Producer: Highball
Locations: Selkirk
Timeframe: 2000
Length: 1 hour 22 minutes
CSX Selkirk Yard is not featured. The approaches from Boston Line and Chicago Line are what is shown. SK Junction for one dominant spot. Highballs Hot Spots are usually weak. Fine videography and almost no narration are typical.
A single DVD-R. Fullscreen 4×3 aspect ratio. Live environmental audio. Preview section with titles only.
No chapter menu. Hidden chapter advance function. On-screen graphics. No map. Barely any narration. In the spirit of an uninformative narrative, I won’t be adding my usual additional information on this review.
To the Trains… 👉
Conrail 7374 approaching at a snails pace. Filmed from a highway overpass. Much automobile traffic in the background here. This is East of the yard.
Finally, relocates to SK Junction at 10:55 am. A tiny bit of narrative explains the situation. Much better without all the traffic noise. There is snowfall now. Engine 8429 leads CP Rail 5905.
CSX 8324 with an ex: Conrail. It rolls underneath the highway bridge. Unintelligible radio communications included in the background noise.
This is 12:20 pm. The narrative comes to life for a brief moment. Two trains are backed up off the Boston Line. CSX 5830 advances first. A Conrail powered train waits for clearance.
CSX 169 fronts an Intermodal at 2:15 pm.
Relocates to the other side of the bridge at SK Junction. Timestamp 3:15 pm. Conrail painted (CSX 8834) leads a mixed freight.
CSX 8864 still in Conrail paint works with CSX 8641 at SK Junction.
The following day begins at the 54 minute mark. The date now is February 2, 2000 at 9:00 am. An Eastbound approaches the yard with 7532 in front.
Conrail 8887 leads 8690 at 9:30 am. A vehicle train.
Chicago Line action. This spot is about 2 miles west of Selkirk Yard. Game Farm Road. Checkout the hot exhaust from Conrail 7374 on this cold day.
Hot Spots 5 Selkirk
Filming at SK Junction dominates the first hour. Day 2 is on the West End of the yard area. The actual yard isn’t part of the show. One positive is there are many renumbered Conrail blue locomotives here.
Tedious to watch this lame production all the way through to the end. Although well filmed, the tiny bits of narrative fail it. Mainly, long slow approaching trains with no details provided except for timestamps. Even the previews are zero narration.
There are better Selkirk shows in the marketplace. Hot Spots 5 receives a bump up for the videography. Still, this release is a waste of time. A snoozer show.
Rating: 2 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 