Steam & Excursion > French RR movie on steam in 1950ies (Pacific 231D 735)

The French RR (SNCF) have a nice archive of their old RR films. This one is particularly captivating and shows an engineer and his engine. Never mind the french commentary, the scenes speak for themselves, steam magic pure!

http://sncfopenarchives.minit-l.com/archive/trsardo1270

Interesting is the double throttle. As this is a compound pacific engine, I assume that the smaller throttle is to regulate high pressure steam supply to the low pressure cylinders when required, maybe the steam experts on this board can chime in. The French were champions in getting the most milage out of their engines. 

Thomas Eckhardt

Hurricane UT



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/16 13:58 by Krokodil.

that was great! French film making meets steam. Good stuff.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Simply the best I have ever seen on Trainorders...it's all there--the wonder of the railway!

Excellent film that I enjoyed very much. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks for posting this. Excellent. Once again, my H S French completely failed me. d

Someone spent a lot of time planning the excellent photography. I enjoyed this a lot.

While on the subject, in 1923 composer Artur Honegger, also French, wrote a short symphonic piece titled Pacific 231.  The title is taken from the French nomenclature, 2-3-1, for a Pacific type locomotive - what we in the New World would call a 4-6-2.  The work has established itself in the symphonic repertoire, and numberous renderings (with video shots of steam in action) of this can be found by Googleing "Arthur Honegger Pacific 231".  I recommend the version by Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony.      

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

See if you can spot the two short scenes near the beginning showing my namesake, Larry Doyle!!!!!

-John