A friend sent me a vhs tape of Bob Chester's 8mm films shot from 1958 through the late 60s. I later spoke to Bob and asked if he'd allow me to share the great films of long gone trains on YouTube. Bob agreed, but stipulated that he wanted any information included with the videos to be correct. To ensure this, I drove 3 hours and met with Bob. We spent an afternoon reviewing the tape and making notes of locations etc. Bob really enjoyed reviewing his films again and had several stories about the days spent making them. Bob's occupation required that he travel through central and northwestern Oklahoma. He said that he often drove home late at night on his own time because he'd stayed somewhere after work hours to shoot some video. You'll notice that mostly the locomotives are filmed with not much attention paid to the rest of the train. Bob explained that film was expensive and that motive power, then as now, was the most interesting. Bob's advice to others making railroad videos "get a GOOD camera!" Bob covered Santa Fe, Rock Island, Frisco, Burlington, UP, KATY, and others. There's lots of stuff that hasn't been seen in many years. I'm eternally grateful to Bob for sharing this with me and the YouTube community. Bob is a founding member of the Enid Railroad Museum. Please visit their website at www.railroadmuseumofoklahoma.org or stop by this excellent museum in Enid, Oklahoma. Music credit to Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

THERE GOES THAT SONG AGAIN ~ Bob Chester & His Orchestra~ Betty Bradley~ 7/8/1941 ~ Bluebird Records.. + Informações

"Bob Chester, his saxophone, and his orchestra" continue the theme of late night jazz, opening with "Shoot the Sherbet to me Herbert." Their smooth dance sound comes from the Mayfair Restaurant of the Hotel Van Cleve in Dayton, Ohio. Kathleen Lane sings lead vocal. Excerpt from live remote broadcast on September 21st, 1939 on the CBS radio network.. + Informações

Episode 3: Maybe-Fox Trot, Bob Chester and his Orchestra. + Informações

This is part 2 of the Bob Chester Series. This section containts Alco, Baldwin, and EMD switchers in differing paint schemes and different years. The action is mostly in the Alva to Woodward,Oklahoma area. I realize that there may be mistakes in my subtitles, but I have spent many hours researching things to try and make it as accurate as possible. All music credited to Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

One of the most underrated Swing bands from the early 1940s was led by tenor saxophonist Bob Chester. While Chester himself was not a notable soloist, his band was always strong in terms of solo talent. By late 1942 he had moved away from an sound indebted to Glenn Miller to a swinging group that obviously enjoyed playing an uptempo number like this one. What makes this clip even more exciting is that it features a number of soloists appearing on film early in their careers: Ernie Figueroa, trumpet; Herbie Steward, tenor sax; Johnny Bothwell, alto sax; Paul Jordan, piano and Tommy Romersa, drums. (And, just to cover a point before a Bob Chester enthusiast brings it up, yes, the trumpet soloist looks a lot like Louis Mucci, who was with Chester early in the decade, and who appears in the Chester SOUNDIES the previous year. But Mucci had moved on by this point, and this is Figueroa.). + Informações

The not so well known Bob Chester Orchestra from the 1940's movie Trocadero.. + Informações

The bandleader Bob Chester, adored by lovers of both cold desserts and big band music for his lip-smacking "Shoot the Sherbert to Me, Herbert," started out as a tenor saxophonist under the direction of bandleaders such as Irving Aaronson, Ben Bernie, and Ben Pollack. By the mid-'30s he was leading his own group, based out of Detroit. His family owned the General Motors Fisher Body Works, so he was able to pursue the musical muse without worrying about going hungry. While his band was hardly the most famous from the swing era, it was known for quality music, garnered good reviews, and tended to feature a talented array of sidemen. Players such as virtuoso young trumpeters Alec Fila and Conrad Gozzo, saxophonists Herbie Steward and Peanuts Hucko, and even progressive trombonist Bill Harris played in this group. Chester may have had an even better knack for choosing charismatic singers, putting talent such as Bob Haymes, Gene Howard, Betty Bradley, and Dolores O'Neil in front of the band, although some of the numbers they were forced to sing were a bit trivial. The musical direction of the band moved from a fairly straight imitation of the Glenn Miller band to some progressive developments in the early '40s. In the beginning, the Miller cloning was much more than just an artistic decision. Chester's group was bankrolled by trombonist Tommy Dorsey, who did it to get back at Miller himself after a business arrangement had gone sour. Did the Chester band steal Miller's thunder .... + Informações

Bob Chester and his Orchestra - Rhumboogie - vocals Al Stuart - 78rpm record. + Informações

Bob Chester & His Orch-We Three (Dolores O'Neill) Bluebird Records-78-10865-1940. + Informações

Part 3 of the Bob Chester series covers Santa Fe's diesel freight road units starting with the FTs and finishing with F45s and SD45s. All music credit to Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

A very swingin' recording from the highly underrated Bob Chester orchestra Harlem Confusion, 1941 Enjoy!. + Informações

Part 4 covers the mighty "Texas" 2-10-4 locomotives waiting for the end in the dead line at Waynoka. Bob caught a line of these locomotives as the steam age ended on the Santa Fe. He had other shots of steam infrastructure including the Waynoka roundhouse and several water tanks in other towns on the line. I have learned that 2921 was not scrapped, but went to Modesto, California and was placed on display thee in 1960. It is still the property of Modesto, Cal. Music credit to Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

This part covers the Rock's passenger service that ran in areas where Bob filmed. It certainly doesn't show all of their trains, and none of the long streamliners like the Golden State Limited or the Rockets. The Rock was an early adopter of diesel power as evidenced by their E units from 1939 and 1940. The red-nosed stainless bodied Es were great looking engines. They showed that at one time the Rock did care a great deal how their trains looked. music credt - Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

this segment covers the freight engines of the Rock Island. Starting with the black and red FTs and working through the GP38s we see a railroad struggling to keep going. The equipment has a marked decline in appearance over the span of Bob's filming. The Rock's collapse was a sad end to an old road. Many things conspired against it, but along the way there were some geniuses at the helm who turned it around, only to have others behind them drive it back into the ditch. music credt - Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

Bob was fortunate to live in Enid where so many railroads crossed. He had some footage of the Frisco taken at the Enid yards and other places. The Frisco appears to have been a well run railroad and it was later merged into the Burlington Northern in 1980. music credit to Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

This is the last of the Bob Chester series. There were smaller segments from several railroads that Bob caught on trips away from his home area. I also found that I'd overlooked two Santa Fe segments that had not been posted in part 1, so I have used them to close with. Thanks again to Bob for allowing everyone to see these long gone scenes he enjoyed so long ago. all music credit to Kevin Macleod at www.incompetech.com. + Informações

A classic 1940's Christmas composition. + Informações

Episode 4 in the 78rpm show. This is "Pushin the Conversation Along", a Fox Trot on Bluebird (RCA) B-10752. Composed by Kay Kyser and Sue Werner Prefromed by Bob Chester and his Orchestra with vocal refrains from Dolores O'Neil and Al Stuart. + Informações

Betty Bradley & Bob Chester Orch-Slow Down Bluebird Records-78-11088-1940. + Informações

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ~ Bob Chester & his Orchestra ~ Al Stuart ~ 1940 ~ Bluebird Records. + Informações

Bob Chester's most well remembered recording Octave Jump! Bob Chester and his orchestra, Octave Jump Recorded, 1939 Enjoy!. + Informações

Bob Chester & His Orch-Off The Record Bluebird Records-78-10865-1940. + Informações

From the movie in the 1940's called Trocadero, with underated vocalist Ida james on the vocal.... + Informações

AT 4000m above Redcliffe, as 84 year-old Robert Chester-Master prepared for the fourth and probably last parachute jump of his life, the memories of his first jump 65 years ago came flooding back. It was an emotional moment for at the forefront of the Camp Hill resident's mind was the sacrifice made by New Zealand pilot John Lawrie, who herocially steadied his crippled Lancaster bomber so that Mr Chester-Master coould bail out over World War II Belgium on August 13, 1944.. + Informações