RAILROAD DINING, ART, AND CULTURE IN REVIEW BY JAMES D. PORTERFIELD From the Heart: Four New Products


THE MONTH’S MAIL YIELDED four creative prod- ucts that, taken together, illustrate the myri- ad ways railroading has had an impact on our history and culture. They are presented here in random order because my attempt to rank them according to preference utterly failed. Each is both touching and insightful. Rocky Mountain Express: I had the good


fortune to originally see this visually stun- ning documentary in its natural habitat — an iMax theater, in Montreal, when it was re- leased in 2011. That it took five years to be re-released on disk is a credit to its staying power on the big screen.


The film follows a restored Canadian Pacific passenger train, hauled by CP class H1b 4-6-4 No. 2816, as it re- traces the original route of the rail- road through west- ern Canada. Of the film’s impact, hear what the “every- man” reviewers — verified buyers from


Amazon.com — have to say: “Ridiculously epic train scenes!” “The engine sounds are incredible.” “Just awesome.” “This is quite literally the closest you can possibly get to a real steam locomotive without actually being there!” “Put’s you right in/on the engine... some of the best shots I’ve ever seen in a train film.” “Stellar cinematography, awesome audio... and a great story to boot!” To that I would add the spectacular scenery, producing for me a strong sense of loss over the disap- pearance of this phenomenon — a tribute to man’s achievement, both the route and the living machine traversing it — as an everyday occurrence. It sent me to re-reading portions of Pierre Berton’s The Last Spike, and Barrie Sanford’s Train Master: The Art of Max Jac- quiard, both recommended here previously. Rocky Mountain Express is the work of Ca-


nadian Director Stephen Low (www.stephen- low.com), noted for his genius with large for- mat filmmaking. While his work in the format covers a range of topics, it is apparent from his output — existing and planned (see the P.S. below) — that he has a fondness for steel rails and the things that run on them. It strikes me, too, as I watched the film


again, that this is what rail heritage tourism will look like in the future. A handful of select- ed settings and long-distance routes wherein restored equipment — authentic as to appear- ance and locale — runs as it was intended, at speed, for considerable distances, doing the work it was built to do. How would you rather see a Union Pacific Big Boy, a Pennsylvania T-1, a Southern Pacific Daylight, or a Nickel Plate Berkshire? Enslaved like a wild animal in a circus or zoo? Or roaming the landscape doing what it was intended to do? P.S.: Stephen Low has two new films of in-


terest to readers in production: The Trolley, describing the global impact of the introduc- tion of the electric trolley, and Train Time,


58 SEPTEMBER 2016 • RAILFAN.COM


which “explore(s) the science and engineering of railroading” to reveal the “hidden inner workings of the modern railroad.” When Deadhead Counted as Rest and


Other Railroad Stories: Charles H. Ge- letzke, Jr., established his authorial creds co-authoring The Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad — Expressway for Industry. Here, in ten chapters and 188 pages, he draws on his 45-year railroad career to present some 80 accounts of the experiences he and others he met along the way. Some are one-page vignettes, others occupy an entire chapter. Geletzke acknowledges each story’s source by name with their titles.


The book’s title chapter, Chapter 3, is devoted to re- counting an episode early in his career wherein he was called off the ex- tra board for what was supposed to be a three round-trip stint. He was to sub for the run’s regular brakeman, who had been called to re- serve duty summer camp. In reading


the chapter, I lost count of how many runs he was actually assigned — I think it was five. Or was it six? The chapter and book title were inspired by something one of the abusing crew dispatcher’s pointed out to him when he com- plained that he was exhausted: “You know, deadhead counts as rest.” This was when the 16-hour rule was still in effect, and after pro- viding a “you are there” account of the runs, he acknowledges ending the stint “after hav- ing little more than two hours sleep in the past 59 hours.” The effect of the


book taken as a whole — and it is an important and pleasant one for those of us who have never worked “out there on the line” — is to impress upon the reader just how infinitely var- ied and unique the daily experiences of railroaders can be. Secondarily, it strikes me that much about the industry is time- less. Some of the episodes would no doubt be recogniz- able to railroaders operating before the Civil War. Riding Long Sub-titled


Rails:


“in Canada and the States,” this book of


poetry by Tim Newcomb captures the under- lying pleasures of riding the train. Newcomb doesn’t take long to demonstrate his skill. The first three stanzas of “Waiting For Us,” on page xii, provoked an emotional response and pleasant memories for me:


Our train is equal to this late afternoon’s race


With the setting evening sun. Low on the horizon the sun flies. No matter how fast the train goes This race must end a tie.


The elusive sun-star stays Southwest of us Speeding beyond frosted meadows, Flirting with us between trees, Yielding only briefly to low hills which block.


Sunlight flashes between tree trunks, Sending a Morse code of light, Setting stones and marshes Tree stumps and branches alight.


And that’s just the Introductory Poem.


The remaining 40 poems, in eight chapters and 91 pages, cover such topics as Fun, Beauty and Power, Thoughtfulness, A Few Train Tricks, Relationships, Wildlands, Side Trips Near the Train, and Energy and Nature. The experiences described reflect Newcomb’s travels on Amtrak’s Empire Builder, California Zephyr and Coast Star- light, and VIA Rail’s Canadian. A half-doz- en pieces of attractive complimentary art by Margaret Holland Newcomb capture scenes one encounters when taking the train, and whimsical illustrations dot each chapter’s title page. The content and observations reflect New-


comb’s interests. A biologist by degree and an energy conservationist by profession, he says


Two Hudsons wait to take the 20th Century Limited away from Harmon, N.Y., where electrics will be pulled off the train, in this painting by Chris Oldham. The famous New York Central passenger train is featured in a new DVD release from Richard Luckin. It will soon be available on many PBS stations around the U.S. COURTESY CHRIS OLDHAM / WWW.CHRISOLDHAMART.COM


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