Eastern Steam Trips

Producer: Greg Scholl

Locations: AZ, IL, OH, VA

Timeframe: 1950s, 1960s, 2002

Length: 1 hour 05 minutes

Sources: Warren Scholl, Don Jamison, A.J. Crockett, more…

This collection features assorted railroad operated steam specials from the 1950s and 1960s. Locomotives from: B&O, CB&Q, GTW, N&W, and Reading are the vintage subjects. Additionally, there is a 2002 event with a Grand Trunk steamer. Many scenes are from onboard the passenger cars.

A single DVD-R. Full screen 4×3 aspect ratio. No train sounds. Musical background.

Main Chapter Menu. Chapter advance function.  On-screen subtitles. Narrated by Brian Sellers.  A generous preview section.

A disclaimer before the show starts. To paraphrase. Quality varies due to films that are over 50 years old. Since no original audio was available, music for the soundtrack.

To the Trains… 👉

Alphabetical order is used. Baltimore and Ohio leads off. B&O 4-8-2 #701 in October, 20 1957 in Ohio. Diesels are also seen at Willard. An 0-8-0 is a working yard goat. Ride this excursion.

Final run with B&O 2-8-4 #421. May 1958. Cleveland to Holloway, Ohio. Warren Scholl film. He does detrain to shoot a couple of scenes. Most are onboard. Turntable at unknown location.

Burlington Route #4960. Excursion from Chicago on the CB&Q. Unknown dates. LaGrange Road Station. Vehicles are 1960s era. A second trip in April 1965. This engine wound up hauling tourists from Williams to Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 #6323. May 1961. Warren Scholl. One of its last trips. Alco built in 1942 and saved at Illinois Railway Museum.

Grand Trunk Western 6325 and Canadian Pacific 1293 lettered for Ohio Central here. The Grand Trunk hauls freight while the Canadian Pacific has a passenger consist. This is West of Coschocton, Ohio. Ohio Central Photo Special trains.

Norfolk & Western power. Various locomotives were filmed. Warren Scholl.

NW Y6b 2174 is West of Bluefield. Same date. Don Jamison film.

Trace Fork Viaduct. South of Yeager. Warren film. Also, NW 4-8-4 611 J class. Last run October, 1959. Train gets paced to Bluefield.  Extra film at the yard. Filmed by Jamison and Scholl.

Reading Rambles in the 1960s. . A.J. Crockett films. The handsome 4-8-4 T-1 class on a variety of dates. The 2100 here. Stops to return at Shamokin. A July 4th, 1964 celebration there.

T-1 class 2100 and 2102 on Reading Railroad to Tamaqua. September 1964. The 2102 departs from Reading.

It’s hard to imagine a railroad allowing unsecured passengers in the modern world. It is fairly common on the old excursions. People have nearly free reign in yatd areas at special events, as well. Model Railroaders, try a gondola full of patrons on your passenger train!

Eastern Steam Trips

Greg Scholl has assembled a collection of shorts into this predominately vintage show, featuring steam excursions. Lacking any original audio, the musical soundtrack is good.

Burlington Route and Grand Trunk Western from the 1960s were filmed in larger numbers. A variety of different dates.

The Grand Trunk 6325 appearance is excellent. This engine ran until 2004.

This collection is mainly rare excursion  film. Keep in mind that it is essentially amateur type cinematography. Limited scenes of the actual locomotives. It’s often shot with a crowd there. Greg thought it better to have people see the movies rather than keep them in storage. Good decision, considering the historical subject matter. Bump it up for scarcity.

Rating: 4 Stars