This is one of Bob Drew’s favorite industrial films, mostly because of its name: The Zapper. Drew Associates made a handful of industrial films in the late 1970s. This one was for Portec, which manufactured the Zapper. The Zapper uses hydraulic technology to drive in railroad spikes, making it must faster to lay new railroad track.

For the curious, take a look at this website to see how the contraption works. We are currently getting the Drew Associates’ film converted to digital format, but until then…