I have many video tapes showing steam backing its empty train into NS (with
controls in the rear car) and also see steam heading into NS with its train BUT
nowhere on these tapes is there a shot of what the movements are for that
incoming train. Does the incoming steam locomotive pull right up to the
bumper/station with smoke/steam finding its way into the building? Only shot of
an arriving train going up to the bumper is a Buddliner...big help. Even the
diesel arrivals leave you wondering because all incoming footage stops in the
stretch between the draw bridges and the station platforms.

Ric:

Other then the B&M Memories tapes I can't speak but I want to say that when the Society got the film to transfer to video we only got a brief description of trains. If I recall there were no train numbers just engine numbers and maybe if we knew exactly what time of day it was we could have determined the train numbers and where they went. Unfortunately this data was not provided.

Buddy W

>>Does the incoming steam locomotive pull right up to the
bumper/station

Remembering my experience as a commuter begining the 1950s, yes, the steam locomotive pulling the arriving train would pull up to with a car length or so from the bumper. There was no smoke or steam entering the building because North Station was open above the tracks and IIRC had double airlock doors entering the concourse.

PBM

You ought to find a copy of the book,"Vanishing Markers". it was written by Ralph Fisher, who was a brakeman in this era.
The trains were backed in. There were no controls on the rear car, as they have now. They used a tail hose and the communication whistle to accomplish this move. After the train arrived, and passengers unloaded, I am not sure if they always backed the train back to the yard. At times I'm sure that they had a switch engine grab the cars. Then the road power was free to run light to BET.