Ken, please move this to the new Historic Video sub-forum, thanks. I didn't see that sub-forum when I posted this.....
Hank, thanks for posting that. I have a copy on VHS that I ordered and received back when I became a "born-again" steam fan. It was very interesting to view it again today, after having learned a lot more about steam. It really is a primer on how a steam locomotive works, and the vast infrastructure and manpower required to keep a fleet of steam such as the Central owned, in service. Things I never would have noticed in the past--early on closeup of the drivers just starting to move, the No. 2 driver was a Scullin Disk, whereas the Nos. 1 and 3 were Boxpok. That would guarantee that the locomotive in that shot, even though a number wasn't visible, was a J-3. The back shop machinists were amazing, and I fear that those skills are rapidly declining in our country. The Central featured many different Hudsons in that video, appreciated by us NYCS fans. The amount of coal and sand and water used was staggering. I had forgotten "soft" vs. "hard" coal, even discussed while getting coal for the furnace in our home back then. Anthracite and Bituminous. Grate shaking, peculiar to coal fired locos. Out here in the west, most were oil fired, a whole different thing for the firemen. Great stuff, Hank.
Jim, happy to do. I'm amazed at what is available on YouTube. Just search for anything, e.g. "steam", "railroads 1945", even a Chevy video about passenger train safety.
