U-Boat Survivors

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: USA, Mexico

Timeframe: 1993-1994

Length: 2 Hours

This show is exactly what is advertised. Pentrex recorded surviving General Electric Universal series locomotives. They are still serving (mostly) on secondary lines in the United States. Mainline power in Mexico.

Each individual U-Boat type is featured. Statistics include years built and amount purchased by railroads. Naturally,  horsepower ratings and spotting features, as well. Contains some footage from previous Pentrex releases.

A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu by model class. Narrated by Dave Drui.

Models with various statistics

The program is chronologically organized. Vintage photos accompany the video. Informative narrative and screens. Some highlights in this review. There is much more in the program.

To the Trains…

U25B. Southern Pacific 3100. Museum owned for this ex: SP diesel.

LS&I in Michigan

U25C. Lake Superior & Ishpeming 2501. Longer chapter with some smoky action.

U28B. TTI. Transkentucky Transportation Inc. fostered 18 units. Ohio River Barge Loader to Paris, Kentucky for reload. A load of empties is chased. A loaded coal move from Paris with 6 units is also highlighted.

Georgia Central

U30B. Georgia Central. A U33B fronts a trio of U30B engines near Lyons, Georgia. Passing over Highway 29 to Dublin.

U30C. Guilford. Boston and Maine 663 in 1992 at Portland, Maine.

South Hamburg

U33B. Blue Mountain & Reading 3303 is an ex: Conrail. South Hamburg, Pennsylvania to suburban Reading territory. Excursion Train.

U23C. LS&I 2304 in 1994. Conrail 6902 is working at Selkirk Yard in New York.

P&W at New Haven, Connecticut

U23B. Late production to 1977. Second best seller. P&W 2208 (Conrail 2798) leads at New Haven, CT  They haul a Stone Train in 1994. MoPac paint on 4502 on Central Michigan. Norfolk Southern with 2 at Kings Mountain,  KY. Ex: L&N 3281 on CSX in Kentucky.

U34CH.New Jersey Transit. Double ended Excursion in 1994.

Train 27

U36C. The U36CG for Mexico. Seen in Mexico. The 415 on a Mixed Train #27. This footage is from Mexico’s Pacifico Railroad show.

U18B aka Baby Boat

U18B. Baby Boat as Seaboard System 1907 runs through Beaver Creek, Kentucky. U18B travels through Beaver Creek, Kentucky. This CSX engine is still wearing Seaboard System paint as 1907.
The U18B, also known as Baby Boats. This was the GE answer in their U-Boat line to manufacture a smaller model for railroads.

U-Boat Survivors

A well organized catalog of the General Electric Universal series from the 1960s to 1970s. This show does not focus on vintage films. The  is is a masterclass using contemporary examples. All models do not include movie footage. Some no longer survive.

GE Super 7 began with parts from the earlier incarnations. These get a look to close the show.

An obvious must-have for fans of older General Electric locomotives.

Rating: 5 Stars

Into the 90’s Soo Volume 3

Producer: Clear Block

Locations: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri

Timeframe: 1990s

Length: 1 hour 50 minutes

Source: Todd Miller

Third and final volume of the Soo Line in the 1990’s series. Focus is on Kansas City and Louisville lines. Trackage is mostly, ex: Milwaukee Road and Rock Island.

A single DVD-R. Videotape source. Live audio. Todd Miller narrates. Maps are included. No main menu or advance feature.

The Videography is solid. Appears somewhat faded for much of the show. Videotape flaws throughout although minor ones. Soundtrack is lively. Good balance of narration and train sounds. Obviously, not modern sharpness. Historical value.

Some other railroad locomotives. Burlington Northern, Chicago Northwestern, GATX, Norfolk Southern and more…

To the Trains…

CP Rail with 2 Flags logo

CP Rail 5773 is street running with a Soo unit. Albany, Indiana.

Note the semaphore dropping

At Mitchell, Indiana. Here is an Eastbound as it splits the semaphores. Soo Line SD60 6002 leads red 6050. The B&O had crossed Monon in Mitchell.

Street running

6604 in the rain travels through Bedford.

Linton

Multiple old Milwaukee Road bandits on a lash-up with a Coal Move. Linton, IN.

Blue Island bridges in the background

The show continues with a look at the Chicago to Kansas City route. Begins at the famous Blue Island bridges. Soo train 240 to Louisville passes the street tower. 6034 leads. There is some good traffic here.

Along the Mississippi River

Soo SD60 6028 passes under the former Rock Island main at Davenport.

EMD switchers

Bandit Milwaukee Road MP15 switchers stand around at Muscatine.

Soo 6055 fronts this red pair on joint trackage with Union Pacific.

Three birds with one stone. A meet of CP Rail power with Union Pacific nearing Kansas City. There are plenty of freights around Santa Fe Junction in Kansas City.

Soo caboose in late paint.

Into the 90’s Soo Volume 3

A tour of additional trackage of the Soo Line up to 1996. The show is well done for its age.

Fine companion to the previous two volumes. Not modern picture quality. However, Soo is one of those harder to find railroads. Good for Soo Line fans.

Rating: 4 Stars

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

BNSF Return to the Arizona Forest

Producer: Broken Knuckle

Locations: Northern Arizona

Timeframe: 2004

Length: 2 hours

The original show was filmed in 1996. Broken Knuckle went back 8 years later for more! The BNSF transcontinental across Northern Arizona. Packed with beautiful scenery. The former Santa Fe route is worthy of this return trip.

Second show in this 3 disc set. Two DVD-R for this one. Chapter Menu. On-screen graphics. Narrated. No maps.

Videography is excellent. Live audio with a strong mix. Sounds like you are there. Some wind noise at times.

To the Trains…

Disc 1 of this show. #2 in the set. 1 hour 10 minutes

The narration is good, although more detail on train symbols would be welcome.

October 13, 2004. Flagstaff, Arizona. Milepost  on the BNSF Transcon line. Seligman subdivision. DPU power is widely used now.

Cosnino, Arizona, at a signal bridge. A plethora of Intermodals traverse the territory. Milepost is 333. Mostly, 3rd generation GE units in BNSF colors dominate now. More foreign power is in this sequel. Occasionally, Norfolk Southern is on the point.

Flagstaff Switcher

The Flagstaff Switcher. Two engines. Check the fried paint on the silver Warbonnet. Performing some Mine service at Darling Cinder Pit.

Eagle’s Nest

Eagle’s Nest is the Western end of the show.

October 18. East Williams Jct. Kaibab National Forest.  It splits the signals. The consist should be: 46 loads, 0 empties, 2950 and 4268 for tonnage and length. Kansas City, Kansas to Los Angeles, California, my best guess.

Eastbound travels towards the Arizona Divide. Milepost 371.4.

Disc 2 of this show. #3 in the set. 1 hour 16 minutes

October 18, 2004. Train is S LBTCHI1 17. Long Beach Terminal to Chicago Intermodal… my guess. BNSF 5311 is a General Electric C44-9W locomotive. It leads at Supai Summit. Milepost 370.5. Travels on track two and is Eastbound. The location is 4 miles from Williams.  Local time at 14:22 hours.

H train

Train H DENBARI 16. It has a 6 locomotive lash-up. Boxcars and mixed freight. The consist of 31 loads and 49 empties. Should be a Denver to Barstow move.

Oct 19. Electromotive power works upgrade. Notice the sound of these. Santa Fe 6748 leads the three blue and yellow Warbonnets. The Seligman Local.

Z train at Arizona Divide

The Elevation of over 7,000 feet is at the Arizona Divide.  The highest point on this vast system.  Z LACWSP8 19. Should be a Los Angeles to Willow Springs Intermodal move.

Norfolk Southern power on the head at East Darling. Cross country action. New York to Los Angeles. Engine 9892 is in chargeof the 4 unit lash-up.

The program continues in a similar fashion. The modern era is less interesting than earlier times. A sameness of trains. Railroads have been moving towards standardization for decades. A Wal-Mart and McDonalds in most towns, if you see the similarities.

BNSF Return to the Arizona Forest

This release is fine for the contemporary era. Professional videography. A soundtrack that puts viewers trackside. The narrative is minimal and highlights train sounds. One narration improvement would be to decode symbols. A few are obvious, and many are strange. Inclusion of a map or two would have been helpful.

If this material rings your bell. It should satisfy with a high volume of over the road trains.

By the way. This double feature set is well priced and the way to go. The early merger first show is the hot ticket.

Rating: 4 Stars

The Best of Midwest Volume 3

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: KS, MO, IA, WI, MS.

Timeframe: circa 1999

Length: 1 hour 21 minutes

The third installment of this Pentrex series. Midwestern area. Class Ones and smaller railroads are the subject material. Coverage is across 5 States.

Union Pacific is the big boy of this show on the Coffeyville sub. Also the Spine Line on the Albert Lea subdivision. Illinois Central is on the mainline in Iowa. BNSF’s St. Croix sub in Prescott, Wisconsin. Canadian Pacific’s River sub at Hastings, Minnesota. Regionals include; I&M Rail Link in Iowa plus Wisconsin Central’s Superior sub. There is enough Southern Pacific paint within for a guest star role.

A single DVD-R. Live environmental audio. Choice of On/ Off narration. On-screen graphics with symbols and further train info. Plenty of MAPS! Previews.

Dependable Pentrex quality. David Drui with a sharp narrative. Excellent Videography. Professional in every aspect.

To the Trains…

North Antelope Mine  to Newark, AK

Show leads off with Union Pacific on the Coffeyville sub. Eastern Kansas to KC. At Bucyrus, train C-NANW travels to Newark, Arkansas, with a coal move. Led by SD9043MAC 8032. Early version SD90MAC with 4300hp.

Illinois Central 8732

Illinois Central has a nice extended chapter. Having left Webster City,  ICRR GP11 8732 with a local freight. Travels yonder to Fort Dodge Yard.

IMRL Train 377

I&M Rail Link. Marquette to Mason City, Iowa line. Train 377 is followed to Mason City. Number 384, ex: BCOL SD-38 is the lead unit. Trailing is a former Southern in Susquehanna livery. Manifest, Marquette to Mason City.

CNW 8613 with O-MIGV

Leaving Mason City. Action directs Northbound via Union Pacific. The Spine Line is ex: Rock Island to St. Paul. CNW leased the line after Rock Island closed. A CNW C44-9W 8613 is in charge at Manly, Iowa. Minneapolis to Geneva, Utah. O-MIGV is the symbol for this Taconite move. It’s a long chapter.

Albert Lea Tower

Albert Lea Tower is a rare survivor.  Another Taconite move with Southern Pacific units leading.

C-NAPU

UP EMDs on a Coal Train to Green Bay. Albert Lea Yard. Gets transferred to WC for final delivery.

Hastings Patrol

Twin Cities leads to Hasings, MN. Canadian Pacific 4599 is resplendent in a fresh Golden Beaver scheme. The ex: Soo Line GP38 is operating in Hastings at the old Milwaukee depot.

Burns on BNSF

4384 in BNSF Heritage premium paint. This Manifest symbol is M- NSINTW1-01. This is Burns on the BNSF trackage. Chicago to Northtown Yard. Norfolk Southern origin. The lift bridge spans the St. Croix River.

Junction City

WC is the final chapter. Junction City, Wisconsin is a hotspot. This Canadian National freight with 5690 leads number 177. The 6 unit lash-up rolls past the camera. Intermodal to Winnipeg.

Wisconsin Central F45 6655 and SD45 6598 on WC Train 18. Wausau to Stevens Point. Led by an Electromotive cowl diesel, these are highlight lineups for Railfans.

The Best of the Midwest Volume 3

An interesting assortment of railroads and locomotives. The high level of detailed information is great! In fact, the subtitles are fascinating. One wonders when trackside. What is the origin and destination of many trains? The foreign power too. Trackage rights, or leased motors?

The combined: narrative, train info, and maps are more intriguing than the ugly graffiti disfigurements on the freight cars.

Notice the contemporary era is best when featuring scenery or a ton of good information.

One would think that map references would be a standard on the majority of shows in the marketplace. They add a sense of geographical awareness and scale to a show. Sadly, this important facet is often neglected so often. Fine work here.

This is a fast paced show. The variety and detail create an enjoyable presentation. Well done Pentrex!

Rating: 5 Stars