Category: Greg Scholl

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ATVR Reviews Greg Scholl

Ohio Rail Diamonds

Producer: Greg Scholl

Locations: Fostoria, Deshler, Attica Jct., Leipsic…

Timeframe: 2006

Length: 1 hour 22 minutes

Source: Greg Scholl

This main film was from April 27, 2006. Ohio Diamonds that could be recorded in a single 12 hour day. Assorted power in a variety of liveries are seen. Essentially bonus sections are 2005 and 1991 footage.

A single DVD. On-screen graphics. Maps. Narrated by John Hingsbergen. Hidden Chapter advance.

This was the first Greg Scholl on a Widescreen format. Excellent picture quality in a letterbox. Live environmental audio. Balanced levels. The trains bang across the diamonds on a stereo! Colors are fine.

Basically, a CSX mainline tour of railroad intersections, with some crossing Norfolk Southern traffic. Years filmed are: 2006, 2005 and 1991.

Fostoria is the initial location at 8:00 am. CSX on former Chesapeake and Ohio tracks.. Crossing with Norfolk Southern on ex: Nickel Plate Road. Tower F is here.

Attica Jct. CSX and Norfolk Southern intersect. A leased Montana Rail Link SD on a CSX.

Return to Fostoria. Now, at the old B&O Depot.

Norfolk Southern 9100 and 4800 lead a Westbound Coal train.

Deshler is diamond number 4 visited. This hotspot has a Railfan Park. The Depot still stood in 2006. A dark future CSX 8017 and 7859 on an empty steel train.

CSX 8078 with the Tower at Deschler.

The Union Pacific Coal Train is seen again at Deschler.

Leipsic Junction. North South on ex: B&O with NS on former Nickel Plate. CSX rebuilt SD40s 8448 and 8475 pass the abandoned tower with ECGX hoppers.

Deshler area. A CSX. ex: UP and CSX GP15 with mixed freight. Not an ex: CNW as the narrative states.

2005 section…

Return to Deschler in September 2005 for a longer look. The bonus segments are in 4×3 format. No narration. Onscreen graphics. Well done, although non narrated is not my jam.

August 3, 1991, is narrated. Features and a few trains that were at Leipsic Tower and in Lima. A CSX GP40-2 6028 and GP38-2 in Chessie paint.

Chessie painted 6639 on a military equipment move in 1991.

CSX 3123 leads a freight. Passing Nickel Plate Road Berkshire 765. August 3, 1991. Lima, Ohio.

Doubleheader steam at Lima! Nickel Plate 765 and the Pere Marquette 1225. These Berkshires depart in early evening.

Ohio Rail Diamonds

The 2006 Widescreen has good coverage, as advertised. Non-narrated 2005 is lacking, a narrative and it can be skipped.

The 1991 footage is narrated. Enjoyable section with earlier equipment seen. Plus the brief bits of Steam.

Total runtime for the set is 1 hour 22 minutes. Preview section at a generous 14 minutes.

If intersecting lines get your attention. Illinois Junctions Volume 1 and volume 2 are a couple more Scholl titles to check.

Greg Scholl has now passed away. He could put together fine quality shows. Steam was his favorite. He also filmed quite a chunk of the shows. GSVP has vintage and contemporary shows. An early supporter of this site. The Railfan community has lost a classic producer. Rest in peace, Greg Scholl.

Rating: 5 Stars

Categories
ATVR Reviews Greg Scholl

Wrecks and Clean-up Trains

Producer: Greg Scholl

Locations: USA

Timeframe: 1930s – 1960s

Length: 48 minutes

Sources: Greg Scholl collection

An accurate title. Various mishaps on several railroads spanning different decades. The majority in the 1950s and 1960s.

A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu. No train sounds. Musical background. Onscreen subtitles. Show is narrated by Christopher Kovacs.. A large Preview section.

Film quality varies by source. Most of it is in the very good range. Mostly, these are in color. Since none of these had any original sound. There is no dubbed railroad audio. The musical background works fine.

Films include: New Haven, C&O, N&W. Pennsylvania Railroad, Boston and Albany (New York Central). Also, Rio Grande (narrow gauge) and Union Pacific.

To some Highlights…

The first group is New Haven. Filmed by A.J.Crockett.

New Haven 1965

A 1965 derailment in Canton Jct. Former steam engine tenders were used to supply coal for the cranes. Filmed from an overpass by A.J. Crockett.

RDC cars derailment

Needham Branch Derailment. Crockett footage circa 1966 on New Haven, as well. New Haven RDC cars. A turnout was illegally thrown by kids.

Boston and Albany

Boston and Albany mainline. Two New York Central steam cranes at a derailment. Boxcars that were hauling grain. Note the snap track section hanging from the crane. A. J. Crockett.

New Haven at Attleboro

Attleboro, Massachusetts on the New Haven. Passenger cars need two Steam Cranes. A.J. Crockett.

2 Rio Grande steamers stored at Chama

Denver & Rio Grande Western. Engines 497 and 498. The two locomotives are temporarily stored at Chama, following a wreck. Warren Scholl filmed in 1958.

Check the coal tender, which supplied the Steam Crane.

Union Pacific, the Challenger wreck. This train was on a detour. Hit a washout near Dodd, Colorado, in April 1955. All coach Chicago to Los Angeles. LaPlatte River overflowed here. Note the steam locomotive coal tender. Those supplied the cranes.

Union Pacific at Dodd

Two Steam Cranes at 250 tons each. The Cheyenne crane and the other from North Platte. The E8A/B/B lash-up also wrecked at the washout.

Pennsylvania Railroad at Convoy, Ohio

Pennsylvania Railroad with a mainline derailment at Convoy, Ohio. This train hit a lowboy that was hung up on a road crossing. Three Electromotive E units and some of the consist were off the Rails, here in 1961.

Chesapeake and Ohio in Kentucky

Chesapeake and Ohio. A pair of Steam Cranes. This is in Kentucky, along the Ohio River. Don Jamison film.

N&W wreck at Sardinia, Ohio

At Sardinia, Ohio. April, 1958. A large wreck and pileup on Norfolk and Western. Two diesel powered freights had a collision. Train 99 ran stops. Number 94 was going into a siding. Boom! Five GP9 locomotives were wrecked.

Powhatan Arrow creeps by at Sardinia

Two days later. Powhatan Arrow eases by the remaining wreckage. The 611 passes through slowly. Warren Scholl and Don Jamison footage both had filmed here.

Great Northern 40′ boxcar

The 40′ boxcar was very common up through the 1960s. Steel or Wooden, they carried merchandise and even loose grain. This Great Northern example appears to be repairable.

Train Wrecks and Clean-ups.

An assortment of vintage railroad mishaps. Spanning approximately 3 decades. Steam and Diesel era equipment are seen.

While not the happiest of subjects. It is an interesting part of railroad history.

Rating: 5 Stars

Categories
ATVR Reviews Greg Scholl

Chicago & Northwestern Mainline West

Producer: Greg Scholl

Locations: Chicago, Rochelle, Marshalltown. Omaha, Fremont

Timeframe: 1993

Length: 2 hours 30 minutes

Sources: Greg Scholl, Les Jarrett, Len Lennergard

This is a 2 disc set. Produced with Railway Productions. Two shows in this package. Approximately 90 and 60 minutes.

A 2 DVD-R set. Main Chapter Menu by locations. On screen graphics. Maps! Narrated by Eric Greene. Previews.

Full screen image in 4×3. Excellent quality. Live environmental audio sound. Very LOUD levels. Too much for a comfortable listen on a soundbar.

There are a variety of roadnames. Either as run through, detoured or in a yard. Interesting locomotive assortment. No graffiti!

Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, Santa Fe, Chicago Central, Conrail, and more.

At 2 1/2 hours, just some highlights.

Part One… Chicago area to Marshalltown 1 hour 28 minutes

Geneva subdivision. Chicago to Clinton. Iowa. Distance is 139 miles by rail.

Chicago Area

CNW Station

Begins at Metra Union Station in Chicago. F40PH by Electromotive. Double Deckers are the old CNW cars. Push-pull operation. Metra with ugliest paint scheme, this side of Metro North. Woof!

Metra F40 #134 Cabride from NorthWestern Station outbound. Hauling 6 of the bilevel commuter engine. 3200 horsepower engine.

Proviso Yard

Proviso Yard. 14 miles out. Over 50 switch jobs everyday. 

Mack tractor getting a container

Global 2 Intermodal Facility.  The Global 1 is downtown. See containers and trailers picked by specialized equipment.

GP7 and GP9 units work Proviso Yard

GP7 units are present in the yard for switching.

Elmhurst and beyond

Train meet in suburban Chicago

The line into Proviso has alot of freight traffic, besides the Commuter Scoots.

F7A 401 at Rockford in 1988

May 1988 at Belvidere. Zito yellow F7. Special Excursion Train.  401 leads 402 on this pair with the move into Rockford.

Geneva sub

Rochelle

Vintage E8 leads Amtrak at Rochelle

California Zephyr was rerouted over CNW due to 93 floods. E8A leads because of proper cab dignals.

Rochelle. Eastbound SD40  6821 with double-stacks. A Santa Fe and UP trail in the lash-up. Train on right is a Burlington Northern detour with a CNW leading. Filmed from the well-known Railfan Park.

The Burlington Northern detour, now behind 7083 gets cleared. This BN move departs after a 2 hour wait.

Nelson to Clinton

Sterling

Clinton to Fairfax

Crossing the bridge at Clinton

Note the high water level Clinton, Iowa.

Fairfax to Marshalltown

A passing Freight as GP7 works the Yard

At Marshalltown Station. A Coal Train passes through. The GP7 is switching the Yard.

Disc 2 59 minutes

Too many setups near the Crossing Gates! Constant bells are a hallmark of lackluster videography. Get away from the street crossing. The already too loud soundtrack over emphasizes this annoyance.

Marshalltown to Boone

8042 empty coal train stops gor a crew change and meets a gp7 4183 at the Boone yard. Next is the Iowa sub to Council Bluffs.

Kate Shelley Bridge

Kate Shelley Bridge

Kate Shelley Bridge over Des Moines River. Union Pacific and Conrail units.

Caroll to Omaha

Some trains at Arcadia Hill. Highest elevation on NNW.

Flashback to 1989 in Omaha. 8019 takes a turntable spin. July 8, the UP 844 needs the turntable.

Omaha to Council Bluffs

Council Bluffs yard again 1993.

Missouri Valley to Fremont

Train meet in Missouri Valley

Train meet in Missouri Valley.

Train departs Fremont

Winds up at Fremont Yard.

Former CGW caboose on a Work Train

The ex: Chicago Great Western caboose on a Work Train. Viewed from a Metra F40PH on mainline in Chicago.

Chicago & Northwestern Mainline West

Chicago and NorthWestern is not a common roadname for shows. This covers 3 divsions across 3 States. Non-stop action. Mainline freight and passenger trains galore!

The Videography is spot on. Maps are referenced often. Narration is well done.

The lone concern is the overly load volume on the soundtrack. Audio levels are too high. Soundbar begins on blast and unusable.

CNW fans should find this release as a must have! Model Railroaders can use this as a resource. Most Railfans may enjoy the action and extensive coverage.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Categories
ATVR Reviews Greg Scholl

DM&IR Steam Variety

Producer: Greg Scholl

Locations: Proctor, Two Harbors, Duluth

Timeframe: 1947- 1961

Length: 44 minutes

Sources: Perry & Jim Becker, M. Laing, Roher.

An assortment of Steam. Duluth Missabe and Iron Range. Ore Docks at Lake Superior. Full color 16mm sources, set this show apart. Original sound recordings by, E. Purington.

Detailed Chapter Menu, is very handy. Subtitles. Preview section. Still shots. Maps are included.

John Hingsbergen, the regular narrator for Greg Scholl is here. Excellent narration and smooth delivery.

This program is organized in chronological order. Yellowstones, are the huge steam locomotives, of the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range. Plenty of them in this release.

Highlights only. Steam and some Early Diesel.

Begins in 1947. Clarence Becker film.

Ore train, 2-8-8-2 Steam Locomotive

Open Pit Mine. Largest in the world. Oliver Iron Mining. 0-8-0 Steam. Distant views. Mountain Crushing Plant, with closer views.

Proctor, MN. Roundhouse and Yard. Yellowstone. Two Harbors docks. 2-8-8-2 uphill.

1957 Visit

Proctor Yard. The 715 washed. This is a 2-10-4. Former, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. Check the size of the standing man. Large engine! Steamers at yard.

DM&IR 715 gets the rods washed.

The 715 is a 2-10-4. Check the size of the standing man. Large locomotive there!

Yellowstone 229, on Turntable at Proctor

DM&IR Yellowstone 2-8-8-4, #229 is on the turntable, at Proctor roundhouse.

DM&IR, Yellowstone 222 leaves the yard

Yellowstone 222 on bridge leaves the yard.

Baldwin 2-10-2 at Duluth docks.

A Baldwin 2-10-2 switching the docks at Duluth.

1958 Excursion 222

Yellowstone 222 on Excursion

Duluth to Two Harbors. 0+10-2 is seen. 222 takes water. 1305 shown. Photo op. 502 at Proctor.

DM&IR 1305 awaits an assignment.

The 1305 is shown. A Mikado, 2-8-2. This was a common wheel arrangement. Appears small on this Railroad, of large locomotives.

May 1959

Two day visit. At Proctor, F7 B&LE led Ore train. Yellowstone 228 on 120 car ore train. Chased by car. End day one.

The 228 Yellowstone meets Great Northern FT units

Great Northern FT set meets the Yellowstone 228 at yard. The 228 departs, to be chased again on this second day.

Yellowstone 228 chased by automobile

The big Yellowstone is chased again!

Ore Melting November 1959

706 is a 2-10-4 locomotive

Ore thawing for Yellowstones. Limited yard moves. 706 also seen. An ex: Bessemer & Lake Erie, 2-10-4 wheel arrangement. Note the logo.

Excursion in 1960 #222

Goes to Two Harbors.

1961 had 2 Excursions. 224 and 225

The 224 Yellowstone departs Duluth

Yellowstone 224 departs Duluth. These are separate excursions. The details are within the program.

225

This Yellowstone 225, left Proctor. Near Saginaw, Minnesota. Same day, separate trip.

Duluth & Northeastern by Maynard Laing 1958

Duluth & Northeastern

Duluth & Northeastern. A Shortline. Connection at Saginaw. Several Steam engines are shown operating. Switching cars in Cloquet. #28 hauls a freight.

Study the backgrounds. Model Railroaders shall find a gold mine! Period scenes. Structures, Freight cars, signage, vehicles etc… Rural America.

DM&IR caboose

The yellow caboose marked the end of a DM&IR train. Also, the end of this review.

DM&IR Steam Variety

This is a fine tour of some Lake Superior Steam Railroading, in the late 1950s. Featuring, Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range. The Yellowstone class Steam Locomotives, are the star of the show!

Filmed in all color, 16mm. High quality viewing is a pleasure to watch. Melding the original sound recordings, work well.

John Hingsbergen provides an interesting and informative narrative.

The additional locomotives are like, icing on the cake. Maynard Laing footage of, Duluth and Northeastern fits in perfectly.

Brings up the question… What are you waiting for? An excellent show!

Rating: 5 Stars

Categories
ATVR Reviews Greg Scholl

CSX In the 90’s

Producer: Greg Scholl

Locations: Cincinnati, New River, Kingsport, Kentucky…

Timeframe: 1990s

Length: 78 minutes

Source: GSVP

Theme is CSX in a variety of locations in the 1990s. Nice tour overall. Elements of extras, from some previous shows here. Brief stops for the majority. Some advertised visits, are too brief.

Title page has a Play All. Also, a Chapter Menu. Many maps are included. Locations graphics. Dates are another detail.

Soundtrack is Live Audio. Limited Professional Narrative. John Hingsbergen is a highly regarded narrator. Pro shot cameras. 4:3 standard definition DVD used here. 78 minutes and Preview section.

One example of various on-screen maps.

Loaded with details. Train symbols and locomotive information is denoted via onscreen graphics.

Some of the maps are Fullscreen. Others are interjected within a screen. Everything appears fine.

Queensgate Yard gets a glimpse, for starters. GP40-2 pair. I would not call a shot of a steam engine tender, The Locomotive!

A CSX freight accelerates past Hyman Tower.

Several CSX towers are viewed in this show. Hyman Tower is just one.

Cincinnati Union Terminal, with a Southbound Coal Train. A little more CSX action proceeds.

KC Junction offers a Tower scene. CSX 8454 and 8262 pull a freight past a Steam Excursion. No frontal shot of the Steam Engine. Additional CSX train action with a C40-8. A local for Maysville.

TTI is seen, circa 1992. GE power is seen, in only a few frames! Stingy piece.

The CSX Limesville to Russell line is next. A pair of wide cabs on coal. Again, extremely short.

Still wearing Baltimore and Ohio paint. This GP38 works Russell Yard.

Russell Yard in 1995. GP38 B&O 2118 waits near the former depot. Tower is visible, as well.

Pair of GP40-2 on the way towards Russell Yard.

These Racetrack scheme painted GP40-2 pair, speed to Russell. They haul a long manifest freight. This is former C&O trackage.

CSX 26 leads the GSVP cameras on a classic train chase.

CSX 26 is a C44W.  This train is chased for awhile.

Maysville offers a shady rest. We see barge traffic on the river. Would have preferred extra train time, at some of the places.

Huntington to Hinton is an intriguing line. CSX and Amtrak run passenger moves. Again, would have liked additional in this area.

Quinnamont, so named for 5 peaks.

Grandview State Park offers a Bird’s eye view of the New River Gorge.

This scene feels like a second.

Point of Rocks in 1994. A well known hot spot. Harper’s Ferry is nearby. Would have liked to see more, at these noteworthy locations.

Amtrak’s Capitol Limited

Green Springs has some vintage diesels staged for photography. The CSX main offers great opportunities. Much time spent, trying for the right shots. Plenty of trains here. Alco FA and GP9 wait patiently for the right frame. This was a 2 day affair.

Amtrak’s Capitol Limited rolls by with satisfaction on the second day.

CSX freight with a trailing unit in Chessie System paint.

Cumberland, MD. is instantly recognized. An eastbound has a trailing unit still in Chessie System colors. The one train passes the Viaduct Tower.

Baltimore and Ohio 800 is an Alco FPA4. Western Maryland Scenic. Let’s go for a one minute cab ride! Yes, about a minute..

It’s 1992 and Clinchfield territory. A Seaboard System is sandwiched by two CSX units.

Four CSX units pull a Coal Train at Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport Tennessee has a Coal train creeping by the station. 8456 leads. Why the crowd? What is the huge steam engine doing there? A BIG hint at the end of this show…

CSX with Santa Fe run through on Copper Creek trestle. It was built in 1908.

Passenger cars for the Santa Claus Special. Copper Creek trestle.

The Santa Claus Special ends this show. GSVP has this available on a separate release. Remember that steam locomotive at Kingsport, Tennessee?

CSX in the 90’s. This show has plenty going for it. Nice extras. Some visits are extremely brief. CSX fans shall need it. Still, a good choice for most Railfans.

Rating: 4 Stars