|
|
| "Escape from Limbo" A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film (1651347) | |
 |
|
| Home > SubChat | |
[ Post a New Response | Return to the Index ]
|
| (1651347) | |
"Escape from Limbo" A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by heypaul on Wed Oct 28 07:46:28 2026 https://youtu.be/w9eyNsvvn6E?si=VYWceVGqDei-5SHcThis is a really weird PRR safety film, which is premised on an outside agency seeking to promote death, maiming and injury. |
|
|
| (1651349) | |
Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Oct 28 08:43:11 2026, in response to "Escape from Limbo" A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by heypaul on Wed Oct 28 07:46:28 2026. Heypaul: It is good to hear from you. Thins is quite an interesting film. Larry, RedbirdR33 |
|
|
| (1651351) | |
Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by heypaul on Wed Oct 28 09:27:56 2026, in response to Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Oct 28 08:43:11 2026. Hi Larry. The film is almost like an episode of the Twilight Zone. Among other things, I was taken by a dream episode under the arches supporting the PRR tracks coming off the Hell Gate Bridge, beginning at 2:29. I think that section is over Randall's Island. A number of people commenting on YouTube we're happy to see many Pennsy engines were were relatively rare. |
|
|
(Sponsored) |
iPhone 6 (4.7 Inch) Premium PU Leather Wallet Case - Red w/ Floral Interior - by Notch-It |
|
| (1651352) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Wed Oct 28 13:36:04 2026, in response to "Escape from Limbo" A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by heypaul on Wed Oct 28 07:46:28 2026. Should be an instant railfan classic. |
|
|
| (1651354) | |
Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Bill from Maspeth on Wed Oct 28 14:01:26 2026, in response to "Escape from Limbo" A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by heypaul on Wed Oct 28 07:46:28 2026. L |
|
|
| (1651366) | |
Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by sloth on Fri Oct 30 00:34:49 2026, in response to "Escape from Limbo" A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by heypaul on Wed Oct 28 07:46:28 2026. Big PRR fan here but it seems the last time they did something right was the M1/M1a orders in 1926-30. |
|
|
| (1651367) | |
Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by sloth on Fri Oct 30 00:38:26 2026, in response to Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by sloth on Fri Oct 30 00:34:49 2026. And the GG1 of course. Then it all went to shit. |
|
|
| (1651368) | |
Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Fri Oct 30 01:14:42 2026, in response to Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by sloth on Fri Oct 30 00:38:26 2026. I remember being very impressed by the then new E 44s. FWIW, i liked the EMU Metroliners as a passenger starting on day 1 SB from Penn to DC in Jan 69. As a 24 yr old watchig a digital speedometer crest at 124 was exciting. |
|
|
| (1651371) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Fri Oct 30 03:15:41 2026, in response to Re: ''Escape from Limbo'' A Very Strange 1950's PRR Safety Film, posted by sloth on Fri Oct 30 00:38:26 2026. Oh? So the J1/J1a were no good? |
|
|
| (1651389) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by sloth on Sat Oct 31 01:04:31 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Fri Oct 30 03:15:41 2026. Well, that's an interesting one. A C&O design forced on them by the circumstances, and mostly successful. They would have probably ordered a fleet of Q2's if left to their own devices.I've spent a good deal of time with Oscar Orr's recollections in Set Up Running, and he was a huge fan of the L1 2-8-2. Hated the Decapods. Someone had the foresight to put a slightly modified Decapod boiler on 72" driving wheels and make one last great in-house freight engine. I don't think the PRR was necessarily doomed to fail. They became institutionally complacent and arrogant. The motive power decisions were almost always bad after the GG1, dicking around with duplexes and turbines and third-string diesel manufacturers. I would have liked them to slide-rule the M1a into a super power Northern, tho it wouldn't have run past 1957 regardless. |
|
|
| (1651391) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 01:27:27 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by sloth on Sat Oct 31 01:04:31 2026. Heresy alert. Much as I adore Van Sweringen Berks, and my early love 5632, the smartest thing PRR did was the electrification project. They would have been better off if they could have at least extended the wires to PGH. As to diesels, almost everyone screwed around whether because the builders were online customers or they couldn't figure out how to choose. Maintaining multiple parts inventories was stupid.Worse yet PRR, dtd not wake up to the need for improving service. That was not merely an issue of motive power. |
|
|
| (1651394) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by sloth on Sat Oct 31 01:57:33 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 01:27:27 2026. No, of course. The Central did much better at transitioning to a carrier of reliable fast freight, and that wasn't enough to save them as an intact entity. The deck was stacked against the eastern RRs.From the H6sb to the M1a, PRR built a great and somewhat standardized fleet. Simple, efficient, and powerful designs that outlasted the T1 and Q2 and rivalled or bettered the USRA and early Super Power engines. Then the shark stopped swimming and died. I don't know the answer myself, but the enormous initial outlay for electrifying to Pittsburgh-- would that have been better than ordering a thousand or two GP7's in 1950 and putting steam to bed? The bad motive power decisions were symptomatic of the bad decisions being made at all levels on all things. The Penn Central merger may have gained an inevitable momentum but I would have thought twice about selling the N&W stock that was keeping them afloat, and the forced New Haven inclusion should have been a hard "no way". |
|
|
| (1651397) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 12:42:20 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 01:27:27 2026. Got a cheaper way to electrify? Back in the day, dieselization was sold as portable electrification due to the fact that diesels were predominantly diesel-electric rather than diesel-mechanical or diesel-hydraulic.There's also the question of interoperability with other railroads. Your P5A or E44 was not going to be able to run onto the RF&P or whatever other railroad the PRR may have had trackage rights on. |
|
|
| (1651398) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 12:48:14 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by sloth on Sat Oct 31 01:04:31 2026. Those are interesting ideas. The quirky 4-4-4-4 Duplexes were a huge gamble, and should have been Northerns like the T1 lookalike 520 class on South Australian Railways (built for 5' 3" track gauge). |
|
|
| (1651399) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 13:19:36 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 01:27:27 2026. In the early years of Conrail, they were kickin around the idea of electrifying to Pittsburgh. But that idea was dropped when favorable "run thru" agreements with other railroads allowed foreign power to run in the east and vice versa. Soon after that, all wire outside of the NE corridor came down. |
|
|
| (1651401) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 13:49:43 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 13:19:36 2026. All wires? The wires to Harrisburg still remained, although not used to full potential. Certainly the Port Road was the most notable victim.Conrail would never, ever have expanded electrification. |
|
|
| (1651403) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 14:29:38 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 12:42:20 2026. PRR electrics operated to Potomac Yard. Run thru power was just begonong to happen in the 60s. Once RF&P got cab signals, Nobody else's power could lead until the geniuses at CSX disabled the system.As to costs, most of the electricity on the PRR came from the dam on the Susquehanna--way cheaper than oil for diesels. |
|
|
| (1651405) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 14:37:39 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 13:49:43 2026. When Amtrak became owner of the electrification, they raised the rares to Conrail. |
|
|
| (1651406) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 17:02:18 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 13:49:43 2026. I was considering the Harrisburg run as part of the corridor.In the early days of Conrail, they might have ran wire to Pittsburgh since they were getting all their $$$ from Uncle Sam. Obviously they had 2nd thoughts |
|
|
| (1651407) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 17:31:54 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 13:49:43 2026. Early Conrail E44(?) on the Port Road in Lancaster County |
|
|
| (1651408) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 17:46:43 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 17:31:54 2026. gorgeous machines. They and the preceding VGN-N&W-NH-PC E 33s were quiet and powerful |
|
|
| (1651409) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 17:57:10 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 13:49:43 2026. One more from the archives. Conrail electric freight on the Columbia and Atglen line soon to merge with the Port Road line near Safe Harbor in Lancaster Co. Shortly after this picture was taken in the early 80s, the entire line was abandoned. That line is a rail trail these days |
|
|
| (1651410) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 18:03:06 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 17:46:43 2026. Yep. Heres a pair of E44s in NH colors at Fresh Pond Jct in Queens |
|
|
| (1651413) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 18:46:35 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 17:57:10 2026. I was on an ERA MP54 excursion from Baltimore to Harrisburg & back in April 62. that was when while walking around in Enola, I got my first view of E44s. |
|
|
| (1651414) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 18:47:21 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 18:03:06 2026. 33s |
|
|
| (1651415) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 19:34:55 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 18:47:21 2026. Thanks! I knew it was one or the other. |
|
|
| (1651416) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 21:13:05 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 17:57:10 2026. Rail trails are an insult to the public and to the private entrepreneurs that built them; JMHO. |
|
|
| (1651419) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sun Nov 1 01:54:20 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sat Oct 31 17:02:18 2026. They never even had first thoughts. |
|
|
| (1651420) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sun Nov 1 01:55:06 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by jackson Park B Train on Sat Oct 31 14:37:39 2026. One government agency raised rates on another? Sounds like a gentlemen's agreement. |
|
|
| (1651422) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sun Nov 1 08:54:03 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Oct 31 21:13:05 2026. I agree. Whoever would have thought that when building that line someday trains would vanish and all that work, materials, man hours and $$$ would be used for a bike path. |
|
|
| (1651423) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sun Nov 1 08:55:35 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sun Nov 1 01:54:20 2026. Yeah they did. I worked for Conrail back then & I saw some internal memos discussing the possibilities. |
|
|
| (1651424) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sun Nov 1 08:57:01 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sun Nov 1 08:55:35 2026. Lots of government agencies have internal memos with respect to possibilities. Does not mean anything is really being considered, since what actually gets done is by orders from the top. |
|
|
| (1651425) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sun Nov 1 18:27:41 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Olog-hai on Sun Nov 1 08:57:01 2026. Sure it does. If the idea wasn't considered, the memos would not exist. It got to the top & the suits turned it down. |
|
|
| (1651430) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by jimmymc25 on Sun Nov 1 23:16:08 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sun Nov 1 08:54:03 2026. Sad,,,,but that's our world. I see it with the Beacon line and the old Putnam. |
|
|
| (1651431) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by jimmymc25 on Sun Nov 1 23:16:22 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sun Nov 1 08:54:03 2026. Sad,,,,but that's our world. I see it with the Beacon line and the old Putnam. |
|
|
| (1651433) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Sun Nov 1 23:54:55 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by Fisk Ave Jim on Sun Nov 1 18:27:41 2026. Even political hacks have pipe dreams. |
|
|
| (1651444) | |
Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film |
|
|
Posted by Olog-hai on Mon Nov 2 14:24:01 2026, in response to Re: “Escape from Limbo”—A Very Strange 1953 PRR Safety Film, posted by jimmymc25 on Sun Nov 1 23:16:08 2026. It's "your world" if you keep voting for politicians that do that to your world. |
|
|
