Here is a link to a promotional film made for the Southern Belle just after it went into service. The first third has the Miss Southern Belle pageant and the rest is about the train and KCS connecting bus service. Has some good film of the sleeping car, dining car and lounge area.
THank you James.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Indeed, quite the find, Mr. Icks.
Posted by jlcks (Member # 7282) on :
There were also films on that list with the Southern Belle that were on the Super Chief, dome cars, and the 20th Century Ltd.
Posted by Dixie Flyer (Member # 4640) on :
And also Southern Pacific's Coast Daylight.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
It appears that You Tube member, PoathJunction, has compiled quite a library of railroad sponsored "propaganda' films:
Be assured youngsters, documentary filmaking has come a long way since 'back in my day', when the male monotone narrator read his lines with the "pitty pat' background music. Oh, and nary a frown from the "actors' ("models' is more descriptive).
However, I think the dating of the Wabash RR film is off a bit, while it was produced later than 1952, as that was when the P-S Parlor Dome was added to the 1950 Budd "Blue Bird" consist, it was earlier than the 1957 date noted. I recall seeing that film at Summer Camp, and those years were Summers 1952-55 (Meredith NH on the B&M).
Ken Burns has indeed advanced the "state of the art".
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
Ken Burns makes fine documentaries, but I absolutely enjoyed watching as many of those old newsreel accounts as I could yesterday. They load very slow on my computer, but certainly worth the wait. A big thanks for posting the link.
Posted by Tanner929 (Member # 3720) on :
I think the this showed an old addage.. People love to go to the train station to meet the train but never get on the train.