The Steam || Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad Documentary
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- čas přidán 3. 01. 2021
- Documentary short telling the stories of Joseph Bispo and Diego Morales -- the oldest and youngest crew members at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp, CA. In over fifty years of operation, the YMSPRR has preserved a slice of California's historic logging railroads on two miles of track in the Sierra National Forest. Day in, day out, these are the people who keep it running.
This film is an extended cut of a project originally produced for the Central Valley Community Foundation's 2020 "The Big Tell" grant program.
A film by Matt Mealer (www.mattmealer.com)
Associate Producer | Emily Mealer
Assistant Camera | Jeff Phillips
Sound Mix | Henry Grimmius
Consulting Producer | Sascha Brown Rice
Sponsored by the James B. McClatchy Foundation & the Central Valley Community Foundation (www.centralvalleycf.org)
Archival imagery & footage courtesy of (in order of appearance):
Herron Rail Video (www.herronrail.com)
Jim Holmes via History San Jose
Joseph Bispo
YMSPRR Archives
Tom Taylor (www.flickr.com/photos/1570151...)
Mike Massee (www.mikemassee.com/) - Krátké a kreslené filmy
I had the honor of being invited to ride in the cab back in 1998. It was in the summer of July. I was a former engineer @ the now defunct AstroWorld themed park in Houston, Texas.When I asked the engineer how steep the grade was he said very casually 12%. LOL!!! I had a most memorable railroad vacation 2 summers in a row in glorious Northern, California.
Joe Bisbo is great guy and well known in the tourist and steam railroad community. I've had the pleasure of meeting him and his sons several times throughout my life. I wish I lived 100 miles closer to Fishcamp, I'd be up there myself helping out
Agreed...I really enjoyed getting to know him, even if only briefly. His voice was exactly what I was hoping to find with this project.
I've found him operating trains at several different railroads in California. I've commented that "Everywhere I go he is running the train."
You can camp in the National Forest nearby. In the morning you are awakened to steam railroad sounds.
This railroad is a class act from top to bottom! I’ve enjoyed every trip I’ve ever taken on it and look forward to many more. Was blessed to have been able to meet Max and thank him for what he was doing with the railroad. I told him how important it was to keep history alive and that everyone we’d dealt with was very friendly and knowledgeable. Only wish I was a lot closer than an 8 hour drive away! Blessings to all of you!
Thanks for the comment Jeffrey!
Very nice video!
Thank you very much!
I must say Joe Bispo really embodies the spirit of the tourist railroad industry. Past, Present, and future. My favorite line out of the entire video is at 2:18. This statement not only emphasizes the sad truth of the future of the industry but also offers a sign of hope that it may survive through knowledge that can be passed down to those who are willing to listen and "get their hands dirty".
Thanks Garrett! Joe was exactly the type of person I was hoping to connect with when I began this project. His was one of my favorite interviews I've ever shot.
Very good movie...tell Joseph that I said "hi"!
Jack Burgess, Newark CA
Thank you!
Some of the trains today are over or will be 100 years old at this time. Trains have been an essential part in the age of industry with totting cargo and passengers in the masses to and fro. I will always appreciate that these trains are preserved or being revived for the tourist trade. My personal favorite railroads are from the Rio Grande in Colorado and New Mexico, but the trains from California have a share of my heart as well.
Such an unappreciated video. Keep up the great work my friend
Thank you so much!
@@MattMealer no problem sir!
A short... but a great movie!
Joseph Bispo and Diego Morales are perfectly saying what a steam engine is...: a true passion! 👍🏻😎
And many thanks, Jo, for your words about Max; what you all did to continue shows also that Max is still around, living in our hearts of steam lovers. 👍🏻👏🏻😎
Thanks so much Eric! Joe and Diego did an amazing job telling the story of the railroad and why they do what they do. I really enjoyed getting to know them both.
@@MattMealer : If I was not living more than 12 hours flight away from Fish Camp (I live in Switzerland), I would be proud to participate actively in the YMSP Railroad life, as a conductor/fireman/engineer. Fish Camp is a wonderful place to live if you love nature, quietness and, above all, the life of a steam railroad.
Fortunately, I'm an active member of the Blonay-Chamby railroad museum, in Western Switzerland, and I live my passion there. Anyhow, the passion of Max and his father has anchored in me the love of the logging trains operations and of the area. I only had a ride aboard #10 with Jo as engineer and Diego as fireman, some years ago (thanks again, Max...), and this remains the best memory of that trip to California.
What a wonderful presentation.
Thanks!
A very, very well made film. I'm active at a tourist line in MD that is blessed with a supply of young folks with a rabid love for railroading. This story hits the reality of tourist lines right on the head.
Thanks very much Brandon, glad you enjoyed it!
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad?
Wow, such an inspiring video! Great work!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for the great movie. I've been there and "rode the logger" in 2011 and really enjoyed seeing #10 in action. Shays are my abolsut favorites since I saw a photo of #10 & #15 at Fish Camp when I was a kit.
It is as they say - steam is living and steam locos as well. I never got a chance to work for any real railroad and Shays are very rare in Europe.
But I build my own one in 1:7.2 scale and I learn a lot in working on the model steam train, doing maintenance, repairs and all that stuff which is very similiar to the real railroad.
Thanks for your comment...glad you enjoyed it!
You did excellent work. Proud to work there in such a wonderful place with Joe and Diego.
Thank you!
My great uncle ❤️ 💙 Arthur Selby 💙 ❤️ worked as a main line steam locomotive engineer with the Southern Pacific Railroad during the early part of the 20th century! He was based out of Dunsmuir California in Northern California ! He pulled trains between Roseville California and Klamath Falls Oregon through the Cascades mountain range! He drove his car 🚗 exactly like he handled his trains! My wonderful ♥️ dad and I both ❤️ are train buffs, and we really love ❤️ steam locomotives 🚂, especially the majestic ❤️ 😍 steam locomotives 🚂 that the Union Pacific Railroad still operates! My precious 💖 💗 💓 💛 ♥️ 💜 papa, is 87 years young, and I have tried to pattern my life after him, my sweet mama ❤️ 💕 💗 bear who lives ❤️ in heaven ❤️ 💙 ♥️ 💖 💗 💕 but still ❤️ 💙 lives in my heart ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 💘 ❤️ and memories ❤️ 💙
Up in west Virginia they have the cass scenic railroad
Thank you so much, that was wonderful to watch.
I love the soul and character of each steam locomotive, the personality and spirit...which aligns with the desire and passion of the engineers and fireman.
For a short documentary, this is pretty good.
Beautiful film on a great little railroad. I've ridden the YMSPRR a number of times over the years. It's a neat find right off Highway 41.
I have faith in the future of steam tourist railroads. There seems to be enough interest from younger generations (I'm 28) to keep them going. There might not be as many steam-powered operations as there are now, but there will still be plenty around, in the US as well as around the world, for future generations to experience.
Thanks very much Chris!
Who else loves #10
"Each Locomotive has its own character"
Awesome video. Next time I am in the area, I am definitely going to do this
Thank you! It's a unique place, at least in this part of California...definitely worth a look.
It's hard to explain to people what it is about a steam locomotive the gets a man or woman's blood boiling. I had the pleasure of visiting this railroad last weekend, and it was an amazing time. Wish number 10 could have been out and about but she's getting a well-deserved rebuild. Steam locomotive is as close to creating a living breathing creature that man has ever come to. I knew an old fireman from Southern Pacific where I live in Texas who said" the steam locomotive was like a woman if you treated her right you were in good shape if you didn't treat her right she would make you pay dearly for your mistake"
Glad you were able to pay them a visit!
Out Standing !
Thanks!
I just saw this on one of the train groups on facebook, you did a great job!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
@@MattMealer I just posted our little short about colorado narrow gauge railroading. If you're into trains, check it out. May take a few min to finish processing. Enjoy! czcams.com/video/-nVvwOMjaUE/video.html
@@CinemaRepository Nice work! I actually saw this on the CInematography.com forums earlier this week (I'm a lurker there). Takes me back to watching the National Geographic "Love Those Trains" special when I was a kid.
@@MattMealer Actually, that's exactly what I was trying to recreate! Small world! hahah. Thanks for the kind words. :)
This is so Beautifully portrayed! Great short film. Joe is a super great guy! I know him personally. Many Kudos to Matt and your story on the Steam Locomotives! I truly miss my home of California!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. Joe is indeed a great guy...he seems to be well known as such :)
In my opinion, the most extreme project that any engine enthusiast working on a railroad could do is Connect the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, The Durango and Silverton Railroad and the White Pass and Yukon Railroad together and turn it into The American-Canadian Trans Mountain Railway or whatever they would want to call it.
Haha! That would be one long, slow trip!
my family went there after we couldnt go to yosemite cuz we didnt reserve, this steam train was very fun, still a bummer we couldnt go to yosemite tho
I would love to work on that railway even if I wasn't payed
Yep, that's the way it is with STEAM.
07:13
That’s not very safe, lol
I thought the same when I first saw it done, but to be fair, the camera angle exaggerates the danger. His hand was at least 8-9 inches away from the crush point. Not sure why they do it that way, but it seems to be common practice with the crews up there.
@@MattMealer re-watching it slowed down, you’re right but after he lines up the coupler he moves his fingers awfully close to the pin lifter. That wouldn’t be very much fun getting your fingers caught when the pin drops.
Love the video, very very nice work!
@@trueburrito Definitely not! Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed the film!
What is it about the steam locomotive that causes such a love affair, for virtually any man that has any appreciable connection with it ? The root cause is I suspect, that the steam locomotive brings together the basic elements of Earth Wind and Fire, and is as a result the one man made machine that requires to be nurtured, or it won't perform properly. Effectively meaning it has feminine attributes, and therefore a soul !!!