The Empire State Railway Museum is excited to announce the availability of a video cassette which combines six short movie films mostly taken on the tracks and trains of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad in April 1906!!!

The Museum owes a mountain of thanks to Lonnie Gale for his extensive and persistent negotiations with the Library of Congress in obtaining this collection of silent black-and-white films, which puts together the six films into a single 46 minute video. Be among the first to own a copy of these rare and unique films at a reasonable price (see order form).

Here are the titles and brief descriptions of the films:

Grand Hotel to Big Indian: Starting with a view of the Grand Hotel, the train leaves Highmount and proceeds eastward around the horseshoe curve above Pine Hill and winds up in Big India. Along the way are comedy shots of arguing passengers and a stalled horse and a buggy on the tracks.

The Hold-Up of the Rocky Mountain Express: A classic comedy film starts at the Phoenicia Station and goes up to the Stony Clove Branch. The train is held up and the robbers escape on a pump car, being chased by the train. The Ramsey transfer station is seen in this sequence, along with the Globe Hotel and several other 1906 Phoenicia building.

In the Haunts of Rip Van Winkle: This film starts at the Phoenicia Station and heads west, showing the scenery along the way. It encounters a woman trying to flag the train, and a tramp resting on the tracks.

In the Valley of the Esopus: Beginning near Brown Station, the train proceeds west through an area which is now covered by the Ashokan Reservoir. A drunken fisherman is wrestled off the track at Broadhead’s Bridge.

Into the Heart of the Catskills: This journey begins at Union Station in Kingston and ends at the station in West Hurley (pre-reservoir). Several familiar scenes – such as grade crossings at O’Neil and Downs Streets (with flagman), bridges at Elmendorf St, and Albany Avenue, Hurley Montain, Stony Hollow, and the rock cut east of West Hurley – are clearly visible.

A Trip on the Catskill Mountain Railway: The Catskill Mountain Railway took passengers from Catskill Landing to the base of the Otis Elevating Railway at Otis Junction, where connections were made for the trip to the Catskill Mountain House. This film depicts the journey through Austin’s Glen to Otis Junction and then goes up the Elevated Railway and returns to Otis Junction.

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EMPIRE STATE RAILWAY MUSEUM GIFT SHOP BOOKS AND VIDEOS

 

EMPIRE STATE RAILWAY MUSEUM P.O. Box 455 Phoenicia, NY 12464-0455 (845) 688-7501 Please send me the video collection of 1906 U & D films as indicated below: (Enclosed is a check for $_______ made out to EMPIRE STATE RAILWAY MUSEUM) ESRM Members: _____ video(s) @ $19.95 each (includes $3.00 tax and shipping) Non-members: _____ video(s) @ $22.95 each (includes $3.00 tax and shipping) Name ______________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________