Chicago Odyssey Volume 2

Chicago Odyssey Volume 2

Green Frog Productions

Format: 2 DVD set

Length: 2 1/2 hours

Time period: 1962- 1973

Locations: Chicago area

Source: Emery Gulash (16mm)

This program picks up where Volume One left off. Emery Gulash and his cameras are at Chicago. The later time period offers up a timeframe that many will remember. If the 1950′s is before your time, by a decade or so, this will be the one for you.

Emery Gulash is an original master of train videos. He was out doing these splendid films at just the right time. Who knew that so much of all this, would pass into history? Maybe Emery knew, having witnessed the disappearance of steam. An extremely well-traveled man. Here we visit Chicago in multiple trips. Various years have us see some of the changes in the ten years of railfanning at this mega hub of United States railroading.

These are top shelf films from this master cinematographer. As usual, Green Frog has excellent production values. A fine script, good edits, and lovely film.

By the way, there are quite a few Odyssey titles that are reviewed on ATVR. Fine series!

Bob Carrera’s narration is informative and interesting. Natural sounds are included at the right moments. A few missed identifications on locomotives. Only noticeable to those that are aware.

A chapter menu divides by years and locations.

Film quality is superb. Besides the clarity of the 16mm film, it is all color. The colors are well balanced. The images are very clean. Excellent audio compliments the film.

Many of the classic roads that served Chicago are presented in this volume. ATSF, BN, CB&Q, CNW, GM&O, IC, Rock, Milw, GTW, C&O, B&O, EJ&E, PC, ICG, Soo, IHB, South Shore, and Amtrak. Others get cameos like Southern Pacific and Union Pacific.

Let’s begin with the first disc highlights of this 2 DVD set.

April ’62 begins with Milwaukee Road and Chicago and Nortwestern action at Noble Street Tower. Some old ’400′ CNW equipment is seen. The CNW commuters looked about  the same, up until the early 1980′s. At Deerfield, Milwaukee Road freight with orange/maroon F-units and an RS-3. Rondout Jct., with Milwaukee Road and EJ&E centercabs.

January of 1963 and zero degrees show why Chicago is too cold in the winter.

March of ’67 at Joliet. GM&O Abraham Lincoln and a Santa Fe freight on a cold, March day. GM&O, The Limited climbs a grade.

May ’70 at Morton Grove. Milwaukee passenger trains. This part drags the show. CNW at Wilmette. More passengers and double deckers. Repetitive.

Milwaukee Road F7′s in orange/ black lead a thru freight. A local with an SW7 moves next.

Burlington Route passengers are now BN, but you can’t tell. A BN painted E8 leads a mixed consist, at Hinckley. More BN freight trains, in various paint are viewed.

At Lemont, the GM&O with the Abraham Lincoln rolls thru town. The stone station dates from 1853.

Grand Trunk Western puts on a parade at Oak Glen. Old green/ gold runs with newer black/ orange. Both resemble owner Canadian National paint schemes.

Blue Island is a very busy crossing. Much action is seen here. Indiana Harbor Belt, Grand Trunk, and B&O. Rock Island shows up too. A Milwaukee Road freight, a Penn Central train and a couple of B&O switcher transfers. Lots of first generation power. Classic freight cars complete the satisfying chapter.

Back to Gulf, Mobile & Ohio in Lemont.

Burlington Northern is still a new entity. The renumbered units are still in original owner paint.

Emery frequented Lemont. Santa Fe was another railroad that ran through Lemont. Emery picks up some warbonnet F’s on a passenger train. Joliet was further out on that line. Emery shoots plenty of action at Joliet. He gets the El Capitain behind some FP45 units. The San Francisco Chief arrives behind F7′s. A trio GP20′s were on point of a freight. A classic Santa Fe caboose brings up the markers. There is more at Lemont. Check the ATSF train sattion there.

Willow Springs is a short sequence. This was the next town up the line from Lemont. Five GP20′s on a manifest freight train. Super Chief behind FP 45′s. Yes, they are warbonnets.

Illinois Central green electric cars look like antiques! Illinois Central provides a surprise, with a freight. A South Shore electric crosses this Kensington Junction. Another surprise is an IC E8A, lettered for Central of Georgia, with a passenger train.

Griffith Jct. has some more action. Grand Trunk trains and C&O GP9′s on a freight.

Amtrak in Transition shows the ragtag collection off cast off equipment in early times. Back to ICRR in Chicago. New and old electrics. Passenger cars, and freight. Good chapter.

That concludes this great first disc. This is the best one in the set, by a longshot!

Here is most of disc 2…… Passenger trains.

A long segment of the old CTA on the Dan Ryan….yawn.                                                  Soo Line has a single freight train, with a single locomotive.                                             Soo Line has one more freight, much later.

Illinois Central Gulf in ’73, provides some badly needed balance here. Even the vintage TOFC train looks great. SW’s pull a transfer, with a red ICRR side door caboose.

Burlington Northern at busy Clyde Yard, not Cicero yard with a single freight.

Back to the passenger trains around the city. Some fine shots, Rock Island, Penn Central E8′s with refurbished Amtrak cars. A few impressive bridges add interest on this otherwise, excessive passenger segment. Light engine moves are sweet!

While the first disc is well balanced with some passenger emphasis. The second disc almost lacks freight entirely! Too bad. The freights in those years are real classics.

The breakdown on this set. Great first disc. The second disc is much too heavy on the Amtrak transition. A rather repetitious second disc. Still, it is all Emery Gulash.

Rating: 4 Stars

Conrail Hall of Fame

Conrail Hall of Fame                                

Charles Smiley Presents

Format: DVD

Length: 2 hours 20 minutes

Time Period: 1976- 1997

Locations: Selkirk, Altoona, Cresson, MG Tower, Horseshoe Curve, Hudson River, Gallitzin, Lewistown, Reading, Secaucus, Ridgeway Jct., Cleveland, Buffalo, and more..

Sources: Tim Hosey (96-97), Jack Kuiphoff (76-78), Tom Luckey (88-92).

MSRP: 29.50

Newest, 2011 Release

Charles Smiley Presents programs are modern classics.

Most important are the high quality films. Digital processing assures us of the best possible image from the source tape. Synchronized sound, and a natural sounding environment, bring the trains to life. Attention is brought, to a wealth of historical information. Often, he has intriguing information of a railroads inner workings.

Judicious use of his custom-made maps, keep viewer awareness of: location, elevation, routes and direction. Smart and effective narration holds the many elements together. On-screen graphics offer even more information. Extended program lengths . More costly to produce, the glass mastered DVD’s are of highest quality.

The many bonus extras add additional value to the shows.

A scenic area is at MG Tower, as depicted on the map, a highlight segment of the program. Maps are plentiful and frequently referenced, to keep viewers well informed.Focusing on a much-needed Conrail history, this one fills a considerable gap in American train videos. There are many Conrail videos available. This one has the major advantage of including a complete look at this huge railroad. The time span alone, makes the price of admission a bargain.The value of having it on a Charles Smiley Presents is… priceless!

At nearly 2 1/2 hours, there is way too much material to cover in detail, within this review.

This is an extremely comprehensive show. The three sources cover the showcased years with excellent cinematography. There is so much to see in this show. Example: Only CSP would take the time to include a segment of Delaware & Hudson on a Conrail show!

Mainly filmed in Pennsylvania. We also have plenty of scenes in New York, and New Jersey. Even  more, Indiana and Ohio.  There is a chapter menu and a few nice previews.

As we progress through the Conrail story, Charles reviews the history of the four CEO’s. Each one, had to deal with an always evolving railroad climate. His winning formula is much like a PBS broadcast program. As a recent railroad overall, the historical aspects begin in the 1960′s. Additional historical material is included of course!

Charles has a fantastic viewing and an intelligent discussion on early Conrail. All of the merger roads have some locomotives to witness. Many, with hastily applied CR renumber, painted over original logos, the 1976 era version is patchwork city! Wild combinations of any road, any builder, make it impossible to guess what will be next.

This Erie Lackawanna power is from 1976! The early Conrail years have extensive coverage. It is engaging to watch the cornucopia of merger partners locomotive lash-ups.

Alco still had a presence at that time. Big engines like the C630 pulling upgrade on Horseshoe Curve in 1978 are legendary to railfans. The screenshots speak here.

Conrail had some major rebuilding programs, of it’s inherited power. Viewed in active service, former New York Central GP9, is now a GP10. This was one of those rebuilds, seen here. The camera follows this engine, with a local freight in Pennsylvania.

Plenty of General Electric built diesels, in original owner, and repainted Conrail schemes.

Conrail continues to modernize and proceeds to be a success. The 1980′s show how the road has made progress. The 1988-1992 footage documents the improved railroad.

The 1990′s see the release of third generation power. Foreign locomotives are not uncommon. Run through engines in Conrail territory. will sometimes appear. BNSF, CNW, CN and GT are some of what goes blasting by the camera. Lots of live audio and just plain fun trainwatching! Even in this late era, there is enough variety to keep us guessing.

The years of 1996- 1997 show the final years.This was the ultimate, modern Conrail, before its subsequent break-up. A fine look at a great railroad.

Once again, Charles Smiley has outdone his biggest competitor… himself!

An instant classic, Conrail Hall of Fame is the definitive work on the railroad. Action packed film, with the best coverage of: start-up to conclusion, in a single program. Everyone will enjoy this show. Even the kids will find the multitude of live action sequences a ton of fun!

If you have never viewed a Charles Smiley Presents, this is a great one, to get onboard.

If you have viewed a Charles Smiley Presents, this one is just as outstanding, as the rest.

Rating: 5 Stars

Steam On Horseshoe Curve

Steam On Horseshoe Curve

Sunday River Productions

Format: DVD

Length: 50 minutes

Time Period:1930′s- 1960′s. 

Locations: Horseshoe Curve, Enola, Altoona, Rockville Viaduct, Oakmont, more…

Sources: Fred McLeod, Mac Owen. Collections: Walter Keevil, Dr. Jefferson Weishaar Jr.

MSRP: 39.95

Pennsylvania Railroad and Horseshoe Curve, are two icons of American railroading.

Alva Morrison has the original production credit.Some Alva Morrison history is contained within this review. As I learn about Sunday River Productions, their history is a story to be shared. They are a very well established company, and have been around for decades, They might be ‘ the original train video company’. Relevant historical aspects will be included in some upcoming reviews. Some fascinating insights!

This show was updated, digitally remastered in 2009. A main menu has seven chapters and the standard play movie button. I have found the previous Sunday River programs enjoyable.

Pennsylvania steam engines all had the muscular, Pennsylvania Railroad look to them. The Standard Railroad Of The World, was their famous slogan. They needed to have powerful, tractive effort, to get the heavy trains over the mountain grades.

Opening the film is a Conrail freight circa 1989! The 3 track curve is hosting six locomotives. As the narrator explains, that we will now travel back in time…

After some brief glances at some steam in color, the story begins.

It is a black & white segment from the 1940′s- 1950′s. The 4 track mainline is in place. Our railroad sure is a busy one. This early footage was during a time when America was still moved by rail.  On parade are some Decapods and K-4 Pacifics. Travelling further back in time, film from the 1930′s is seen. The film is all quality, ranges from very good to excellent.

The K-4 is a classic, highlighted locomotive featured in this show. The movie bounces around in various years ; 1930′s to the 1950′s. Many other locomotives including; Mikados, Texans and Consolidations. Mountain class 4-8-2 are strong engines at work. Occasional on-screen displays show year or locations. There are numerous runbys. Passenger trains go blazing by the viewer. Some pacing shots do spice things up.

Do not be surprised if your woman does not care for the vintage b&w portion. This is smoky, manly steam era railroading! An action packed, old-time trainwatching pleasure. Action packed and loaded with runbys. Hardcore Pennsylvania Railroad Trainwatching !

Color explodes onto the screen, with the impressive dual service M-1 Mountain type. In its prime, the M-1 was likely, the best all around PRR steam engine. J-1 Texans were 2-10-4 locos, that exceeded the earlier Decapods in power. Another action driven chapter.

The natural sounds take center stage. Narration is sparse and very effective. Alva performs the narration. He was the brains behind this brilliant production.

The natural train sound audio is so well done, it becomes its own character.

Articulated types; T-1 4-4-4-4 and Q-2 4-4-6-4 are both reviewed. Turns out, the Q-2 was the successful design that Pennsy had sought, albeit 2 years before the end of steam.\

Horseshoe Curve is a vital and thrilling look at Pennsylvainia steam power. The Locomotives parade past, with all sorts of trains. Notice how every single engine has its own unique sounds. This extended portion is like time travel back to the 1950′s. This chapter alone is worth the price of admission. An absolute must see for a steam fan and any railfan. Everyone will enjoy this color film sequence combined with the live sound.  Exceptional  Chapter!

Speaking of chapters, listen to this piece of Sunday River history. Alva Morrison was the original producer, narrator and scriptwriter. Long before the advent of vcr home players and vhs tapes, he had made train movies. Started out making copies for friends. The demand grew and so did Alva’s business. Using the super 8mm film of the time, he distributed some of the train films on reel to reel.

The introduction of those vhs tapes was at a time, when Alva was already an active film producer. VHS format did require some updating. He was editing those shorter films into the longer format. Released those tapes, to enter the new market. Sunday River was probably the ’original train video company’.

Those early reel and vhs films, were forerunner programs , of what is now available on a dvd. Alva had titled some of what are now current Sunday River Productions ‘chapters’, as the name of the film. So when we see a chapter title, that could have been ‘the movie’, back in the day. Some of his older movies do have those original ‘movie title segments’. They now are presented, remastered and updated, with additional film, into today’s dvd chapter format.

The final chapter is surprisingly titled : Diesels. Many vignettes of the Pennsylvania, and final scenes at Horseshoe Curve. Again, natural train sounds dominate this section. I enjoyed this part too. Perhaps, this portion was one of the early movies.

We roll-up into the 1960′s. A glance at Penn Central. Conrail closes on Horseshoe Curve.

This is an energetic look at mainline steam in Pennsylvania. The scope reaches outside of just viewing Horseshoe Curve. Being unfamiliar with the area, some maps would have been a big help. Much seems to have been filmed in the HC vicinity. Due to the excellent presentation, the wealth of great film, this one flaw will be overlooked.

This program is a fun one to watch. Suitable for the whole family. Kids will like the smoke and sounds of the trains. Sunday River has a big winner here!

Rating: 5 Stars

Penn Central 3

Penn Central 3

Green Frog Productions

Format: DVD    Length: 75 minutes

Time Period: 1971- 1972

Locations: Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, Town Line, Dearborn, Wayne Jct….

Source: Emery Gulash

 Out of six PC volumes, this is the worst. There just isn’t much good to say about volume 3. It is tedious, repetitive, and the most boring Emery show, that I’ve seen. If you feel the need to see a black PC E8 lead a few passenger cars for maybe 50 times, this is you. As much as the Frog, is a good production company, they can ocassionally… drop the ball. 

 The opening segments at Chicago look fine. Amtrak and black E8 led Broadway Limited in multiple arrivals. A little bit of some railroads other passenger equipment. Turbotrain in Michigan. An experimental black Amtrak E8. Lake Shore Limited train shown. We start to wonder, where are the freight trains?

 The series advertises to see the varying Penn Central, year by year. That is true, for the other five volumes. If you believed what you see here, freight trains appear suspended. Always was hesitant of this volume, they advertise so many passenger trains on it. It’s just sad, to see basically the same train, over, and over ,and over. It’s extremely boring.

 Locomotive: Black PC E8.  A few glimpses of some freight, a couple glimpses of C&O.    Two Chessie System GP 40-2 led passenger special trains at the end.

 Well photographed, good sound, it’s not a quality issue. No, it’s a content issue, or lack of interesting content. Even the narration is repetitive, Here comes the Wolverine with an E8… Another look at the Wolverine… the Wolverine with an E8 out of Chicago… A black E8 leads the Wolverine…repeat, pause, repeat… Your kidding Mr. Youngblood.                   Is that another Wolverine? Dreadful.

 This show becomes so repetitive, the train stations and an old stove factory, are the highlights. Watch for this anomaly. How much can you say, about a black E8 and 3 or 4 passenger cars? 

 How much freight out of the 75 minutes? Ten minutes, maybe only 8 minutes.

  Guess what is leading the 1971 Amtrak trains…. that’s right… a black Penn Central E8. Always followed by…. guess………the Wolverine. How could the narrator keep a straight face? Here’s a westbound Wolverine, here’s an Amtrak train, now… an eastbound Wolverine….

 Memorable moment. The Chessie System GP40-2 locomotives with two sections of a General Motors passenger special. Pretty and new at the Detroit terminal. Guess what rolls in from Chicago? A ratty looking Wolverine….

 Of course, there is just a tad more. A Budd RDC, more Amtrak, More passenger trains, with a few other names. But, it’s still the same.

 That’s too bad. Penn Central is a fine series. Get all the other 5 volumes first. You probably don’t even need this one. Just go get a Conrail show, and be happy.

 Rating 2 1/2 Stars

Penn Central 5

Penn Central 5

Green Frog Productions

Format: DVD    Length: 73 minutes

Time Period: 1974 give or take a year.

Locations: Ypsilanti, Wayne Jct., Horseshoe Curve, Toledo, Town Line,

Source: Emery Gulash (16mm)

The 5th volume of Penn Central in 1974. This film looks pristine. Familiar Emery locations around Michigan. The lack of synced train sounds takes a little getting used to. I miss the train horns and the sound of the trains passing. So, the emphasis falls on the image, and those qualities. Yes, it does look good. Excellent in fact.

 After many Michigan scenes, we head eastward. Horseshoe Curve in the winter, those Alleghenies look great with bare trees and snow-covered mountains. The mountain overlook shots are good.It’s enjoyable to see the old roadnames as the freight cars pass across the screen. Seems like the editor has let the film run longer to view the freight cars.

 Back to Michigan. An auto rack train that has the cars in unenclosed racks. Carleton and Town Line with its little block station. He films from some new angles too. I do miss the birds chirping when they fly behind the caboose. The color balance looks perfect. He frames the shots with an artistic flair.  The Raisin River is one of some new locations.

 After viewing mostly freights, the pattern shifts to Amtrak. A Budd diesel car makes an appearance. At Lima, we encounter foggy conditions. A Norfolk & Western looms out of the gloom. Passengers waiting for Amtrak, provide a reminder of the scale of a full-sized PC train. A memorable moment is the departing train, braking for one man left behind… is he with Emery?

 There are many trains on this installment of Penn Central. The power on the head ends are the usual suspects from EMD and GE. Alco Century C-636 and C-628 are the rare birds.

 The thing to really appreciate on films from this era is the actual railroading. There are : stations, towers, boxcars and a caboose. Even with Penn Central in a state of decline financially, there is a wealth of action. Freight train fans will enjoy a healthy supply. 

 Green Frog has entered a worthy chapter in the epic Penn Central story. The improved film quality is best with the sound included. The presentation is somewhat flat with Grandpa’s film projector sound in the background. The matter of fact narration is good, but without additional sounds, he could talk some more.

  If Penn Central is one of your railroads, this is definitely worth adding. For newcomers or youngsters, I’d start with the more traditional presentations of the earlier volumes.

Rating 4 Stars