"The great days are over" this was a reporter's assessment back in 1962. That reporter was born in the depot at Cardwell, Montana, into a Northern Pacific family. His name? Chet Huntley. In a classic (black & white) NBC white paper you will see a P&LE special with five rail chiefs aboard trying to rally public support for needed reforms. The study then moves on to the bankrupt New Haven, where conductors and commuters vent their frustrations, and whose president makes an eloquent plea before congress for tax relief. Also seen are the final run of "Nellie Bly", and a poetically framed portrayal of the "Great Days". (23 minutes)

Prior to this piece are two color segments: A montage of mainline railroading from 1944 -1955 (15 minutes), and the Association of American Railroads film "225,000 mile Proving Ground" (18 minutes). Host of this 1953 film is Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver on the "Leave it to Beaver" series). The Chicago A.A.R. Research lab in Chicago is now closed, with ongoing work at the Pueblo test facility. The contrast of this upbeat presentation with the news report less than ten years later serves to illustrate the precipitous decline during the 1950s, and helps to set in context the trials, tribulations, and eventual reforms which were to come.