Firebox Vault

18/02/2022

"Our scene begins on a bright, humid Saturday in 2021 - May 22, in fact. We're standing on Cannery Road, a sleepy two-lane route running alongside the old Western Maryland (now CSX) mainline past Smiths Station just outside Hanover, PA.

It was here that on May 22, 1977 - 44 years ago to the day - the famed Chessie Steam Special thundered past along the WM, the magnificent Reading Company T-1 steam locomotive #2101 in it's brilliant orange-and-gold livery thrilling dozens of railfans and curious residents alike as it hauled 19 cars full of excited ticketholders through the region...."

Check out our latest Firebox Vault YouTube video!
YT DIRECT LINK: https://youtu.be/pBr4zadbr7Q

This is the first in the new 'Chasing Ghosts' series where we explore the sites of railroading days gone by through unique 'then-and-now' videos combining vintage Super 8 footage with new footage we shot on-location in present day using vintage Super 8 cameras and film stock. We hope you enjoy chasing ghosts with us!

17/01/2022

Hello, Firebox fans! We kick off a different type of video on the channel this week to bring you the sounds of railroading days of yore with the first in our new Stack Talk series!

In our inaugural release we feature the full audio recording of a vintage 45 record entitled 'Sounds of 1401'. We accompany the sounds of steam locomotives - Southern PS-4 No. 1401, Southern 'Mikado' 4501, UP 'Big Boy', Pennsy K-4, and NYC Hudson Class J - with postcard images and record sleeve art for a unique listening and viewing experience. We hope you enjoy it and would love if you'd let us know what you think of the format; just leave a comment for us!

YT DIRECT VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/M05w_UMNYBA

26/12/2021

Out of the Firebox Vault comes a special gift to our subscribers, especially those who love and appreciate classic American railroading footage. "Green Mountain Railroading on the Rutland" features images of steam and diesel railroading in New England as shot by Fred McLeod in 1951 and 1952. It's a brilliant short film that we hope you'll enjoy. Merry Christmas!

YT VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/EqBoFUsxdUs

25/11/2021

Happy Thanksgiving to our followers! We've taken a break from posting but will be back soon with more content, we promise.

14/05/2021

This week we feature a 'slide show' starring two historic steam engines, #385 and #4039, now in the care of the folks at the Whippany Railway Museum in Whippany, NJ. Our shots were taken during the late 1960s to early 1970s while the engines operated in excursion service for the Morris County Central Railroad (MCC).

"Old Number 385" is a 1907-era, Class H-4, 2-8-0 Consolidation-type steam locomotive originally built for the Southern Railway by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA. The engine served the Southern until it was purchased by the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway in 1952. It retired from there in 1959 and was ultimately saved from the scrapper's torch in 1963, when it was put into excursion service by the MCC. It made its last run on October 14, 1978, and is now on static display in Whippany.

The 4039 was part of a large order of Alco motive power placed by the U.S. War Department and was built in 1942. Originally intended for service on foreign soil, the engine instead remained stateside for wartime service on the home front. In 1947, the War Assets Administration sold #4039 to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway, where it was used in freight service til the 1960s. It was retired in 1963 and then sold to the MCC in 1965, where it operated in excursion service from 1966 through December 1980. It was eventually acquired by the Whippany Railway Museum in 1994, cosmetically restored, and then put on public display in 1996.

Both engines are highlights of the Whippany collection, and if you're ever in northern NJ, please take the time to pay these magnificent engines a visit. With a lot of luck and funding we may get a chance to see them both out on the high iron again one day!

This week we feature a 'slide show' starring two historic steam engines, #385 and #4039 now in the care of the folks at the Whippany Railway Museum in Whippa...

07/05/2021

Our Firebox footage this week in honor of National Train Day features the quintessential American steam locomotive, the Santa Fe 3751, seen here in April of 1977 at the now-defunct Viaduct Park in San Bernardino, California, and still several years before being restored and back on the high iron.

Built in 1927 for the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the engine is a classic 4-8-4 "Northern" type and was the first of this type in passenger service for the Santa Fe. The engine served the railroad well and was eventually retired in 1957, and a year later was placed on display in San Bernardino. Eventually, in 1981 a group of committed rail preservationists and steam enthusiasts came together as the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society and led the effort to get the 3751 operable again, and by 1986 their efforts began bearing fruit: the engine moved out of the park and into the restoration shop at California Steel Industries, and by 1991 was able to move under its own steam. Later that same year, it completed its first excursion at the end of December, and today it continues to delight steam enthusiasts and railfans of all ages as one of the most recognized engines still in service.

A Santa Fe engine of a later vintage, the 2913, also a Baldwin-built 4-8-4, remains on static display in its park home in Fort Madison, IA. If you're that neck of the woods this weekend for National Train Day on Saturday, May 8th, be sure to stop by Riverview Park to catch a glimpse of this sleeping giant of a locomotive. If weather permits, the volunteers of the North Lee County Historical Society will be on-hand to allow 'hands on' tours and photos with this mighty engine. Will this iron horse stretch its legs again as the 3751 now does? Time will tell...
Thank you for watching!

Our footage this week in honor of National Train Day on May 8 features the quintessential American steam locomotive, the Santa Fe 3751, seen here in April of...

01/05/2021

This week's footage features a few colorful scenes from the coach yard at Bay Head, Ocean County, NJ, taken on December 6, 1975, during the special "Blue Comet Nostalgia Special" fan trip, hosted by the Mainline Steam Foundation along the former NY & Long Branch Railroad from Raritan to Bay Head. We catch a glimpse of the end of that train with the observation car which hosted TV personality Tom Snyder and crew, who filmed the special excursion for his late-night program 'Tomorrow'. We can also spy a Great Northern coach (bought by the Jersey Central) and Jersey Shore Commuters Club Parlor Car #1734. If you enjoy this video or have memories or recollections of the Blue Comet nostalgia excursion or the old coach yard at Bay Head, please comment below!

This week's footage features a few colorful scenes from the coach yard at Bay Head, Ocean County, New Jersey, taken on December 6, 1975, during the special "...

23/04/2021

This week's clip takes us to New England for a twilight meander around the yard at Steamtown U.S.A. in Bellows Falls, Vermont. There's a variety of interesting equipment on display as you'll see.

Some may not be aware that prior to making a home in Scranton as a National Park Service property, Steamtown National Historic Site had its home in the Green Mountain State from the mid 1960s until 1983, the brainchild of millionaire seafood magnate F. Nelson Blount. If you have memories of visiting the first iteration of Steamtown, please share them in the comments below; we'd love to hear them!

This week's clip takes us to New England for a twilight meander around the yard at Steamtown U.S.A. in Bellows Falls, Vermont. There's a variety of interesti...

17/04/2021

This week we take a trip back in time to the late 1970s for a visit to Railways of Yesterday, more commonly known today as the Rockhill Trolley Museum, located in Rockhill, PA. The organization was formed in 1960 to collect, preserve, and restore historic traction motor equipment like trolleys and streetcars, and it did so with the acquisition of its first piece of equipment, seen in the first part of our footage, the distinctive orange Johnstown #311​. Built in 1922 by the Wason Manufacturing Co. of Springfield, MA, this iconic and beloved 'Birney' safety car was in service with the Johnstown Traction Co. until 1960 and at the time of its retirement was the last 'Birney' car in regular service in the U.S.

We also showcase the Chicago Aurora & Elgin (CA&E) wooden interurban car #315​. Built by the Brill subsidiary the Kuhlman Car Co. in 1909, the 315 was acquired for the Railways to Yesterday collection in 1961. Featuring mahogany woodwork, lots of brass detailing, and stained glass, these cars were the epitome of dignified, luxurious interurban travel, and fans of traction equipment can be thankful that this car has been retained in the Rockhill collection where it will be looked after by its many capable volunteers for years to come.

This week we take a trip back in time to the late 1970s for a visit to Railways of Yesterday, more commonly known today as the Rockhill Trolley Museum, locat...

09/04/2021

Our footage this week captures scenes at the Nassau interlocking at Princeton Junction, NJ in the very early 1980s. The circa-1930 Nassau tower, which still survives today (though taken out of service by Amtrak in the mid 1980s) marks the junction of the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York-Philadelphia Main Line, and Princeton Branch. In our clip we see trains in Amtrak service, including GE E60 locomotive AMTK 951 and AMTK 969. Also captured is the former flagship motive power of the Pennsy, a GG-1, in this instance No. 4881 in service for New Jersey Transit.

FYI - The Historical Society of West Windsor has an excellent web page and resources on the Princeton Junction area, with lots of interesting old photos and maps of the railroad and station. You'll find the link on their FB page.

Our footage this week captures scenes at the Nassau interlocking at Princeton Junction, NJ in the very early 1980s. The circa-1930 Nassau tower, which still ...

02/04/2021

This week's clip from the Vault spotlights the much loved Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1 locomotive, No. 4935, affectionately known to Pennsy fans as 'Blackjack', seen here at Lancaster Station in Lancaster, PA, during what we believe is an NRHS special excursion on October 29, 1978. (If you recognize the location or have more information on the trip, please comment below!)

Built in 1943 at the PRR's Juniata shops in Altoona, PA, the engine was used extensively through the Northeast Corridor and Main Line by the Pennsy, then the Penn Central, and finally Amtrak, which undertook a total refurbishment of 4935 in 1977 in order to return it to passenger service. The 4935 was finally retired in 1980, and soon after ended up in the collection of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, where it remains today, delighting railfans young and old as the best-preserved of the 16 remaining GG-1s in existence.

26/03/2021

Our footage this week captures scenes around the grounds of the Strasburg Rail Road, the popular Lancaster County, PA, tourist railroad, some time in the VERY early 1970s. Strasburg has the honor of being the oldest continuously operating railroad in the western hemisphere and has obviously seen its share of development and changes, as evident when comparing this clip to what we see today. The site looks quite different! You'll notice a 'shanty' tower near the engine house in our footage, among other things, and a different paint scheme as well. If you have additional information or know approximately when that little shanty was taken down, please comment below.

Our Firebox Vault footage this week captures scenes around the grounds of the Strasburg Rail Road, the popular Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, tourist railro...

19/03/2021

Our Firebox Vault footage this week features two steam locomotives, former Florida East Coast Railway's 1920-built ALCO 4-6-2 148, at that time owned by Sam Freeman, along with Canadian Pacific 972, the circa-1912 4-6-0 built by Montreal Locomotive Works and owned by George Hart. Both engines are seen here in the mid-1970s during a water stop in the Flemington, New Jersey, area, swarmed by the train crew, crowds, and the firefighters of the nearby Raritan Township Fire Company, which supplied the water to keep these might steam engines moving.

If anyone can venture a guess as to the exact location this was shot, please share in the comments below or on the YouTube video comments! And if you enjoy the video, please 'like' and subscribe to the Firebox Vault channel. We post new content every week, so don't miss out.😊

Our footage this week features two steam locomotives, former Florida East Coast Railway's 1920-built ALCO 4-6-2 148, at that time owned by Sam Freeman, along...

12/03/2021

We're back for a third visit to Toronto this week to watch CN yard switcher 8521 in smoky action sometime in the late 1970s. (You'll also catch a glimpse of some Budd RDC cars, too.) Built in 1959 by the Montreal Locomotive Works, the Canadian subsidiary of Alco, the 8521 was one of 56 S-13 switchers produced. It was reportedly retired (scrapped) in 1990.

Originally a large rail yard owned by the Canadian National Railway, the Toronto Railway Lands was once home to both the Spadina (circa 1928) and John Street roundhouses (circa 1931), owned by the CNR and Canadian Pacific Railway, respectively. The Spadina roundhouse was demolished in the 1980s. Portions of the Railway Lands were redeveloped and are now part of the CityPlace neighborhood and also include the CN Tower and Rogers Centre. The John Street roundhouse was retained and serves as the home of the Toronto Railway Museum.

We're back for a third visit to Toronto this week to watch CN yard switcher 8521 in smoky action some time in the late 1970s. (You'll also catch a glimpse of...

05/03/2021

This week we catch a glimpse of iconic Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 locomotive 4877 in its Tuscan red livery at Leaman Place, the junction in Paradise Twp, Lancaster Co., where the nearby Strasburg Rail Road meets the Amtrak mainline between Harrisburg & Philly. Our footage and the accompanying images were taken during the 'Farewell to the GG1' celebration in June of '81. We hope you enjoy. Please 'Like' + Subscribe for Firebox Vault content!
DIRECT VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/_sONkmj-QPk

26/02/2021

This week's footage takes us out west in May 1977 to what is likely California to check out some Southern Pacific diesel freight train action. If you recognize the locale, please comment below!

This week's footage takes us out west in May 1977 to what is likely California to check out some Southern Pacific diesel freight train action. If you recogni...

19/02/2021

We're back in Virginia this week with some yard footage of Southern EMD FP7 locomotives 6133 and 6141 captured between trips during the September 1977 NRHS Convention hosted by the Roanoke Chapter NRHS. You can also catch a glimpse of the Southern (T&P) 610 steam engine as well.

If anyone recognizes where this yard scene may have played out and during (or before) which Convention excursion this footage may have been shot we'd appreciate reading your comments below.

Fortunately these two sleek EMD streamliners are still around: the 6133 remains operable and is in the collection of the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, while the 6141 provides motive power for the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train - RJ Corman tourist attraction based in Bardstown, KY.

If you enjoyed this video, please 'like' this video and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thank you!

We're back in Virginia this week with some yard footage of Southern EMD FP7 locomotives 6133 and 6141 captured between trips during the September 1977 NRHS C...

12/02/2021

Our YouTube clip this week features some onboard footage taken during one of the excursion trips held during the September 1977 NRHS Convention hosted by the Roanoke Chapter NRHS. We don't have details on the exact date or itinerary for this trip, but we suspect it was taken during the September 1 Roanoke-Alexandria trip, since we can spot the two Southern FP7s 6133 and 6141 behind the 610. (If anyone has additional details or corrections we'd love to learn more!)

The 610, a 2-10-4 "Texas" type steam locomotive, was built in 1927 by the Lima Locomotive Works. T&P. In 1951, after years of heavy service tot he T&P, it was saved from scrap and donated to the Ft. Worth Fat Stock Show, where it sat on display at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. It was eventually restored and brought back in service for America's Bicentennial, being used as motive power for part of the American Freedom Train's tour in Texas.

The 610 was then leased to the Southern Railway for use in its steam excursion program. The engine was re-lettered as Southern 610 and saw four additional years of service before returning to the Lone Star State in 1982, where it eventually ended up on display at the Texas State Railroad "Official". It remains the sole surviving T&P "Texas" type locomotive and also the largest non-articulated Lima Locomotive Works-produced steam engine in preservation today.

If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our YT channel. We plan to post new content every Friday, so don't miss out. 😀

Our clip this week features some onboard footage taken during one of the excursion trips held during the September 1977 NRHS Convention hosted by the Roanoke...

05/02/2021

This week's clip features GE/Westinghouse GG1, former Pennsylvania Railroad 4901, in service as Amtrak 4904 pulling away from an unidentified station. (If the location looks familiar, please comment below!)

Unfortunately the engine was scrapped in 1981, but of note is the fact that it was one of two GG1 locomotives which, while in Penn Central service in 1968, led Robert F. Kennedy's funeral train from New York to Washington, D.C.

This week's clip features GE/Westinghouse GG1, former Pennsylvania Railroad 4901, in service as Amtrak 4904 pulling away from an unidentified station. (If th...

29/01/2021

This week's clip features a mid-70s era view of Amtrak's motive power fleet at that time, likely filmed at 30th Street in Philadelphia. (If you recognize the area, please let us know!) Included in our clip are two former PRR GG1 locomotives - 4904 (formerly PRR 4901) and 4913 - and four GE E-60 engines - 955, 964 (renumbered to 603), 957, and 969.

The E-60 electrics were manufactured by GE starting in 1972, so these engines were fairly new at the time this was shot. The legendary GG1s were originally in service with the Pennsylvania Railroad, but saw their Amtrak use end on April 26, 1980.

GG1 4913 is preserved at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona, PA, having been repainted to its original, striking Tuscan Red livery. E-60 603 resides in the collection of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg.

If you like this video, please subscribe to the Firebox Vault YouTube channel. We plan to post new content every Friday, so don't miss out!

This week's clip features a mid-70s era view of Amtrak's motive power fleet at that time, likely filmed at 30th Street in Philadelphia. (If you recognize the...

22/01/2021

We're back with more circa-1976 footage at the East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill, Pennsylvania. Take a look at the sweeping view across the dormant Huntington County landscape as three mighty Baldwin steam locomotives chug along the rails like the model train layout of every child's dreams. Enjoy!

If you like this video, please subscribe to our YT channel. We plan to post new content every Friday, so don't miss out.

We're back with more circa-1976 footage at the East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill, Pennsylvania. Take a look at the sweeping view across the dormant Hunting...

15/01/2021

This week we travel back to the mountains of West Virginia for another circa-1970s look at the Shay locomotives of the Cass Scenic Railroad in some great clips which feature a steam triple-header on one of the passenger trains.

If you like this video, please subscribe to our YT channel. We plan to post new content every Friday, so don't miss out!

This week we travel back to the mountains of West Virginia for another circa 1970s look at the beloved Shay steam locomotives of the Cass Scenic Railroad, th...

08/01/2021

Our footage this week takes us to the small West Virginia mountain town of Ronceverte (translated from French as "greenbrier"), to see the famed Delaware & Hudson (D&H) Alco diesel locomotives, PA-1 16 and PA-1 18. Ronceverte is located along the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) line and played a vital role in transporting commodities like limestone from quarries in the area to nearby towns like Clifton Forge, Virginia, as part of the C&O's Greenbrier Division.

The Alco PAs ended up in Ronceverte in early fall of 1971, when both 16 and 18 were leased (with the option to purchase) by the rail excursion outfit Steam Tours, Inc. (Note that the engines are sitting on sub-yard tracks of the old Greenbrier Division's freight house; those tracks no longer exist as evidenced by the images in our slide show.)

Steam Tours had difficulty financing the ongoing maintenance and repair of the two engines, which did not bode well for the engines. Unfortunately, 16 suffered a scored No. 4 main bearing, which took it out of service. Both 16 and 18 were then relocated to the shops of the Western Maryland Railway (WM) in Hagerstown by early 1972.

Both engines were eventually rebuilt as PA-4s at Morrison-Knudsen and ended up in Mexico. While both made it back to the U.S., 18 appears to be in much better shape, as it was magnificently restored and refurbished as Nickel Plate Road (NKP) 190 and currently resides at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland. It's unclear what the current state of 16 is but its last known location was also Oregon. (If anyone has any updated info, please comment!)

If you like this video, please subscribe to our channel and reach out to us below. We plan to post new content every Friday, so don't miss out.Facebook: http...

01/01/2021

This week we're pacing the mighty Canadian Pacific 4-6-0 steam locomotive 972 with footage taken some time in the 1970s while the engine was in excursion service out of Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The engine was built in 1912 by Montreal Locomotive Works but is currently out of service and awaiting restoration (since 1995) at the shops of the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after having been purchased from owner George Hart.

If you like this video, please subscribe to our channel and reach out to us below. We plan to post new content every week, so don't miss out!

This week we're pacing the mighty Canadian Pacific 4-6-0 steam locomotive 972 with footage taken some time in the 1970s while the engine was in excursion ser...

25/12/2020

This week's footage is a special gift to our viewers, especially those who love and appreciate steam trains and classic railroading footage from the glory days of American steam. It's an old black-and-white film entitled "Steam in Action". You'll discover a variety of clips in this wonderful old film, including glimpses of a number of North American and eastern U.S. railroads including the Canadian Pacific (CP), Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), Eastern Gas & Fuel (EG&F), Reading (RDG), and more. We hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas!

This week's footage is a special gift to our viewers, especially those who love and appreciate steam trains and classic railroading footage from the glory da...

18/12/2020

This week's vintage footage features a steam locomotive we're pleased to report is now fully operational, the former Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway 1920 ALCO steam locomotive No. 148.

On December 6, 1975, the now-defunct Mainline Steam Foundation ran a special fan trip along the former NY & Long Branch Railroad from Raritan to Bay Head, New Jersey, to commemorate the famed 'Blue Comet' passenger train that once traveled between Jersey City and Atlantic City along the CNJ line. Thanks to the involvement of Sam Freeman, who bought the 148 from U.S. Sugar in 1969 and saw it used in service to the Black River & Western, the engine was used for this special trip. Pulling 9 CNJ coaches, the train carried 600 lucky passengers who had paid $20 a ticket for the experience, as well as TV personality Tom Snyder and crew, who filmed the excursion and interview Mr. Freeman and the train crew and organizers for his late night program 'Tomorrow'. (Old VHS footage of the program can be found on YouTube and is well worth seeking out.)

Though the New Jersey landscape is now dramatically altered and nearly unrecognizable, we speculate that our footage was shot near the Y at Aberdeen Station; see if you agree.

Fortunately the 148 continues to delight steam fans, having returned to its home state of Florida in 2016 and undergoing a full restoration and return to service this year with U.S. Sugar in Clewiston, FL, as the power behind the Sugar Express.

This week's vintage footage features a steam locomotive we're pleased to report is now fully operational, the former Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway 1920 AL...

11/12/2020

This week's clip from the Firebox Vault features the beloved Strasburg Rail Road Baldwin 0-6-0 steam locomotive No. 31, formerly Canadian National Railway (CN) No. 7312 while in service at the popular Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, tourist railroad some time in the 1970s.

After serving both the Grand Trunk Railway and then the CN after the 1923 merger, the engine was retired from its final CN role as a switcher at their Stratford, Ontario, shops. In 1959, Strasburg RR VP Bud Swearer discovered the Baldwin while visiting Stratford and ultimately purchased the locomotive from CN for both passenger and freight use at Strasburg. Upon arrival in the summer of 1960, the engine was renumbered 31. That September, it became the first steam locomotive to re-enter service in the U.S.

No. 31 operated until 2009 when it was slated to undergo a heavy rebuild at the Strasburg shops, but unfortunately remains inoperable as the restoration project was mothballed indefinitely.

If you like this video, please subscribe to our channel and reach out to us below. We plan to post new content every Friday, so don't miss out.

This week's clip features the beloved Strasburg Rail Road Baldwin 0-6-0 steam locomotive No. 31, formerly Canadian National Railway (CN) No. 7312 while in se...

08/12/2020

We're back in Toronto to check out more footage of the railway lands, now home of the Toronto Railway Museum. Check it out!

We're back this week to explore more of the famed 'Railway Lands' area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally a large railroad yard owned by the Canadian Na...

27/11/2020

This week we catch a glimpse of a part of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which no longer exists, the famed 'Railway Lands' area. Originally a large railroad yard owned by the Canadian National Railway, this waterfront complex, bounded by Front and Yonge Streets, the Gardiner Expressway, and Bathurst Street, was once home to both the Spadina (circa 1928) and John Street roundhouses (circa 1931), owned by the CNR and Canadian Pacific Railway, respectively.

Sadly, the Spadina roundhouse was demolished in the 1980s. The western portion of the Railway Lands is now part of the CityPlace neighbourhood, with the eastern portion called South Core, home to mostly mixed-use development, including the CN Tower and Rogers Centre. The John Street roundhouse was retained and is home to the Toronto Railway Museum as part of the 17-acre Roundhouse Park complex.

For more information on Toronto's railroad history, visit the Toronto Railway Historical Association here on FB.

This week we catch a glimpse of a part of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which no longer exists as seen here, the famed 'Railway Lands' area. Originally ...

21/11/2020

Today's Firebox Vault selection is a glimpse of an interesting Penn Central freight train taken at Pennsylvania's World Famous Horseshoe Curve sometime in the 1970s. You can almost smell that brake shoe smoke and journal oil as the eye-catching array of vintage freight cars make their way up the grade.

If you like this video, please subscribe to our channel and reach out to us in the comments.

Today's Firebox Vault selection is a glimpse of an interest Penn Central freight train taken at Altoona, Pennsylvania's legendary Horseshoe Curve some time i...