The Detroit Toledo and Ironton – Volume One
Green Frog Productions
Format: DVD
Length: 60 minutes
Time Period: 1922- 1980’s
Locations: Detroit, Toledo, Ironton, Huron, Carlton, many more.
Sources: Henry Ford film crew (1922), Emery Gulash, Steve Neff
Talk about rare film. This DVD starts in Ironton , circa 1922! Henry Ford owned the railroad and was responsible for many structural improvements along the line. Many last until the present, some worked out well , and some didn’t work at all. They still stand. Unusual , to see a long coal train with hoppers labeled Ford. Can you say antitrust?
The Gulash years are up next. The screen explodes into bright colors! The DT&I GP9’s are in the bright orange paint, without the billboard lettering that would follow. Henry Ford’s concrete arches, for a failed electrification of the line, still stand at Oakwood. The trains run underneath. Emery shot in cold weather in Michigan and Ohio. There is plenty to see. New EMD GP38’s usher in a modernizing DT&I. 1975 closes the Gulash years.
Steve Neff is now our videographer. Can he match the previous two? Yes, he does! Modern film equipment is the way to go, as DT&I was bought by the Grand Trunk. Now, in the 1980’s the Grand Trunk rules the high iron. There is still a good portion of DT&I to be seen.
Quality: This is all high quality, given the technology of the 60+ year span. Narration is spot on. The only thing I didn’t like, that goofy, electronic excuse for music in the Ford years. Minus 1/2 star for that rubbish. Otherwise, this is excellent!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars.
American Train Video Reviews 