On March 19, 2022, I was asked by the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society to be a guest at their annual banquet. They were very fortunate to have digitized copies of a “few” of John’s incredible collection of 16mm railroad films… which he began shooting in 1936. The original thought was for me to provide commentary on the films we were watching, since I was well versed in John’s life, and the photos, films, and sound recordings John made throughout his life.
I was completely prepared for what I was going to talk about as I previewed the small collection of films the Chapter had in a single video of John’s digitized films. However, two weeks before the banquet, I found a nondescript VHS tape that I had completely forgotten about. There’s really no need for me to say any more. The video you are about to watch will explain it all.
Video Chapters
0:00 – Introduction and overview
5:37 – The 1st Film – PRR footage at Ebenezer, NY, 1936
12:09 – John’s first color film, 1937
15:53 – PRR footage from the new Union Road overpass bridge, 1937
16:20 – PRR Train 571 and 570 in Arcade, NY
17:20 – Oil City, PA. John’s favorite engine… the PRR E-3
18:04 – PRR Train 571 in Lockhaven, PA
18:50 – PRR S-1 at the New York World’s Fair in 1939
1923 – PRR BNY-14 freight train south of Ebenezer, NY, 1940
20:49 – The 2nd Film – Johnstown, PA & more
21:15 – PRR footage in Baltimore, MD – “Diesels were rare and unusual”
22:50 – Englewood, Chicago 1948 – “It looks black to me…”
24:39 – East of the Gallitzin Tunnel on the PRR
25:20 – Tyrone, PA – Bald Eagle Branch
27:10 – PRR M-1 pulling a train, 1956
27:47 – PRR D-16 in Strasburg, PA, 1962
31:22 – The 3rd Film – John’s trip from Philadelphia to Pittsburg
47:35 – The 4th Film – John’s return trip from Pittsburg back to Philadelphia
51:05 – The 5th Film – Pacing a NYC train from Broadway Avenue in Buffalo
52:39 – Track pans & water scooping
1:04:26 – Introduction to John’s PRR Horseshoe Curve films
1:07:44 – John talks about contributing to Don Ball’s PRR book
1:10:46 – The 6th Film – The Horseshoe Curve copy print
1:20:26 – Closing credits
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This right here needs to be in the National Archives just cause. Its our cultural and National Heritage!!!
Thank you for sharing. No need to apologize for the color & lack of sharpness. When you find the original, very important, take it to a professional digital movie editor to have them correct the color and at the same time it will help sharpen the image. What year did you shoot this film? A good digital movie editor can work with this but it will cost extra money.
Who ever did your work transferring this wonderful PRR footage to digital movie did not do it justice.
My father was a professional movie editor and script writer during the early color film era. He told me that the original color negative “print” movie film was not very good for viewing because it was not color corrected. He would have to take it to a professional film color lab like Colbern Lab in Chicago near where we lived at the time. Some how they would transfer the original print from negative to positive doing the color correction in the process. The sound track was added also.
I’ve done enough digital film scanning of 35mm slides and larger to know color film has a thickness that exceeds most scanner’s ability to sharpen even the tiny depth of field of that thickness. So the digital editor must use a sophisticated sharpen tool while scanning the original film. It can be done later but not as good. I do not know how it is done with movie film. Good luck.
Glad you were able to get this history on film before it’s lost forever. Thanks again for your video.
How wonderful that this man preserved this history of mostly the Pennsylvania Railroad. I’m very bias towards this Railroad, as my family worked on the PRR,Penn Central, Conrail, Amtrak and NJTRO. Starting with my Great, Great Grandfather and my Great Grandfather whom were Locomotive Engineers, to my Great Grandfathers 3 sons that were Conductors,to my father and two of his brothers and a brother in law that were Conductors. Then onto my brother a Conductor. Myself and my two sons Locomotive Engineers and my Grandson, who just got promoted to Conductor.
Oh boy, I have too stop and look up Church street in Buffalo to see what it is today. Don't know why, but your commentary sure had the eyes tear up. Great post, Thanks.
I have no idea that the PRR had Track Pans.I thought that the NYC was the only Road that had them
If John M. Prophet 3 did Hollywood making train movie shorts might make him as good as gold is that all his film shorts are good as gold.
this is a great film i really enjoy watching it over an over.
Fascinating, thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for this amazing share!
That deteriorated film at the end on Horseshoe should be easy to correct, especially nowadays. White balance correction, and then more minute color corrections and sharpness filtering with a professional video editing program. With a good bit of money, you could even send it off to a professional and they'd make it look even better than the original.
The Duplex S1 was in particular my favorite part of this with it being on display. Incredible. This footage is and should be archived to avoid any further deterioration. We are lucky that you managed to get narration from the man himself while discussing his videos. These rare snapshots into the daily operations of the PRR are priceless. Rather than looking at old papers, and time tables, we get to physically see how these operations coexisted. Even the fact that horseshoe curve was scaled by an L1, M1, and a T1 which I never knew that the T1's would end up in a triple header, much less a double header. Now looking on at it, seems a funny choice because of their wheel slip problem. I guess if you had it available use it! Thank you for the production and information. This was truly enriching.
I cant wait for someone to restore this footage. The quality's already impeccable
hi from the UK! watching this on a decent size screen… fantastic footage, very good quality upload too. due to our 'toytown' loading gauge we have nothing comparable to the rolling Art Deco mountains (for starters!) in this film. many, many thanks for posting – this is history that deserves being kept alive. thank you sir!
This is absolutely fantastic! One of the things aside from the motive power that really impresses me is the quality of the roadbed and the lack of rocking back and forth. Our mainlines today would barely qualify for industry sidings in this era!
May I say I have watched this maybe 100 times over, I am in my late 20s, and volunteer as a railroad archivist preserving 8mm, Super 8mm, and 16mm movies of railroads, and am making videos now in hopes of being part of the next generation of vintage railroad video. The encapsulates the thrill that we all who are into it have had. Talking to the guys who actually shot the footage giving you all the info needed that no one else could, seeing something spectacular you know not many others have seen, and knowing that film was actually there when what you are seeing was all actually happening, it truly feels like going back in time. Funny thing is, Herron was actually a huge inspiration for doing what Im doing now. As someone who is doing the exact same work that you are doing, and a listener of your podcast, all this material is excellent, and I appreciate you putting this out there!
Yep wende rd right down the street nice work 👍👍love the up to grade shot on Union rd .right before they dig it out !..
He has a great memory
At 1:19:00….Q2 my favourite! Thanks Sirs
Incredible!!!!!!
The Tyrone Public Library had a copy of the Don Ball book discussed. I know because I checked it out! This must have been in 1999, while teaching at the Greer School in Birmingham (just east of Tyrone). Favorite spot to railfan was Iron Furnace, farther east. This video compilation is stupendous!
Could you offer a color corrected copy in addition to the original films? otherwise a great document of his work.
Wow! You had me right from 'the git-go! I was born in Buffalo, NY 9 December 1949. From about 6 years old my dad, to relax and escape the pressure of his work day, would take me about 6 miles from where we lived in the western edge of the Village of Hamburg, New York, down towards Lake Erie, and his favorite spot to view the trains going south out of Buffalo, to cities and towns along the lake and typically to end in Chicago. What a different world back then! This brings back so many memories. Gracias por tu video. RT sends, envía, Colonia Centro Histórico, Puebla, México…
This is awesome in so many ways. I'm a fourth generation railroader from western Pa. I'm an engineer/train buff/hillbilly historian. This my woman's account. Thank you so much for sharing this man with us. And I rode Amtrak recently from Pa to Texas. At least 80 Or so Amish the whole way. They were on a family vacation just riding the train….
In the time since you put these videos out, did John's original copy ever get returned? Especially seeing how it was brought to attention.
My family grow up in altoona pa my love for trains, thanks to my grandfather walter radwonski work Pennsylvania railroad for a little bit of time. My grandfather George radwonski, his youngest son, Frank radwonski work 40 years 😊😢
The 1930s was the greatest decade for the Pennsy. I absolutely adore the footage of Pennsy operations in NY and Horseshoe Cure.
Wow, amazing stuff. Thanks for sharing!
I absolutely love the J1 & M1 views, Rockville bridge plus The Big Engine, rolling away on the treadmill display!
The scene at 1:18:40, with the J1 and then the T1 coming out alongside into view, is phenomenal!!!
Listening to John talk makes me realize how blessed I am. As a railfan, having a dad who was a locomotive engineer for 40 years is something. The stories I get to hear are mostly amazing.
This is an astonishing film and a wonderful oral history, you should never need to excuse the clear enthusiasm you exhibit in the recording and i have to applaud your foresight in recording the whole evening with John. This kind of artifact is priceless, thankyou so much!
This is fantastic