Long overdue, I finally sat down last evening and watched the 1926 silent film “The General,” which was inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase of the Civil War. The movie is interesting on a number of fronts, notably it is set in the North Atlanta area (true to history, The General 4-4-0 was stolen by Union spies from Marietta and run North towards Chattanooga), it features a number of real-life operating 4-4-0 locomotives, and it includes the most expensive single shot in silent film history with the wrecking of the Texas.

While at it’s time, the film was considered a flop, it’s since been raised to the ranks of one of the greatest American films ever made. While I admit my bias due to my love of trains, the film itself is entertaining in it’s own right and worth a watch. To boot, due to it’s age, it’s available in the public domain, so it can be watched for free on YouTube. Below is the full-length film: