Producer: Bob Ernst
Locations: Springfield, Neosho, Wyandotte, Claremore, Tulsa
Timeframe: 1999
Length: 1 hour 47 minutes
Source: Bob Ernst
The show subtitle is’Soon After the Merger’. The Monett sub was Burlington Northern. Originally ex: Frisco. The Cherokee sub is former Santa Fe. Route is Springfield, Missouri to Tulsa, Oklahoma. These are end to end connecting subdivisions. The Monett sub has been sold off. Mostly unrepainted locomotives at this time. The merger date was 12.31.1996.
A single DVD-R. An uncredited 2020 remaster has been done to this show. The video quality is not modern standards. Live environmental audio. Keep in mind that the recent MoKan releases are better.
Main Chapter Menu by locations. Chapter advance function. On-screen graphics. Subtitles often display locations and milepost numbers. Narrated in the usual monotone by Bob Ernst.
To the Trains… 👉
Springfield Shops were to be closed and moved to Kansas City. This facility being our starting location. BN yard switchers 25 and 33 pass on the East end.
Out on the Monett mainline. Train 791 is led by BN 5490. Santa Fe 637 / 648 follow. It is a Tulsa- Memphis Manifest.
At Monett Yard. Westbound local from Springfield. Three BN painted GP units. Units are 2701/ 2318/ 1509.
Eastbound. Symbol H-PBBH. Dash 9 44CW. Three Santa Fe Warbonnets. Pittsburgh, California to Birmingham, Alabama manifest.
Here is a hotspot. Milepost is 309.2. Neosho has a crossing of Kansas City Southern. A KCS leads two BNSF engines. 9729 is brand new SD70MAC. This SEPX coal train ends with 2 KCS pushers.
Westbound Train 791 is stopped at Afton Jct. Whiteface BN 2921 leads engines 6781, 7940, and it slowly gets rolling.
Now on the Cherokee sub at East Vinita. Milepost 359.7. Union Pacific 9000 leads as it crosses the line on a diamond.
Catale, Oklahoma. WB JJ004 WFCX. EMD paint on lead engines 9076, 9096 and a BNSF. Coal move.
Eastbound #794. Lash-up of 4 blue and yellow Santa Fe locomotives hauling mixed freight cars.
Train is a local 466 at Verdigris and is about to have a meet. Rebuilt BN GP35 2937 leads GP9 1956 and additional geep units into the siding along Route 66. A GP9B is in the five locomotive lash-up. The show concludes at Cherokee Yard in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
BNSF’s Monett and Cherokee Subs
This release has predominately unrepainted power. Solid and mixed lash-ups of the two merger roadnames. The occasional new BNSF SD70MAC. An unpredictable locomotive variety is intriguing. Some foreign and leased diesels add to the mix.
Remaster offers good colors. Lighting is generally fine, although not perfect. Audio is slightly unbalanced. Some wind noise at times. Narration can get loud compared to train sounds.
Narration is informative. The main issue is the videotape source material. It has a constant slight blurriness. That can be inherent in some old videotapes. Yet, nothing unreasonable like yellow skies or blown out reds. So, it is watchable. Historical value show.
As with so many other shows in the market. Map references would be helpful. We journey from one unknown town to the next.
Far from the best. Overall, though, it’s not too bad. Receives a bump upwards for the interesting lash-ups. Show is probably best suited to hardcore fans.
Rating: 3 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 