Producer: Pentrex
Locations: Elbe
Timeframe: 1996
Length: 1 hour 6 minutes
Source: Rob Simpson
Specialized Steam Logging Locomotives. These are operating on Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad. Located in Elbe, Washington.
The standard gauge tourist road runs on Tacoma Eastern trackage. 12 miles to destination at Eatonville. Original Milwaukee Road rails, which are owned by the City of Tacoma.
A single DVD. No main Chapter Menu or advance. No subtitle graphics.Maps are included. Narrated by David Drui. Preview section.
Heisler, Climax and Shay locomotives.
To the Trains…
Heisler 91. Geared to run up to 25 mph. Began tourist service in 1981.
Pickering Lumber 11. A Lima built Shay from 1929.
A Climax is next shown. Hillcrest Lumber 10. Worked in British Columbia.
Number 17 gets into the act. Although not listed on the title. Minaret Mikado.
An F9A in black Northern Pacific colors is one of the vintage diesel collection shown.
Much preparation is seen, as they ready for opening weekend. The Steamers are all oil burners. A brief shop visit. Oddly, the show drags on with fueling and preparatory switching moves.
Finally, a triple header train! Took 23 minutes. Better late than never. Take a ride and see scenic countryside.
Photo runby location. The 3 are side by side.
Pentrex claims exclusive footage from the wye at Park Jct. It is Shay number 11.
A bunch of switching at Park Jct. The Shay is shown above.
The Climax and Heisler also get into the proceedings. A maintenance of way train is a part of this action, as well.
Old Chehalis Washington empty log cars are assembled into a vintage style freight train. It becomes rather tedious. Nothing really goes anywhere, for quite sometime.
Leaps back to Tourist Service. Again, everything is in a maintenance cycle!
Triple header returns.
On Sunday there is single engine action.
The Shay hauls empty log cars.
The Heisler 91 with oil tankers. The Climax is too weird, and let’s pass.
Apparently. Railfans agreed. The 17 Saddle tanker subs for the Climax on that days triple header!
The Heisler is seen in the middle, crossing the bridge.
There is a disappointing amount of the Tourist operation at work. Focus is more on maintenance instead of running trains.
Mt. Rainier’s Scenic Railroad
This one is different than a standard Pentrex show. Some odd editing decisions. A slow pace. It feels somewhat disjointed.
Not a bad show. Just doesn’t hit the usual high marks for Pentrex.
Forgoing the natural showcase of the Tourist Train moving in beautiful scenery. Too much time is spent on maintenance and switching.
However, the 4 main locomotives are uncommon to see operating. That is a plus. Especially, the variety in a single release.
Overall, it is good. Although it is tedious, maybe this hits your wheelhouse.
Rating: 3 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 