Producer: Tim Walter
Locations: USA
Timeframe: 1982- 2000
Length: 1 hour 30 minutes
Source: Ron Loving
Featuring 19 different steam locomotives. Every engine has a 2023 informational update on this new release. New scenes added vs. a previous incarnation. Many locations from East to West. Special notice. Every scene has either a: hard pull on a notable steep grade, a wheel slip, or worthy exhaust.
These steam locomotives are all restored. Modern video with some 1980s material. Some locos shown anywhere from around 10 minutes to an occasional single runby. Sometimes, they are redressed and operate on a different railroad.
A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu is grouped by railroad or tourist. Smart! On-screen graphics. NO Narration.
While I dislike non-narrated shows and avoid them. This one is an exception for a review. Railfan Depot kindly sent this out as a Christmas gift to customers. It is a new release.
Recognize Tim Walter is the Producer/ Editor for this 2023 show. Geri Cook with an Assistant Producer credit. A Pentrex production. An original version under a different title was by Mainline Motion Pictures.
A 4×3 aspect ratio. Picture quality ranges from good to very good. Live environmental audio is awesome! Digitally restored. Color corrected.
Some highlights. Let’s check this out.
To the Trains…
Norfolk & Western 611. This Class J is a 4-84. Shown on Saluda Mountain. Active in 2023. A few sentences are spoken! Additional grades with titled locations. A large chunk of 611 scenes.
Southern 4501 in Cresent Green livery. Save some typing. Checkout the information box.
Milwaukee Road 261 at Huntington, WV. A large Northern 4-8-4 type.
Union Pacific Challenger 3985 is decked out as Clinchfield 676. The drivers are slipping in North Brody, Virginia. The 676 pulls a solid UP consist.
Union Pacific 844 and 3985 on Sherman Hill.
Strasburg 7002 is one of the Tourist Trains seen. Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-2. This one is a rare inclusion. Currently, it is on display in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Railroad 1361. A K4 locomotive which is a 4-6-2. This formerly was on display at Horseshoe Curve. Awaiting full restoration.
Nickel Plate Road 587 is a Light Mike. The big drivers slip while going upgrade. Black Mountain, South Carolina. Not currently in running codition.
C&O 614. Greenbriar class. 4-8-4. Afton Mountain, Virginia. Chessie System.
Nickel Plate Berkshire 765 at Hurricane, WV. Masquerading as C&O 2765. A Kanawha type in Chesapeake and Ohio nomenclature.
The C&O Kanawah 2716 at Atlanta. This has an outstanding audio track scene from 1982. Hear the locomotive booster engaged as the engine struggles uphill. Shown above in the different location. Read the information box.
There it is. Several engines and even more not seen here. Some surprises in there.
Hardworking Steam on Steep Grades
The show is well-paced for the most part. Would have liked a little more of some locomotives and a bit less on a couple. Reality is source supply. Hence, it is what it is.
Production quality makes the best of available images and sounds. Fine editing. The on-screen information is brief and direct. In fact, the steam sounds are excellent on the big stereo!
An issue with a non-narrated show. One cannot look away from the TV. A piece of information may get missed. Narration also has the ability to share quickly and efficiently. Convience with easy viewing.
The soundtrack does benefit from steam starring. It plays well.
The sum total. A fine release of a previous show with additional value. While I never would’ve purchased this release. Due to no narration. It earns a recommendation based on the overall quality and a unique premise.
A bump up for the singular focus on the few featured areas. Wheel slipping!
A big Thank You to Railfan Depot for this Christmas gift!
Rating: 4 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 