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Railroaders 1958

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The National Film Board of Canada

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Another austere and homey train documentary from the good folks in the Great White North. This one features the glorious scenery of the Rocky Mountains along the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia.

It’s winter. As the line’s premium streamliner, “The Canadian” transports passengers through the snowy wonderland in luxurious comfort, we go behind the scenes to observe the army of workers needed to keep the right-of-way clear and the trains moving. On time.

This movie short has it all. Meets, Pocket watches, Cab rides, Cabooses, First generation diesel locomotives, Speeders, Semaphores, Clearing Switches, Diner in the diner, and hooping up train orders.

Alllll Aboard!

LET IT SNOW! CPR #1432 (GMD FP7A October 1951 built as #4041) leads train #7, the westbound Dominion approaching Stoney Creek, BC.

Per my October 1959 Official Guide, both The Canadian and Dominion were domeliners that passed through Revelstoke mostly during daylight hours.

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Some Trouble At Troublesome 1956

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Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad

There actually is a location in Colorado called Troublesome (for Troublesome Creek) just a few miles east of Kremmling, where Union Pacific (nee-D&RGW) still has a short siding.

Our feature starts off with a lecture from G.B. Aydelott, President Rio Grande Railroad, scrolling across the screen and continues with the somewhat patronizing tone of the narrator. “This train is worth over a MILLION dollars”, he repeats over and over (implying “which you careless employees turned into splintered wood, contorted steel, and ruined lading”).

Having experienced the wrath of management, our story begins in the remote community of Bond, Colorado. It’s oh-dark 30 in the morning and the 5 man crew (remember those?) is reporting for duty to take the SPD (Southern Pacific – Denver) to Roper Yard in the Mile-High City.

The head end crew, (engineer, fireman, head brakeman) prepares to climb aboard DRGW #5554, an EMD F7A built in February 1949 leading an A-B-B-A set of units. The beautiful “Prospector” scheme in Aspen Gold and silver graces the flanks of these locomotives.

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