Category: MoKan Video

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ATVR Reviews MoKan Video

Mainlines into Kansas City

Producer: MoKan

Locations: Kansas, Missouri

Timeframe: 1993

Length: 1 hour 54 minutes

Source: Bob Ernst

MoKan has a nice variety of lines to and from Kansas City.

A single DVD-R. Detailed Chapter Menu. On-screen graphics with much information. No maps. Narrated show.

Mainline trains with assorted railroads on various lines. Burlington Northern has substantial traffic. Santa Fe has their large Argentine Yard at Kansas City. Southern Pacific and Union Pacific freights, as well.. Norfolk Southern runs a joint operation with BN.

Also, leased units such as Oakway and LMX appear. Additional road power: Conrail, CSX, CNW, Gateway Western, KCS, and Soo Line. Amtrak, too.

A touch of Steam. UP Challenger 3985.

Santa Fe is dominated by the blue/ warbonnets. Super Fleet power is also seen. Numerous Intermodal trains, with Chicago on the Eastern end of the system. Double-stack and Piggyback moves.

These titles were shot on the video equipment of the era. Images are very good for that era. Just don’t expect modern clarity.

Colors seem better on this particular show. Soundtrack is live audio. This show was remastered in 2013. Same dry narrator. Reads a script with zero personality.

Videography is well done. Trains have some information via the graphics. Mainly locations and direction of travel.

To the highlights…

Burlington Northern is the first line seen. Runs for about 20 minutes.

BN Unit Coal at Lenaxa, KS.

Burlington Northern at Lenexa with a Unit Coal train.

Southern Pacific meet at Maxwell

Southern Pacific meet at Maxwell. Note the CSX run through locomotive.

NS runs from KC to a split at Maxwell.

Santa Fe Westbound.

At Holliday, the Topeka sub on the diverging trackage. Train is on the Emporia Sub. SF Highline is in the background.

Turner. KS

Three Electromotive rebuilds pull a freight.

Good action at Sibley Bridge

Sibley Bridge with long approaches is a sizeable structure. Various trains here.

Eton is a hot spot.

Power balancing Eastbound at hot spot Eton. This place yields numerous trains.

Santa Fe GP60s

Crossing the Blue River on KCT Rails at Aarmco Steel. The renewed Warbonnet was an instant classic.

UP and SP. Marysville sub

Rio Grande leads at Lawrence, KS

Rio Grande leads at Lawrence.

The 2435 leads at Lawrence, Kansas

Union Pacific Unit Coal at Don Ball Curve. General Electric C30-7. UP 2435 leans into the rails. Lawrence, Kansas. FYI- Don Ball a famous Railfan photographer with excellent books. This was a favorite location of his!

Challenger 3985 going to CSX

3985 is running Eastbound at Independence, MO. Going to CSX 11/92.

Rock Creek Jct. River sub and Sedalia sub

Union Pacific double-stack on the Sedalia sub

SD leads a double-stack on the Sedalia subdivision.

SF GP30 leads over the Union Pacific

A Santa Fe GP30 crosses over the UP River Line.

The Mule at Independence

Amtrak Missouri Mule stops at Independence, MO.

A Gateway Western caboose hop

Gateway Western has a caboose! Union Station.

Mainlines into Kansas City

MoKan has delivered a solid show this time! A much improved appearance. Maybe it’s post-production enhancements or simply has aged better versus other MoKan releases.

BN gets the short stick at around 20 minutes. Santa Fe about half the time. The SP and UP with the remainder.

A steady pace and constant Mainline action. The sheer variety of trains and lines keep the proceedings intriguing! Good rerun value.

Having viewed a handful of MoKan issues. This is the best one so far.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

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ATVR Reviews MoKan Video

Burlington Northern’s St Joe Line

Producer: Bob Ernst

Locations: Kansas City, St. Joseph, Lincoln

Timeframe: 1994

Length: 1 hour 49 minutes

Source: Bob Ernst

MoKan Video with a visit to Burlington Northern’s St. Joe Line, circa 1994. This visit is going from Kansas City to Lincoln. A distance of 202 miles.

A single DVD-R. No Chapter menu. There is not a hidden chapter advance either. On-screen graphics with informative subtitles. Map is the hand drawn line. Shown on the front cover of the slipcase.

Narrated show. Bob Ernst with a dry style. Conveys information as if reading from a script. Occasionally, he has details on a specific train or location. Limited narration.

Video sourced originally. Restoration has been performed. Good to very good on modern HDTV. Just don’t expect today’s sharpness.

Colors are muted. Range is fair to good . Many scenes are back-lit or too dark. These could have been edited down.

Live environmental audio. Good balance on levels.

This is also known as the Kansas City line. Action immediately at Murray Yard. Coal is king on this line. Unit hopper trains are dominant.

BN Manifest freight train

Many trains show whole or large chunks of the consists. Not enough clarity for details. Good enough for modelers to get an idea of the freight consists.

GP30 leads at Farley

Train 21 with a GP30 leading. Farley location.

BN crosses on Platte River Bridge

Bridge over the Platte River with some action.

BN 6134 is an SD9

At Weston. BN SD9 6134 and 6192 with an Eastbound local freight.

Train 21 is Westbound across Missouri River

BN SD40-2 6385 pulls Westbound train 21 across the Missouri River bridge.

Union Pacific GP38 trio

Union Pacific with trio of GP38 units at Fall City Yard.

GE C30-7 5500 class on point

Plenty of General Electric C30-7 units are working this line.

Montana Rail Link leads a 181 train

At Hickman, a Montana Rail Link fronts on Train 181.

Eastbound at Roca with a caboose behind the power.

This meet shows some of the lighting issues

There are many lighting issues in this program. BN coal train looks fine on approach. Turn the camera to the meet and shadows.

BN Hobson Yard at Lincoln, Nebraska.

Oakway Leasing units at Lincoln

Oakway Leasing pair at Lincoln, Nebraska. There are plenty of Oakway locomotives in this program.

BN caboose is updated with plated windows

Although uncommon in 1994. There are some trains with a BN caboose.

Burlington Northern’s St Joe Line

This BN show does not stand up well versus a competitive market. That BN green and EMD blue, are mostly muted. Most scenes have a brownish cast.

The camera seems to have issues with lighting. There are too many dark or shadowy trains.

Videography skills are there. Technical issues are the main concerns.

Narration puts me to sleep. Not much energy and uninteresting.

The audio is fine and a strong point. There is no real map with any towns.

All in all, it is an unnecessary show. Rather tedious to sit through. Hardcore fans may still want it. Not all bad. Plenty of trains. Just keep expectations realistic.

Rating: 3 Stars

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ATVR Reviews MoKan Video

Southern Pacific Herington Sub

Producer: MoKan Video Productions

Locations: KC, Topeka, Herington

Timeframe: 1993

Length: 2 hours

Source: Bob Ernst

MoKan explores the Southern Pacific’s Herington sub. A pre- merger visit. Solid SP sets abound! Union Pacific has a good supply of trains on their trackage.

Main Menu. Highly detailed 70 Chapter Menu. On-screen graphics, with many details. No maps. Any type of map references, are always helpful. Single DVD-R.

Show is narrated by Bob Ernst. This narrator seems to read off a written script. Very flat and dry presentation. Not an engaging performance.

Enviornmental audio for the remainder. Train sounds and radio scanner. This part of the soundtrack sounds excellent.

Visuals are a common concern with the MoKan label. Absolutely correct. Soft on a new 55″ widescreen. Watchable, but not today’s standard. Historical value. Color balance is pretty good, for the most part.

This is action packed. Southern Pacific. Union Pacific are the main players. Additional foreign power appears. Conrail, Rio Grande, and CSX to name a few. Leased and run through agreements.

Freight traffic is plentiful. Various trains. Manifests, Intermodals, Coal and locals. Even some Maintenance of Way equipment.

Locomotives are in a wide variety. New to older power. Electromotive to General Electric.

Highlights only. Two Hour Show.

SP Armourdale Yard

Our tour begins at Armourdale Yard. This is a Southern Pacific railyard, in Kansas City. A former Rock Island facility.

A pair of EMD units pull a freight, from an Armourdale Yard origin.

SP runs 68 miles to Topeka via trackage rights. This section is on Union Pacific.

Trains are seen in the vicinity of the yard. Many freight cars are viewed. Traffic is heavy in both directions.

Union Pacific is busy, as well. This is their rails. UP has a yard, next to the Southern Pacific one.

Union Pacific with BN run through power.

Good action at an old bridge.

SD40T units are on the lead here.

Lawrence provides plenty of action! Besides the above Tunnel motors. A definite hotspot is some curved trackage…

A Westbound on Don Ball Curve.

Don Ball Curve. Named after the well known Railfan, Author and Photographer. A Westbound SP Hotshot moves through.

Railfanning continues along this UP Marysville sub. Camera work is very good overall. Sometimes, the images are backlit. Colors are good. Natural, Enviornmental Audio is excellent.

Plenty of Two Way traffic!

Bob comments a 2 to 1 UP dominance. Obviously, UP dispatchers favor their own brand, on home rails.

Topeka. (63 miles to Herington)

Union Pacific Coal Train at Least Topeka.

East Topeka curve at Grain elevators. This particular place is a photogenic place.

Cotton Belt GP60 at SJ Junction.

SJ Junction is where SP exits UP. Milepost 89 from St Joe. Trains a plenty here. The Cotton Belt GP60 at SJ Junction is about to cross the river.

Conrail leased locomotive is on the lead of this SP move.

The leading Conrail locomotive is leased. SP was power short in 1993. A fair amount of foreign units are to be found in this show.

CSX leased unit at Herington Yard.

CSX leads here. Usually they are buried in the Lashups.

A rare caboose find in 1993.

Only a couple of caboose scenes by 1993. Southern Pacific bay window is a classic.

Southern Pacific Herington Sub.

This is a good show, with a couple of issues. The picture quality is not to current standards. The larger the screen, the bigger the problem. The narrator gives a very, flat and dry presentation.

Train sounds are excellent. Locations are mentioned or displayed. Mileposts, as well. Some map references, would have been great.

Historical value is here. Good job on including plenty of the train consists. Southern Pacific fans may decide to overlook the problems. It is still a very good document of SP in 1993.

Rating: 4 Stars