The Santa Fe In Illinois: Parts 1 & 2

The Santa Fe In Illinois: Parts 1 & 2

John Szwajkart

Format: 2 DVD-R set

Length: Over 2 hours

Time Period: 1995

Locations: By the crossing bells.

Source: John Szwajkart

MSRP: 40.00

This show has post merger BNSF trains in Illinois. The double track mainline retains a Santa Fe appearance. A timeframe beginning around 1995 promises some truly uniform trains. In fact, the only saving grace, are various locomotives. Now, the cameraman can’t control what equipment is used by the railroad. Esthetics and railfan interest are not the purpose of a modern conveyor belt on rails. Moving commodities is the real deal.

As with the other John Szwajkart shows, no extras. A few location graphics. It is raw video with the live audio. No narration and unedited soundtrack.

This reviewer has almost zero interest, in watching this modern era . What is more unremarkable than seeing a unit coal train? The answer: double stacks and trailer on flatcar moves. If you are the type who enjoys modern, monolithic operations, you may be in business.

After an opening of some drab modern Amtrak boarding at Joliet. The best of the disc! A single pass of 3751 at speed. Classic steam whistle. Milwaukee Road 261 gets a scene too, on the second part of this double disc.

Returning to the main subject; modern, post-merger BNSF…

The following 3 screenshots are very telling of Part One…

   Bells ring like crazy, at the nearby crossing gate… Oh no! Not one of those videos!

                      Double stacks pass at a fast speed. Bells continue to ring.

Same train, the camera pans around to reveal the rest, trailers on flat cars. Bells are still ringing. Wait for next train repeat, drive to next set of gates, repeat. In fairness, not 100% all the time, but most of the time.

A note to anyone editing train footage, with sound. Hearing crossing bells one time is fine. Beyond that freebie, they get old fast. While some may think ‘cute’, it gets annoying. Like an unanswered telephone. This Part 1 is loaded with: ding, ding, ding, ding, and on and on. Easily could have posted many shots, that include the gate. Not only do the bells ring on approach, the entire train rolls by, the bells ringing endlessly.

OK, so now you have the story on Part 1. Don’t forget the non- tripod, handheld camera. Shaky camera shots throughout, even on a still object. Can’t really term this anything other than amateur level. A big bunch of grab shots by the public road crossings.

Part 2 is Kernan to Tolucca

So, how are things in Part Two? Still at the grade crossings, with those annoying bells?

                   An unbelievable nearly 30 minutes of dinging crossing gate bells…. Spare Me!

                         This is totally amateur, and in fact, a lazy piece of film-making.

This type of production is a good example, of a poorly done train video. The bell syndrome settles down near the end, but it’s too late to make any difference.

Those many grade crossing bells ringing, make this one of the most irritating shows ever! Shaky camerawork, and the annoying audio. A two hour collection of grab shots.

An alternate title that is descriptive of this show…… BNSF in Illinois: Bells to Oblivion.

This is what gives train videos a bad reputation. Save your $40.  Avoid this one.

Rating: 1 Star

P.M. Rush On The BN

P.M. Rush On The BN

John Szwajkart

Format: DVD

Length: 1 hour 15 minutes

Time Period: early 1990′s

Locations: Chicago, Congress Park, Brookfield, Berwyn, Downers Grove, Naperville.

Source: Rosemarie and John Szwajkart

MSRP: 25.00

The last holdout for EMD E9′s in daily mainline service was at Chicago. Burlington Northern’s fleet was in daily operation until replacement by 1993. These venerable units were pulling double decker passenger cars on the 30 miles between Chicago and Aurora. These E units were originally built by Electromotive Division of LaGrange during the 1950′s. They are nearly 40 years old here. This video documents an average weekday rush hour on the BN.

A select number of locations were picked to film that afternoon’s trains. Just as a normal, busy day, a few freight trains run on the triple track main. Locals will be very familiar with the stops on the route.

The Racetrack, is the nickname for the triple track between Chicago and Aurora. Viewers will get a sense of speed as some trains hustle through a scene. At peak periods, the express runs blow right by the locals. It is something to see.

Burlington Northern’s fleet outlasted the similar E-unit operation on Chicago & Northwestern. Both roads used the locomotives in push-pull fashion. The CNW E8′s were looking ragged in the early 1980′s. The BN engines were rebuilt into E9 class, and better maintained. So they ran for years after the CNW locomotives were gone.

This program is fast paced and action packed! To the trains………

Chicago’s Union Station was the terminal for the BN passenger service. A departing train smokes it up, while taking the commuters homeward.

      Note the tower located in the background, on the right. That tower was a busy place!

      At 16th Street, with the city looming in the background. At this late date, the bi-level passenger cars have Metra signage. The train is turning westbound now.

   Amtrak passes by at 16th Street. The Amtrak maintenance and coach yard to the right.

             Locomotive #9906 is outbound at 16th Street. A bunch of trains here!

                               Without the headlight on, this train is westbound.

The Brookfield Zoo is the reason for the dolphin themed water tank. A unit coal train is led by some General Electric power. Those three tracks would get extremely busy.

At Rush Hour, one could find two trains both on the same heading. The local would be on the side track and the express would blast, right down the middle.

The engineer is seated topside on the control end of this inbound train. He sits in the locomotive, when headed in the other direction.

                                   BN #9913 heading westbound, into the sunset.

Also, Amtrak, VIA and the Metra replacement locomotives make some cameo appearances. BN had plenty of hot intermodal trains. A few are seen moving quickly, to beat the rush hour onslaught of commuter trains. They always squeezed some freight in.

Quality is the usual, interesting amateur shot footage. The handheld camera is pretty shaky at times. Natural sound is fine.No narration, but you don’t need any.  Passenger platforms at the station stops are the main viewpoints. The camera zoom is well done.

The producer says nearly the entire fleet of E9′s is presented in this show. It looks about right. The BN/ Metra commuter service required numerous trainsets to cover the schedule. In previous years, those stainless steel cars carried Burlington Northern lettering and logos. Prior to that, Burlington, during the CB&Q era. In all years, Burlington was known for keeping the line open, even during Chicago blizzards.

Once again, John Szwajkart delivers a show, just as it is advertised. For those who remember, this is a souvenir of Burlington Northern E9′s and the typical high volume commuter traffic. Others who are interested in big city passenger operations, will get a good feel for this extensive level of service provided.

That camera shake prevents this from a higher rating. In fact, it is a video for the hardcore train enthusiast. If you can live with the handheld production, you do get to see the last stand, of the legendary fleet of Burlington Northern E9 locomotives.

Rating: 3 Stars

The Santa Fe In Chicago (Slideshow)

The Santa Fe In Chicago (Slideshow)

John Szwajkart

Format: DVD

Length: 1 hour 37 minutes

Time Period: 1950′s- 1980′s

Locations: Chicago, McCook, Willow Springs, Joliet and more

Sources: John Szwajkart, John Darling-b+w

MSRP: 25.00 or 2 for 40.00

This is a slideshow presented on a single DVD. The Santa Fe is the featured railroad. Many other railroads appear within this show. Time period is highly desired 1950′s to 1980′s. The 1960′s and 1970′s receive prominent coverage. Arranged in a geographic fashion. Locations are highlighted and trains that appear in assorted years follow.

Some special sections highlight Dearborn Station for example. Some maps denote areas that are to be viewed. The maps are a little tricky to decipher, better suited to a large screen. No narration. On screen graphics contain most of the information.

The show is about 85 to 90% color. The black and white shots are generally good. Many color pictures are of excellent quality. Composition and color balance look great on the vast majority of photos. The sound of a vintage slide projector is the soundtrack. Hey, these slideshows will grow on you.

OK. Let us see what this show is all about.

The trip begins at 21st Street in Chicago. Pennsylvania, Monon and GM&O are seen. Santa Fe will be seen in larger numbers later. This chapter is black and white

The show will follow the line out to Joliet. A multitude of other Chicago area trains keep the slideshow surprising. The color slides really look good.

See how the years bounce around? Locations are the dominant theme of organization.

                   The classic warbonnet trains are plentiful. The one you want.

Action at Corwith Yard. A ride on Archer Avenue almost guaranteed seeing Santa Fe.

How do you spell rare? Alco alligator RSD-15 at Corwith. Railfans will be happy with the rarities. You will have to see the rest…

Willow Springs was a great location. Sadly, the station is boarded up in this 1978 view.

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio had The Plug serving Chicago to Joliet. Stopped at Willow Springs on a parallel line (GM&O), though a bit distant from ATSF trackage there. The Plug, ran without heat many times. Those daily commuters knew to bundle up in the winter.

Joliet provides a plethora of trains. Rock Island, GM&O and ICG as well.

                        Amazing! Cat whisker FT’s on freight. The other one you want.

          GP 20 and GP30 locos, in yellow pinstripes, were fairly recent power in 1967.

What’s wrong here? Passenger F7 units demoted to freight service. Amtrak.. Bah!

John prefers steam. This 2 fer shot includes all those US Mail trucks and trailers. Much of the mail used to move on the rails.

                         Dearborn Station At Night. Fantastic shots to be found at Dearborn.

                               A  bonus with Alco PA’s. The one you wanted the most!

This show has over 280 slides. It was tough to narrow down to a select handful. Some other railroads seen: C&WI, CNW, B&O, C&O, Chessie, New York Central, L&N, C&EI, Norfolk and Western, Grand Trunk, Canadian National, Burlington Northern,Belt Railway, Erie Lackawanna, Penn Central, and more.

This presentation captures the feel of Chicago area railroading, as it was. Chicagoans have a tendency to model nearly everything. This slideshow demonstrates why that is.

       We need a caboose for the end. One more thing about Chicago, it is too cold.

The Santa Fe In Chicago as SS7 from John Szwajkart. This is must see for Santa Fe.  fans. Just about any railfan should like this show.

Rating: 4 Stars

Western Pacific Remembered

Western Pacific Remembered (D-140)

Charles Smiley Presents

Format: DVD

Length: 1 hour 47 minutes + 23 minutes of previews

Time Period: 1950′s- 1970′s

Locations: San Francisco Bay, Feather River Line, High Line, Niles Canyon, Keddie Wye, Portola, Bieber, Oroville, Sacramento, Reno,Salt Lake City, and much more…

Sources: Norman Holmes, Nelson Rath, Wilbur Whittaker, Roger Graeber, Mark Cooper, Steve Rusconi

MSRP: 29.50

This new release from Charles Smiley Presents, is quite a fascinating trip! Comprehensive coverage of the old WP. All vintage films, featuring Western Pacific. Cab rides galore! Plenty of trackside views and a wide array of views. This gives viewer a unique experience of what being on the WP was like, so many years ago. A Western Pacific engineer had filmed major portions of the railroad. Additional cinematographers provided the many other viewpoints. Natural sounds that are scene specific, make for memorable trainwatching. The huge amount of cab ride footage, sets this show apart.

Seeing is believing. Actual screenshots from this all color film program.

California Zephyr receives extensive coverage. We ride the CZ on Western Pacific rails.

Charles Smiley consistently produces an exceptional level of high quality programs. All the films have been digitally mastered, for best viewing available from the source reels. Color balance is excellent throughout this show. Original 8mm film is the bulk of this program. Very clean looking and some of the best 8mm that has been reviewed here. Some 16mm footage also looks great.

Intelligent narration by Charles moves the story along nicely. His relaxed style and enthusiasm are evident. Good historical information and a wealth of detail is entertaining.

Burlington Northern was often in the locomotive lash-ups. BN participation on ‘The Inside Gateway’ is discussed. Great Northern, Burlington Northern and Spokane, Portland & Seattle trail the lead F unit on Keddie Wye.

Having seen many of CSP programs, one gains some familiarity, and background on all subjects contained in the shows. This includes history lessons that give viewers a complete overview of a given line. He is an expansive, and generous host. Many inside stories, and reaches beyond ‘railroad only’ discussions.

These maps are a fine extra to have in the program. They outline: towns, routes, elevations etc.. Frequent references to specific maps outline the individual trips.

                            On-screen graphics are seen at the right moments.

Custom made maps have an even higher standard on this 2012 release.

         The relief here illustrates ‘The Valley’ and surrounding terrain. Note the routes shown.

       Old buildings and stations are interesting. A world gone by… San Francisco.

                                                          San Jose Depot

                 San Jose cab ride, is one of many railroad crew, type of views. ..

Norman W. Holmes was an Engineer on Western Pacific. His judicious use of a movie camera has preserved not only the look of WP, but also gives a feel of what the line was like. Mr. Holmes definitely got around on the various lines. Mr. Holmes has a book titled ‘My Western Pacific Railroad’  on the market.

                                                  Eastbound cab ride action.

                                  The streets of Oakland, and a busy produce district.

                       Salt Lake and snow covered Wasatch Mountains loom ahead!

                                 California Zephyr at Keddie Wye. Isn’t she sweet?

                                              WP 2005 at Niles Yard.

Williams Loop is the location. The Great Northern boxcars behind the early GP locomotive get a modeler’s imagination going. What a great scene to model in say… HO Scale.

A plethora of freight trains that will satisfy railfans and modelers. In fact, many old classic freight cars are to be found within this program.

Western Pacific Remembered is a wonderful experience for viewers to indulge . Charles Smiley is a producer in a class of his own. Mr. Smiley is a fine model railroader too. He does aim to please railfans, and model railroaders both. Really, all viewers will enjoy this one.

At nearly 2 hours in length, this review only skims the surface of the show. There is a treasure trove of vintage Western Pacific Railroad here. This show is akin to a time machine visit to the Western Pacific.

Rating: 5 Stars

The CB&Q Collection

The CB&Q Collection

John Szwajkart

Format: DVD

Length: 1 hour 7 minutes

Time Period: 1950′s-1960′s, 1960′s- 1970′s diesels

Locations: Chicago area, Congress Park, Brookfield, Galesburg, Savanna,  more…

Source: John Szwajkart (8mm color)

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was fully dieselized in the early 1950′s. The railroad did have stored, serviceable steam engines, held for peak traffic usage. The Chicago to Galesburg mainline was one of the routes, where steam engines are seen in freight service. Burlington Route was renowned for having steam locomotive fantrips. There are a number of those excursions in this collection. Diesels are shown in freight, and passenger service. A special trip Duluth, and the Iron Range vicinity, will include even more!

This is a part of the Vintage 8′s collection. John Szwajkart shot this assortment on 8mm film. A wide variety of trains sure make these compilations, quite interesting to watch.

This series is targeted to hardcore railfans. For those who want to see vintage train films, they will get a plentiful supply. This show has no chapter menu. Title headers do exist at the beginning of each chapter. The chapters are accessible with your remote control’s ‘next’ button. Consider these as ‘searchable’ chapters.

There is no narration. In fact, the show is a silent movie. One sound is present, the projector noise is heard. Some narration, would be desirable. Everything is well organized and the program flows smoothly.

This is a bare bones ‘vintage films’ presentation.

Image quality is generally good, and fair at times. As these are not restored, or digitally enhanced films, they do look to be original condition films. This results in scenes with faded colors, or in need of color balance. The scenes are watchable, just not a modern looking train video.

Part 1- The End of Steam is the first entry. Big steam in the form of: 4-8-4 and 2-10-4 types. Great roundhouse footage with turntable shots. A unique 0-6-0 shop switcher is sporting a small top mounted water tank. This is at Galesburg, Illinois.

The triple track straightaway is recognizable as Chicago area. Congress Park had a standing station there. Brookfield, LaGrange and maybe Berwyn are some of the other locations. You will notice many Elm trees in the old scenes. This looked much different in the 1980′s, as dutch elm eliminated most of those species. Landscape and trains both changed over the decades.

Here is a brief film within the film. Mr. Szwajkart has kindly provided the details. These are actual screenshots. .

CB&Q 6325 arrives with caboose. In steam days, the busy interchange was sent an engine and caboose. Often, a whole train could be assembled and sent westbound.

The locomotive proceeds to back into the small interchange yard, with Indiana Harbor Belt, at Congress Park. In a quick change of viewpoints, John is filming from the locomotive cab. A  few views of the action, from the 6325 cab!

The 6325 heads back to the main, after some interchange switching moves.

Burlington 5600 is shown approaching and continues onward , as the 6325 is back on the mainline. Looks like the engineer was smiling for the movie camera! John has said, that he enjoyed filming this sequence, and hopes that viewers will too.

Part 2- Early Steam Fantrips has CB&Q excursions in the various outings. Numbers 4000, 3001, 5632, and 4960 on the specials ! The 4000 has our cameraman on board the train, and travels to Galesburg. The 3001 is chased across the countryside. All have multiple viewpoints. Backing moves, runbys, on the train, pacing, and a good range of variety.

Part 3 Diesels Take Over.  This starts with shiny E8′s at scenic, Savanna. Classic ‘chicken wire’ F3′s rollby with a freight. FT’s are seen with hoppers, and a wooden caboose. Some E7′s pull the California Zephyr. Next and in only fair quality are: Milwaukee Road F7′s in orange, maroon are see. Union Pacific has E8′s on passenger trains.

Steam returns with 4963 on Bevere & Southern. Intriguing sequence of the coal train operation. This is a departure from the fantrips.The 4960 powers the final CB&Q excursion.

Diesels are a variety of classic 1st and 2nd generation EMD’s. Brookfield is the main location. Check the old water tank- no dolphins. Assorted F units and geeps are viewed. Burlington Northern early merger trains include: Great Northern and experimental BN liveries.

The old and new: two cabooses trail a GN F45 pair on the head of this passing freight. A CB&Q EMD is coming towards the camera. The wooden caboose appears in the 50′s and into the 60′s. The shiny steel cabooses were serving, well into the Burlington Northern era. Congress Park, and Brookfield have yielded many worthwhile scenes. This film collection is packed with ‘classic railroad’ scenes!

Bonus section has 5618 departing Chicago Union Station. Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range steam is next! Articulated engine #222 powers an early fantrip. Grand Trunk Western and Canadian National have steam operating in the area too. Duluth & Northeastern has a steam locomotive here. As with many trains,you will often see, wooden cabooses. The old 40 foot freight cars are plentiful. We are seeing an entire era, that has passed into history.

The CB&Q Collection has a nice variety of 8mm films. Shot over the 50′s to 70′s get many classic trains. This is an amateur filmed video. There is some occasional camera shake, and the original films are not restored. The vintage content is the attraction.

Fans of Burlington Route and steam engines, will find this an enjoyable hour of action packed trainwatching.

Ratiing: 3 1/2 Stars