This is the first in a series of videos drawn from a pool of 1940's-era Hollywood feature-film outtakes and stock shots. I haven't yet identified what film these shots were for, so if you recognize something, leave a comment.
0:00 The video begins with an establishing shot of the front of New York's legendary Pennsylvania Station on Seventh Avenue.
0:14 Looking east from Tenth Avenue towards the Manhattan (Farley) Post Office Annex. A GG1 brings one of the railroad's limiteds into Penn Station. This track area is now completely covered over.
1:05 Now we're inside Penn Station, where we see four actors walk swiftly through the crowd to a train gate.
1:42 On board now, looking out the right side of the train as it leaves Newark Penn Station. The small gas station building at 1:52 can still (as of July 2022) be seen on Google street view. The standing passenger cars belong to the Hudson & Manhattan (later PATH).
3:38 Coming into North Philadelphia now. Industry crowds the track. At 4:28 there's a brief glimpse of a trolley line that went out of service in 1947.
4:47 GG1 No. 4923 brings a seemingly endless line of Pullmans and coaches into the North Philadelphia station.
5:27 Back on board the train again as it comes to a stop. The camera comes to rest on the platform for the Chestnut Hill branch, where, deep in electric territory, one of the PRR's 0-6-0 switchers is waiting.
The original film is silent, so I've added some contemporary American classical music, an excerpt from David Diamond's Rounds. Not your taste in music? There's always the mute button.