Southern Pacific Scrapbook

Southern Pacific Scrapbook

Charles Smiley Presents

Format: DVD (factory pressed)

Length: 1 hour 30 minutes + previews

Time Period: 1985- 1997

Locations: Tehachapi, Santa Cruz, Tucson, Benson, Stockton, Coast Line, Vesona Branch, Ione Branch, Surf and much more..

Sources: Gino Pagliaro, Charles Smiley, and      Jim Escalante

MSRP: 26.50

Charles Smiley showcases Southern Pacific Railroad. Arizona and California in the 1990’s, along with earlier 1985 footage. Scrapbook is a fitting title selection.

Many locations are visited. Famous ones such as Tehachapi Loop. Branchlines that are not often seen in this timeframe, and southern Arizona action. An array of train types. Sugar beets, oil cans, double stacks,manifests, coal, locals, and helpers. Passenger trains, SP and  Amtrak.

It is interesting to note, this is an older release from CSP. The benchmarks of his productions are here, albeit in sometimes an earlier incarnation. There are plenty of custom maps to sort out the locations. A simplified version compared to recent years visually, they are equally effective in function.

Another notable inclusion. Charles Smiley has plenty of his own camerawork in this production. You can have fun and try to discern a number of his shots. Well composed, detailed and with a unique, often artistic viewpoint. This alone makes this show worth seeing.

Hint: watch Donner Pass Thunder, as that Donner video was shot by Gino. You will notice the two styles from the cameramen. Both are excellent!

Tehachapi Loop is visited. Southern pacific circa 1994.

Another Charles Smiley standard. Multiple viewpoints that add to the railfan’s delight.

California features a plethora of colorful scenes. Santa Cruz street running.

Arizona landscape is a contrast to most of California. The Sonoran Desert is different than the Mohave. Fine looking and varied, graphics are interspersed through the show.

The Lordsburg district is in Arizona. Vast deserts combine with mountain backdrops here. Tucson has some vintage locomotives. SP’s mainline is a busy one.

A remote bridge, in Arizona, provides some great trainwatching.

Stockton Junction has a classic ATSF tower, with a nice long visit. Besides SP, Union Pacific and Santa Fe have trackage here.

Check these three GP9’s on an intermodal move!

The older film, from 1985, fills out the story. Here a Coast starlight is paced near Sea Cliff behind a pair of SDP-45 locomotives.

Charles has conveyed the scarcity of rail traffic at some locations. This show was filmed over a period of years. It is an intriguing assortment, of trains and locales.

Territory from the Pacific Ocean to the Mohave Desert gives viewers a variety of landscapes.

                   Amtrak Coast Starlight.

      Lompoc Branch that begins at Surf.

A little cab ride footage from one of the best seats on a US railroad!

Southern Pacific Scrapbook contains the vision of any Charles Smiley Presents. A wealth of fine cinematography and great audio, that creates one highlight after another. History, contemporary action and inside stories, that give viewers an entertaining, and informative program.

Rating: 5 Stars