This film showed up on a Facebook page for modelers of the pre-Depression era.

I can't positively date the film, but the automobiles all appear to be pre-1930 models, and there are a number of solid-rubber tire trucks as well, including chain drive Macks. The sound seems original, and is of amazing quality, at least to me. I was able to pick out the reweigh dates on two freight cars, one that is 1927, and another that looks like 1929.

There is a film log card at the end, reading "Fox Case Cor'p," credits for what were probably director and photographer J. L Brick and J. Duffy, and a log number of 4028C. I can't help but think this film was done as part of a lobbying effort to get trains off 10th Avenue.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi1IuS16r2A

That's just awesome. Given the track layout (especially the track that curves into the diamonds) this appears to be looking north at the intersection of 10th Ave and 30th Street where the yard leads came out across 10th.

Here it is today:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7518812,-74.001084,3a,75y,16.18h,101.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQ5IqJDJf4gk_NMn1PkxG5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


Rob

Fascinating piece of film - worth watching for the road vehicle content on its own.
Interesting to see the two battery-electric trucks amongst the goods vehicles passing the camera.
Thanks for posting the link.

I know it's probably terrible to say it, but I think I liked it better in 1929!

While trying to find out more about this, I found this link, which has a video clip in it that seems to date to 1934. This is based on the lack of solid tire trucks that are quite prominent in the other clip, plus a view of what looks like a very new High Line. Also in the clip is a New York Central tri-power boxcab, part of a series of such units delivered in 1930:

http://www.livinthehighline.com/the-ori ... an-cowboy/

The original video clip has a modern imprint of mirc@sc.edu.

That turns out to be the Moving Image Research Collections at South Carolina University.

I'm going to have to look into that; who knows what else is in there?

http://mirc.sc.edu/

Boy, that's one traffic cop that sure earned his money!


Les

Very neat video!

And I think we even get a glimpse of the fireman's side of one of the New York Central's famous steam-dummy Shays at 1:27. Though it doesn't have the usual slope-back tank, the number 1904 is at least in the right series.

Here is NYC No. 1900 for comparison:



-Philip Marshall

That's weird. . .although the number for what could be a Shay is right, the overall cover doesn't look long enough, and it sounds like the engine has the slower exhaust and rod clank you wouldn't hear with a geared engine.

In spite of that number, I think it's one of the earlier steam dummies. . .could the Shays have had a renumbering later on?

Steam dummy on 10th Avenue:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/1782?size=_original#caption

And a Shay, in a different number series, but who knows when it was photographed. . .

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,290060,290065

On further consideration, I think you're right. The wheelbase just isn't long enough for a Shay, and the backhead is visible all the way in the rear of the engine, which isn't right either. I think it's just one of the earlier steam-dummy rod engines, probably just an 0-4-0T or something. (Yes, I'm a little disappointed -- I so wanted it to be an urban Shay in action!)

(With regard to the audio, do we know if that's original, or could it have been dubbed in later?)

Does anyone have a NYC steam roster handy to verify the identity of engine No. 1904?

-Philip Marshall

The audio could have been dubbed, but I don't think so. It matches too well, and if it dates from 1929 as I think it does, it could well have been live.

You can see a Little Rascals film called "Railroadin'", also from 1929 and which for years was thought to be silent--but later the sound track turned up, and now you can see and hear it as it should have been. Like the NYC film, the sound quality is quite good, amazing really when you consider how old it is. A number of films shot with sound later didn't have the same quality, which seems strange, but that's how it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPcTsz4MhVo

You're right. Look at how the whistle blows at 2:47-2:48 match the movement of the engineer's hand. It has to be live audio, which is pretty amazing.

Also, I love how he hams it up for the camera at 2:21-2:22. It doesn't get much better than that!

-Philip Marshall

I saw that too! Oh, you're right, it doesn't get better than that!

I live in the wrong time. And I've had people tell me that. I've been told I'm an old soul.

I had one lady tell me I reminded her of her grandfather. The lady was all of one year younger than me.

I recall reading that the old Fox Movietone News was an early innovator of sound movie work. The early work was shorts taken outdoors and showing the ability to record not only in a studio but also outside. Found the book: The Shattered Silents: How the Talkies Came to Stay by Alexander Walker, 1978. [book still has a price sticker from Crown Books dated 1988]

Looking at Wikipedia you will find an article about Fox Movietone News.
And also about Theodore Case who was the inventor of a sound on film process that the Fox film organization acquired.
The Wikepedia article about the earlier Fox News say the remaining film archives from both went to University of South Carolina in 1979.

Fascinating, Brian! Thanks for posting--and reminding us how many of those who are successful, who provided things we use today, are virtually unknown.

The original YouTube link has apparently expired, but most of that is here with some other material that's equally fascinating.

I was looking at the winter scenes, and do they look cold!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... TpEIb-SuoM