Conrail’s Northeast Memories

Producer: Broken Knuckle Video

Locations: Selkirk…

Timeframe: 1986-1991

Length: 3 hours

Here is a double DVD loaded with Conrail. Locations are busy ones. Plenty of whole freight trains are seen. Oldest videotape quality on those earlier chapters.

A 2 DVD-R set. Main Chapter Menu. On-screen graphics with information. Previews. Narration is relaxed. Train sounds are often featured. Previews on disc two.

Full screen 4×3 image. Visual quality is below average. Fair overall. Some better and worse.

To the Trains…

Disc 1. Begins in 1986. To be fair, we should realize video quality limitations of the 1980s. Those early camcorder vhs tapes didn’t fare well as technology advanced. I’m not a fan of the first disc. Classic locations. Wooster, Horseshoe Curve, Palmer. Selkirk Yard, Alfred Smith Bridge circa 1987. South Schenectady, and past it, looks fair. First half is nearly unwatchable on a modern hi-def screen. Nothing rare. Pinkish overtones. Watery images. Below Average video quality, overall.

Disc 2. 1 hour 35 minutes. Onward into 1987, 1988, and so forth. Let’s see if this half can redeem the show…

Three ex: Penn Central at Selkirk Yard in 1987. 8084,7907,7903 on this trio.

Into January 1988. A C30-7 5670 GE C36-7 6654. This lash-up is an all GE quad out of Selkirk.

An SD50, CR 6724 in a closeup scene. Looks good here as it slows to a stop. Schenectady area.

Conrail 1916 runs long hood forward on this lash-up at Wooster in 1989.

A single scene at Binghamton, NY, in 1989. Most BKV footage has been previously released on other BK shows. Same with Berkshire Mountains. Sounds like leftovers here.

For Foamers Only! A poor scene included for the audio. Spare me.

A four unit lash-up splits the signals exiting the Alfred H. Smith Bridge at Selkirk in July 1990. FYI, this huge ex: New York Central structure spans the Hudson River.

A GP15 #1644 on the point of this lash-up containing a trio of U23B units. This is about to cross the Alfred Smith Bridge. 1990.

Altamont, New York. Watervliet Reservoir in July,1990. Much action shot topside. Rough to actually watch.

Two new wide cabs. C40-8W models. He mentions that June, 1991 was the end for his VHS camcorder.

N5-C 23022 is a genuine ex: Pennsylvania Railroad caboose.

Conrail’s Northeast Memories 1986 – 1991

What promised to be a good show doesn’t make the cut. Although it is well put together. Ultimately, the elements boil down to the most important one- the picture. Too bad, as the live audio and informative narration are good.

The first disc goes straight to the junk pile. Maximum eye strain.

The second disc is also murky.

The show appears somewhat better on a laptop screen. Sure, the screen is much smaller. To be consistent and fair. All shows are rated on the HDTV.

Broken Knuckle has plenty of worthwhile shows. This is not one of those.

Conrail is plentiful in the marketplace. Variable quality shows. Not everything available is good. Caveat empor…

Wasted Money here… 😦

Rating: 1 Star – Foamers Only!