71874 " THE HOOSIER LINE " MONON RAILROAD CHICAGO, INDIANAPOLIS & LOUISVILLE RR PROMO FILM
This vintage color film (c.1950s) by the Monon Railroad and featuring the Purdue Glee Club, shows the Monon Railroad at the height of its operations. The Monon Railroad, also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway (1897–1956), was an American railroad that operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana. The film highlights how the Monon Railroad and “Hoosier” locomotive were instrumental in the agricultural and commercial development of America’s Northwest and features clips of American industry as well as important landmarks across the three cities connected by Monon: Louisville, Chicago, and Indianapolis. <p><p>Film opens (0:06). State of Indiana, map of Monon trackage (0:12). Purdue University Glee Club, directed by Albert P. Stewart (0:37). Monon Indiana Station, Monon Indiana water tower (2:57). Man in 18th century dress playing harp and singing song about Indiana’s Wabash River (4:00). Wabash River, primrose blossoms (6:07). Small log cabin in woods and then transition to more permanent home structure made from brick and stone (6:46). The “Hoosier” train crosses wagon bridge over Wabash River (6:56). Map showing expansion of United States territory: Florida Purchase, Louisiana Purchase, Texas, North West Territory (8:11). Beginnings of Monon railway along Ohio River in Southern Indiana, previous reliance on small river boats (8:55). Reenactment footage of James Brooks (1810-1867) of New Albany, Indiana advocating for building of railroad (9:14). Early railroads: Locomotive resembling 57 Memnon 0-8-0 class steam locomotive (10:07). Host of program draws simple diagram on chalk board detailing expansion of Monon rail network from New Albany to Michigan City, help and funding by Boston railroad magnate John Murray Forbes (11:33). Purdue University Glee Club (14:04). Monon “Hoosier” train pulls into Monon Indiana Station, iconic red Monon 83B locomotive streamliner approaches camera (15:45). Conductor driving train, conductor’s POV scenery along tracks: View of farmland, industrial factories, small cities and towns, prosperity as a result of railroads at work (16:16). Modular housing plants i.e. Gunnison Homes, Inc, National HomeCorp; Raw material needed to build homes comes from all over US, trains help connect raw material to production plants (17:01). Doors being manufactured on assembly line at production plant (17:19). Monon railroad work to boost local economy, shot of “hoosier” train barreling down tracks in rural area (18:09). Local construction crew conducts maintenance work on rail track, lays new steel lines and spikes (18:41). 1953 American LaFrance Pumper Fire Truck pulls out of fire station (19:49). Supreme Court of the United States (19:57). Montage nature scenes: Overgrown green shrubs along railroad, ducklings in stream (20:10). Purdue University Glee Club, singing songs about beauty of Indiana (20:31). Park ranger stands at entrance to Shades State Park; Various shots of idyllic nature across national park (22:39). Sign for Spring Mill State Park (23:06). Monroe County Courthouse in Bloomington, Indiana (23:22). Hustle and bustle, traffic in Indiana’s biggest city Indianapolis (23:29). Indiana War Memorial Plaza (23:46). Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Monument Circle (23:53). Indianapolis 500 (Indy-500) race preparations; 1950s roadster racing cars speed off on racetrack (24:02). “Hoosier towns:” Cities and industrial plants across state of Indiana (25:09). Pioneering efforts of Monon management: First railroad to become completely dieselized, locomotives serviced in centralizing servicing facility (25:50). Improved infrastructure: New rails laid, bridges rebuilt, signal systems improved (26:22). Montage logos of strategic railroads that intersect the Monon: Nickel Rate Road, Santa Fe Railway, Illinois Central etc. (26:44). City scenes of Louisville, Kentucky: City decorated for upcoming Kentucky Derby, Newly arrived passengers on Monon train dressed up for derby (27:36). Churchill Downs racetrack, scenes of Kentucky Derby races (28:32). Chicago skyline, landmarks: Palmolive Building, Buckingham Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park, The Merchandise Mart, the Wrigley Building, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry (30:11). Aerial view of city, Chicago River (30:48). “Hoosier” host closing words, summarizing Monon greatness (32:17). Closing segment of Purdue University Glee Club (33:36). Film ends (34:03).<p><p>This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com