The P&WV Hi-Line

[PWVJer]

Rich & Others,
Correction!
My collection includes only seven tapes total.
But the good news is that only one tape is 2 hrs.
All the other VHS tapes are six(6) hours!
Maybe about 20 some actual-video-viewing hours in all.
I think this material was videoed from Nov-90' to Aug-98'???

Again, I have not looked at any of this stuff for many years.
Never gave this little local W&LE taping project much thought.
Got a chance to play/preview 2 more tapes.
Somewhat amazed at the amount material, subject matter, & over-all video quaility.
Only a very small fraction of this stuff has ever been viewed and nothing has been on You-Tube.

[PWVJer]

Found tape #8...even with some edit-cuts, the total VHS tape material could be about 24 hrs.
The subject matter in this (lost-tape now found) has really interesting segments from about 94'?.
West Belt Jct, West-end branch, A&K steel rail for CSX, tank car switch moves, for on-line customers at "Seldom-Seen".
Action from Belle Vernon(Rehobeth), Monessen & Jacobs Creek area.
I have not viewed any parts of this tape since it was recorded.
Very suprised & happy to see the subjects & locations covered.

[rchgck]

Jerry,

Sounds like some interesting footage.

Some of the best finds are things your forgot you had, or in this case never really looked at.

I am sure all are glad to hear you had the forethought to document what was around at the time. Once it's gone, it's gone.

Even through it's hard to think of the 90s as a long time ago, with each passing year and decade these things around us gain vintage qualities.

I often think that my video captures have no real meaning but I will bet in 20 years they may be pretty cool to watch

Rich

[PWVJer]

Here's two video's never linked to the Hi-Line site.
Some-what suprised that anyone was able to find/view them.
Looks like a few folks did....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZr_0jRTaFY

Longview, a single SD-40 with 37 loads for Rook Yard.
spring 97?/??



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEPQi1NcTf4

WLE local out on the Rehobeth Branch/grade crossing(BTW,look close at the grade X'ing control box)
with A&K empty-flats for the Belt Interchange, then down to 3-rivers(CSX).
spring 97'???

[Longview Station]

Gosh Darn Jerry.
Video's...Add in another box full that I made in the 90's.
Add in coverage from Pittsburgh Junction to Connellsville...
And a bit up on the mountain with the grain trains.
One of my personal favorite's...The "Z-416" calling out a clear signal at Ohio Pyle then seconds later, all neat and proper with SD-40's digging in for the mountain, goes blasting through Ohio Pyle crossing with the Western Maryland Railway bridge in the back ground.

Oh my gosh, did I cover the entire railroad...
Add in a few secrets...like riding a SD-45 down the West End Branch...
Of course the West End is gone now...
And the breath-taker...December way back when...
A trip aboard a grain train into Connellsville.
4 six axles and 52 grain.
Damn near stalled at West Liberty.
Lots of footage of wheel slip...throttle jockeying...and the sounds of slipping 645's...
It had snowed and there was several inches of it on the ground.
East of Monessen the rail was still snow covered.
The trees...Oh my goodness did we hit some trees...
One tree came down onto the wires, twisted itself up and pulled down a telegraph pole which swung around and bounched off the 3073.
Just another day on the railroad...
G.P.S.

[PWVJer]

Yea...I'll bet between us, we covered(video) that W&LE early era!
Somewhat suprised how well a few of these clips turned out. Using
the ol'e VHS equipment was sometimes ...well...

Found two more old tapes, in addition to the group you reviewed for me.
All mixed-in with some family footage... my first
ride into mifflin with Harold & Buck. Too bad the old Sony-Cam-Corder
battery gave out during the trip. Also, found bits the ABB-SW1200 working
the Bridgevlle-turn(Riechold) with Tim & Harry. A Caboose-first
ride, out/back to work the plant. Found the "second parts" of our east-end trip
to catch that very,very short west-bound(Grain-train-power) with
SOO/CP-units & the lone hopper, Longview bound @ Speed!!!!
Sweet!

Today, with all the great affortable tech-stuff(i-pads/note-books etc.) on the market, i'm somtimes suprised that
fans don't take better re-cording advantage of the current WE operations.
Plan & pay a little more attention, include more subject matter,
locations & topography. On the High & Dry Line it's endless.

[Rich_S]

Gene and Jerry,
Have either one of you ever thought about working with someone like Ron over at Revelation Video? He already sells one video of the W&LE. The only problem is it's main focus is from Brewster West. It would be nice to have a few more videos that focus on the former P&WV end of the system. It sounds like the both of you have enough video for a couple of DVD's? Might be worth looking into?

Rich S.
_________________
Regards,
Rich S.

[jayrod]

Video capture card and a big honkin' hard drive. You can transfer them to digital whilst you reminisce. Then edit and voila! Early W&LE compilation!

jayrod

[Longview Station]

A few of those scene's in the W&LE / Revelation Video are on the P&WV, my first...using a video camera. After that I purchased another tripod and for a few years not only did I document scene's on Kodachrome 64, and black & white film, I also made video's.

I look at what I did back in the 90's and compare it to what I see today and chuckle. A few people know back in the 90's I had 3 camera's, 2 tripods, but I also took along a small chain saw to clear out over growth that was in my way. I also had my 4 legged friend with me, her water & treats, wrenches & gas, scanner and my lunch and extra shirts to change into (from sweat) when I finished. Most places we couldn't drive to, so we parked and walked a mile or two to a specific location.

Places like Pittsburgh Junction, Copeland Tunnel, Smithfield, Hunter-Oliver-Adams-Craighead and Norris Tunnels, many of the bridges out East and alot of in between places were cut back for photographs. A few times a few friends helped with cutting trees especially at Smithfield as a entire curve at the former water tub was cleared so the concrete foundations could be seen and included in a photograph although you would not know it today.

Not only did I cut trees', but I also cleaned up the place. Then, we would dig new holes for fallen concrete Mile Posts, take along white & black gloss rustoleum for some of those remaining concrete mile posts (M.P. 7; 24; 34; 44; 45; 73; 78 to name a few) and repaint them. Quite a few steel mile post plates for many different bridges that had fallen over were found, removed, brought home, lightly sanded and repainted. New nails (spikes) were bought at Home Depot, then when repainted I'd bring along the wheel barrow, shovel and chain saw, find a old tie, cut it and hike into the bridge, dig a new hole and replant the tie with its restored mile post plate. Does anyone know how stinking heavy those concrete Mile Posts' are ? It was a pride thing you could say.

Most often on my days off Shelby & I would be out west usually parking at daybreak so we had time to walk in, and do what needed done, waiting out the next ore train, Nelms Shuttle, 212 or the grain train. Sometimes the entire day, sunsire to sunset was spent at locations waiting for a train, or in some cases, 2 trains. Today, the place is so over grown its disappointing.

I get a kick looking at other folks photographs these days as it seems they feel they are doing something quite unique. They seem to forget its not just about taking a "picture" of a location that makes it unique, but add documentation about its History to give us all some sense of being.

I should invest in a video card and a "big honkin' hard drive" and break down my collection, it would be a sensational trip back into time as many of my scene's have radio talk included with the usual locomotive sounds. (Jer - remember the W&LE coal train that stalled at MP 62 with those 3 NS GE's and the WC SD-45?) Not only do we see and hear those C30's fighting to restart 100+ loads of westbound coal, up close and personal are a few scene's of those 40 inch drivers slipping as the rail zing's with each slip then footage of them changing the knuckle that broke 3 cars back during one of the attempts at restarting !

VW

[PWVJer]

Yes sir... I remember that first(for me) big 100-car? move out of
Clariton to Monnessen(Canestrale coal dock). I guess, things got started for us about 6pm or so...????
If I recall, you hitched the ride on the rear-end helpers with
our ol'e friend Jason. I thought George S. hitched the ride on
the head-end power?
Just before this "big show" got started, was it you??? that was tell'n the crews...
"once you get'm all go'n don't Stop!!"....
you guys will NEVER get go'n again up that branch!

I remember offering to set-out & flag the Rt.51 grade crossing.
The crews (in addition to the old P&WV Cross-buck-lights & Bell)
also needed flaged at that busy crossing.
As they handed me the fuses, I assured the other crew members
that "i do know how to use'm." ..and get the traffic stopped.
Then the "the big move plans were set in motion".
I was gonna chase & shoot, you were gonna ride & shoot.
Well so much for my early rail-fan plans...darkness & lite-rain
no pics or video for me!!!

Drove-up to the 51-grade-X'ing and began the long wait(s).
It seems I could hear all that power a full 20-mins. before I
could see them rounding the curve at a snail's pace!

Standing next to the old grade signal box, i finally heard those two inside
"clicks" Wow! the old lights & bell came to life!!! Started crack'n the 4-fuses
and to my suprise, all the 4-lane traffic on 51 slowed-down & stopped.
Standing @ the grade X'ing, lite rain & dark, the sounds were fantastic!!
High-pitch wail & grinding, horns & bell blaring, screech & groans of loaded hoppers!!!
...but GPS can fill you in on the really good stuff. I could only hear some of the Radio chatter...
as I drove to Monessen.
I guess it was about 1a.m. or so when met & picked-up GPS and George
at MP.20.9.

[Longview Station]

Jer;

Jason was just learing the tricks to running.
Young and new, full of spit & vinegar.
The engineman we rode with is now retired.
Actually both Engineman from that trip are retired.
We came up the branch in a cloud of sand dust.
Locomotives working out their EMD hearts shoving.
We reversed direction at Pierce and now we were leading.
No sooner we crossed Peters Creek, we stalled.
Can't remember what happened, but we backed up and tried it again.
Even the train dispatcher from that night is retired.
We had all ConRail power on our end.
Maybe the guys on the West set of locomotives lost a engine ?
Jason R. was tutored on this eastward trip.
Saw tooth was what he was told.
Roughly 6 or so miles upgrade, then 6 or so miles down.
Crossing Sudan I went out on the front porch.
Cell phoned Ed in Philly & let him listen to us crossing the bridge.
He wasn't impressed <LOL>...or should I say he was ......................
Arriving Monessen we pulled up to the station & stopped.
You were there with Matt Canestralle (?) himself...
I sure miss those Clairton to Monessen coal trains.
I have a shot at Monessen from back then.
4 locomotives all uncoupled from each other.
Most of them were Conrail, just sitting there...

[jayrod]

Since tape physically deteriorates with age, you might want to seriously consider converting to digital. There are services out there that will do it for you. Compare that cost to how much you'd pay for a decent video capture device and blank discs. Most importantly, your time is worth something in that equation, also. You need to be able to convert to mpeg-2 format to burn on DVD-R discs. Generally, video will eat about 2GB of disc space per hour.

I've edited my fair share of videos but I've never used a video capture card. If you know someone who has, get their recommendations. If your VCR has an S-video out, use a capture device that has an S-video input. You'll get better quality from that over a composit RCA connector.

Sounds like you guys have a serious amount of video on tape. It'd be a shame to lose those memories of the videos and the adventures that went with them.

Your resident Geek,
jayrod

[Longview Station]

Your absolutely correct "Jayrod".
Some older scene's, never to be repeated.
Even have a bunch of NS stack trains that only ran for 3 months.
I have some interviews of 2 former Rook train dispatchers, also.
Eddie Sturgess...Paul Robinson...
A couple Montour interviews...
VW