Description: This auction is for one new Trolley Dodger Records audio CD with a total playing time of 75:12. These are vintage steam train recordings, originally released on two LPs by a long-defunct record company in the 1960s. They have been digitally remastered using the best equipment and techniques. This CD comes with the original liner notes for each LP. VALLE DEL LOCOMOTORA DE VAPOR (VALLEY OF THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES) The Twilight of Mexican Steam Railroading in 1964 From the original liner notes: Who would have imagined that as late as 1964, one could still experience the thrilling sights and sounds of the steam locomotive en mass. Just think; Baldwin 2-8-2's at the head-end of local freights; ALCO 4-8-4's double heading over a helper district; a roundhouse that sheltered Nickel Plate Mikados and Florida East Coast 4-8-2's-- all under steam! Yet, all of these,plus a sprinkling of Consolidations and a pair of big 4-8-0's were still available to the camera shutters and recording microphones of conscientious historians, in the late summer and early fall of 1964. With the perfection of high fidelity stereo recording equipment and high speed film cameras in the capable hands of an experienced author and recording staff, we proudly present our first hand experience in the Land of enchantment for your pleasure. The most striking characteristic of the National Railways of Mexico is the great similarity between it and the class one railroads of the United States. The well graded main lines with the 112 lb. rail, Centralized Traffic Control and the imminent total dieselization, makes the N de M virtually indistinguishable from its counterparts north of the Rio Grande. Yet the presence of steam locomotives (although only on the Queretaro Division), the reliance on telegraphic dispatching and train order boards where C. T. C. had not yet reached, returned the nostalgic minded to an era of railroading at the turn of the century, plus twenty. The last steam locomotives to be used in regular main line service in North America received the utmost in personal care and service within a splendid 32 stall roundhouse located at the Valle de Mexico yard, a few miles north of Mexico City. Even in the late summer of 1964, there were upwards of fifty steam locomotive movements daily at Valle-- enough to ensure plenty of action at almost any time except, perhaps, for a few hours after midnight-- before the morning southbound freights were due. During those wee hours, the place to be was Tula, a division point 80 kilometers northward, where mainline freight and branch-line locals created an awesome spectacle. On one such night, silvered by a full moon, the authors were on hand to witness the arrival and departure of five freight trains, four of which were steam powered (two 4-8-4's, a 4-8-0 and a 2-8-2) between midnight and 2 a.m. Mexicans are very similar to Americanos in their feeling toward steam locomotives. Perhaps their more passionate natures made them even more sensitive to the loss of the steam locomotive than their fraternal cousins north of the border. One had only to inquire around the engine house (between the deafening indoor whistling contests) or speak with a retired engineer at a lonely mountain station who sadly explained why he wouldn't be down by the tracks anymore when the Niagaras had gone, to sense how great the loss is to Mexico in the United States, we understand the nostalgia of the Mexican people and their railroad men, for we have known it for a decade already. So, a fleeting moment in the pages of history gives us a precious glance at The Valley of the Steam Locomotives that was the Valle de Mexico, 1964. PAYMENT You can pay using any eBay approved payment method, including PayPal. Your prompt payment is greatly appreciated. SERVICE Items will be mailed promptly, and packed securely so as to avoid being damaged. SHIPPING METHOD: These items will be shipped domestically within the 48 continental United States at no charge. International shipping costs $10 USD via USPS First Class International. REFUNDS: I provide a refund (purchase price only) after your return of any item that I shipped with a physical defect or is not the item listed - BUT you must contact me first for a return authorization. FEEDBACK: If you aren't happy, please contact me before you leave non-positive feedback. I don't care about receiving feedback, but if it's important to you let me know and I'll respond to your feedback.
Price: 15.99 USD
Location: River Forest, Illinois
End Time: 2024-01-24T20:11:06.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Modified Item: No
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
