Steam & Excursion > 4449 on Southern in August 1976

Thinking back to that time and event, is there any video of it posted out there anyone knows about?
August 28 - 29, 1976.
Anyone here ride it or see it?

Posted from Android

Yes.....I was there, chased it and shot 16mm Kodachrome movies of it.    Everyone I used to have over to my house and show the movies to are either dead, or so senile, that they don’t give a damn.

Welllll maybe then it's time to share this footage with those, such as myself, who are neither dead nor senile (yet) ? That would be cool.
There is footage I've seen pacing AFT 4449 that was in the area north of Spencer which I believe is on the Southern if I'm remembering correctly, so there is some out there on youtube. Seek and ye shall find.

Cheers, Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/19 05:56 by Hillcrest.

Dave......I think you are talking about a stretch of road, affectionately called....”Eleven Miles of Hell”.  I have side by side 16mm of 611, 4449, 1218 all on that stretch of parallel roadway. Terrifying, but great!

Hillcrest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Welllll maybe then it's time to share this footage
> with those, such as myself, who are neither dead
> nor senile (yet) ? That would be cool.
> There is footage I've seen pacing AFT 4449 that
> was in the area north of Spencer which I believe
> is on the Southern if I'm remembering correctly,
> so there is some out there on youtube. Seek and ye
> shall find.
>
> Cheers, Dave

Not to be nasty, but why should Keystone spend thousands of dollars to get his original films transfered to video, edit it, and put on youtube or trainorders for everyone to see for FREE!!!

I have some footage of 4449 on that trip in 1976 as we chased it for two days, and I shot on Super 8 Silent film.  I also have transfered some of the 1977 trip from Miami-Birmingham.  I may do something with this film down the road in the form of a dvd that would be available for sale.  Yesterday I received some footage that was transferred from 1970 Southern Steam, and vintage films of Denver and Rio Grande Narrow Gauge.  My bill was $840.00.  If nobody is interested in purchasing, then why spend the money to transfer it?  In the old days that this thread refers to, one had to first have a movie camera, then purchase film to shoot in the camera, then when the trip was over you still had to pay Kodak to process the movie film.  At any rate it could be a big chunk of money if you were on a long trip and shot a lot of film.  Also remember most of us also shot still images, and again you had to buy film and process it.  I am talking the days before I got into doing videos(1984).

Greg Scholl
http://www.gregschollvideo.com

train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thinking back to that time and event, is there any
> video of it posted out there anyone knows about?
> August 28 - 29, 1976.
> Anyone here ride it or see it?
>
> Posted from Android

Some thoughts I had on the trip.  Back in those days it was better to rent a car.  Four of us rented a car and after work on Friday we left the Cincinnati area, and drove straight to Atlanta, so 500 miles.  We found the engine around 4-5 am in the yard somewhere, then chased it for 2 days.  It was the first time I had ever seen 4449.  It ran pretty much track speed as I recall, and there were a lot of chasers.  At Salisbury we ran into a guy who was riding, who had led a steam tour to mexico in 1976.  I remember getting a rather nice color slide at the Clemson Bridge, and some years later Nils Huxtable used it in his Daylight Reflections book.  One of the few times I have had something offered or asked for to publish.
  In another thread a few days ago, about crew experiences I talked about the "Water Powered Train" quip by a fan when people would stop and ask what was going on.  Well that was the 4449 trip-Day two as I recall.  Also that day they had a dynamometer car placed behind 4449, and they were apparently flying low.
Somewhere around Culpeper, Virginia we took a wrong turn, and never saw it again, and began home.  40 miles from home, after driving all night, one of the guys got a speeding ticket going 50 in a 35 before daybreak!!  We put 1570 miles on the rental car from Friday Afternoon to Monday morning.  I think it was $59.95 weekend rate from Avis.  So about $15.00-$20.00 each plus gas and insurance.
   I posted some photos on TO I took of 4449 in February 1977 within the last year.  This was the start of the return to Portland after the Freedom Train ended, and it was an Amtrak Train.  I paced it at 75 mph for 40 miles on that one, and was the only car.  
Greg Scholl
http://www.gregschollvideo.com

Love it Greg! You are right!   But....what do you mean, “the old days”?    I just got back from two weeks of the Big Boy and Promontory.  I shot it ALL with 16mm and 35mm slide film.  I shot  a few exposures with a telephone to send back to my wife, to show her the scenery and the BB.
 

Keystone1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Love it Greg! You are right!   But....what do you
> mean, “the old days”?    I just got back
> from two weeks of the Big Boy and Promontory.  I
> shot it ALL with 16mm and 35mm slide film.  I
> shot  a few exposures with a telephone to send
> back to my wife, to show her the scenery and the
> BB.
>  

Funny Keystone....Telephone!!!  Was it a Princess Model?

Today at these events you see nothing but arms and hands in the air, with
folks shooting camera phone pics and videos.  Admittedly some of it is pretty good quality.
And to think I used to have a $17, 500.00 Betacam I lugged around back in the 90's.
Greg
 

I have a lot of sound super8 shot from the AFT I need to convert. 

Greg: The part of your trip where you "lost" the 4449.  Bill Purdie of Southern reportedly said,  "I have never before  ridden that far, that fast, when nothing broke" describing the 80 MPH running of 4449.  He was quite impressed.

gregscholl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hillcrest Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Welllll maybe then it's time to share this
> footage
> > with those, such as myself, who are neither
> dead
> > nor senile (yet) ? That would be cool.
> > There is footage I've seen pacing AFT 4449 that
> > was in the area north of Spencer which I
> believe
> > is on the Southern if I'm remembering
> correctly,
> > so there is some out there on youtube. Seek and
> ye
> > shall find.
> >
> > Cheers, Dave
>
> Not to be nasty, but why should Keystone spend
> thousands of dollars to get his original films
> transfered to video, edit it, and put on youtube
> or trainorders for everyone to see for FREE!!!
>
> I have some footage of 4449 on that trip in 1976
> as we chased it for two days, and I shot on Super
> 8 Silent film.  I also have transfered some of
> the 1977 trip from Miami-Birmingham.  I may do
> something with this film down the road in the form
> of a dvd that would be available for sale.
>  Yesterday I received some footage that was
> transferred from 1970 Southern Steam, and vintage
> films of Denver and Rio Grande Narrow Gauge.  My
> bill was $840.00.  If nobody is interested in
> purchasing, then why spend the money to transfer
> it?  In the old days that this thread refers to,
> one had to first have a movie camera, then
> purchase film to shoot in the camera, then when
> the trip was over you still had to pay Kodak to
> process the movie film.  At any rate it could be
> a big chunk of money if you were on a long trip
> and shot a lot of film.  Also remember most of us
> also shot still images, and again you had to buy
> film and process it.  I am talking the days
> before I got into doing videos(1984).
>
> Greg Scholl
> http://www.gregschollvideo.com

No offense taken Greg, I didn't mean for free. Over the years I've paid and will continue to pay for rail videos. I'll bet there's a fair amount of footage out there hiding in closets and attics from the HICO era on that people have shot, some of it possibly of high quality. Do you feel there is enough of a market for it to make the conversion expense to the filmaker worthwhile? Be a shame for that documentation to be lost when a person passes away...Slightly off topic but I see the expectation of "free art"as somewhat tragic, look what it's done to the music industry.

Cheers, Dave

Hillcrest Wrote
> No offense taken Greg, I didn't mean for free.
> Over the years I've paid and will continue to pay
> for rail videos. I'll bet there's a fair amount of
> footage out there hiding in closets and attics
> from the HICO era on that people have shot, some
> of it possibly of high quality. Do you feel there
> is enough of a market for it to make the
> conversion expense to the filmaker worthwhile? Be
> a shame for that documentation to be lost when a
> person passes away...Slightly off topic but I see
> the expectation of "free art"as somewhat tragic,
> look what it's done to the music industry.
>
> Cheers, Dave

As I said I converted all my 76-77 4449 material, and while there is not enough for a 4449 video by itself it might go good with other Southern Related films I have converted from the 70's and early 80's.  I already converted all my Super 8 Sound with things like 614, 2839, early 611, 765 and others.  Its tough sometimes catering to railfans needs.  Some want a little of everything, but many only want certain subjects, like SP, UP, N&W, etc, or their pet engine.  Others want only vintage steam-era, while yet others want only contemporary stuff with sound.  I wouldn't want to be a newbie starting off with no selection.  Amazing how things have evolved from slide shows and movie nights at clubs to watching on computers and smart phones (I still have a dumb phone(Flip) and leave the other iphone and ipad to my wife.  
Cheers,
Greg

Indeed  as tomstp posted..... "Bill Purdie of Southern reportedly said,  "I have never before  ridden that far, that fast, when nothing broke" describing the 80 MPH running of 4449.  He was quite impressed."   I always liked that line by Purdie. I didn't see any of it, but the legend lives on and every now and then I think back on it. Hence the post.

I also very much enjoyed BoilingMan's AFT stories and photos a while back posted here. 

Made a trip to SC on 28th.  Shot it close to home in Thomasville, NC on 29th.
Took color slides only on both days.  Weather was clearer on 29th.
ALLEN.
 

Well, for what it's worth, I'm working on NKP 759 video now for release later this year. 

-Jim Herron
www.herronrail.com