Pacific Northwest Kaleidoscope
Green Frog Productions
Format DVD Length: 62 minutes
Locations: Renton, Black River, Tacoma, Spokane, Seattle…
Time Period: 1950′s – 1960′s (and later)
Sources: Ted Lange, Maynard Lange, Elwin Purrington
Unusual package of classic, 1950′s era film. The Milwaukee Road is the main attraction.
The show opens with Milwaukee Road’s electrified Cascade Division and some great shots of the ‘under the wires’ action. Hiawatha passenger trains, in UP style paint. Snoqualmie Pass, as filmed from a passenger train, is awesome! Boxcabs are shown in breathtaking scenery. We move onto diesels and find this is 1970′s era – not the 60′s, as advertised. The billboard lettering gives that away. It’s all good, the footage is compelling, given the scenic area. Renton has street running, before and after, the wires came down.
Power is mainly classic, first generation and some newer: F7, GP7, GP35, SW7, GE U series, and more. Those 6 or more lash-ups of covered wagons are a sight!
We move to the Chicago area,, circa 1963 for North Shore interurban and see a snowstorm. Back out west, Great Northern, UP and NP passenger trains. Seattle and a fascinating segment of Seattle city trolleys. Time machine type of film, pre 1940, in color!.Yakima Valley and other traction. More traction and buses then I ever need.
Original 16mm film yields a high quality program. The original, stereo sound is superb. Narration is excellent. Outstanding production. Just would have liked more standard gauge railroading.
Rating 4 stars
