World Passenger Steam Trains – Railroad Anthropology – Trainz: A New Era
Some of you may note that once in awhile, I post a video by one of my favorite UK Steam video/DVD companies: PSOV http://www.mainlinesteam.net/
There are, however, many great videographers as well, from the UK.
Here is another video posted by Andy Edkins, a compilation of UK steam in 2013.
57 Irish workers who were hired from Ireland to help build some of the first tracks for the Pennsylvania Railroad, were buried in mass graves by the rail site. These people were virtually unknown and forgotten until a group of scientists uncovered mysteries that did not quite fit the silence or the known stories of death by cholera.
Railroads are built by sweat and blood. Industrialization was not only about bigger and better opportunities, but were also about the social relations and death that ‘bigger and better’ brings about.
The story of the Irish people in general, along with others in the histories of Europe and in the United States, must be told over and over, to understand all that we have and don’t have.
On PBS on Wednesday May 8, at 10:00 Eastern Standard Time, PBS will air another documentary/movie on this topic.
http://www.thirteen.org/13pressroom/press-release/secrets-of-the-dead-death-on-the-railroad/
For more information on Duffy’s Cut, please visit:
New York Times article March 24, 2013
They can also be followed on Facebook here.
Some of the most beautiful scenes of vintage European steam in film were crafted in French filmmaker Jean Renoir’s 1938 film entitled La Bête humaine (English: The Human Beast; and in the UK released also as Judas Was a Woman).
The film centers on an express train engineer who discovers his wife was seduced by a wealthy godfather and plots their murder. This murder is witnessed by a co-railway worker. The plot complexifies further with the ramifications of this murderous path.
The express steam train pulled by French steam type 231 plays a major star role in the movie throughout, representing and symbolizing the human journeys, with beautiful photography and atmosphere.
Read more here:
Here are some clips:
Often, unknowing people only see toy trains and tour trains that travel slowly, making the people of today have unrealistic memories and images of how steam travel was. Although I can say that in Europe, many steam excursion trains run at speed, sometimes, most of the steam trains in Japan and the United States travel at slower speeds than what it would have been like in the days when steam was everyday normal.
These videos give a glimpse of what some of the “at-speed” speeds were like. Most of the express passenger trains pulled by steam locomotives in the 1930s through the early 50s, traveled at speeds exceeding 80 mph and the best of them traveled at over 100 mph.
Today, the fastest electric and magnet-driven trains can go over 300 mph. In the United States, this has not been seen yet. The United States, at the moment, does not seem to care too much about rail travel, even as more and more people are returning to the joys of train travel today, becoming tired of the monopoly of air, bus and car long-distance travel.
Below, from 1995, is a clip from a PSOV DVD, of the Princess Elizabeth #46203 locomotive speeding by at over 60 mph, and at 80 mph at stations.
This is one of those sensual memories for those of us who grew up with steam trains.
Although I grew up in Japan in the 50s and 60s, the sight of a running steam train coming through the crossing while we stopped, heard, felt, smelled—is forever burned in memory, no matter what country.
Below is an example from the UK. User willhayfield has posted this wonderful short video of 34067 Tangmere pulling the Cathedrals Express special through Mottisfont and Dunbridge on October 2011.
Turn up the volume!
Steam running full speed or coming into stations is rare in the United States and in places such as Japan, even, where steam used to be the pinnacle of passenger travel.
However, in places such as the UK, Germany, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, and Italy– one can still see Steam Trains running without diesel helpers, strangulated speed restrictions, and tour-train looks that make the steam train appear toy-like.
One aspect of steam trains that is sorely missed in most places, is captured beautifully on DVD video by the UK video company–PSOV (Preserved Steam On Video). This is one of the top five steam video production companies from the UK, in my opinion.
Below I show a wonderful example. It is their collection of preserved UK steam running at Night. Spectacular colors, reflections, sound and energy emerge.
For more information on this video, you can see it at this link:
http://www.mainlinesteam.net/Steam_at_Night.htm
The music is by ‘The Pargeters‘
For more videos by the wonderful DVD site, visit:
Enjoy the Trailer!
On March 8, 2012, Alan Pegler passed away at 91 years old. Arguably the most famous internationally known steam locomotive is the Flying Scotsman, a LNER (former London & Northeastern Railway) Class A3 steam locomotive, #4472 of the United Kingdom. It was a famous express passenger locomotive of the time. In 1972, the Flying Scotsman was brought on a tour of the United States. The tour was unsuccessful.
Alan Pegler is also credited with single-handedly “saving” the Ffestiniog Railway of Wales, from extinction, buying it and reviving it as a modern excursion/tour railway.
He had bankrupted his family fortune via the purchase and maintenance of the #4472 Flying Scotsman and was thought of by many to be obsessed. However, most view him as one committed to his love of steam and historical rail in the United Kingdom.
LINK TO ARTICLE:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2012/mar/25/alan-pegler-obituary
The most famous and active narrow gauge steam train system in the world, is the beautiful Harz mountains system in Germany, the Harz Railway (Harz schmalspurbahnen).
The trains carry the most number of tourists from around the world and also serves as a community system linking various mountain communities. It was built before the splitting of Germany into two, and today, serves as a most scenic and interesting system for locals and for tourists.
World Steam 