Does anyone remember a movie that starred 759 that was out in mid 70's. I remember it showed some excursions and it was done as if 759 was speaking in the first person. Ok...I know it sounds a bit odd and no, I am not still feeling the effects of Saturday night!

Anyway I would like to acquire a copy, but I don't even know the name.

Any info would be great!

-Alan Levy

AlanL759@aol.com

> Does anyone remember a movie that starred
> 759 that was out in mid 70's. I remember it
> showed some excursions and it was done as if
> 759 was speaking in the first person. Ok...I
> know it sounds a bit odd and no, I am not
> still feeling the effects of Saturday night!

> Anyway I would like to acquire a copy, but I
> don't even know the name.

Well let's see 759 ran from 1968 to about 1972-3 and that was before anyone did VIDEO at all. That means it was shot on film, and most likely was done by Sunday River Productions. However the M.O. of talking 759 doesn't sound like them.

A friend of mine once bought a film by Sunday Rivers of "759 on the Western Maryland" and advertised "With Sound" which was novel! My friend new I had a sound projector so he drove 50 miles RT to watch/hear it. We were all disappointed when the sound was nothing more than background music. We assumed sound meant TRAIN sounds. So, he returned the film and exchanged it for the SILENT version. Nothing wrong with the footage, it was interesting.

My advise is to try Sunday Rivers for 759 films/videos first, then try checking advertisers in old RR magazines of the time period.
Greg Scholl

Copyright Law
sales@gregschollvideo.com

I think you may be looking for a film made by Mike and Marianne Autorino of New Jersey, about 759. In the 1970-73 period, they had official High Iron Co. access, among other things, to place 16mm cameras on 759 (in contemporary [Sept. 1970] photos look at the pilot beam between the air compressors, for the box-with-a-hole-for-the-lens that 759 carried on the Sept. 1970 Horseshoe Curve trips). I don't remember the name of the final production, though.

They also did a great 1983 PRR/NJ Transit GG-1 film, again, with offical access for some awesome shots. Years earlier, Mike had taken some stunning 16mm film of the EL Hoboken ferry operation.

hpincus@mindspring.com

This sounds like the film that was presented to a gathering of the PM 1225 organization around 1973 by Don Smith of the High Iron Company. I think it was called, in the idiom of the time, "Steam Right On!"

Aarne Frobom
The Steam Railroading Institute
Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation, Inc.
P. O. Box 665
Owosso, MI 48867-0665

froboma@mdot.state.mi.us

I believe the film/video you are looking for is called "The Great Steam Machine".
It starts out with 759 "explaining" it's heyday working life and then goes on to it's display days and finally shows the engine being restored, and rust being needle-gunned off the top of the boiler.
A camera was mounted on an a vehical/railcar parallel to 759 and ran alongside filming as it was accelerating. The motion of the wheels and rods were followed for a short while.
This was a pretty good film for a 1970s product. I can set you up with a copy of the one I know of if you cannot find one for sale, just contact me at my e-mail address. Hope this helps.

Brian Hebert



Conway Scenic Railroad
btamper@hotmail.com