New England Steam
Amazing and eclectic steam from the 1930s handled the unique terrain and transportation issues of New England.
Boston & Maine Steam: 4-4-0 to Superpower
Boston & Maine Steam: 4-4-0 to Superpower
With some of our oldest and most historic footage from the earliest days of motion picture film, this DVD shows the development of motive power in Eastern railroading.
More info below, plus video preview
Beginning with diminutive Atlantics and American 4-4-0s hauling open platform wooden coaches the story continues up through the superpowered Berks and Santa Fes of the WWII years, including the early streamliner, the "Flying Yankee.”
Two thirds of the DVD is devoted to a survey of Boston & Maine steam power in the mid-30s: switchers, Atlantics, Moguls, 10 wheelers, Consolidations, light and heavy Pacifics, Santa Fes and Berkshires all arranged in order of size, small to large.
The oldest and newest steam power appears in dozens of run pasts system-wide including freight trains with solid block refrigerator cars and passenger trains pulling brass railed observation cars. The final part of this tape shows Boston & Maine branch line operations at the time both in summer and winter featuring the busiest branches.
Filmed by Albert G. Hale.
On-location sound recordings by Preston S. Johnson.
Black & White, 37 minutes