CHARLES SMILEY PRESENTS VIDEOS

For 33 years Charles Smiley Presents (CSP) has been bringing rail fans, rail historians and model railroaders videos of railroad subjects! Our emphasis has always been on railroads and eras that have either changed dramatically with time, or in many cases, disappeared altogether. CSP uses old movie film and video shot back when the rail scene looked a lot different and their was so much more to see lineside and on the rails. The vanished-differences seem far more appealing to us than the things you can easily see today. Our background began as an idea in 1992. A lifelong interest of trains and the hobby of HO model railroading added the spark. Production Value for each video takes four to six months to research, edit, script, add narration, create maps, add a bit of licensed music and sound effects when needed.

 

Full Movie "30 YEARS OF B&O, C&O, SEABOARD AND CHESSIE" Passenger & Freight

See a colorful mix of first and second generation diesels through many of their paint scheme phases. This two hour feature explains how the C&O and the B&O were first merged together -- and how the Western Maryland came into the picture to form the Chessie System. Have you wondered what ever happened to some of the railroads you grew up with? This presentation could shed some light on those thoughts and at the same time, bring back visions of many things that have vanished from the railroad scene. The mergers and their strategies are explained with some of the hidden history behind all the big changes in eastern railroading. 

Full Movie "UP 40 YEARS OF RAILROADING AND MERGERS"

Follow us on a voyage across the UP from the Pacific to Chicago. This video is a celebration of the original UP from the 1950s to its full size by 1996. See lots of early diesel power and vintage Cajon and California action. Then we explore the UP in the 1990s when it expanded rapidly to remain a competitive player in the rail business. This video is from movie film and early video shot years ago.

See the parade of C&NW and ex Missouri Pacific and WP power after all the mergers. Visit many of the former SP lines with UP power in charge since 1996.

Note:
"Union Pacific" and the Union Pacific shield are registered trademarks used under license.

BEST VINTAGE RAILROAD EYE-CANDY, EVER! -FULL MOVIE

This movie "GREAT SHORTLINES WEST" is a wonderful journey to many smaller railroads off the beaten track, with old locomotives, history and interesting rail operations. We visit ten of these obscure shortlines with scenes spanning from 1970 to 2004. Two of our visits include cab rides and access in two, truly great shortlines - the A&NR of Texas and CORP in Oregon.

See the Amador Central in its prime and up to the last day of operation. The Amador's blue Baldwins and the Baldwins of the Trona bring you back to an earlier era of diesels. The ALCO diesels of many roads are in this video. Early GE power is brought to you on the Modesto & Empire Traction Co.

Full Movie" UP 40 YEARS OF RAILROADING AND MERGERS"

Follow us on a voyage across the UP from the Pacific to Chicago. This video is a celebration of the original UP from the 1950s to its full size by 1996. See lots of early diesel power and vintage Cajon and California action. Then we explore the UP in the 1990s when it expanded rapidly to remain a competitive player in the rail business. This video is from movie film and early video shot years ago.

See the parade of C&NW and ex Missouri Pacific and WP power after all the mergers. Visit many of the former SP lines with UP power in charge since 1996.

Note:
"Union Pacific" and the Union Pacific shield are registered trademarks used under license.

Full Movie "1950's MIDWEST ELECTRIC RAILROADS" Color Film

This extensive presentation will paint the transportation picture that once wrapped around the lower part of the Lake Michigan-from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, down through Chicago, Illinois and ending in South Bend Indiana. The Chicago street car lines were claimed to be the largest system of its kind at one time. From 1858 it grew from a number of small lines using horse drawn trolleys that ran on tracks in the street. The scenes you are about to view are nearly all from the 1950 period to the early 1960's. Most of these electric interurban lines are gone with one exception. Plus, we have a few other surprises of how people commuted and traveled in these areas. This program has a wealth of color movie film mainly from 1950's, thru the changes into the 1960's. The accurate sound recordings, accompanying these movie scenes, bring back the auditory experience of living in those bygone years. Maps and graphics were specially created to enhance the relevance of the beautiful and nostalgic color movie scenes. These are presented with a well-researched and meaningful historic narrative.

Full Movie "ESPEE HALL OF FAME" YouTube Premiere

Visit "Espee" locations in the last years before the UP Merger. This video took almost a decade to shoot with nearly every scene in blue skies and with the sun's light on the right side of the train. The trains shown have been selected with care to tell a story and portray how things once were. See Elvas and Stockton Junction with the towers that have long ago been removed. Watch hours of great, original Southern Pacific power and lots of foreign and leased unit surprises. Most have been sent to the scrap yard since this material was shot. Learn much of the history of the SP and the area involved in this video.

The emphasis here is on manifest trains, transfer jobs and locals. We bring the kind of railroading that has been forgotten. See Davis and Suisun-Fairfield Junction and many trains on the Ione branch. Don't miss the sugar beets to Woodland, California. After watching this video, you should have a better understanding of what happened to the "Espee" - and why it happened.

 

Full Movie"30 YEARS OF B&O, C&O AND CHESSIE" on Mountain Grades

This full movie " MOUNTAIN GRADES OF THE B&O", brings the story of the many lines that would eventually form the CSX system. It was the ultimate "Rainbow-Rails" era that had many people guessing how it would end. Relive EMD and GE locomotives in a sight and sound spectacular, with older engines struggling up B&O's steepest mountain grades!

This material was shot in 1983, 1989 and 1991 with a mix of video and color movie-film dating back to 1969. See a colorful mix of power and a style of railroading that is vanished forever. The Mountain Subdivision brings the last Western Maryland units in service. CSX fans will also see the early color schemes. Chessie fans will see lots of "tri-color" power. Additional color comes from several CSX liveries from the 1991-era.

The history of mergers of C&O, B&O, WM and Seaboard Lines up to the CSXT formation is reviewed. Early film presents B&O, C&O and L&N power plus vignettes of Western Maryland and the small WVN Railroads. See lots of Seaboard and Family Lines power mixed with B&O, Chessie System and CSX colors in big power 'lash-ups' with helpers and meets. 

Full Movie "50 YEARS OF SOUTHERN PACIFIC LOCOMOTIVES"

Glistening vintage color film of Southern Pacific's world famous Coast Line Route. See Santa Barbara in the early forties with daylights and troop trains all pulled by steam. Huge cab forwards are also shown with long blocks of reefers. View the men and women of the SP over sixty years ago, all pitching in for the war effort. Southern Pacific's transition from steam to diesel is well covered with plenty of F-units in both bloody nose and black widow liveries. Visit Old Taylor Yard with lots of GP-9's and SD-7's and witness some of SP's rare DD-35B's and the giant U-50's in West Colton transfer service. Also included is classic Tehachapi, Beaumont Hill and Old Cajon Pass with U-33C's and older SD-39's and GP-35's as helper and mainline power. Climb aboard passenger excursions on the freight only Santa Paula and Burbank Branches powered by sets of F-Units. A step back through the last fifty years on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Some Locations: Oakland and San Jose San Joaquin Line Cajon Pass 1967 Tehachapi 1955-1971 Los Angeles area Taylor Yard 1965 Colton Crossing Kaiser ore at Ferrum Santa Paula Branch Burbank Branch Cascade and Shasta And much more

Full Movie "50 YEARS OF SANTA FE LOCOMOTIVES"

Our one and a half hour movie "DIESEL POWER ON THE SANTA FE" celebrates 50 years of all the diesels on the AT&SF. The Original Santa Fe we knew is gone but the imprint it left on the west is celebrated here on brilliant color film that has been digitized and edited with care. A number of film sources show the late-great Sant This is a fine DVD and one that will appeal to the Santa Fe's many devoted fans.-C.S The Cast: GP20, GP30 & GP35 SD24, SD26 & SD45 CF7, FP45 & F-units ALCO PA - ALCO'S & RSDs U-boats & cabooses at all the great hot-spots Visit Old Cajon, Tehachapi, Mojave, Barstow Yd. plus the Stockton and Pasadena Subdivisions. See a variety of motive power changes that reflect the Santa Fe's ability to respond well to an evolving industry. Few roads could compare to their quality of service. They left a positive and lasting impression on the public. The railroad industry in general maintained credibility through their efforts. Even in the rough times.

TRAINS MAGAZINE comments Diesel Power on the Santa Fe gets off to a rousing start, with a fast-paced montage of motion picture and still images set to suitably dramatic music. Many of the scenic feature the classic places of the Santa Fe-Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal in days of the F's, Tehachapi, Cajon, and Barstow Yard. The careful editing (and excellent maps and graphics) do justice to the subject.

BEFORE DURANGO AND SILVERTON: REAL1950'S RIO GRANDE NARROW GAUGE

This movie brings us a fresh "insider's" look at one of America's all-time favorite railroads. The full 1 Hour 38 minute production is all from Kodak color movie film shot by the engineer Andy Payne and his fellow workers over a number of years. The Rio Grande still had hundreds of miles of Narrow Gauge Rail operations in 1954 when Andy Payne became a steam locomotive fireman, then yard hostler and later an engineer! This seemingly improbable operation was still valuable to its customers until time ran out in 1969! Learn the history of the line and hear some great stories, and insights, as Andy explains all the historic scenes he shot on Kodak Color Movie Film; See action from the cab, onboard and trackside. Andy shot many hours of movie film all during his career! Hosteling duties: Coaling, Sanding, and cleaning out the grates in the firebox! Andy filmed all the great scenery and the railroad's daily work life over the years. This leaves us a wonderful historical record of place that still had steam locomotives, and old wooden freight and passenger cars, earning revenue! Beautiful winter scenes were captured.

See action from the cab, onboard and trackside. See the real story of the whole empire with lots of freight trains and passenger trains creating history and a way of life for the road's workers. 

Full Movie: TEHACHAPI & CAJON PASS VINTAGE RAILROADING

This is 2-1/2 hours of great mountain railroading with the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads.
Visit Tehachapi from the mid-60s to the mid-90s -- plus related regional locations such as Taylor Yard, Barstow Yard, Richmond Yard, Colton Crossing, Cajon Pass and the building of the SP Palmdale cutoff. Learn the intertwined history of all the featured locations that are all part of the greater Tehachapi story. See all the great power and vanished scenes,of pre-merger railroading at its best.

We trace the history of how, and why, two railroads used the same mountain pass and how the line was built. Don't miss the wonderful vintage views of how SP opened the "Palmdale Cutoff" to better access Tehachapi. Our visit to neighboring Cajon Pass also brings lots of Santa Fe vintage freight action -- including a number of Passenger-Mail trains behind beautiful Warbonnet F7 and PA power.

Full Movie: "THE FORMING OF THE BURLINGTON NORTHERN RAILROAD"

Monday Sept 22, 2025 marked 30 years of the BN being gone! Here is a look at the first mergers!
With the prospect of BNSF being merged into another line we bring this full production of the older BN merger of all the original, colorful James Hill lines. We bring all of the history to a modern-day review. Watch the legacy of the Burlington Northern history unfold over the decades from the James Hill days to the 1970 merger. The BN in its original form has climbed to a new level with the BNSF merger. The quarter century of BN green brought many fans who never saw the great predecessors that formed it. We bring that missing story to the screen Including coverage of Inside Gateway Chicago Area Iowa Washington Oregon Montana Idaho See the historic formation of the American giant of the North - Burlington Northern. We cover those great vintage trains of the GN, NP, CB&Q and SP&S from the fifties into the seventies. Learn the history behind the James Hill lines and the legacy of building not only a rail empire but a good portion of the US economy.