Some shots of vintage B&O steam that actually has sound recorded on the scene by Fred McLeod. Clip is from "B&O/C&O Live Steam!" from Herron Rail Video www.herronrail.com
Fred used a very expensive Auricon 16mm camera that correctly synced sound with the video via a magnetic strip on the film. This was cutting-edge technology for that era. And well out of financial reach for most railfans. Thank you Fred!
I believe Auricons photographed a synchronized optical track. I could be wrong: they may have been updated, but I think they were optical until many of them were rebuilt as CP-16's in the '60's.
The Baltimore and Ohio. Such an underrated line. While the Pennsylvania, Union Pacific and Norfolk and Western battle over who gets to hog the glory, the railroad that started it all in the US provides its own set of amazing scenes
My dad retired from the B&O. He worked on the Wheeling Division ,from Kenova, WV to Wheeling, WV. Also Clarksburg,WV, Parkersburg, Spencer, Point Plesant, WV. etc. He also worked on lowering the tunnels - roadbed from Parkersburg to Clarksburg. Now it is A Rails to Trails. The tracks were removed many years ago.
Wow! The first train is powered by a B&O 2-8-8-4 EM1. At 2:04 another EM1 is pulling a excursion train at speed. Those things were 126 feet long and produced upwards of 6000 horsepower. Great video!
I remember reading how they pulled an EM-1 out for a special excursion. The splashed light grey paint on the smokebox for the occasion. Got to give the B&O credit- they were a class act.
My Ggrandfather was a fireman for the B&O. He was killed in McConnellsville PA by a passing freighter. It seems his train was on a siding and he stepped he fell into the path of the approaching train and according to newspaper accounts his body was hurled some distance. This happened 29 June 1913. The only record of him that I’ve ever been able to find is his obituary. I wish more records of this company had been preserved.
My grandfather, father, uncle and two cousins worked for the B&O RR. We lived in Cumberland Maryland. My grandfather worked on the rails, my Uncle was a boilermaker in the Cumberland shops. And I actually worked in the “Caller’s Office” for one summer. I can still hear the sounds and smell the smells. At that time (1950’s), Cumberland had many good blue collar employers. Besides the railroads, there was PPG, Celanese, Hercules, Kelly Springfield Tires and others. Sadly, all gone and Cumberland is struggling.
Baltimore & ohio, Chesapeake & ohio, and nickle plate. Were staples when I lived there in the 50s & 60s we would run to the tracks when we heard steamers. Used to walk the rails to bo camps find fruit planted from generations past. The Berry's tiny as they were was good with ice cream. Tks for the trip down memory lane.
Thank you for presenting the sound of the old steam locomotives and their classic whistles, the way America once knew them to be. Another educational tool for future generations to learn about the railroads and how they dominated travel and transportation years ago.
@UnIonPacCheyenne One was supposed to be saved and sent to the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore, but it didn't happen. As late as 1962 there was still one on B&O yard property rusting away, but still salvageable. But it, too, would up scrapped. :(
@tinman3804 EM-1s were built at the end of WW2 for the B&O by Baldwin. They were huge, fast, and extremely powerful freight engines designed to pull everything from coal drags to express trains. They were even used in passenger service. They had a 2-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, were nearly 126 feet long, weighed 1.1 million pounds, and produced 6000+ HP. They were basically the B&O's version of the Big Boy locomotive. All of them were scrapped in the early 1960's.
It's a very enjoyable sight to see B&O rr steam locomotives in action, steam engines are unique and from a past era of railroading which always makes them an enjoyable sight to observe in action.
So many passenger trains that are mostly mail and express with just one or two coaches. Very easy to see how the loss of mail and express killed the passenger train. If the federal government wanted to preserve passenger service they should have left the mail on the rails!!
wow that must've cost him a pretty penny to get recording, AND live sound. for today's standards thats pretty bad, but you gotta remind yourself: this is 8/16mm film in black and white made in the 1950s, for the day, this is movie studio class sounds.
If I could take one trip back in time I would stop 9/11 or save JFK I would sit at the tracks at the railroad station all day and just watch I can't immage seeing all theirs steamers it's just speachless
one EM-1 was saved till 1961or62 i have a picture of it in Butler Junction Pa. it was supposed to go to the B&O museum, but the supervisor of that yard sent it for scrap to the dietz scrap yard where it met its doom, the story i read was that supervisor that scraped it was immedeitly fired when the higher ups found out what he did, he said he didnt know to save it they should have hung his ass!
@Seth Merges It was actually #650, the first EM-1 that was built (originally #7600). It was put on a siding in West Virginia to be taken to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, but the yardmaster didn't understand why it was out there, so he sold it to a scrap dealer by mistake. By the time management found out what happened, #650 had already been scrapped. Needless to say, that yardmaster ended up being fired. I imagine that if #650 survived, it would be in the spot at the Museum where C&O #1604 is now. Who knows, it may have even been restored and started pulling excursions!
The EM-1s on the B&O used a very similar "Hooter" whistle to the N&W Hooters they were slightly different, but sounded identical railside. 1218 had an original N&W hooter, so it should sound just like the whistle in the video... which was an original B&O hooter.
Fred used a very expensive Auricon 16mm camera that correctly synced sound with the video via a magnetic strip on the film. This was cutting-edge technology for that era. And well out of financial reach for most railfans. Thank you Fred!
Yeah, wish he could’ve filmed more
I believe Auricons photographed a synchronized optical track. I could be wrong: they may have been updated, but I think they were optical until many of them were rebuilt as CP-16's in the '60's.
The Baltimore and Ohio. Such an underrated line. While the Pennsylvania, Union Pacific and Norfolk and Western battle over who gets to hog the glory, the railroad that started it all in the US provides its own set of amazing scenes
B&O had class that few roads could match, for sure!
@@manda60 Oh, the Cincinnatian is certainly proof of that
My dad retired from the B&O. He worked on the Wheeling Division ,from Kenova, WV to Wheeling, WV. Also Clarksburg,WV, Parkersburg, Spencer, Point Plesant, WV. etc. He also worked on lowering the tunnels - roadbed from Parkersburg to Clarksburg. Now it is A Rails to Trails. The tracks were removed many years ago.
In model railroading magazines of the 1960's, it was said that everyone had two favorite railroads: the B & O and one other.
My favorite railroad and also the first that started it all
Wow! The first train is powered by a B&O 2-8-8-4 EM1. At 2:04 another EM1 is pulling a excursion train at speed. Those things were 126 feet long and produced upwards of 6000 horsepower. Great video!
Old sound is great for two reasons:
1. It's authentic
2. It fits in with the quality of the film
This is better than 140p
I remember reading how they pulled an EM-1 out for a special excursion. The splashed light grey paint on the smokebox for the occasion. Got to give the B&O credit- they were a class act.
2:02 That engineer really knew how to quell the whistle. It sounds haunting af
Love the open gondola with all the people riding in it at about 60 per. A lawyer's dream come true now. What a shame we'll never get to have such fun.
My Ggrandfather was a fireman for the B&O. He was killed in McConnellsville PA by a passing freighter. It seems his train was on a siding and he stepped he fell into the path of the approaching train and according to newspaper accounts his body was hurled some distance. This happened 29 June 1913. The only record of him that I’ve ever been able to find is his obituary. I wish more records of this company had been preserved.
My grandfather, father, uncle and two cousins worked for the B&O RR. We lived in Cumberland Maryland. My grandfather worked on the rails, my Uncle was a boilermaker in the Cumberland shops. And I actually worked in the “Caller’s Office” for one summer. I can still hear the sounds and smell the smells. At that time (1950’s), Cumberland had many good blue collar employers. Besides the railroads, there was PPG, Celanese, Hercules, Kelly Springfield Tires and others. Sadly, all gone and Cumberland is struggling.
Best parts: All of them, I especially loved the double-headed Pacifics!
Baltimore & ohio, Chesapeake & ohio, and nickle plate. Were staples when I lived there in the 50s & 60s we would run to the tracks when we heard steamers. Used to walk the rails to bo camps find fruit planted from generations past. The Berry's tiny as they were was good with ice cream. Tks for the trip down memory lane.
The whistles on those EM-1s sounds like it really belongs on a Norfolk and Western A or Y class locomotive.
That's because they're similar whistles.
David. I said the same thing !
lived near b&o line in 50,s 60,s , great memories thanks
Thank you for presenting the sound of the old steam locomotives and their classic whistles, the way America once knew them to be. Another educational tool for future generations to learn about the railroads and how they dominated travel and transportation years ago.
@UnIonPacCheyenne One was supposed to be saved and sent to the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore, but it didn't happen. As late as 1962 there was still one on B&O yard property rusting away, but still salvageable. But it, too, would up scrapped. :(
@tinman3804 EM-1s were built at the end of WW2 for the B&O by Baldwin. They were huge, fast, and extremely powerful freight engines designed to pull everything from coal drags to express trains. They were even used in passenger service. They had a 2-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, were nearly 126 feet long, weighed 1.1 million pounds, and produced 6000+ HP. They were basically the B&O's version of the Big Boy locomotive. All of them were scrapped in the early 1960's.
I would have love to seen an EM-1 and an SP AC-9 preserved.
Love the audio quality!
Simply amazing I loved everything about that train thanks for the video 👍🇺🇸
@boardman49: The whistle on the EM-1 was similar to the N&W hooter, but not exactly the same.
Was there ever a better and more haunting sound than a coal country hooter.
EXCELLENT! Just found this. Steam locos, the way railroading was meant to be!!!
Wow great footage and the steam whistle is so real
Utterly Magnificent. Five Stars.
10
Great footage!
It's a very enjoyable sight to see B&O rr steam locomotives in action, steam engines are unique and from a past era of railroading which always makes them an enjoyable sight to observe in action.
Oh wow! That was great. Thank you.
So many passenger trains that are mostly mail and express with just one or two coaches. Very easy to see how the loss of mail and express killed the passenger train. If the federal government wanted to preserve passenger service they should have left the mail on the rails!!
wow that must've cost him a pretty penny to get recording, AND live sound.
for today's standards thats pretty bad, but you gotta remind yourself: this is 8/16mm film in black and white made in the 1950s, for the day, this is movie studio class sounds.
He knew it was worth it.
JacksonAndLansing Railroad
Good investment, this has to be the best preservation of B&O.
Awesome.
@tinman3804 That's an EM-1 2-8-8-4
If I could take one trip back in time I would stop 9/11 or save JFK I would sit at the tracks at the railroad station all day and just watch I can't immage seeing all theirs steamers it's just speachless
0:13: Authentic B&O EM-1 whistle.
1:46 One of my favorites
one EM-1 was saved till 1961or62 i have a picture of it in Butler Junction Pa. it was supposed to go to the B&O museum, but the supervisor of that yard sent it for scrap to the dietz scrap yard where it met its doom, the story i read was that supervisor that scraped it was immedeitly fired when the higher ups found out what he did, he said he didnt know to save it they should have hung his ass!
AMEN to that!
@Fireheart528 that looks to be a Class EM-1 2-8-8-4.
an em-1 needs to be rebuilt very soon...
All were scrapped
@Seth Merges It was actually #650, the first EM-1 that was built (originally #7600). It was put on a siding in West Virginia to be taken to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, but the yardmaster didn't understand why it was out there, so he sold it to a scrap dealer by mistake. By the time management found out what happened, #650 had already been scrapped. Needless to say, that yardmaster ended up being fired. I imagine that if #650 survived, it would be in the spot at the Museum where C&O #1604 is now. Who knows, it may have even been restored and started pulling excursions!
It has a N&W hooter whistle.
Very interesting, especially with the authentic sound. It sounds like the whistle at 1:54 could use a cleaning.
Baltimore & Ohio 3-chime
Love the 4-8-2's whistle at 2:33. Awesome
So that was a T-3. I couldn't tell if it was that or an S-1 that happened to receive the newer B&O steam look in the late 50s.
god i hope time travel becomes possible soon
now thats how people and goods should be moved!
Were those last two trains running along the P&LE near Youngstown, OH?
Good
that articulated has a slimier sounding whistle of 1218 but ik its not her whistle and i'm referring the the scene at 0:13
The EM-1s on the B&O used a very similar "Hooter" whistle to the N&W Hooters they were slightly different, but sounded identical railside.
1218 had an original N&W hooter, so it should sound just like the whistle in the video... which was an original B&O hooter.
Two EM1's had steamboat whistles, if I remember correctly, one of them was 7611.
Hey there, would you mind If I use this video for a school project? Just trying to avoid copyright issues...
0:13 and 1:46 would make for perfect ghost train whistles!
Real railfans ride in the gondola cars if an EM-1 is on the point?
What is that whistle at 1:48? I like it!
the whistle at the start of the video resembles that of a stanier hooter, strange.
Good. I HATE added-in sound.
What the heck was that Monster at 2:02? Was that a Y???
B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4
on a fantrip
Caitlin
Good news is that the man who was ready to get scrapped the B&O EM-1 659 was fired from his job.
The Baltimore and Ohio Steam.
Any idea where these scenes were filmed? I wonder how they appear today, and if any of the places even have rail today.
wrong railroad, the H-8 operated on the C&O
What’s not to like about that!?
what was that whistle at 0:47?
B&O 6-chime
2:33
0:13
Do you have any Allegheny footage? If so could you make a DVD. And before you ask, I don't have money to buy the DVD.
I am not formulae with the EM-1. Are there any still around?
Sadly no. All were scrapped by 1962-63
What if the B&O EM-1 will be rebuilt very soon?
@bigsteam5344 No offense meant by this at all,....but if you want to see the video that badly, why not just buy the DVD yourself?
What’s the next show that has Steam related?
4-6-0’s around the World!
haha 2:25 cheapo tickets?
Nope, those are the distinguished and true FOAMERS. Lol
Loud