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Steam (and more) on YouTube Video

Steam videos on the world wide web? Quite a few these days, you can readily check out a small sample on this site. Like it or loathe it, YouTube (and its imitators) is here to stay and like all those internet 'Free lunches' it is not always very digestible. Anarchic would be my best description of YouTube, most fans of it would probably not want it otherwise, but it makes it very difficult and frustrating to find gems among the dross. Please submit suitable items (not China, please!) for inclusion here. My initial intention is that this page should highlight unusual items rather than seek out top quality video action, since many 'overseas steam' videos are posted by non-enthusiasts with toy camcorders. Latterly, quite a lot of vintage cine has begun to appear, this is excellent news. To be honest because my access to YouTube depended on my being in Beijing and the vagaries of the Great Chinese Firewall (as of July 2009 the Chinese had been sulking after they took offence at one particular video out of what must be millions posted), I haven't had time to watch every one here, if you spot some real crap, tell me and I'll delete it. But please add a few good links of your own to replace them. Thanks.

General
(5th Nov 13)
Africa
 Angola
(31st Dec 08)		 Botswana
(19th Jul 12)		 Eritrea
(7th Jan 09)		 Kenya
(7th Aug 14)		 Mozambique
(17th Nov 13)		 South Africa
(10th Jul 12)		 Zimbabwe
(23rd Jul 12)
Americas
 Argentina
(17th Jul 12)		 Brazil
(5th Nov 13)		 Chile
 Cuba
(9th Jan 09)		 Ecuador
(13th Jan 14)		 Honduras
(2nd Apr 14)		 Mexico
(22nd Dec 08)		 Paraguay
 USA
(23rd Apr 14)
Asia
 Bangladesh
(5th Oct 13)		 Burma
(7th Aug 14)		 Cambodia
(7th Aug 14)		 China
(9th Nov 10)		 India
(9th Aug 17)		 Indonesia
(26th Jan 21)		 Iraq
(2nd Jan 14)		 Israel
(22nd Jul 14)		 Jordan
(7th Jan 09)
Malaysia
(11th Jul 08)

Nepal
(28th Nov 14)

 North Korea
(15th May 13)		 Pakistan
(9th Jan 09)		 Philippines
(9th Aug 17)		 Sri Lanka
(8th Dec 11)		 Syria
(7th Jan 09)

Taiwan
(3rd Jan 09)

 Thailand
(17th Nov 14)
Turkey
(9th Jan 09)
Europe
 Albania
(25th Jul 09)		 Austria
(3rd Jan 09)		 Cyprus
(6th Jul 12)		 Finland
(22nd Nov 08)		 France
(27th Apr 17)		 Germany
(27th Nov 14)		 Greece
(19th Dec 10)		 Netherlands
 Poland
(9th Aug 17)
Portugal
(9th Jan 09)		 Romania
(9th Jan 09)		 Russia
(19th Nov 14)		 Spain
(25th Jul 09)		 Slovenia
(9th Jan 09)		 Sweden
(9th Dec 12)		 Yugoslavia
(16th Oct 16)
Australasia
 Australia
(22nd Oct 12)		 New Zealand
(10th Jul 12)

Click here for some sample clips
on YouTube from our own DVDs
 on narrow gauge steam 
and stationary steam engines. 

Essential Viewing:

Udaipur, India (added 6th June 2011) -

Veiled in Vapour, YP 2662's Last Run on 86 Down to Udaipur in 1996, on no account miss this one, it is a tear jerker...

General

This account does what it says on the box (added 10th July 2012), I have added specific links elsewhere:

This account has thousands of fascinating international new items - look up "train" and then browse the general interest stuff (very interesting stories about the real China for a start):

High quality German language travelogues with the emphasis on trains (added 5th November 2013)

This user has a quite a few converted historic cine including Germany, Austria, Turkey (added 9th January 2009):

Ing. L.D. Porta discussing High Adhesion Wheel Profiles - technical but fascinating to see the master at work (see also www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/ldp/adhesion/adhesion.htm) (all added 4th July 2009)

Paddle steamer Waverley (added 11th July 2008)

Wartime Rails 1918 & 1943-1950 (added 3rd January 2009)

Africa

Angola

Stored steam at Huambo -

A series of films on the Benguela Railway, then and now (in Portuguese, naturally) added 24th December 2008.

Botswana

Steam in action at the Selebi-Phikwe mine in 1998 (added 19th July 2012).

Eritrea

Rebuilding the Eritrean Railway (15 minute 1996 news film) - fascinating (7th January 2009)

Preserved Mallets in action - 

Many more with these users:

Kenya

Journey from Nairobi to Uganda 1995 (7th August 2014)

2409 on a revenue earning freight in 2006 (10th January 2009)

Nairobi to Kampala by train 1995 (7th January 2009)

5918 leaves the museum for restoration in 2001

TV report on the Nairobi Railway Museum (11th February 2010)

Mozambique

Out of use and war damaged steam power at Sena Sugar Estates in October 1996. wait for 5.00 minutes when the stationary steam is shown (17th November 2013).

Part of the same sequence showing a Fowler traction engine (17th November 2013).

South Africa

A day out on the Alfred County Railway in 1986, real trains! (10th July 2012)

Double headed Garratts.....spectacular (6th March 2010)

Sandstone in 2001 (6th March 2010)

The Red Devil in action (9th March 2009)

Many more South African clips from the Red Devil Man above (9th March 2009)

Rustenburg Platinum Mines (9th March 2009)

15F repatriated to Glasgow on a revenue earning freight in 2006 (10th January 2009)

Zimbabwe

Real steam (mainly) in 1998 (23rd July 2012) :

20th class Garratts in 2001 (6th March 2010)

Garratts in 1989 (13th February 2010):

Steam in 1991(9th January 2009):

Footplate ride on a 15th:

Footplate ride on a 20th: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5-tHTqUtA 

Volunteer cleaning the fire on a 25NC:

Americas

Argentina

The Salta - Socompa line high in the Andes, a documentary made by Argentine Railways in 1970. "Tren a Las Nubes (Vapor - Ferrocarriles Argentinos)": Thanks to Steve Mourtion for this recommendation (17th July 2012).

The train at the end of the world (7th January 2009): 

Bariloche preserved operation -

Esquel (La Trochita) - 

Ferroclub Argentino, Buenos Aires -

Porta's famous 'Argentina' locomotive as vandalised -

RFIRT - 

Brazil

Condemned by Progress, a short 1962 film shows the hopeless case of the Virajabara branch in RJ state, there is a priceless clip of the rack railway to Petropolis (http://www.revistaferroviaria.com.br/memoriaferroviaria/preser_09_ing.htm) towards the end... (17th October 2012):

Leopoldina 4-6-0 on passenger through the street at Nova Friburgo c1950 (recommended by Steve Mourton, 10th July 2012)

This is a film about Imbituba, produced in the 1940s (recommended by Steve Mourton, 10th July 2012)

The Sentinel at Cruzeiro in action in August 2009 (9th September 2009)

Estrada de Ferro Perus Pirapora - 600mm cement line - this is brilliant (recommended by Steve Mourton, added 3rd March 2008)

ABPF Campinas - 

Steam on the mountains of Minas Gerais -

São João del Rei -

Theresa Christina

Restored Theresa Christina 2-10-2 201 (8th April 2009)

Madeira-Mamoré Railroad (CFMM as a tourist operation, German TV programme 2002 (5th November 2013)

Chile

Antofagasta FCAB steam loco -

Cuba

Zafra stuff - 

Ecuador

The Good and the Quick, the G&Q in a 40 minute 1983 BBC film (13th January 2014).

The steam train from Duran to Alausi - 

Trains on the Devil's Nose -

Bringing the G&Q back to life (16th February 2010)

Honduras

Late 1940s (steam) trains at Tela (2nd April 2014)

Mexico

Steam in Mexico 1964, be patient, it's well worth it once the steam starts, part 2 especially (23rd December 2008):

Paraguay

Extended extract from a documentary -

USA

'Real' historic steam powered sawmill (15th May 2013)

Another steam powered saw mill, probably more 'preserved' (23rd April 2014).

Historic films (added 10th July 2012)

Revenue steam hauled freight on the Strasbourg Railroad in July 2011 (31st July 2011)

NYC Hudson video 1938 (6th March 2010)

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1_ywPGzD5E

Awesome big steam on heavy freight, in the preservation era but quite special - look for 'more like this' (9th March 2009):

Something else a bit special - the imported QJs at work on the IAIS (3rd May 2009):

and many, many more at:

Asia

Bangladesh

Clearing a traffic jam (added 10th September 2009):

After the final prayer on Sunday two million pilgrims take a train, a boat or walk from the Biswa Ijtema Festival at Tongi back to Dhaka (added 5th October 2013):

At Tejgaon near the city centre of Dhaka, a market is held on the tracks of the Bangladesh Railway main line (added 5th October 2013):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpMuPgc779U

Bangladesh Railway class MEG-11 on container trains (added 5th October 2013)

Burma

Yangon to Moulmein by 21st century train (7th August 2014)

Our own rice mill steam engines:

Cambodia

Cambodian Railways 2009:(7th August 2014)

The 'Bamboo Railway', definitely no steam! (4th January 2009)

China

Not surprisingly, there are very many, too many, clips, just search "steam loco China" or similar! And probably the best quality too. Hours of free entertainment if a little repetitive on the standard gauge at least. Non-stop 'steam porn'! But I do have the excuse to plug our own (steam narrow gauge) clips:

See especially from an angle similar to ours, Wolfgang Clössner's Shibanxi clips (9th November 2010):

India

Line of Dreams, film about railways in Rajastan (9th August 2017)

Tipong 2005, 30 minutes of pure joy (added 25th May 2013)

Udaipur  (added 6th June 2011) -

Veiled in Vapour, YP 2662's Last Run on 86 Down to Udaipur in 1996, on no account miss this one, it is a tear jerker...

Darjeeling -

Nilgiri (Ooty) Rack Line -

Delhi Museum Monorail - 

Bollywood at its best - 

Steam in action at Tipong Colliery (added 26th February 2008) -

Indonesia

The late Ivor Harding was a British enthusiast who was mainly a still photographer who took some silent cine in the country in ca 1972/3, the first two compilations I noted earlier, the second two are more recent (added 26th January 2021)  Be warned, it helps to know more than a little about the subject matter to really get the most out of them.

Making Tracks was a UK TV series in the 1990s. Two of the programmes featured material shot on my 1993 Indonesia tour (9th August 2017)

The Pekan Baru Death Railway (22nd March 2017), see also the associated website, http://www.pekanbarudeathrailway.com/ 

Java Sugar Steam (27th December 2013) - Reminder!

When I looked at this I said "OMG!" so loudly that Yuehong came rushing to in to see what was happening. And then she too said "OMG!" Is this East Java 1920 or Olean 2000 in black and white? (23rd October 2013)

A channel to make me dribble and I'm not talking about the pre-WW2 Bali girls - http://www.youtube.com/user/Timescape2012

Manchester to Java, B12 (Surabaya) and B50 (Madiun - Ponorogo - Slahung) in 1970 (28th June 2013)

C33s in West Sumatra and C30 in South Sumatra, 1974 (4th January 2013)

Steam Trams in Old Batavia, wonderful stuff, be patient not surprisingly the trams come and go! (all these 10th July 2011):

Ambarawa Rack Railway (added 10th May 2008))

Steam in action at Tersana Baru sugar mill - 

Steam in action at Jatibarang sugar mill - 

Steam in action at Olean sugar mill - 

Many clips of Java sugar mill steam locos -

Iraq

1950s Pathe travelogue (probably sponsored by the then Iraq Petroleum Company) with significant steam railway interest in reel 1 (2nd January 2014)

Israel

A delightful film showing the last run of Stanier 8F 70414 in 1957-8 *thanks to Keith Chambers for this, added 22nd July 2014):

Jordan

Restoring and promoting the Hedjaz Railway (2006)

Malaysia

North Borneo Railway (11th July 2008)

Nepal

The Nepal Government Railway with a Garratt at Raxaul and Birganj features in this clip from 'Aaama' said to be Nepal's first movie (and so does a Darjeeling train... 28th November 2014)

North Korea

From a 1992 visit  - 

Mainly from a tour in 2004 (15th May 2013)

Pakistan

Pakistan steam in 2004 (9th January 2009)

Khyber Pass Steam Safari 2000 (7th January 2009)

Preserved steam in action in Islamabad

Philippines

Colin Garrat fim broadcast on the BBC (9th August 2017)

Bamboo Railway - Manila style (9th June 2013)

Stuffed and mounted and other stills (3rd January 2009):

Sri Lanka

Syria

Restoring and promoting the Hedjaz Railway 2006 (7th January 2009)

Taiwan

Historic 1970s action (you'll need to delve but it's worth it! http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kuroganerail&view=videos but particularly: (3rd January 2009)

Thailand

Prpearing the steam locomotives for the annual Kwai Bridge night time spectacular (17th November 2014)

The annual Kwai Bridge night time spectacular (27th December 2013)

The good old days... All too short clip of steam in the Bangkok area, probably at Bangsue (26th May 2012)

The end of the Bangkok trams in 1968, absolutely no doubt it's pirated but priceless! (26th May 2012)

Archive Bangkok tram cine, absolutely no doubt it's pirated but priceless! (26th May 2012)

Steam on the Kwai Bridge - (11th July 2008)

Turkey

Steam 1984-8 (9th January 2008)

Europe

Albania

Not steam but a fascinating lignite mine with Chinese style electric narrow gauge (25th July 2009)

Austria

Austrian narrow gauge steam when it was real (3rd January 2008):

Cyprus

Documentary on the Cyprus Government Railway (6th July 2012)

Finland

Jussi Viitanen suggests this clip of Tubize power at Jokionen (22nd November 2008)

France

Pacific 231, with matching music (27th April 2017)

Classic French Narrow Gauge - search here for the "chemins de fer disparus" - silent Cine conversion (10th January 2009)

The Glory of French Railways: (3rd January 2009)

Germany

The incredible pontoon road/rail bridge over the Rhine between Speyer and Heidelberg at work in 1938 just before it was replaced, 3 parts (27th November 2014):

Oschatz and Radebeul in 1979 (4th January 2013)

Trevor Heath recommends this one on the Harz system:

Greece

For a November 2008 charter train on the narrow gauge Pelion Mountain Railway:

Diakopto Kalavrita Rack Railway (19th December 2010)

Greek preserved steam (4th January 2009)

Netherlands

Keith Chambers recommends a 1954 amateur cine clip (keep the unreal sound OFF):

Poland

Steam in Poland in the 1980s (9th August 2017)

Quite a few Polish clips from this user (9th January 2009)

Classic steam on the 600mm gauge from long ago (3rd January 2008 - trailer for a commercial DVD)

This gives the background to the 'Wolsztyn Experience' (7th January 2009)

Like China there plenty on the Wolsztyn operation, more non-stop 'steam porn'! Keith Chambers recommends this one, search the 'Related Videos' for more of the same.

Portugal

Douro Valley Special with 186: (9th January 2009)

Portugal in August 1972: (9th January 2009)

Romania

Romania in August 1969: (3rd January 2009)

Russia

Discovering abandoned railways and their steam locomotives in the far north (19th November 2014)

Slovenia

Specials - this user has general coverage (diesel) of the country too http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=andersley 

Spain

Catalonian Steam (amateur video!) - (9th January 2009)

Spanish Garratt being transferred (6th March 2009)

Spanish Garratt at work on a special (6th March 2009)

Heavy Metal (3rd May 2009)

The old teaching the younger (3rd May 2009)

Sweden

Keith Chambers recommends this fascinating item, filmed by Swedish State Railways in 1930 (added 9th December 2012):

Yugoslavia

Lake Ohrid Express (added 16th October 2016):

Australasia

Australia

A Steam Train Passes (1974),  a film about 3801 (Thanks to Trevor Heath for these two, 22nd October 2012)

Sugar and Steam 1980, ABC film about the end of working steam in the Queensland sugar industry (thanks to John Browning for this one, 1st August 2012)

Garratts - Double Headed AD 60 Class with Coal Trains near Newcastle  (17th July 2012).

60 class Garratts double-head up Fassifern Bank - Winter, 1968  (17th July 2012).

A New South Wales 38 class steam locomotive is prepared for the running of the midday Newcastle Express to Sydney. Thanks to Steve Mourtion for this recommendation (17th July 2012).

Beyer Peacock promotional film for Queensland Beyer Garratts in the 1950s (6th March 2009)

New Zealand

Coal From The New Zealand Alps, 1950's (10th July 2012)

Steam Lives On - Kb Country (14th August 2011)