Producers: Bob Ernst, Tim Walter (2024)
Locations: Gibbon Jct, Bailey Yard, O’Fallons
Timeframe: 1994
Length: 1 hour 20 minutes
Source: Bob Ernst, Jim Asplund
The upgraded tour of the Council Bluffs continues in this Volume 2 on Union Pacific. Coverage is along the famous Overland Route. Nebraska from Gibbon Jct.to Bailey Yard and O’Fallons.
A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu. On/ off narration. Chapter advance function. Maps and track diagrams. On-screen graphics. Bob Ernst does the narrative. Fullscreen aspect. Live environmental audio.
Tim Walter has been the producer modernizing the original 1990s sourced tapes. That era can be a tough nut to crack. Yet, these new MoKan shows have a number of improvements. The most noticeable being the high-quality video remaster.
Credit to Rearview Mirror Media. Digital Remaster, editing, and color correction in 2024. The state of the art production has this MoKan release appearing like a MoKan 2.0. Tim Walter produced this show in 2024.
To the Trains… 👉
Gibbon Jct, Nebraska, is the starting point. Both Council Bluffs Sub and Marysville sub meet here. Trackage diagrams detail this location. Trains are highlighted via on-screen information boxes. A busy hotspot. Coal and Intermodal trains dominate.
Horses graze while a Coal Train passes at Overton.
A long Westbound Big APL at a road crossing is led by CNW locomotives. This is American President Lines high priority service.
Wb SATX at Gothenburg. 39ms Or SD40-2 trio on general freight.
At Milepost 270. Train SFIX splits the signals.
CNW Wyoming Centennial is 2nd here. Eastbound CWEX loads.
North Platte terminal area. 55ms. Coal traffic dominant here. EB Z train hauls pigs at Stockyard Curve. Milepost 282.
Bailey Yard. UP/ CSX and CNW units.
Diesel Facility.
Bailey Yard is 9 miles long. America’s largest. The West end sees both Coal and Intermodal moves with each having a separate yard.
This tour ends at O’Fallons.
Union Pacific Council Bluffs Sub, Volume 2
This Volume 2 is similar to the initial release. The Remaster and additional improvements are substantial. Action packed with many trains. A variety of traffic runs through farmland in Nebraska. Much of it travels at high speeds. A 70 mph limit.
As with the other volume. Should satisfy both Union Pacific/ CNW railfans and Model Railroaders. Besides the locomotive lash-ups, much of the train consists are included. Chicago and NorthWestern power is frequently seen.
Now, if you wonder which one is best. Could depend what part of the route is most favored. Visually speaking. Volume 1 has a slight edge. Hazy weather in Volume 2 has less advantageous lighting at times. Realize this is splitting hairs. It’s not modern video standard, but very good.
All in all, another excellent upgrade versus previous (non-remastered) MoKan Video shows.
The fresh remaster, maps, and 2024 tweaks are impressive.
Rating: 5 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 