BNSF Return to the Arizona Forest

Producer: Broken Knuckle

Locations: Northern Arizona

Timeframe: 2004

Length: 2 hours

The original show was filmed in 1996. Broken Knuckle went back 8 years later for more! The BNSF transcontinental across Northern Arizona. Packed with beautiful scenery. The former Santa Fe route is worthy of this return trip.

Second show in this 3 disc set. Two DVD-R for this one. Chapter Menu. On-screen graphics. Narrated. No maps.

Videography is excellent. Live audio with a strong mix. Sounds like you are there. Some wind noise at times.

To the Trains…

Disc 1 of this show. #2 in the set. 1 hour 10 minutes

The narration is good, although more detail on train symbols would be welcome.

October 13, 2004. Flagstaff, Arizona. Milepost  on the BNSF Transcon line. Seligman subdivision. DPU power is widely used now.

Cosnino, Arizona, at a signal bridge. A plethora of Intermodals traverse the territory. Milepost is 333. Mostly, 3rd generation GE units in BNSF colors dominate now. More foreign power is in this sequel. Occasionally, Norfolk Southern is on the point.

The Flagstaff Switcher. Two engines. Check the fried paint on the silver Warbonnet. Performing some Mine service at Darling Cinder Pit.

Eagle’s Nest is the Western end of the show.

October 18. East Williams Jct. Kaibab National Forest.  It splits the signals. The consist should be: 46 loads, 0 empties, 2950 and 4268 for tonnage and length. Kansas City, Kansas to Los Angeles, California, my best guess.

Eastbound travels towards the Arizona Divide. Milepost 371.4.

Disc 2 of this show. #3 in the set. 1 hour 16 minutes

October 18, 2004. Train is S LBTCHI1 17. Long Beach Terminal to Chicago Intermodal… my guess. BNSF 5311 is a General Electric C44-9W locomotive. It leads at Supai Summit. Milepost 370.5. Travels on track two and is Eastbound. The location is 4 miles from Williams.  Local time at 14:22 hours.

Train H DENBARI 16. It has a 6 locomotive lash-up. Boxcars and mixed freight. The consist of 31 loads and 49 empties. Should be a Denver to Barstow move.

Oct 19. Electromotive power works upgrade. Notice the sound of these. Santa Fe 6748 leads the three blue and yellow Warbonnets. The Seligman Local.

The Elevation of over 7,000 feet is at the Arizona Divide.  The highest point on this vast system.  Z LACWSP8 19. Should be a Los Angeles to Willow Springs Intermodal move.

Norfolk Southern power on the head at East Darling. Cross country action. New York to Los Angeles. Engine 9892 is in chargeof the 4 unit lash-up.

The program continues in a similar fashion. The modern era is less interesting than earlier times. A sameness of trains. Railroads have been moving towards standardization for decades. A Wal-Mart and McDonalds in most towns, if you see the similarities.

BNSF Return to the Arizona Forest

This release is fine for the contemporary era. Professional videography. A soundtrack that puts viewers trackside. The narrative is minimal and highlights train sounds. One narration improvement would be to decode symbols. A few are obvious, and many are strange. Inclusion of a map or two would have been helpful.

If this material rings your bell. It should satisfy with a high volume of over the road trains.

By the way. This double feature set is well priced and the way to go. The early merger first show is the hot ticket.

Rating: 4 Stars