Montreal’s Machines, Last Stand of the 251 Volume One

Producer: Kenneth Buckman

Locations: Quebec

Timeframe: later 1980s

Length: 90 minutes

Sources: Tim Wakeman, Jerry Albertie

Canadian Pacific is still operating Alco designed locomotives in the 1980s. Montreal Locomotive Works power. Volume 1 is on the CP Rail mainline and branchlines. Cab ride on MLW 4739. Solid lash-ups of these Alco/ MLW engines. The last stand of the 251!

A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu. On-screen graphics. Maps are plentiful. Narration by Ken Buckman. Note, an introduction seen on main TV. This doesn’t automatically appear on the computer. In fact, the show appears better on the large screen vs. the smaller screen.

Play it fullscreen. Image quality ranges from good  to very good. Does not have modern clarity. Clean video, though. Colors are solid. Unfortunately,  there is a distraction. A horizontal distortion bar is  always present on the bottom of the screen.

To the Trains… 👉

Tour on Canadian Pacific’s Quebec Division. Area maps are often shown. Montreal to Megantic is a mainline. This MLW hunt begins in Sherbrooke. Year is 1987. Some key trains receive time on longer chases.

M-630 power crosses a trestle on an Eastbound.

Check the smokey meet at Shanks Siding. Trio of C-424 engines on the left. They have train 907. The 4552 leads the opposing freight.

Quebec Central on Vallee subdivision. CP 1218 at Black Lake in April, 1987.

RS-18 pair work local freight near Angus.

Newport sub runs to Newport, Vermont. RS-18u leads a long lash-up at Cowansville.

C630M 4501 with a long lash-up coming through Orford Station.

Twisting trackage at Cookshire.

Large MLW engines arrive at Sherbrooke.

A long chase to Megantic. Train with MLW 4739 leading the 8 units out of Farnham. Although offline, a pair of Chessie System engines are deep in the lash-up. Now at 7 locos, having left one at Sherbrooke.

Caboose usage is common in 1987.

An extended cab ride aboard MLW 4739 closes this show. The camera view moves around. Jerry filmed this portion and narrates.

Montreal’s Machines Last Stand of the 251 Volume One

This show is put together well. Detailed locomotive info screens. Frequent map usage is needed and nicely done. Good narrative. Strong soundtrack with live audio.

It is obvious that fans of CP Rail and Alcophiles should be interested in this Volume One.

Rating: 4 Stars