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Dudley Pictures CorporationBig Trains Rolling (1955)

Railroads and how they keep the U.S. economy rolling.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Dudley Pictures Corporation
Sponsor: Association of American Railroads
Audio/Visual: Sd, C
Keywords: Transportation: Railroad

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: DLDietz - - August 9, 2010
Subject: Beautiful snapshot American history
At 6:25 mark, workers with possible dirty hands are loading UNWRAPPED raw meat meant for human consumption. Appears meat was cross contaminated in an unrefrigerated box? My goodness, back in the days before plastic gloves and health codes.

What was with the ending: "Railroads pay taxes for schools?" Most scenes appeared to be college footage, not public schools.

Propaganda, silly script, and bad graphics places this up there with the classic "Duck & Cover."

Thanks to the person who saved this treasure.

Reviewer: momgoose - - May 19, 2006
Subject: Goofy and Fun
Really great shots of several trains, and interiors of the passenger trains make up for the goofiness. The beginning and end seem like they could go on any film like this, though.

It's pretty lightweight, though it held my kids attention. He loves trains!

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - January 4, 2004
Subject: Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...
This 50s film is basically about how great our country is and how great railroads are and how railroads make our country great. It follows two kids, Carol and Jimmy, as they take a train trip alone. The narrator tells us that normally kids like that would travel with their parents, but Âjust for fun theyÂre going to show them traveling alone. That just begs to be msted, as does most of the filmÂs narration, which is very breezy and simplistic. ThereÂs lots of color footage of trains and of scenic vistas of America during the 50s. All of this adds up to a typical industrial film experience, one with few surprises, but fun nonetheless.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - July 21, 2003
Subject: Trains For Tots
This is a great country, it's a big country! It's a land of oppurtunity! So begins Big Trains Rolling, a film that begins with such bursting patriotic pride that I might just cry. (I'm Canadian). Anyways, the film then breaks away from the gung ho america kick and concentrates on trains. This is obviously geared to the younger set as the narrator seems to dumb down the conversation quite a bit. The film talks about cargo trains, and also follows two communting kids. "Normally Mother would go, but for this trip, let's just say the kids went by themselves!" um ok. So the two kids are off in a taxi, buying their own fare and getting into a sleeping car. Rather odd that the film wouldn't have some parental figure with them, as this would be a good representation of most kid's travel. Great looking train action shots, wonderful trains of yesteryear and a great overall look gets the film high marks, but unfortunately the film returns to it's pro-america rah-rah's at the end of the film, which is really not needed and somewhat spoils the whole effect of the film on me.

Shotlist

Similar footage to Mainline U.S.A. PA-5068


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