Tag: steam train

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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 Pentrex

Big Boys, Cab Forwards Challengers & Daylights

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: Western USA

Timeframe: 1950s – 1970s

Length: 1 hour 25 minutes

Source: Hank Griffiths

Pentrex has compiled two Video Rails shows into a single disc. Notably, Hank filmed nine 16mm color film. Steam to Diesel. Narrow gauge to Standard. Old logging lines, as well.

A single DVD-R. Chapter Menu by Railroad. Narrated. No maps. Previews.

Image quality and Cinematography are excellent. That 16mm film is the ticket for vintage films. Color balance is fine. Dubbed train sounds for the soundtrack. Informative narration.

Filmed primarily in Northwest US States. A jam-packed collection. Some highlights only.

To the Trains…

Oregon and Northwestern

Oregon and Northwestern Lumber Company in January 1955. Mikado 1400 is hauling logs to Edward Hines Lumber. Eastern Oregon.

St. Regis #7 is a Shay operating on Klickey Klack. Assorted saddle tankers are shown.

Colorado and Southern double-header of 2-10-2 types. North of Cheyenne. C&S was a Burlington Route subsidiary road.

Vintage D&RGW narrow gauge steam. Checkout the revenue freight trains. A helper #487 shoves this freight upgrade. Chama to Antonito. Early era Tourist trains. Hank filmed these in 1960-61.

Union Pacific Steam. Transition era. Some wild steam and diesel combined lash-ups!Gas Turbine 64 with Northern 843 nears Green River, Wyoming.

Big Boy 4005 at Green River roundhouse in 1958. Plenty of Big Boy led trains operate on the mainline.

Challenger 3712

Plenty of Challengers are seen. The 3712 is on Pusher duty from Riverdale Yard in Ogden, Utah.

Union Pacific Diesels. A Lumber train travels downhill with F3A 507.

Filmed in Idado 1970. Ski special with a 5 unit lash-up. Consist of 23 cars. Portland Rose and Ski Specials behind E units receive coverage.

Southern Pacific.  April, 1955. San Joaquin Valley steam powered Daylights. 4-8-4 GS class locomotives. Passenger and non streamlined freight service models.Cab Forwards in 1955. 4183 gets going on Alturas trackage.

Northern Pacific circa 1956. A behemoth Z8 class. Laurel- Billings Montana line. Other Z8 locos are shown.

Milwaukee Road. Electrified.  1970-1971. Little Joe’s on Avery Helper District. Rocky Mountain Division. Boxcabs, as well.

Milwaukee Road. Electrified.  1970-1971. Little Joe’s on Avery Helper District. Rocky Mountain Division. Boxcabs, as well.A Little Joe meets waiting boxcabs on St. Paul Pass at East Portal.

Big Boys, Cab Forwards Challengers & Daylights

Hank Griffiths is among the top railroad cinematographers of his era. Residing in Idaho, he captures some rare action.

Northern Pacific is hard to find,  especially steam. Logging lines are also uncommon. He was present at the right time for Union Pacific in the transition years.

Solid entries for Rio Grande, Milwaukee Road, and Southern Pacific steam. Freight trains dominate. Excellent, as many others shot mostly passenger service.

There is much more within this fine collection.

A must-have for anyone with interest of 1950s to early 1970’s railroading. That 16mm all color film is great!

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 Herron Rail

Mid-American Glory Illinois Central Railroad

Producer: Herron Rail

Locations: Chicago, Gilman, Paducah, Memphis…

Timeframe: 1940s-1960s

Length: 71 minutes

Sources: 12 Cameramen

Wide ranging coverage of original Illinois Central Railroad. The 1940s up to the 1960s. Steam, Diesel and Electric. Mostly a color show.

A single DVD-R. Narrated by Ralph Morse. The show plays longer at 71 minutes. Nice!

Wide variety of power. Steam years with excellent coverage. Diesel era is narrow. Predominately passenger trains. Limited space for some highlights.

To the Trains…

City of New Orleans

Extra yellow stripes on these E7 locomotives. City of New Orleans.

Memphis, Tennessee

Turntable shots at Memphis in 1940s. The 2510 is a Mountain type.

Tuscola

2550 is a Mountain at Tuscola in 1950s.

Green diamond logo

1956 at Centralia with early geeps.

Mikado at Macomb, MS.

1270 Mikado at Macomb, Mississippi in 16mm color film. Illinois Central fostered over 350 in 1954.

Rock train

A Rock train in Louisiana. Going to New Orleans. A classic steam image.

2613

Action in the 1960s. The 2613 on final special excursions. The show features a long segment of IC named passenger trains.

Gilman, Illinois

1970s with continously passenger coverage. At Gilman. The Governor’s Special.

GP40 leads at Chicago

Chicago at 21st Street. Three Electromotive units haul a Piggyback move.

A modern herald on the nose at Chicago.

Centralia

Caboose 9704 at Centralia, Illinois. These were unique ICRR side door cabooses. FYI- some lasted into ICG orange paint!

Mid-American Glory Illinois Central Railroad

Calling to Transition era Illinois Central fans. This is a varied show that is centered in the 1950s. The long distance passenger trains have a key focus in the diesel years.

The films range from very good to excellent. Audio that has been dubbed works fine. Interesting script with good narration.

On the higher priced side. Maybe it’s worth a plunk if this catches your interest. A bump up for the supply of Illinois Central steam. Most of it is in color.

Rating: 5 Stars

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ATVR Reviews Diverging Clear Productions

Then & Now – The Rio Grande Narrow Gauge

Producer: Mary McPherson

Timeframe: 1940s to 2023

Locations: Durango, Chama, Antonito, Windy Point, Hermosa, Cumbres Pass, Silverton…

Length: 3 hours 56 minutes

Sources: Jim Adams, Don Morice, Kurt Jensen, Tom Dunn, Mary R. McPherson

An interesting entry in Diverging Clear Productions, Then and Now series. Begins with vintage 1940s era black and white film. Continues onward. Color film becomes common in the 1960s. This release was a year in the making. Comprehensive coverage. True dat!

A two volume DVD-R set. Chapter Menu. On-screen graphics.  No maps. Narration by Mary McPherson. She presents a detailed history.

Film quality from good to excellent. Naturally, newer is finer. Live audio sections are fantastic. Sharp editing.

Travel back to the 1940s to start and progress to 2023. Limited screenshots of this long set. Just a taste of the comprehensive coverage within this set.

Tanglefoot Curve 1940s

A long freight is hauled around Tanglefoot Curve in the 1940s. Chama to Antonito line.

K-36 488 leads in the 1950s

Freight in the 1950s. Uptick in traffic until 1956. K36 488 with 499 helper near Highway 388.

The Silverton Mix. Trains 461 and 462.

Popular mixed freight / passenger trains which ran along the Animas River.

Rocky Mountain Club Trains 1961.

Now, we get into color films. These Club Specials were well attended. Trips exceeded 100 miles. Jim Adam’s film.

Elk Park

A 1962 trip included a mounted ex: Illinois Central steam whistle. Train plus onboard scenes. What a deal for $20! A freight is seen at Pagosa Jct.  Photo runby at Elk Park. Another at Windy Point. Of course, footage from aboard the trains!

1963 with Jim Adam’s film.

Windy Point

Rio Grande was now into the Tourist business. A double header 498 488 at Windy Point. Jim Adam’s again in 1964. RMC specials ceased by 1967.

Illini Club Charter

Illini Railroad Club sponsored train in 1962. Don Morice film.

Sixties Freight

1960s at Wolf Creek

Weather issues, expenses and declining freight traffic result in some abandonment.

Preservation…

About halfway through the first disc. The focus is on what was preserved.

Durango and Silverton

High Line action

Startup and upgrade background. Coverage from 1990s into the 2000s. Durango is first. Some Mixed Trains add interest. High Line and onward to Silverton. Additional action on the return.

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic

Triple header!

Cumbres and Toltec is featured next, in the modern era. Outstanding footage! Live audio is great with a soundbar.

Doubleheader beyond the bridge at the big tree

Chama is first up with a departing double-header tourist train. Location based route from a decade timespan of film.

Disc Two

Cumbres and Toltec Specials

Goose #5 operating

Galloping Goose #5. Lettered Rio Grande Southetn. Almost sounds like a lawnmower.

Photo freight in 2005

A 2005 shot photo freight gets chased. Rio Grande 488. Check those Livestock cars. The freight assortment is cool. Perfect for the Model Railroaders!

Along The Animas River

The program continues with tourist train action. Cumbres and Toltec.  Durango and Silverton. Minimal narration. Excellent scenes are abundant!

The 488 departs Silverton

At Siverton. This scene is for the Model Railroaders. The station, road crossing and siding. A tight curve is behind the train. Checkout the structure placements. Your Welcome.

Chama Yard

Bonus! Chama Yard yields extra details for Model Railroaders! Caboose, extended pipe load that requires 3 cars. Water Tower and Coaling Tower. How cool is this shot?

Then and Now Rio Grande

At nearly 4 hours in total length, there is something for all Narrow Gauge railfans. Mary McPherson  includes a knowledgeable and professional narrative. From the 1940s to 2023, give a complete overview of the featured lines.

Outstanding film on the second half. A live soundtrack that sounds great!

First disc contains the historical portion. Very well done.

Diverging Clear has the bases covered in this family-friendly extravaganza.

Is this the definitive show for Colorado Narrow Gauge?

You decide! 😀

As far as this review goes. The rating offers added insight. Sum total = A Must Have!

Rating: 5 Stars