Hollywood Outtakes: Alco PA-1's Arriving at South Station, Boston

The New Haven Railroad had emerged from its first bankruptcy just a few years before these shots were taken. The railroad took delivery of 27 Alco PA-1's in 1948 and 1949, including the two seen here, the 0778 and the 0762. The former is in traditional New Haven green and yellow, but the latter is in the rarely-seen light-orange and green paint with silver pinstriping.

[@lorettacaputo6997]

NH....Gone but not forgotten.

[@ruffian2952]

These ended their running days assigned to the First Street Yard (Boston Freight Terminal) to Lowell B&M freight symbol BL-1 and LB-2. Late 1960's to 1970's.

[@historybuff0393]

Nice video and nice playing of Prokofiev.

[@davidfuller581]

Amazing how South Station looks exactly the damn same today...

[@plunkervillerr1529]

Very nice, Thank you.

[@cruzcontrol1504]

Beautiful stuff beautifully done

[@allegheny48]

Thanks for posting these. Interesting that both PA's still had their front coupler covers intact. When you mentioned the different paint schemes on these PA's I thought of asking if you have ever considered using colorizing software on some of your videos? ALCO PA's have always been my favorite passenger diesel having grown up in Conneaut, OH and seeing the NKP's Bluebirds. Thanks again for posting this.

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

There's a lot of UA-cam creators out there doing colorization, stabilization and frame interpolation on old B&W film, and there certainly is a wow factor to the results. But while I should be doing stabilization, and frame interpolation is nice, I'm just not a fan of colorization. It looks great at first, but it doesn't bear up under closer inspection. A video I posted recently, the one of lower New York, looks so great in B&W, I would never want to colorize it.

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

P.S. I rode behind PA's only twice that I know of, on D&H's Laurentian. I lived only a few miles away when they were doing Boston-area commuter service in the late 1970's, but I never went out to see them.

[@allegheny48]

@@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo Sometime in the late 1950's our dad took my sister, younger brother and me on an NKP passenger train to Buffalo and back. Although I remember little about the iconic Buffalo train station I well remember the train ride and hearing the PA's Nathan 5 chime horns blowing for grade crossings.

[@51pogo]

Great to see and oh, so Important for history’s sake - add our enjoyment! Thanks!!

[@CraftyFoxe]

Is it just me or the first few seconds of it, kinda looks like a game till the people came out

[@albertpatterson3675]

Look at the Baby Boomer kids all in their seventies now!

[@charlesferebee263]

PAs Forever. ! People back then. Though always dressed up. Looked really tired. Must be around war time or just after. ? 🤔🇺🇸

[@SpeedGraphicFilmVideo]

I suspect that it was a very hot day. And likely no air conditioning in coach.