Producer: Green Frog
Timeframe: 1998
Locations: Poughkeepsie, Marlboro, Campbell Hall, Iona, more.
Length: 89 minutes
Source: William D. Sternitzke, William E. Sternitzke
A general tour of New York area circa 1998. Many locations. No narrative. Conrail is still intact. A show of, basically mindless runbys.
Chapter Search. Motion Menu. No maps. Switchable on-screen graphics. Default is off. Dolby Audio, with natural sounds.
Videography is predominantly standard 3/4 views. Shot trackside. Clear images, although rather pedestrian. Several scenes are shot differently. The second Videographer perhaps.
Did not play this on the big screen. Looked very clean on the laptop. Audio was fine.
Watched it, with and without the location graphics. Without any point of reference. Maps for example. The train symbols and locations, are meaningless. Little upstate towns. Who knows where these places are?
Poughkeepsie, sure that is widely known.
An NJ Transit at a nameless tunnel. Yawn.
Here is an Amtrak. Unknown private cars.
This show requires narration.
Riverline, Haverstraw. Now, there is a name! What about this place? Ugh!
I do believe they mean, The River Line. Yes, that works better. Hudson Line. River Line. So, it is a place called Haverstraw, on the River Line. Ok.
Now, some Union Pacific locomotives do appear on the River Line.
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is in the background. About the only recognizable scenes, are at Poughkeepsie. Here we have a Conrail business train. Doing what?
I was really looking forward to reviewing this release. Part of the fun, is learning about the different areas. Didn’t learn much. Extremely disappointed.
Susquehanna eases past some derailed freight cars. A CP Rail unit trails. Not enough additional information. The graphics offer a few tidbits. Old HJ. What’s that? Susquehanna at Greycourt, Hudson Secondary. Never heard of Greycourt. Where does the Hudson Secondary run? Some time is spent here. Revisited later on. This show is annoying.
A Conrail train at Suffern. A yard there or lineside industry? Who knows. I do know, that it is, Buffalo to Oak Island. I did learn that this town (never heard of it) is in New York.
Poughkeepsie station. FL-9s. I know more, but they are not talking…
What about this operation? Even a brief ride on this switcher is given.
These empty flatcars summarize, how I rate this show. Not much meat on the bone. Too bad. However, I viewed the, Green Frog, Rails New York Metro. A review is forthcoming. Check that one, for a traditional, narrated show. Similar material. Better show!
Also available in the, Trains around New York and New Jersey set.
This is a wasted opportunity. The visuals are fine. The lack of much additional information, torpedoes this release. Probably fine for the locals.
Please. Spare me any comments, with after the fact details. This show is over. Move on.
Not recommended.
Suggestion. Narrate it.
Rating: 2 1/2 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 