Tag: C&O

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ATVR Reviews Herron Rail

Reflections of the C&O Volume 1

Producer: James Herron

Locations: Kentucky, West Virginia

Timeframe: 1940- 1971

Length: 76 minutes

Sources: multiple

Old and rare Chesapeake and Ohio films from various sources. Contains black and white, to color films.

Lexington subdivision covers Louisville to Ashland line. The Logan sub and more.

A regular DVD on this one. Main Chapter Menu. Maps and diagrams are included. Narration by Danny Harmon. On/ Off narration choice.

Film quality varies by years. The early black and white footage is fair to good. Color is better. Audio is dubbed with train sounds and music. Script is excellent with many details and history. Still photographs and plentiful maps augment the program.

To the Trains…

Louisville in 1951

C&O 2737 arrives at Central Station in Louisville. Kanawha 2734 2-8-4 is the power. The year is 1951 for this rare scene. IC plus B&O are also shown, along with more C&O locomotives.

C&O Mikado 1166 was one of the 2-8-2 class usually assigned to freight duty. Arrival of Train 295 from Louisville passing MN Tower. Nice mix of freight and passenger moves.

Color is a major step up. The steam in color is hard to find.

In 1959 a rare BL2. This #1841 is a substitution for the regular C&O E8 power. The George Washington train.It arrives at Frankfort, Kentucky.

Electromotive only sold 59 units. This model was a modified F3 design. Several of these Chesapeake and Ohio units were equipped for passenger service. The BL2 was a predecessor to the highly successful GP7 and similar road switchers that followed.

 They were traded into EMD for GP30 locomotives in 1962. Probably cut up at neighbor Pielet Brothers. 

Lexington Yard

Over to Lexington. Train 23 at Lexington yard office. The area is visited with many trains.

Lexington Station

The last L&N led by 607 pulls into Lexington Station in June, 1956.

1971

Train 21 departing Lexington en route to Louisville in this pre-Amtrak scene from 1971.

C&O EMD GP7 5815 brings freight to the L&N yard. Note the modern livery.

B&O E8 at Louisville

B&O 1465 backs it’s consist into Louisville Station in 1969 on a cold day.

MN Tower

L&N GP7 404 at MN Tower in South Louisville.

The 610 en route to Hinton, WV.

Eastbound #93 freight is behind engine 610 as it leaves the Ashland Yard. Additional 1950s steam engines are in color at Russell, Kentucky and beyond.

2716 moves to a museum

The 2716 is donated to a museum in Louisville May, 1959.

Caboose 3545

Reflections of the C&O Volume 1

First. Vintage C&O film is rare. Not much in the marketplace. Generally, there were few filming trains South of Ohio in the East.

This collection is fairly extensive with ten film sources. Several of the mainline stations have highly detailed visits.

Film quality is source dependent. Much is grainy or soft focus 8mm. Especially the black and white footage. Some brief scenes in color are very good. 

Danny Harmon is the smooth announcer on Herron Video. He is their best man.

Vintage Chesapeake and Ohio was seldom filmed. Especially steam era. This railroad was difficult to access in most places. Bad automobile roads in those days. Easier to cover railroads like Baltimore and Ohio or Pennsylvania Railroad were the popular choices.

This show provides an interesting look at assorted C&O as advertised. Well paced and constructed. It moves along quickly. The main caveat is the overall film quality. Historical value is paramount here. Vintage Chesapeake and Ohio is one of those hard to find railroads. Herron has done a good job, considering the old film sources.

Bump this up for the scarcity factor.

Rating: 5 Stars

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ATVR Reviews Main Line Motion Pictures Pentrex

Hardworking Steam on Steep Grades Volume One

Producer: Tim Walter

Locations: USA

Timeframe: 1982- 2000

Length: 1 hour 30 minutes

Source: Ron Loving

Featuring 19 different steam locomotives. Every engine has a 2023 informational update on this new release. New scenes added vs. a previous incarnation. Many locations from East to West. Special notice. Every scene has either a: hard pull on a notable steep grade, a wheel slip, or worthy exhaust.

These steam locomotives are all restored. Modern video with some 1980s material. Some locos shown anywhere from around 10 minutes to an occasional single runby. Sometimes, they are redressed and operate on a different railroad.

A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu is grouped by railroad or tourist. Smart! On-screen graphics. NO Narration.

While I dislike non-narrated shows and avoid them. This one is an exception for a review. Railfan Depot kindly sent this out as a Christmas gift to customers. It is a new release.

Recognize Tim Walter is the Producer/ Editor for this 2023 show. Geri Cook with an Assistant Producer credit. A Pentrex production. An original version under a different title was by Mainline Motion Pictures.

A 4×3 aspect ratio. Picture quality ranges from good to very good. Live environmental audio is awesome! Digitally restored. Color corrected.

Some highlights. Let’s check this out.

To the Trains…

N&W 611

Norfolk & Western 611. This Class J is a 4-84. Shown on Saluda Mountain. Active in 2023. A few sentences are spoken! Additional grades with titled locations. A large chunk of 611 scenes.

4501

Southern 4501 in Cresent Green livery. Save some typing. Checkout the information box.

261

Milwaukee Road 261 at Huntington, WV. A large Northern 4-8-4 type.

UP 3985 as Clinchfield 676

Union Pacific Challenger 3985 is decked out as Clinchfield 676. The drivers are slipping in North Brody, Virginia. The 676 pulls a solid UP consist.

UP doubleheader

Union Pacific 844 and 3985 on Sherman Hill.

7002 at Strasburg Railroad Museum

Strasburg 7002 is one of the Tourist Trains seen. Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-2. This one is a rare inclusion. Currently, it is on display in Pennsylvania.

1361 at Tyrone, PA.

Pennsylvania Railroad 1361. A K4 locomotive which is a 4-6-2. This formerly was on display at Horseshoe Curve. Awaiting full restoration.

587

Nickel Plate Road 587 is a Light Mike. The big drivers slip while going upgrade. Black Mountain, South Carolina. Not currently in running codition.

614 Chessie System Railroad

C&O 614. Greenbriar class. 4-8-4. Afton Mountain, Virginia. Chessie System.

2765

Nickel Plate Berkshire 765 at Hurricane, WV. Masquerading as C&O 2765. A Kanawha type in Chesapeake and Ohio nomenclature.

One of multiple locations for 2716

The C&O Kanawah 2716 at Atlanta. This has an outstanding audio track scene from 1982. Hear the locomotive booster engaged as the engine struggles uphill. Shown above in the different location. Read the information box.

There it is. Several engines and even more not seen here. Some surprises in there.

Hardworking Steam on Steep Grades

The show is well-paced for the most part. Would have liked a little more of some locomotives and a bit less on a couple. Reality is source supply. Hence, it is what it is.

Production quality makes the best of available images and sounds. Fine editing. The on-screen information is brief and direct. In fact, the steam sounds are excellent on the big stereo!

An issue with a non-narrated show. One cannot look away from the TV. A piece of information may get missed. Narration also has the ability to share quickly and efficiently. Convience with easy viewing.

The soundtrack does benefit from steam starring. It plays well.

The sum total. A fine release of a previous show with additional value. While I never would’ve purchased this release. Due to no narration. It earns a recommendation based on the overall quality and a unique premise.

A bump up for the singular focus on the few featured areas. Wheel slipping!

A big Thank You to Railfan Depot for this Christmas gift!

Rating: 4 Stars

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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

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ATVR Reviews Green Frog Prod.

Early Diesels – Top Frog – Volume 5

Producer: Green Frog

Locations: USA

Timeframe: 1950s- 1960s

Length: 72 minutes

Source: Emery Gulash

Early diesels are reviewed in a vintage overview. Emery’s wonderful 16mm film is a great way to accomplish this task.

The Frog has taken from 30 hours of previously released material. Maybe, 20 shows, give or take. A mashup of 1950s through 1970.

Single DVD-R. Chapter advance.

Bob Carrera and Bob Rodriguez. Both narrators with informative narration. Obviously, different pulls.

This is all color footage.

Many Railroads: Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Rio Grande, Milwaukee Road, New York Central, Gulf Mobile & Ohio, Soo Line. Also: B&O, Erie Lackawanna, Grand Trunk, Ann Arbor, Pennsylvania RR, Nickel Plate, Rock Island, and more.

These highlights have been organized by locomotive builder. Actual program does not play in this fashion.

Alco Diesels

1958 at Lamar, Colorado depot

Alco PA on a Mail Train. An RSD-4 switches freight at Lamar, CO. In 1958.

Alco Centuries

Alco Century units on Erie Lackawanna.

Rock Island Alco

Rock Island fielded some RS-3 engines thst were geared for fast passenger service.

Baldwin

Baldwin DS-4

Santa Fe Baldwin DS-4 is a 1,000hp

Electromotive of LaGrange

F units

Grand Trunk on it’s way to Elsdon Yard

Grand Trunk Western has 2 F units bracket a Geep.

Wabash freight leaves Oakwood Yard

July 1955 Wabash F7 1172-A at Del Ray Jct. Departs Oakwood Yard with train SC-1. Canadian factory built F units for Wabash.

E Units

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio at Lemont, Illinois

Electromotive E units were seen on Gulf, Mobile & Ohio long distance passenger trains. The Abraham Lincoln waa a well- known name train.

GP7/ GP9

Rio Grande GP7

Rio Grande GP7 with a Freight Train from Antonito,

Cheasapeake & Ohio GP9

C&O GP9 trio is on the point.

CB&Q SD24s in front of this lash-up.

This Burlington Route freight hustles out from Chicago area.

New GP30 models on Santa Fe

Electromotive GP30 quartet

Pennsylvania Railroad GP35

A Pennsylvania GP35 leads some mixed power.

Fairbanks Morse

A Fairbanks-Morse with a local freight at Willow Springs, Illinois depot.

General Electric

Soo Line GE U30C

Soo Line at Libertyville, Illinois. A General Electric U30C leads a GP35.

Union Pacific ‘Big Blow’ Gas Turbine.

General Electric Gas Turbine. These powerful engines on Union Pacific. Rated at 8,500 horsepower.

Santa Fe cabooses on the Chicago Line

Two Santa Fe freights go their seperate ways in 1965 near Joliet. This show is somewhat heavy on Santa Fe. It’s mighty fine, no matter what is one’s favorite roadname.

Early Diesels – Top Frog – Volume 5

Top shelf 16mm films by Emery Gulash are fantastic! A hand picked collection from his reels. These are represenative of the time period. It is an outstanding show.

Rating: 5 Stars

Categories
ATVR Reviews Clear Block

Vignettes of the DT&I Volume 1

Producer: Todd Miller

Locations: Ohio,  Michigan

Timeframe: 1951-1980

Length: 70 minutes

Sources: many

The last 25 years of the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton. Actually, a little longer. Some Ann Arbor is included. Geographical presentation, starts at Detroit and travels South.

A single DVD-R. No Chapter menu. Maps are frequently referenced.

Narrated by Todd Miller. Informative script. Plenty of history and operational.

Film quality is fair. Colors are faded. Looks like unrestored 8mm films. Even Conrail 1980 footage is in fair condition. Some sources are better.

Soundtrack is a strong point. Much attention was paid to the audio. Train sounds are very good!

Locations: Detroit, Delta, Leipsic, Lima, Quincy, Springfield, Dayton, Cincinnati, Jackson etc…

On the upside. Numerous scenes were shot at Interlocking Towers. Probably, very few remain now.

Connecting roads in Ohio. Includes, Penn Central and Erie Lackawanna in Lima. A Baltimore and Ohio line. PC, and Conrail in Quincy. Also, Louisville and Nashville at Decoursey, Kentucky.

Pacing! DT&I leads two Ann Arbor GP35 units

Detriot, Toledo and Ironton 210. Leads a pair of Ann Arbor GP35 locos. Pacing along Highway 42.

Instead of power, let’s all see a caboose.

Alexis Tower Toledo is busy. Ann Arbor freight and more.

Budd car on a B&O track

Ride, looking out of the front widow in a Budd car.

C&O at Leipsec

C& O at XN tower Leipsec.

Steam in 1951

KN tower at Leipsic sees a Mikado shuffling freight cars in 1951..

Lima, Ohio is visited at several points. Checkout the newer paint schemes on the two lead locomotives. DT&I Star logo. Bicentennial on the second unit.

Towerman hands up the flimsies at SJ Tower

SJ Tower in Lima, Ohio circa 1970. DT&I crossing with Erie Lackawanna. Appears to be Ann Arbor 385, a GP35. Towerman George Detwiler hoops up orders. His name appears in the film credits.

Semaphore is highlighted at Morgan Tower.

Morgan Tower in Quincy, Ohio is busy in 1970. A Penn Central blasts by the tower. Nice semaphore action shots.

Chessie B&O

Springfield trains. Miami City Junction in Dayton. A Chessie System rolls past. DT&I with auto racks. Muted colors, buy clearer pictures. Conrail is here, too. Maybe the best part in this program.

Cincinatti.  L&N 1205 leads a mix of L&N with Seaboard Coast Line units.

Family Lines diesels are seen here, as well.

Ride aboard a Gas Electric car bringing ip the rear in 1952. The power is a GP9.This trip travels over a challenging route over Summit. Film quality and colors are much better in this segment.

DT&I train DJ-1 power departs Jackson

Train DJ1 power swaps for a new crew at Jackson.

DT&I DH-2 waits on a B&O train

A December 31,1957 cab ride on a GP9. Train DH-2. A 50 year Engineer on his final run. Jackson to Springfield.

Blizzard of 78 Plow Train

Ends on some Blizzard of 1978 scenes. George Detwiler is credited on these shots.

Sugar Street Tower. Caboose, also grabs orders.

Vignettes of the DT&I Volume 1

The show has a thoughtful quality. Elements are all in the proper place.

In the end, a mixed collection of films. Some of these films play as weak. Viewing becomes a chore. On the other hand, others are passable. Overall, high quality just isn’t there for viewers.

It’s pretty good for an old Clear Block release. This one is better suited for hardcore fans. It gets a bump up for being an intelligent show. Offers plenty of operational information and many maps.

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars