Cool to see some other vintage railfans caught on tape. Nice to see friendly engineers who don't report you to homeland security the second they see you.
All though the Penn Central videos you caught were few, this one like the others is excellent Ed. I just wish you would have compiled them and created a DVD. I sure would have purchased it. Thank you for sharing
oh man i recall that mountain when i was 18 got a brakeman job on pc my first trip to altoona from conway yards return trip it was 10 below zero wing blowing & snow the train went in the hole just passing MG tower, had to wale the train and tie down 30 hand brakes the front brakeman did the same on the front part, found a parted air brake hose middle of the train of course got that reparied and going down the west slope the same thing happened, when i looked the shop people same car too brand new out of the shop people failed to lube the air hose ring that rides on part of the brake line so it got stuck and parted the hoses, then had to wait until car men came out from cresson with a lil bit of grease that cured the problem, but man what a night that was a night to remember, frozen body went into that caboose and fell asleep never woke up until we got re crew in pittsburgh, johnny cash was right the good and the bad are are part of a railroad man.
Wow this is amazing! Penn Central Alco's and footage of an Amtrak SDP40F! Not to mention all the vintage Leslie and Prime horns! I especially love the SL-4T @1:09! I am speechless, great job Ed!
👏👏👏👏👏 I'm a die-hard Penn Central fan. This film looks like this was just made an award winner in my heart. Most of the trains in this film I have in HO SCALE by ATHEARN. GE U BOATS, SD40 , AMTRAK SDP 40 some of the passenger cars filmed slightly quick! Thanks for presenting this. P.S. I have Atlas HO trains in their CONRAIL days wow the list goes on, thank you PENN CENTRAL & CONRAIL! 👏👏👏👏😀🚞.
Big PC fan. Model it in N scale.I seen Penn Central in southern Ontario when PC was formed in 1969.Lived in Windsor Ontario at the time great seeing black locomotives and jade green cars.This was railroading compared to today ,work for CN rail and boring. Thanks for posting
Yeh, PC was a much derided under-appreciated merger of PRR and NYC (ever read “The Wreck of the Penn-Central”?) I lived along the electrified line in the '60s-'70s...rode the line from Metropark/Iselin to New York City every day for nearly 20 years, took a lot of shots along the way. Then, like the other gent mentioned, it became a hassle with the cops after some terrorist bombings in NY. Love the C630's with hopper empties and C630's pushing up the hill in this nice video, thanks!
mhm, cause I mean, there were methods of getting high resolution images with vibrant color back then ( there was a Russian Photographer who back in the early 1900's developed a system of taking Color Photographs, and many of them look like they could have been taken yesterday!) we had the camera tech, just not quite proper sound recording yet
I grew up with this as my back yard. My Grandfather worked in AR. Yes I agree that is one of the first things I thought was about how grown up that area is now it's unreal! I've taken a machete to the rocks there at Benny countless times in the past 10 years. This is great footage of Benny with all 4 tracks and that signal tower and all those tele poles!
Very cool classic video I really enjoyed it! I just recently watched a 28 minute long film that was used to convince the government to bail out the Penn Central also from 1974 , showing how decrepit it's tracks and rolling stock had become since filing bankruptcy. I must say alot of the trackage in this film looked pretty good! And the locomotives seemed to have newer coats of paint on them.
Lyon, Whoops! We are wrong! I just looked it up on Fallen Flags. Both 6096 and 6051 are straight SD-40's. You can look at telling photos of both engines on the website.
This must’ve been videotaped with an early portable camcorder from the early 1970’s.They were pretty rare back then .Only tv stations and studios had them
I believe you're half right. The last unit is #6051 and the unit in front is #6096. Both have the extended rear porch found only on the Dash-2's I would say the two trailing units are Dash-2's.
Boy, is this old news. SD38,SD39,SD40 all had the big porches because they shared the same frame with the SD45. Why the porches? Because SD45s had 20 cylinder engines. So EMD simply used the same frame for 38s,39s,and 40s. SD38s and SD40s had 16 cylinder 645 engines(38s-non turbo/40s- turbo'd). SD39s had 12 cylinder turbo'd 645s(hence SD39s could have had even bigger porches but EMD standardized the hood length. Same thing repeated with the -2 line except EMD never built a factory SD39-2. Tunnel motor versions have an even longer frame. Just google any EMD products, and you can get all the specs info you ever wanted. I've been a rivot counting railfan for over 40 years now, so the reason why I said old news is because I've had these infos long before the internet existed.
The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” was the #1 tune in 1968 when the PC was created from the PRR and NYC. I remember a tv commercial announcing the merger, using a great creative graphic of two couplers getting closer together to the sound of a Diesel loco, and when they clashed together, coupled, they formed the PC logo. Cool.
Ah, good old Penn Central. The video showcasing how good of a railroad they were when in reality they were a terrible railroad. Don't get me wrong I like Penn Central, I just hate how bad they were doing.
The black paint job on Penn Central possibly was to symbolize the dark times in America especially in the 60s and 70s, and then later it became blue with Conrail. But the track did look like it was fairly maintained back in those days.
What kind of camera was used to film the scenes back in 1974 because the footage isn't like 16 millimeter or 8 millimeter film seen in say Charles smilies films of the same era the film is more like the kind you would see in the 1980s or 90s
my uncle ed was born. in the 50s. one video of Norfolk and western diesel freight. he got. hr got permission and the ok to hope up top a box car! to film it!
Cool to see some other vintage railfans caught on tape. Nice to see friendly engineers who don't report you to homeland security the second they see you.
Not back then.
Never trust a foamer.
Wow! This PC footage is as clear as my childhood memories of what living in PA was like in 1974.
Wow. ‘74. What a year. Penn Central was struggling, but still trying to serve customers. Great video Ed.
This was 40 years ago, I can't believe it.
Oh God I want to go back in time !!!
Let's get the delorian
Life is mostly the same back then as it is now. Grass was green, sky was blue.
48 years now . Are you still alive?
50 years ago now
I was 7 yrs old in 1974 and I do remember seeing penn central trains and boxcars in my area of Michigan.
Thanks for the old videos. Zombies.
Was nice seeing those good old trains, and the 4 tracks. And especially the national limited, with the open top Norfolk and western autoracks
Seeing cabooses made me smile! ^^
Ed your videos are a treasure trove! Thank you for sharing!
That railbuff in the last seen running towards the camera with a Speed Graphic in his hand is priceless.
I have yet to hear what a rail “buff” is. I’m a train enthusiast but I don’t think I’m a “buff.”
Great shots. Also beautiful color.
Nice movies from the "good old days". Love the Ford vans on the open cars, cabooses, helpers with crew.
All though the Penn Central videos you caught were few, this one like the others is excellent Ed. I just wish you would have compiled them and created a DVD. I sure would have purchased it. Thank you for sharing
NICE!! My Favorite Railroad! And those ALCO's Rule! C-636,C630 and C-628 all represented.
Thanks for posting the big ALCO's ! I do miss those beasts .
White pass and Yukon uses multiple units and the deleware lakawanna uses them as well
Thanks for the interesting train world. 👍👍👍👍👌👌👌
oh man i recall that mountain when i was 18 got a brakeman job on pc my first trip to altoona from conway yards return trip it was 10 below zero wing blowing & snow the train went in the hole just passing MG tower, had to wale the train and tie down 30 hand brakes the front brakeman did the same on the front part, found a parted air brake hose middle of the train of course got that reparied and going down the west slope the same thing happened, when i looked the shop people same car too brand new out of the shop people failed to lube the air hose ring that rides on part of the brake line so it got stuck and parted the hoses, then had to wait until car men came out from cresson with a lil bit of grease that cured the problem, but man what a night that was a night to remember, frozen body went into that caboose and fell asleep never woke up until we got re crew in pittsburgh, johnny cash was right the good and the bad are are part of a railroad man.
Wow this is amazing! Penn Central Alco's and footage of an Amtrak SDP40F! Not to mention all the vintage Leslie and Prime horns! I especially love the SL-4T @1:09! I am speechless, great job Ed!
Man love watching those PC ALCO's!
"Barking" GEs', smoking Alcos' and Pennsy CPLs'. Doesn't get much better than that! Thanks for posting!
The Penn Central one of my all-time favorite railroads they got the job done yes long live the Penn Central.
"And running towards the 30 yard line for the New England Pats... with Speed Graphic in hand, No. 81... Jim Foamathon!"
Excellent!
Yes definitely The Penn Central I have HO gauge railroad.
Nice video. It would be great if there were more videos of them days. Thanks for sharing.
Love this!!! I grow up along the PC Pittsburgh main line between Pitcairn and Pittsburgh in the 70's.
👏👏👏👏👏 I'm a die-hard Penn Central fan. This film looks like this was just made an award winner in my heart. Most of the trains in this film I have in HO SCALE by ATHEARN. GE U BOATS, SD40 , AMTRAK SDP 40 some of the passenger cars filmed slightly quick! Thanks for presenting this. P.S. I have Atlas HO trains in their CONRAIL days wow the list goes on, thank you PENN CENTRAL & CONRAIL! 👏👏👏👏😀🚞.
Big PC fan. Model it in N scale.I seen Penn Central in southern Ontario when PC was formed in 1969.Lived in Windsor Ontario at the time great seeing black locomotives and jade green cars.This was railroading compared to today ,work for CN rail and boring. Thanks for posting
Nice old video. I have many fond memories of railfanning at Benny and the surrounding area back in the 1970's.
Yeh, PC was a much derided under-appreciated merger of PRR and NYC (ever read “The Wreck of the Penn-Central”?) I lived along the electrified line in the '60s-'70s...rode the line from Metropark/Iselin to New York City every day for nearly 20 years, took a lot of shots along the way. Then, like the other gent mentioned, it became a hassle with the cops after some terrorist bombings in NY. Love the C630's with hopper empties and C630's pushing up the hill in this nice video, thanks!
It is now Norfolk Southern (Known affectionately as "The Thoroughbred of Transportation"),You now can see a Heritage Unit in PC Colors.
Thanks ed for the rail operatioms film when the hill still was a 4 track main.
dam i loved the 70s was time to be alive man love them sd40s
How about those open autoracks! Man would vandals, and "sharp-shooters" have a field day with whatever was on one of those today!
Now they would just blindly shoot through the autoracks.
Oh, I LOVE those big ALCOs!
Especially the fp40 something national limited
Excellent captures! This video makes me nostalgic for the Penn Central.
Wow, for 1974 that's pretty amazing video and audio quality!
thank U very much for sharing that Gem... Amicalement de France. Aldo Bordeaux
That kid on the bike is in his 50's today .Love the video thanks for sharing
Wonderful big Centuries. 😌
Awesome!! Man i'd love to go back in time with today's camera and sound recording tech and really get the sound of these things! Great Vid!
mhm, cause I mean, there were methods of getting high resolution images with vibrant color back then ( there was a Russian Photographer who back in the early 1900's developed a system of taking Color Photographs, and many of them look like they could have been taken yesterday!) we had the camera tech, just not quite proper sound recording yet
@Justin Noker there are color pictures from the 1860s
be a hologram like Al from Quantum Leap so don’t accidentally cause a space time paradox
I grew up with this as my back yard. My Grandfather worked in AR. Yes I agree that is one of the first things I thought was about how grown up that area is now it's unreal! I've taken a machete to the rocks there at Benny countless times in the past 10 years. This is great footage of Benny with all 4 tracks and that signal tower and all those tele poles!
The old Penn Central boy that was the days. Now it's Norfolk Southern's
Great Video! I loved seeing those old Penn Central diesels. MTH Electric Trains should produce more Penn Central diesels.
1:36 Alco always had the best bells, hands down.
Me I wish I could go back.
Ed K.
Nice! I want to go back in time!
Thanks airing the outstanding vid.Bliss
The Century's were very cool ! I miss em plenty
Excellent footage and quality! thank you
Was this an early generation camcorder?
Great work Ed, amazing!!
never cared for PC but i'd gladly watch this over stupd csx or ns any day of he week
EK, you've posted so much amazing footage. Really great! Thanks.
Very cool classic video I really enjoyed it! I just recently watched a 28 minute long film that was used to convince the government to bail out the Penn Central also from 1974 , showing how decrepit it's tracks and rolling stock had become since filing bankruptcy. I must say alot of the trackage in this film looked pretty good! And the locomotives seemed to have newer coats of paint on them.
0:41 transporting getaway vans we see in 70s and 80s movies!
0:52 caboose days
Lyon, Whoops! We are wrong! I just looked it up on Fallen Flags. Both 6096 and 6051 are straight SD-40's. You can look at telling photos of both engines on the website.
An excellent video. ♡ T.E.N.
I miss these days of railfanning. Todays class I's are bore me.
Great and unique video, Ed! This will be my first ever TH-cam comment, big train lover! Subscribed :)
What a GREAT classic post. I was 4 when this was filmed and loved every second of it. Thanx for sharing. Didnt like it, Loved it.
This must’ve been videotaped with an early portable camcorder from the early 1970’s.They were pretty rare back then .Only tv stations and studios had them
wow cool to see this never got to see the trains running there
I remember "Benny" well. My buddy and I camped out there in '80 and '81.
Great to see all these video's on National Train Day
very interesting
Didn't know Penn Central had SD40's, but there are two of them pushing on that first train.
Penn central got their sd40s from the pennsy
The old Penn Central 1974.
Indeed there JULIAN Heyward!,LOL anyway.Exactly 2 years before it went history & became CONRAIL.
it would've been nice to see Penn Central continue on, I model Penn Central in HO Scale both freight and passenger.
I'm an avid fan of PC.Soon to join the PC R.R.Historical Society.
Love the great flashback!
2:35. Now that's beautiful 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸❤️❤️❤️
The 3 leading units are GE. I'd say they are U33C models.
That road the kid is riding his bike going under the flyover at 3:17 leads to Sanker Town.
I believe you're half right.
The last unit is #6051 and the unit in front is #6096. Both have the extended rear porch found only on the Dash-2's
I would say the two trailing units are Dash-2's.
Boy, is this old news. SD38,SD39,SD40 all had the big porches because they shared the same frame with the SD45. Why the porches? Because SD45s had 20 cylinder engines. So EMD simply used the same frame for 38s,39s,and 40s. SD38s and SD40s had 16 cylinder 645 engines(38s-non turbo/40s- turbo'd). SD39s had 12 cylinder turbo'd 645s(hence SD39s could have had even bigger porches but EMD standardized the hood length. Same thing repeated with the -2 line except EMD never built a factory SD39-2. Tunnel motor versions have an even longer frame. Just google any EMD products, and you can get all the specs info you ever wanted. I've been a rivot counting railfan for over 40 years now, so the reason why I said old news is because I've had these infos long before the internet existed.
BTW, both those units are original PC SD40s. PC never bought any SD40-2s. Again, google original SD40-2 owners. Conrail bought SD40-2s.
Those units in the back are all SD40s
Penn central never ordered SD40-2s
Those whistles though
wild to think that at this time, 'tales from topographic oceans' by Yes was still a brand new album
The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” was the #1 tune in 1968 when the PC was created from the PRR and NYC. I remember a tv commercial announcing the merger, using a great creative graphic of two couplers getting closer together to the sound of a Diesel loco, and when they clashed together, coupled, they formed the PC logo. Cool.
thank's for that fantastic video
Great video!
Ex-New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route.
Very good !
Ah, good old Penn Central. The video showcasing how good of a railroad they were when in reality they were a terrible railroad. Don't get me wrong I like Penn Central, I just hate how bad they were doing.
This looks better than the average amateur video available at the time. Give us some background as to the production equipment and techniques.
The black paint job on Penn Central possibly was to symbolize the dark times in America especially in the 60s and 70s, and then later it became blue with Conrail. But the track did look like it was fairly maintained back in those days.
What kind of camera was used to film the scenes back in 1974 because the footage isn't like 16 millimeter or 8 millimeter film seen in say Charles smilies films of the same era the film is more like the kind you would see in the 1980s or 90s
it was likely still 16mm, just higher quality and digitized properly
Awesome!!!
Beautiful quality for fucking 1974
Excellent
Love it!
The sounds sound dubbed in
Awesome retrospective..enjoyed very much..man that PC stuff was dark and dreary
my uncle ed was born. in the 50s. one video of Norfolk and western diesel freight. he got. hr got permission and the ok to hope up top a box car! to film it!
1:09 nice Leslie.
WOW WOW WOW!!!
tough curve
So this is just video no sound?
Is the audio exact?
What's the "pole" for at 4:22?
Open car transports OMG
on the first train wasnt the last loco was a SD40-2?
I'm very sure both of the last locos on the first train were SD40s. Both may still be in service today.
No they were SD40s
SL4-T Amtrak horns
Do you think the 9/11 fiasco is the reason for more security? What a joke! Great video by the way!
P9
Ww