Steam in the 1940′s, 50′s, & 60′s : Special 7 PAK Boxset

Steam in the 40′s, 50′s, & 60′s: 7 PAK Boxset

Green Frog Productions

Format: DVD- R (7 disc boxset)

Length: 5 Hours 52 minutes

Time Period: 1940′s- 1960′s. Bonus 1990′s.

Locations: USA and Canada

Sources: Gene Miller,

MSRP: 59.95 ( Separate shows value is over 204.00)

The set is housed in a sturdy, hard plastic case. Each disc is mounted on a hard plastic page. Seems very durable.

Green Frog has a tantalizing boxset. This contains 7 discs and 7 complete shows. All of the programs have individual, full reviews on ATVR. A brief overview of each will follow.

All of the shows are digitally edited on state of the art equipment. Each disc has artwork.

Maximum fun calls for many different screenshots from the full reviews. Bonus for you!

The Golden Twilight of Postwar Steam Part 1: The Pennsy’s West End and it’s neighbors.

1947- 1950. Gene Miller 16mm.

                                                     Mountain type. M1

                                           Pennsylvania Broadway Limited.

Early diesels. A quartet of ‘chicken wire’, Electromotive F3 locomotives.

The Golden Twilight of Postwar Steam Part 2: Rails in the Heartland: The L&N, C&EI and IT

Gene Miller. 16mm.

                         L&N Mountain class at Howell Yard. Evansville, Indiana.

                       Steam and diesel are both here. A K-5 Pacific with an EMD E7 unit.

                   Chicago & Eastern Illinois departs the massive St. Louis Union Station.

                               C&EI has these pretty F3 engines. Nice variety on this railroad.

Illinois Terminal once had a sizeable trolley operation. Strange entry for a steam series.

The Golden Twilight of Postwar Steam Part 3: Cajon to Horseshoe- Trains Across Mid-America and the West.

Gene Miller. 16mm. 1940′s- 1950′s. Many railroads are seen. Color, plus black and white film.

Santa Fe steam shown from California, to Dearborn Station, in Chicago.

Union Pacific has an awesome collection. Cheyenne and Denver. Big Boys, Challengers, Northerns, switchers and those big 9000 class locomotives. Plus more!

St. Louis Kaliedescope has various lines. MoPac Heavy Mike 1417 shown. Some fine black and white, plus color in this show. Missouri Pacific has color also. Nice chapter.

                             Horseshoe Curve finishes up the Gene Miller films.

Steam in the ’50′s: Volume 1

Jerry Carson. 16mm. Covers 14 different railroads.

B&O with a pair of big T-1 class locomotives at Chicago. Plenty of classic B&O within.

                                Some great action on the Norfolk & Western.

                                  Chicago & North Western departs Green Bay.

Chesapeake & Ohio is a tough road to find, in the steam era. Like some others in this show, there are only a couple of trains.

Illinois Central Railroad. This one gets extended coverage. Assorted locations and trains.

                        Pennsylvania receives plenty of coverage. Doubleheaders too!

Steam in the ’50′s: Volume 2

Tom Strid. 16mm, mostly color. Shortest length show in the set. All classic.

                            Union Pacific Big Boy is eased across the wooden trestle.

See this locomotive being returned to America, at the dock. The General Pershing.

Circus World Baraboo train move to Milwaukee. Some unloading is shown.

Steam in the ’50′s: Volume 3

Ted Carlson and Maynard Laing. 16mm. USA and Canada.

                                            Northern Pacific excursion chase.

                                  Hillcrest Lumber with Climax locomotives.

                            UP Big Boy pace sequence. More Big Boy action is seen.

                                                          Canadian Pacific.

                              Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Yellowstone steam.

The Bonus Show isn’t listed on the rear cover…

Steam Giants Across America

Compilation steam program. Some repeat footage from these other shows, in this set. Still, it is a fun standalone program, and not everything is from this collection.

             Some circa 1991 bonus footage includes: UP 844 and UP 3985.

                      Norfolk & Western with vintage and contemporary  era footage.

Green Frog has a big winner. This 7 DVD set is an awesome value. This ‘package deal’, is a fast way to build an instant steam collection. A big bargain, that outweighs any issues.

Highly Recommended for anyone with an interest in steam. The early diesels are equally fine. This Steam Special 7 PAK would make a memorable gift.

Rating: 5 Stars

Southern Pacific’s San Joaquin Route: Volume 3

Southern Pacific’s San Joaquin Route: Volume 3

Catenary Video Productions

Format: DVD

Length: 55 minutes

Time Period: circa 1950

Locations: Oakland to Los Angeles route, Bakersfield, Martinez, Tehachapi Loop

Sources: Southern Pacific RR, Louis Stein Jr,  Othmar Tobisch, Will Whitakker (main sources) 10 additional including, Don Olsen and Max Gray.

This program is available individually or as part of the Southern Pacific Steam boxset.

MSRP: 34.99  / SP Steam boxset: 139.99

This volume covers Southern Pacific’s San Joaquin Route. The line services the Bay Area to Los Angeles. The 1950 time period is a fascinating one. The transition era of steam to diesel is a highly popular one for model railroaders. Variety of motive power does create opportunity for some superior trainwatching. The 3rd of a 4 volume series, the boxset includes a cardboard case to house the DVD’s. High quality factory pressed discs are used by Catenary Video Productions.

Cinematography is the big strength of this program. Filmed in the 16mm format. About 99% color film. The films are clean and mostly of excellent quality. At least 14 film sources provide a wide assortment of viewpoints. The Southern Pacific even shot film. Some of the classic ‘This Is My Railroad- 1947 footage is here. Digitally restoration and enhancement have the films presented in best possible quality. Colorful show, and there is much to see!

Scripted by Don Olsen. A very detailed overview of the San Joaquin Route. Motive power, name and numbered passenger trains are well covered. Tehachapi Loop gets extensive coverage. A look at the damage from a 1952 earthquake. Severe enough to close the line.

Audio is a mixture of: narration, soft jazz music and some dubbed train sounds. The train sounds are the least heard. They are used to ‘spice up’ the show, and rate as very good  overall. Sometimes, the narrator talks over the train sounds.

               There are some maps , which help direct the story. They get the job done.

The journey begins at the northern end of the San Joaquin Route. One scene at Martinez has this steamer meet some Alco PA’s at the station. This train is The Senator.

A consist of Union Pacific cars from The Overland, are led by #4460. Departs Bakersfield station, as a 2nd, number 51 train. Flooding in 1952 caused some Union Pacific trains to detour via Tehachapi Loop.

This locomotive has the caboose behind it for safety. Sugar beets were big business for SP. This big AC-12 is in helper service on this move. Note the side extensions have not yet been added to the venerable gondolas that served for decades on SP.

A rare pacing shot of two cab forwards shoving hard on a manifest freight traveling to Tehachapi. According to the narrative, this may not have been a railroad sanctioned practice!

Two steam locomotives were required to get a passenger train over the Loop. Here they back-up to their consist. Action at Tehachapi Loop is the gem chapter, within Volume 3.

Tehachapi Loop has a fascinating chapter. This is classic material! The 1950 era offers steam and diesels. Both SP and ATSF are shown. A big 7.5 earthquake in 1952 occurred.

                              Tehachapi Loop has an intriguing collection of films shown above. Passenger action abounds. Santa Fe found the F units more efficient there. Mid-train helpers were steam! There is plenty of freight. Many trains and a wide array of views.

                                            Visit this ice loading platform. This scene at Mohave with train #52. It shows a battered Daylight painted locomotive. This must be getting close to the end of the steam era. The engineer checks the running gear.

                               Palmdale has this doubleheader, headed for Los Angeles.

We need a caboose to end the screenshots. The crew waves, and we say goodbye!

Catenary Video has come up big with this program. A great assembly of 16mm films. A detailed script, that has extensive coverage of the route. Operations are reviewed in depth. Not just trains: earthquake recovery, LCL freight, refrigerated shipping, and more. This show will stand up to repeated viewings. A fine choice for railfans and model railroaders. You may be better served to acquire the boxset. The four volumes are well worth owning.

Rating: 5 Stars

SP Vintage West

SP Vintage West (D- 125)

Charles Smiley Presents

Format: DVD

Length: 1 hour  15 minutes + previews

Time Period: 1950- 1978

Locations: Bay Area, Colton, Donner, Tehachapi, San Jose, Shasta,Sacramento,

Sources: 26 cinematographers

MSRP: 29.50

Charles Smiley has covered three decades of vintage Southern Pacific in this ambitious release. Much of the story features diesel power. Some of them are rare models. Steam locomotives are included, right through the 1950′s! Freight and passenger operations are both incorporated, within this freewheeling  program.

This show provides a cornucopia of Southern Pacific. The 1950′s to late 1970′s time period, does contain what amounts to a treasure trove of classic railroading. Besides the three decades, consider that different eras are within this fine show. Even as locomotive builders come and go in the marketplace, the railroad is evolving.

There are 26 film sources listed in the credits. Those films were on: 16mm, Super- 8 film, and 8mm. The vast majority of the footage is all color film. Some bits of black and white are used for completeness. As this was recorded over a near 30 year timeframe, the films do vary. Overall, the quality is in the excellent to very good range.

The narrative is performed by Charles Smiley. He has that special gift of combining storytelling and education. Always a fascinating narrator, he conveys a plethora of information. The style of discussions are understandable to most anyone. Various subjects covered include: operations, locomotives, locations, routes, local history and more.

Custom made maps are a Charles Smiley standard. They are plentiful, as we visit multiple locations and SP routes. Factory made DVD’s are glass mastered. These are very durable media discs.

Viewpoints from all of the assorted sources provide an unending supply of train variety. We are way beyond endless runbys with a CSP show. There are interesting views shot from onboard some trains. Cities, street scenes,and SP facilities are viewed. Ferryboats are shown as they operated in the San Francisco- Oakland service, predating the bridge there. Cab forwards in snow service, at Donner Pass.

San Joaquin Daylight passenger trains are hauled, in GS-4 led steam and diesel versions. San Jose- San Francisco commuter service, and those great FM Trainmasters get a nice feature. Steam films do include color footage. A few still photos are displayed.

A nice inclusion on the freight trains are the freight cars themselves. This is on the scarce side in vintage film. Cameras had limited running times. The cinematographers of the old days had to conserve their film. Classic freight cars are seen in some pleasing sequences.

Paint schemes range from Daylight colors, Black Widow to Gray/ Scarlet. A few oddballs like: early switchers in orange tiger stripes, and Bicentennial paint play their parts.

Diesel power is a prime area of interest during these years. Fairbanks- Morse has the hefty Trainmasters and H-12-44 switchers. Trainmasters are shown in Black Widow, and Bloody Nose livery.

Alco checks-in, with the famous Daylight PA’s. Freight engines include big Century types: C628 and C630′s. Roadswitcher class RS11′s were the very distant, GP9 competitor. Switchers including S2,3,4,6 models were used by SP. A few examples from the S-class, are seen in the tiger stripes. Gray/ Scarlet replaces the previous paint in later years.

Reflecting the real world SP operations, a few Baldwin diesels, do make some cameos. Kraus Maffei also get a few shots.

General Electric stormed into the 1960′s market with the U25B. A behemoth GE-U50C dwarfs the U25B’s.

Electromotive, aka: EMD is the dominant builder, with an assortment of models. F7, GP7, GP9, SD9, SW1 etc. Second Generation as: SD38, SD45, GP40..

Venerable GP9′s get a feature. Black Widow and Gray/ Scarlet, sometimes in mixed lash-ups, parade past the camera. The Geeps can be seen mu’ed with old F7′s The SP rostered hundreds of F units. They get coverage in freight and passenger service. The normal aspiration can be heard in a variety of the F unit scenes.

The horsepower race escalates through the 1960′s. Larger and more powerful engines appear, from the 3 remaining builders.

Natural sounds are clearly heard on many examples of locomotives. Intriguing, to hear the differences. There is much detail-work, that has been invested in accurate sounds. On mixed lash-ups, the variation of engines, is apparent. Steam engines also have excellent sounds. Pieces of background music serve as brief interludes. An excellent soundtrack!

The time flies by, as this show plays. Interesting, informative and enjoyable. Charles has produced a fine showing of Southern Pacific, in some classic eras.

Southern Pacific fans need this SP Vintage West, as a must-see production. Any railfan with interests from the 1950′s to 1970′s, will find this a worthwhile show. Additional Charles Smiley SP releases do cover the road in specialized titles. Many are geographically specific based programs. Others, like this one, have the emphasis on a set of years. Both styles are excellent formats to see Southern Pacific. You can enjoy and learn all about the SP from collecting the Charles Smiley Presents series. They all tie the SP together.

Vintage train enthusiasts will find this; an outstanding and comprehensive overview of Southern Pacific in California.

SP Vintage West , is a classic goldmine!

Rating: 5 Stars

Highball Over Tehachapi

Highball Over Tehachapi

Highball Productions      

Format: DVD

Length: 2 Hours

Time Period: December 1995 

Location: Tehachapi Loop area. Mohave to Caliente.

Photography. Peter Crook

This is a contemporary, pre-merger view of Tehachapi Loop. That is third generation power with many second generation EMD and GE locomotives in service. Santa Fe blue and yellow warbonnets are still found. Southern Pacific classic grey and scarlet red are present. Modern Red and silver Santa Fe locomotives that look great against the classic mountain backdrops.

This is my first Highball Productions train video program.  Let’s see how it goes…

This is a plain jane, just push play menu. No chapter breaks, or even a title page .Content: The natural sounds work fine with the pro shot footage.

A good variety of locomotives are shown. Ranging from a Santa Fe GP30 to some Cotton Belt GP60′s, the six axle power dominates the show. Classic SD40, SD40T2, F45 and some modified versions, such as a ATSF SD45-2B. Modern 3rd generation from GE is included. C40-8W and C44-9W set is resplendent in Santa Fe Red and silver warbonnet paint!  Some Conrail Quality SD60M units are a surprise. As many as ten Santa Fe units are viewed leading trains. That’s a sight, in any era! Rio Grande and CSX are also found within the show.

Southern Pacific fields some impressive power sets, with multiple six axle assorted diesels. Some nice dynamic braking sounds too. SP trio of GE AC4400CW leading a coal train at tunnel 10 is excellent. There are a number of cool shots at this location, and interesting power too.  MK rebuilds are pointed out, along with many locomotive types.

The narration is relaxed and somewhat sparse. There is some good information conveyed. I would have like more detailed info, on some shot locations, and train movements.

We see the usual assortment of freight moving over the lines.  Intermodals, general merchandise, unit tankers..etc.. Alas, the caboose has vanished by now. But wait… there are a few SP cabooses that do appear, albeit in a cameo role..

There is a wealth of excellent photography here.  Clear and consistent. Predominately shot in broad daylight, with a few mood shots. The trains themselves are less interesting than in earlier eras. Standardization and merger mania has made things generic by this time. Still, it’s fun to see the large lash-ups and pusher sets operate in this world-famous setting. The long shots, at times, look like a giant model railroad. Great looks for modelers. A plus for this presentation are the various views of the trains. A spectacular shot of a Santa Fe pig train is a highlight!

The show lacks any maps and little historical information. A missed opportunity considering the sites historical and current significance. Fortunately, that is available elsewhere. You do get many nice, quality views of the area’s trains. In the end, it is an enjoyable and well done program. After all, we came for awesome scenery and the trains. It delivers!

Rating: 4 Stars

Railfanning Southern California In the 1950′s

Railfanning Southern California In the 1950′s

Pentrex

Format: VHS   

Length: One hour, 20 minutes

Time Period: 1950′s

Locations: Los Angeles, Cajon Pass, Tehachapi Loop, Beaumont Hill, Mission Tower, Caliente ….

Sources: Chet Hogan, Henry Wong, Alen Hawkins, Leo Caloia, Trevor Clarke

Program starts in 1950, with the LAUPT. Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific. They all used the Los Angeles Union station. Color film shows the trains and facility. There are some on-screen graphics, used to identify trains. A fantastic assortment of; steam and diesel, portrays the transitional era, of steam to diesel.

Stan Kistler, Chard Walker, Richard Stein, all reminisce about the 1950′s Southern Cal railroading scene. They post old photos, and these are interesting monologues. The men introduce each segment.

Chet Hogan used 16 mm color film to record busy action at Mission Tower. Many trains with extensive passenger traffic. Even triple steam, on a shop move. Double headed steam on trains. Light engine moves. Super Chief, El Capitan, Grand Canyon all here. San Joaquin, The Owl ( with a cab forward), Golden State. Great footage, shot from the tower!

SP black widow, SD and F units on trains, Daylight paint on  Alco PA’s, the cars are shown. Some maps are used to show locations. A mixed train fan trip to Elinor, behind a Santa Fe Mikado. A working train, some switching is seen. The year is 1951, in color. Nice!

Cajon Pass in 1949. Henry Wong 16mm color film. Short and sweet.

Chard Walker has an outstanding segment with Santa Fe steam and diesels. Also, Union Pacific diesels around the Cajon Pass area. Various steam and diesel helpers. Double headed Santa Fe steam.

Santa Fe 4-8-4 with 2=10-2 helper upgrade. Fantrip to Barstow shops and new diesels on display. Alco PA, blue F7 pass and freight units. High desert footage in 1951 is good.

January 1954, Chet Hogan, bankers special on 16mm film. SP GS4 and a cab forward with heavyweight consist. Tehachapi Loop visit. Many ATSF and SP trains. Excellent trip.

This is presented in a documentary style. The combinations work well together. The narration is expertly interjected among the guest commentary and live sound. Photography is first-rate. Looks real good, even on a vhs tape.                                                                  A satisfying train video!

Rating 5 Stars