A Last Look at the Cotton Belt

Producer: Dick Eisfeller

Locations: Arkansas

Timeframe: 1996

Length: 93 minutes

Source: Dick Eisfeller

Cotton Belt action. Hotspot at Pine Bluff, Arkansas is featured. SP trains from East St. Louis to Memphis, Tennessee. Filmed in September, 1996. Just days after the Union Pacific takeover. A segment shows 24 hours South of Pine Bluff. Big E shows the whole train. Their shows can be hit or miss.

A single DVD-R. Videotaped in HI8mm. Live environmental audio. Picture is soft on HDTV, as usual for the era. Colors are good. Soundtrack has strong trackside recordings and are mixed with a too soft narrative. Unbalanced levels overall.

Main Chapter Menu divided into 51 total units. A map is included. Narrated by Dick Eisfeller.

To the Trains… 👉

Norfolk Southern 8012 fronts a solid lash-up of NS run-through locomotives. The date is September 12, 1996 to begin this program. An Eastbound at Brinkley going towards Memphis. Train PBSOM from Pine Bluff to Southern Railway Manifest. The lower speed and some distance from the track gives the best look here.

Daylight filming usually provides better details for train watching. At least the viewing angle is good. Here is a night move at 1:15am.

Daylight returns.

Southern Pacific 8104 has a train from Beaumont, Texas and seen at Wabaseeka. Good camera angle here.

SP 7673 (GP40-2) leads another Eastbound at Wabaseeka.

The next day has relocated South of Pine Bluff. Rio Grande 3100 fronts a Texarkana turn at Stamps. Sadly, the camera is too tight for a satisfactory view as this one quickly passes.

Many trains are this close. At normal playback speed the consists blows past. Too tight to be enjoyable.

Union Pacific had sent power to relieve the Southern Pacific locomotive shortage. There are not many UP engines in the show. The 3474 (SD40-2) leads symbol PBWCM as night is about to fall. This being a Pine Bluff to West Colton Merchandise move.

There are a series of freights that were filmed at night. They blow past at road speeds. Headache causing blur. Yawn…

An Eastbound is led by Southern Pacific 8102 (C44-9W). The move is routed from Dallas, Texas to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The foreground track provides a bare minimum of distance to have a clear view of the freight cars on this train, which beats many of the other scenes.

At Lewisville. HOCHQ is Houston to Chicago. Train runs a little slower onto a connecting track. General Electric C44-9W on the point.

A Last Look at the Cotton Belt

At first glance, this release is promising. Cotton Belt recorded a few days after Union Pacific takeover. A seldom featured railroad in an uncommon area to railfan. Although it has much detailed information and does show the whole train, it does disappoint.

What a bugger to review! Constantly turning volume down on train sounds and turning it up for the narrative.

The Big E premise of filming the entire train sags by actual video technique. The consists are often viewed from a too close to the track viewpoint. Camera should’ve been distanced further. If any speed is involved, the freights blow by the camera quickly.

Not a good presentation for scrutiny of traffic or seeing road numbers on equipment. This defeats the purpose of ‘no more mindless runbys’. Sure, he gives overall train details. Yet, it is difficult to watch them as they speed past too fast to discern much.

This show is tedious to get through. The style grinds through the material. Information is rattled off quickly and jams everything into a constant drone. While the facts can be interesting, they seem force fed. So it is a delivery issue which needs a more relaxed pace.

Slightly on the fence to rate this one. It has plenty of trains. Informative narration. The actual presentation is marginal.

This release may satisfy die hard fans. Not essential for most others.

Rating: 2 1/2 Stars