I only just recently learned of the steam powered counterpart of New Haven's "Comet" streamliner, and a quick websearch turned up what appears to be a 16.5 minute Besler promotional film from 1933 or 1934.

part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evAi2U9y2Kk
part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwfA68_JVXA
part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02KFnltWNK8

Part 1 has only a few seconds of RR footage at the end (mainly steam-automobile, & steam AIRPLANE????), but I included it for completeness.

Parts 2, and 3 are almost entirely RR, and include construction footage of the NYNH&H trains power truck, as well as quite a bit of operational footage.

Jeff

Really neat stuff. Thanks for the link.

IMHO, all three vids have some interesting shots. The "stainless steel" railcar in Vid #1 is probably one of the Budd-Michelin cars that the Reading and the Pennsy had. I suspect that there are rubber tires on the trucks of that car, or they may have been removed before the steam-powered truck was installed? A very unique system of rubber tires and flanges to keep the truck on the tracks. Perhaps those shots are on the Reading on either the New Hope Branch or the Newtown Branch? In Vid #2, I believe the shot with the doors open of a plant to be taken at Budd, with passenger cars being built in the background. That would explain the next scene at Wayne Junction of the Reading, complete with camelbacks and Reading MU's. Later, a brief shot is made with PRR steam power that might just be Broad Street Station in Phila.? This would have been after the fire of the train shed. Next, we see the train in action on the New Haven. The cab scenes show cab-signal equipment and a form of motorcar brake equipment.

I guess these vids bring up a question to the resident New Haven expert, Howard P., which is "Did Budd rebuild the New Haven coaches into the semi-streamlined appearance?" If yes, then it makes sense to see the testing on the Reading.

Thanks again.

Rob
Budd, PA

Per the book "New Haven Power 1838-1968: Steam, Diesel, Electric, Mu's, Trolleys, Motor Cars, Buses, & Boats" by J.W. Swanberg; Yes, Budd did the rebuild of the cars, adding the shovel noses and rounded roofs.

Jeff

Utterly amazing footage; wonderful to see this!

OK, some narrative--

The NH used the Besler train on the Bridgeport-Waterbury service, much as that line was later operated with Budd RDCs. There was a "pocket track" at Bridgeport station, east of the mainline, from where the Waterbury connection departed.

segment 2, at about 4:50 shows the train arriving on the westbound mainline at Bridgeport station. At 5:05, it is on the pocket track, loading baggage and passengers, then departs east for Devon Jct and Waterbury.

In segment 3, the 4-6-2 and two coaches are at the Waterbury roundhouse. The overhead shots of the Besler train are at the Waterbury station; looking south, the Jackson St gas holder is prominent. Looking north, as the train arrives, we see the station water tank (for the water columns at the north end of the platforms) and the Ananconda Works along Freight Street. The train comes north around the curve at Beacon Falls station, and runs along the Naugatuck River between Beacon Falls and Naugatuck (the "High Rock Gorge" area). This is all currently Metro-North territory.

The train was painted silver and medium blue. To the best of my knowledge, it did not venture north of Waterbury onto the present-day Naugy route (alas).

It would have been wonderful to have seen this thing, and it's really too bad it didn't get the attention it deserved to have the bugs worked out. But ten years later, the RDCs would have retired this train as quickly as any other steam power.

Howard P.
Noble Experiment, CT