Producer: Highball
Locations: Grafton, Tunnelton, Keyser, Piedmont
Timeframe: 1994
Length: 1 hour 45 minutes
CSX West End is a former B&O route between Grafton and Keyser, West Virginia. Sporadic coverage of the line. The advertised coverage of famous locations is a stretch of what is actually shown. There are only several units in predecessor paint. EMD SD50 locomotives both lead and help on the majority of trains.
A single DVD-R. Fullscreen 4×3 aspect ratio. Live environmental audio. The picture quality is good, considering the age. This disc fails to play until completion. Hence, no credits display. I could reject it, but it is close enough and a bit of a dog anyway. A rating deduction shall serve.
Push play. Hidden chapter advance function. No other extras. Narrated by Pete Falconi.
To the Trains… 👉
Begins at Grafton Yard in West Virginia. A Chessie System 4755 (GP30) creeps past with a mixed bag of power. Meanwhile, GE Family Lines #7087 waits its turn to move out.
CSX 2173 (GP 38) in stealth grey paint. It is crawling past the Grafton Interlocking Tower.
West End Tower is closed. CSX 8556 (SD50) struggles with a Coal Train. This on the upgrade to Tunnelton. Kingwood Tunnel is just ahead.
Helpers shove on the train entering Kingwood Tunnel.
Here is a good scene for the Model Railroaders. The old B&O signal bridge, overhead walkover and a mountain road combine plenty of interest in a single scene. CSX 8593 then passes an old depot and small freight house. The location is Tunnelton, WV.
Glazer is at the summit on Newburgh Grade. A mixed freight travels upgrade with CSX 8501 hauling Train 316.
At Piedmont, another SD50.
A Coal Train has passed the West Keyser Tower. Yellow nose leader seen here.
CSX 7819 is an uncommon sight with a C40-8W in this mostly SD50 show. It leads another General Electric unit.
The West End CSX ‘s Mountain Division
The new SD50 type is the dominant recent locomotive class. Several locomotives in predecessor paint. The videography is decent although limited in form. Repetitive long approach shots and trains quickly are too tight to see much. Soundtrack plays on the quiet side. Narrative is a simplistic one and is mostly locations. Thin on information. Some maps would have been helpful. There aren’t any included here.
Overall, it is below standards show. A look at some of the West End. Although an incomplete tour and there isn’t anything outstanding. Fails to meet the advertised on actual locations.
The train pacing is slow. It is a little bit sleepy on pacing and presentation. Long, slow oncoming train shots and they pass by quietly. If you take a nap, that is about right as far as feel. A basic show for CSX fans. Just keep expectations low. Remember, it fails to play until completion. Nothing special and a defective disc.
Rating: 1 Star
American Train Video Reviews 