Otto Perry’s First Generation Diesels

Producer: Dave Gross

Locations: USA

Timeframe: 1940s- 1960s

Length: 65 minutes

Source: Otto Perry

A prolific railroad Cinematographer from an earlier era was Otto Perry. Rocky Mountain Railroad Club has provided some of his films in this wide ranging show.

Rio Grande is one of the stars in the show. Burlington Route, Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific are plentiful. Additionally, Rock Island, Western Pacific, Northern Pacific, Gulf, Mobile and Ohio, Milwaukee Road, Southern, and Wabash in smaller quantities. More railroads in cameo appearances. Overall, passenger trains dominate. Since many trains are briefly shot, the locomotives are king. There is just enough interpolating steam to remind of the transition era.

Viewers shall witness the ubiquitous F units which were replacing venerable steam locomotives. Naturally are E units in different incarnations. Featured builders include: Electro-motive, Alco, Baldwin and Fairbanks -Morse. Various oddballs are found on passenger trains, as well.

A single DVD-R. Looks best played in fullscreen 4×3. Dubbed audio for trains. Very clean films. Color dominates with some black and white footage. Balanced soundtrack.

Main Chapter Menu. Hidden chapter advance. Some basic maps. On-screen graphics with a few details.  Narrated by Rich Melvin.

To the Trains… 👉

Otto favored filming on The Moffat Route in Colorado. A sizeable variety of trains along this line. Here is the Winter Ski Train. Four Electro-Motive FT units and a GP7 power this one from Denver to Winter Park. This scene at Plainview.

Denver Union Station is very busy. Variety of railroads service this station. Mixture of black and white plus color films here. Burlington Route F3A-B-A lash-up enters Denver hauling the Exposition Flyer.

Santa Fe F7 set with a detoured train at Castle Rock in 1951. Numerous ATSF trains are in this program. Early blue/ yellow F units pull freights too.

Action on the Kansas Pacific line. This is Union Pacific line from Denver to Kansas City. Wabash led this City of St. Louis behind E units. 

Assorted Rock Island trains appear via trackage rights between Denver and Limon. Here we have Rock Island 1218 (GP7) switching with steam at Limon, CO.

Union Pacific F3A-B-B lash-up leads the 3 diesels ahead of a Challenger at Hermosa. This is on Sherman Hill.

Northern Pacific FT 6002 arrives at Butte, Montana in 1949. A trip in 1956 yields plenty of various F units on passenger and freight trains.

Fairbanks -Morse Erie Built FMA #8A power the Olympian Hiawatha at Pipestone Pass in June, 1949.

Gulf, Mobile and Ohio engine 742. Alco FA units at Wickliffe, Kentucky in 1951.

Pennsylvania Railroad. Spirit of St. Louis departs behind an E units from Union Station. A Baltimore and Ohio move is to the left.

The visit to St. Louis Union Station yields many road names. Missouri Pacific PA passes a stopped New York Central train behind some E7 engines.

A former Norfolk and Western articulated steam engine shoves a freight on the Moffat Route. Check the soot on the caboose.

Otto Perry’s First Generation Diesels

A whirlwind tour across America from the 1940s into the 1960s. This fast paced show has a cornucopia of railroads. Passenger Trains galore. Mostly fallen flags. Many more roads to enjoy, compared to the space of a review. Action is jam packed.

The Cinematography is excellent by Otto Perry. While most everything here is rare. Some scenes have mega rare locomotives shown on, in service movie film. Note the amazing quality on the 1940s color film scenes.

By the way… Short scenes are time limitations on old movie cameras. Many would catch the front of a train and some might have shot the caboose or tail car. Film was also expensive. We are fortunate to even have old train films available.

Soundtrack contains dubbed train sounds. They beat watching silent reels. Solid narrative by Rich Melvin. Balanced levels.

Machines of Iron has this extraordinary collection of vintage diesels operating a wide variety of models and locations across America. Enough remaining steam to see some of the Transition Era in America. An absolute must see for Railfans and Model Railroaders who appreciate these earlier years.

Rating: 5 Stars