Chrysler Building, New York City, 1930

Railroads Viewing and Discussion Programs

The following list of films may be used in programs that support use of Picturing America posters 8-A, 15-A, 16-A, 17-A, and 18-A:

American Experience: Riding the Rails. (1998) 72 min. PBS. DVD: $19.95.
Delve into the mystic and the history surrounding the younger generation who rode the rails during the Great Depression, in search of a better life. The classic folk soundtrack is pure Americana. Resources. Available from PBS.

American Experience: Transcontinental Railroad. (2002) 120 min. PBS. DVD: $24.99.
Covers the six years of intense labor needed to create the train system that would span the breadth of our nation. Explores the negative effects on both its laborers and the Native American culture it penetrated through. Resources. Available from PBS.

Extreme Steam. (2003) 180 min. Pentrex. DVD: $29.95.
Experience steam engines that run in competition in Ohio, scenic tours of the Mt. Rainier area in Washington state, along with other routes through Oregon, Missouri, and Oklahoma, as well as through the wilderness of Montana. Available from Pentrex.

Power and Speed: Diesel Locomotives. (1997) 50 min. History Channel. DVD: $24.95
Explore how diesel technology would come to dominate the world’s railroads, and how standardization would be the key to their success. Available from History Channel; contact a sales rep for PPR.

White Pass & Yukon Route: The Railroad Built of Gold. (2003) 35 min. Sky River Films. DVD: $14.29.
Discover the rail system built to accommodate the population surge of the 1890s, during the gold rush in the Klondike. Visit the town of Skagway and experience the beauty of the Alaskan countryside. Available from the Train Shoppe.