041 NEW YORK CENTRAL INDIANA DIVISION 1956 Volume 1

ON SALE to June 15th. 59 minutes - B&W & Color - Narrated - REAL NYC Sound Track

Featuring 16mm film by Donald J. Krofta

Mr. Krofta made a series of trips to NYC's Indiana Division in 1956-57 to film the last steam operations on the New York Central. Locations include Lafayette, Indiana to Kankakee, Illinois and Cincinnati westward out of the Ohio River valley plus locations in the Cincinnati area. Passenger trains had been dieselized prior to his visits so the action is all on steam powered freights.

Beginning in the Lafayette area, L2 class 4-8-2's were providing most of the action with some trains boosted out of Lafayette be H class Mikados. There are chases of several freights including some excellent pacing sequences. Don used a mix of B&W and color film and captured some spectacular scenes of steam at it's best. You'll see coal trains and mixed freights, all steam powered in this footage.

Turning to the Cincinnat area, L3 and L4 class 4-8-2's were handling most assignments with some L-2 class engines and some Mikados as well. The standard practice was to doublehead trains from either Riverside Yard or Valley Junction over the double tracked grade to Sunman, Indiana, where the helpers were cut off. Don captured several trains making these moves plus yard scenes in Cincinnati with 0-6-0's and 0-8-0's working out their last days.

There are a few surprises, too such as an N&W mallet at Ivorydale and some NKP Berkshires at Payne, Indiana as he headed home after one trip to Lafayette.

The scene changes back to Lafayette to finish the program with added sequences of L-2's and Mikados on Lafayette Hill plus more chasing. We have followed the chronology of Don's trips in this program so you will see the footage in its actual sequence of events. Don't miss this one as it's really spectacular! Some prevues of Volume 2 are included at the end of the program.

Much of the audio in this program is actual sound of the scenes in the show, recorded on the scene by Jim Hawk, who accompanied Don Krofta on many of his trips.