits
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champion_(train)
www.american-rails.com/champion.html
Thanks very much for these comments. You are welcome on our channel anytime.
You can even see the Union Station Powerhouse.
So there's something odd about the NY-Miami streamliner at the end. While the exterior shots show an FEC diesel and a hexagonal drumhead on the observation (which would both be consistent with The Champion as you conclude), the interior shots show seat headrests that are clearly marked SEABOARD. The Seaboard Air Line (SAL) Silver Meteor was a very similar train to the Champion (also having a Budd coach set) and was a direct NY-Miami competitor.
How is it that user is allowed to post actual url’s and I’m not ?
Yes, lift a glass to the vanished club car. Comfort and dignity, with companionship. California Zephyr, here's to you and your crews.
ah when the USA had the greatest railroad in the world! now just sadtrack and a load of freight trains that barely hit 50mph.
Yup cars are like crack to the yanks.
Railroads are moving more freight than ever these days .
@@filianablanxart8305 The rail road really never made money in the passenger industry, The rail roads were more than happy to give up the passenger service to Amtrak
Eh . In the golden age , they probably did turn a profit from passenger service , albeit probably less than freight service
BUT , it's hard to put a $ figure on the PR/ advertising value of engaging the general public with passenger services .
But what with advantages in ( also highly subsidized) high speed highways and ( also highly subsidized) passenger air service , the Tipping Point was probably not long after the end of WWII .
@@graham2631 You're wrong. The USA is too big for trains. So we fly at 600 mph. Airports>Trains
From 2009 - 2012, I worked at the Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville, Indiana. The stainless steel coaches, made in 1938 by Budd, we had ran on the first incarnation of the Santa Fe's El Capitan train which ran between Chicago and Los Angeles. Two of the biggest runs were the Fair Train, which ran during the entire length of the Indiana State Fair, from Fishers (just Northwest of Indianapolis) to just a little outside of Gate 6 at the state fairgrounds, 10 round trips a day. The other big run was The Polar Bear Express. Many videos of ITM are here on CZcams.
Better than a century later!
Thanks for sharing these!
It is essential to fix one's makeup before bed while occupying a sleeper.
Gosh Biff, that was swell!
This makes me want to take a train somewhere.
Am Track dining car is now a micro wave and a $10 burger
I remember traveling from Montana to Minnesota summer 1965 on the Northern Pacific. The cars were clean and especially liked the "Vista Dome" for viewing the mountains and flatlands.
@@harrybriscoe7948 Not for the Western trains, they still get the full dining experience. On the Eastern trains it is more of a prepared meal, which is usually cooked in a convection-type oven. They are actually pretty good, considering They are supposed to be bringing back the full service dining on the trains east of Chicago. I'm not sure why those of us who travel first class in a sleeper going east or south out of Chicago don't rate full dining car service. We'll see if they actually bring it back for us out east.
O-H-I-O Porter greetings 🇺🇸 Love the 4-8-4 locomotives & the E/F units are my faves, too! I’m thrilled to have ridden on a steamer….something so powerful & moving, emotionally! Then there’s the F units…the roaring of the diesel engines! I grew up around the C&O railroad & was able to see & hear many of the old diesels! WOW! I imagine the 1920s was a hard time for everyone, but this video implies that car/truck/plane action picked up quite a bit then. Makes you wonder a bit. Love the video, no matter what! 🥰🥰✌️
A bit late for the 1930's as the EMD E6 locomotives seen in this film were built between November 1939 and September 1942. I would place this more in the 1940-1941 timeframe as the railroads would be promoting a totally different message ("is this trip really necessary?") by 1942 due to WWII traffic demands.
Streamline was the name of the game!!! 🙂🚂🚂🚂
I just saw the theme for a new horror thriller: "Accordians on a Train!"
For an extra charge, it was possible to book "accordion free" surroundings. How much would yoo pay for a 46 hour trip?
I think I'll stick with snakes!
@@kencarp57 Would you settle for zombies? 🧟♂️
Wig Wag alert at 6:34
I must admit, Periscope is my favorite channel - thanxs!!!!!!!
Love our channel? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.
It seems like the trains back then moved faster than now😂😂😂 I know it’s not true. Wish I were living back then when the liners were actually luxurious and had immaculate service.
in the U.S. atleast
Trains used to go at high speeds such as up to 130mph, today most Amtrak trains can only reach 110mph.
They ran faster because there was more budget and attention
for really rich people
I love PEREICOPE!!!
Technically, these were the CZcams videos of that time; At the local movie venue, these were we shown before a movie or as an entire show containing many different news stories and events.
I love this kind of videos
40 hours from Chicago to the Pacific?! I'll believe it when I see it!
Some, and possibly most, of that exterior footage was deliberately undercranked to give a false impression of speed. In particular the sequence at around 6:36 seems to be 2 or 3 times faster than it really should be; wig-wag signals ran much slower than is shown here.
@@TugIronChief In the 30's they were competing more with the automobile than with the airlines. That's what really killed the railroads. Airlines helped kill off transcontinental and long-distance routes, but it was cars and trucks that killed all the local and regional routes. Most were gone by the 1950's.
Damn! You aren’t kidding.
The Super Chief , probably the train in the sequence, usually hit about 100 mph.
@@davefrompa5334 That is true, at least out across New Mexico and some of the other long flat runs. But that said, they were definitely playing with the frame rate in the camera in a few of the sequences.
"While the passengers get out to look at the inevitable Indians..."
@Walter Dumbrowski After the civil war. Not to sound old fashioned but the Super Chief did pass through "Indian country" & at almost every stop there where natives who sold trinkets so yeah "people did look at the Indians".
Easterners wanted to see the Imidines, bu the railroads said that as not their concern. Enter Paul Harvey, who saw a chance to make a buck. Southwestern tourism was born, and the Santa Fe got with the program.
There are still Indians along the platform in Albuquerque selling jewelry, blankets, and the like, when the Southwest Chief pulls into the station. It is a crew change point, so there is a layover there of about an hour.
The passenger train industry in the U.S has stagnated. It is way behind Europe and Asia.
Not for long
@@TheMrPeteChannel
yes. The USA is far too big. We have chosen planes that travel 600 mph.
Trains are mainly for freight.
@@TheMrPeteChannel Not in your lifetime.
new york central was a big hit back in the days
some of this recorded in union terminal Cincinnati Ohio at 2:14
Very good, thanks.
The voiceover sounds like a 1940’s version of Jim McKay
Almost expecting the presenter to say “gigidy.” He could pass for Quagmires grandfather.
The Golden Spike was driven at Promontory Summit, NOT Promontory Point which is some 50 miles south.
the 30s 40s and 50s and even 60s was look interesting if I had a time machine I would travel back to see those steam locomotives and those yee old E units and F units and other diesels in action
I love those dreamline engines even though they never exixted here in Finland. Wonder how much job engineers had to do when oiling those inside parts of the lining.
Canadian Via still uses old Budd cars, diners, sleepers from 1954 when they were delivered new the Canadian Pacific
The era when we lead the way in Railroad technology and speed.
A nostalgic look at a time when passenger trains were the mode of travel. Not so today. Alas!
@5:30 Albuquerque NM station
7-20-1939.
The italian train ETR 212 set the speed record between Florence and Milan. 126,138 mph
The USA is many times larger than tiny Italy. Train: 126 mph Plane: 600 mph
Trem, o melhor meio de transporte criado pelo homem, e naquela época já eram rápidos.
1940s - Streamlined
1980s - Aerodynamic
Same thing.
Streamlining was mostly done for appearance, though.
Travel was so luxurious then that women didn't even remove their makeup and lipstick when they went to bed.
Don't forget to wear your tennis bracelet to bed!
I wish I could travel back in time and experience that.
@@1cmman White, rich, and beautiful are all that was needed.
@@1cmman that's not even real lmao. That's come from stereotypes people held of the 50s. Bo doubt the counter culture happened
You realize this film is from 1939 ?
a beautiful print, where in heck did you find this?
Thankfully we have some incredible friends who saved these films and offered them to us for public showings...
MoPac Eagle on the opening graphic.
China has a great high speed train system. A joy and delight to travel on.
Eh I rather prefer America and it's not because of the speeds but because of the locomotives looks and designs and sounds
@@bnsflover7062 American trains sucks in modern style.
The famous golden age !
Excellence
Somewhere in the vid, I was expecting either Superman to come swooping down, or the 3 Stooges to pop up.
But men with steel in their veins.
Bound to save the Railway trains.
they worked day and night and when they were done
A new Era had just begun
Beutiful time in USA
The stuff they don't tell you in Thomas The Tank Engine. 😆🚂
2:56
Lasalle Street Station
im just on here for the wig wag at 6:34
Take a shot every time he says stainless steel
So coffee and cantaloupe was 'America's favorite meal'. Who'd a thunk it?😮
Originally released in June 1940.
A year and a half later, Pearl Harbor. Good-bye fancy lounge cars and hello troop transports. Shows how fast the world can be turned upside down by events beyond most people's control. The dreams of tomorrow meld into the nightmares of futures revealed.
Future 50's roadside diners.
Still, they were working hard to make the train a rolling emporium, cut your hair or work at your computer (today) or sidle up to the bar.
this is what they took from us
4:59 Colorado is the 'silver state'?
I think he meant Nevada.
You rang?
What will they think of next?
Where *did* they get those horn sound effects from? They're the worst I've ever heard. 3:57s particularly amusing
Open throttle huh? We called it eight and sand. 😁
Wonder if that blonde starlet went on to a successful movie career after arriving by streamlined rail in Hollywood
Is this a legal upload?
I didn't know these strange take that long is beautiful ladies will soon retire and eventually get social security by the time the train reaches New York according to 850 into the video
👍
Irritating time-code in the picture. Otherwise interesting.
I miss the Streamline Scania 143 V8
This is the first media mention I've seen or heard that acknowledged bed wear for a coach on an overnight train. That one hottie actually had a chic lounge suit to wear. " Dressed in comfortable lounging clothes."
Why do all of your videos/films have the picture partially obscured by a counter? It adds nothing to the viewing experience and simply irritates.
It’s so people don’t reupload their videos.
ere's the issue: Tens of thousands of films similar to this one have been lost forever -- destroyed -- and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like these online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes.
In the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous CZcams users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content! We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to spend precious time dealing with policing thievery -- and not what we devoted ourselves to do.
Love our channel and want to support what we do? You can help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.
2:09 “A freak and a fad, the old timers said”
Looks like those “old timers” were not that far off the mark, their prophesies on passenger rail being borne out in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Then the US stopped investing in infrastructure and nothing better came thereafter.
they invested in highways and wars abroad
I love steam engines. Wonder why we don't retro fit on of the old ones with propane or electric instead of coal. Come on Mr. Elon Musk , how about it?
.
Towards the end, a lot of them burned fuel oil, automatically.
@@reecenewton3097 Burned fuel oil , but not automatically . A skilled fireman still manually " fired" and injectre water , constantly monitoring boil pressure , throttle position , current and upcoming grades , etc . But much less physical labor than shoveling coal .
Particularly in Brazil where steam remained in service longer , there were engineering advances ( mechanical engineering , not the train operators ) that significantly increased efficiency . But not enough to keep up with diesel electric .
There has been over the years some dabbling with the concept of steam turbines in place of Diesel engines to drive the generators to power the drive wheels .
They actually have had electric steam locomotives, they made them in Switzerland, the electricity was used to heat up the water instead of a firebox. Also oil-burning steam engines did exist as well.
"Elon Musk" = a CIA propped up hack.
If only we had put more money into rail instead of highways
AT 08:06 the narrator says: "With nothing more in common..." Then suddenly there's little bump, clearly due to editing and later returns repeating this phrase at 08:12 and completing the sentence: "With nothing more in common than their destination/pause/acquaintanceship spring up easily. Then, the narrator makes a mistake and says "easy" instead of "ease" in the next sentence at 08:18: "While the atmosphere is one of easy and formality."
Maybe the phrase is "easy informality". It would make better sense that way.
6:34 wig wag
THE INEVITABLE INDIANS
that line makes no sense at all, no context
😮😲🤩😍💖👍‼️
Play an accordion, go to jail.
That's the law.
Or should be.
As seen on stickers handed out by the "Starving Musician" music instrument stores in the SF Bay Area. Love that place. Loved... that .... place? I hope they can keep in business during this thing.
:D
@periscopefilm next time feature the documentary on segregation in America…
Ah! Those were the days!
Now Uber gives full service mugging and sexual assault, and after you contemplate your bad choice as you are whisked away to the ER.