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North American railroading is constantly changing, often faster than we are prepared to accept. Mergers have not only redrawn the North American railroad map, but have banished to the history books some of our favorite road names. In addition technology has dramatically changed the look of railroading and the way it is performed.
Cajon Pass and the Tehachapi Mountains, two of the most storied theatres of railroading, have seen their share of change. See the changes 20 years have seen in motive power, stock, paint schemes and operations.
A unique 'then & now' tape professionally shot in both eras, that is sure to stir up memories.
DVD-R Price: £20.00
Canadian Pacific's Shuswap Sub runs from Revelstoke, British Columbia to Kamloops, through lush forests and alongside sparkling lakes. The line runs through Eagle Pass in the Monashee Mountains, past historic Craigellachie of last spike fame, through the Notch Hill Loop, alongside Shuswap Lake and down the valley of the South Thompson River. Action red locomotives in the spectacular scenery of beautiful British Columbia.
DVD-R Price: £21.00
Filmed by 14 different people, this material has pleanty of the unexpected!
Follow UP from the Harriman era to modern times. See the phase-out of steam and the first and second generation diesels. The focal point is the 1960 to 1980 period with the onslaught of mergers in the industry. Visit UP's new WP line for a great mix of trains.
by Charles Smiley Presents 98 mins * colour * narrated Price: £21.00
105 mins * colour * hifi sound * narrated Price: £21.00
Spectacular action takes us through both summer and winter seasons Price: £20.95
We will start this journey in Spokane, Washington and head west through the rolling wheatlands of eastern Washington, through Harrington, Wilson Creek, Ephrata, and the Apple Capital of the world Wenatchee.
Next we'll head up the Cascade Mountains over Steven's Pass stopping at Levenworth, visiting both portals of the famous 8 mile long Cascade Tunnel, then on to Skykomish, the beautiful Mt. Index area, Sunset Falls, Gold Bar, and Startup, Finally ending at the Pacific tide water town of Everett.
Then we'll head south on the old track of the Northern Pacific to Auburn, Cross the Green River, then travel on to Easton, Sumner, and cross the White River, and visit Payallup and location's west, where the spectacular Mt. Raineer looms over head.
We'll visit the port city of Tacoma with its yard and depot, and visit Vancouver, Washington's yard and Depot.
Approx. Run Time 80 Minutes Price: £21.00
by Green Frog 87 mins * colour * stereo hifi sound * narrated
Follow Green Frog professional photographer Rich Scheid on an incredible railroad adventure through the great Northwest. We'll travel through some of the most spectacular wilderness scenery settled by the Great Northern Railway at the top of the country and now owned and operated by the BNSF.
This tape covers the territory from the western plains at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, through the browning west, thru Blackfoot Indian Country, over the Two Medicine River on the highest trestle on the old Great Northern and onto East Glacier Park. Then we climb over the Continental Divide and the legendary Marias Pass. We will see trains going thru snow sheds and battling the grades of Marias Pass just below the Canadian border. We'll also visit locations like Essex and travel right thru Glacier National Park founded by the Great Northern. This is some of the most ruggedly beautiful country in the USA!
We'll see many trestles, tunnels, and travel along rivers with rapids and canyons to West Glacier Park at Belton, and lastly onto the lumbering towns of Columbia Falls and Whitefish with its beautiful depot.
Approx. 80 minutes...HI-FI stereo audio Price: £21.00
Great material from nineteen sources shot in many locations out west. Many surprises such as FM and ALCO demo units and many rare SP diesels and branchlines. Great mainline action with full correct stereo sound. Produced digitally for some great viewing. This programme was designed to portray SP in its finest days from 1942 1975. Special sections of F-units, PAs, E-units, Geeps, SD-9s, Train Masters and U-boats....This is "the way it was!" Price: £21.00
With its thundering power, this tape will excite you time and time again through every twist and turn. A 'La Grande' tape to have and watch time and time again.
By Highball 90 mins * Colour * Hifi Sound * Narrated Price: £20.00
By Highball 90 mins, colour, hifi sound, narrated Price: £20.00
by Charles Smiley * 67 mins * colour * hifi sound * narrated
See the Milwaukee and its rivals from 1955 to 1978 covering the electrics, diesels and some lingering steam. Plenty of runby and trackside views. Marvel at the GE Box-motors, Bipolars and 'Little Joes' and visit a number of locations
We review the history and technical aspects of the Milwaukee and how they fit in with their rivals and allies. The end of electric railroading and eventually the Pacific extention is covered in the era of great mergers and changes. Price: £20.00
by Green Frog * 60 mins * Colour * Narrated. Price: £20.00
Canadian Pacific in the heart of Canada's spectacular Rocky Mountains, between Field, British Columbia and Exshaw, Alberta, including Kicking Horse Pass. They are one of the greatest transportation barriers in the world, have stunning scenery, snow covered mountains and are seen here in some superb weather. In addition to CP's action red SD90MAC's and AC44CW's, we caught a rare Canadian National detour train, the Rocky Mountaineer, and CP's beautiful restored F units on a publicity run of the Royal Canadian Pacific. We take a look at the Spiral tunnels and a good look at one of the most spectacular railfan locations on the continent, Morants Curve. Price: £21.00
Next well take you over the pass into Arizona and west through Yannar, Simon, Bowie, and Wilcox. Then travel with us to Fenner, Benson, and Marsh. Then we will thoroughly explore the beautiful and scenic Cienega river valley where each turn brings a different scene.
We then head west to Vail and Tucson. Last we head down to old Mexico on the Nogales branch from Tucson to Nogales Mexico
Stockton Tower was one of the last remaining towers in California. Built in 1943 this interlocking tower guided trains through the busy Stockton area for five decades.
In late 1998 and early 1999 Machines of Iron visited to witness the deactivation of BNSF’s Stockton Tower. It controlled the two BNSF mainline tracks, plus the two UP/SP tracks and former WP track that crossed BNSF, together with the connections between the two railroads.
Besides plenty of train action, we go inside the tower to see operations explained by an operator and the new automatic ‘box-of-tricks’ that replaces it. Witness the actual change over and the final sad sight of the demolishing of the tower.
DVD Price: £20.00
by Charles Smiley
* 90 mins * colour * hifi sound * narrated
The Santa Fe we knew is gone, but the imprint it left on the west is celebrated here on brilliant color film that has been digitized and edited with care. A number of film sources show the late great Santa Fe through a variety of motive power changes that reflect the Santa Fe’s ability to respond well to an evolving industry. Few roads could compare to their quality of service. They left a positive and lasting impression on the public. The railroad industry in general maintained credibility through their efforts, even in the rough times.
Visit old Cajon, Tehachapi, Mojave, Barstow also Stockton and Pasadena Subdivisions. See LAUPT & other locations with passenger & freight trains. Vignettes from IL, NM & AZ. Price: £21.00
by Highball Productions * 105 mins * colour * narration
Ref D213 Regular Price £ 24.95 Price: £24.95
Burlington Northern Santa Fe mainline between Kansas City & Fort Madison, IA. NS shares the track out of Kansas City and UP has trackage rights. In the fall of 1999 there are lots of 'Premium Heritage' units both on the race track & thro' the scenic wooded hills. Tape full of powerful action.
by Highball 114 mins, colour, Hifi Sound, Narrated
Price: £20.00
A Nostalgic Look at the Southern Pacific San Francisco and Oakland Bay Area. We feature vintage film from five sources to re-create the 1967 to present day railfan experience in the San Francisco and Oakland area. This video will relive the days of FM Trainmasters, Geep-9 GP-40 and SD-45 passenger train operation. See the last of the SP freight on the San Francisco Peninsula with some present action as well. The history of SP and it's predecessors is covered and we also cover the IER, Key System, Ferryboat and Sancramento Northern operations, plus the Oakland Terminal Ry. Early Amtrak operation features SP F7 and Amtrak SDP-40s and the "commute" operations are covered in detail. See the last ALCo RS-32s, S6s and even FM H-12-44 plus numerous EMD first generation locomotives. Fast runbys, very high speed pacing and lots of yard action are featured. We also examine the inner workings of FM opposed piston locomitives used in the fabled Trainmasters. Price: £21.00
by Charles Smiley * 90 mins * colour * hifi sound * narrated
We present the many challenges of the Sierra crossing. Filmed over three decades in all types of weather and with every type of train. There's also plenty of contemporary action with some great video camera work.
* Early diesels from 1959 to surviving 'high hoods'.
* Ride a F7 powered train through raging snowstorm.
* See flangers, spreaders and rotary plows.
* Visit the old Roseville Humpyard.
* Regional history and early Central Pacific days.
* History of snowsheds, double tracks & reefer blocks.
* Cab forward pacing and many other surprises.
* Contemporary Donner Pass action in the 90s. Price: £21.00
by Highball 65 mins, colour, Hifi Sound, Introduction
85 mins, colour, Hifi Sound, Introduction Price: £19.00
Captured in Abo Canyon during a fleeting window of time following the merger of the BN and the Santa Fe, this video features a once in-a-lifetime collection of motive power types and paint schemes. The classic Santa Fe red and silver Warbonnets and the Blues join Burlington Northern green. A new BNSF design reminiscent of the old Great Northern orange and green paint scheme enters the scene. See the Dash 9-44CW, Dash 8-40BW, SD40-2, SD75M and others.
With stunning photography and hard-to-reach locations, WB records history showcasing a combination of power and paint never to be witnessed again. A truly unforgettable piece of American railroading.
Many of you will have seen in the March edition of Trains magazine the article about Abo Canyon and how BNSF is hoping to have a second mainline track squeezed into the New Mexico Gulch. No doubt after it is completed in 2007 we will bring you a new dvd showing the improved line but for now why not see how the singletrack through the canyon operates.
This dvd is offered in this newsletter at a very special price to coincide with the trains article.
by WB Video Productions * 58 mins * colour * narrated Price: £20.00
See SP battle back to respectability in the early '90s on the featured lines to the north and many other great locations. This video has many choice scenes out of hundreds of hours of material to show the great variety of older power and scenic locations. Some of the material used is from film shot in the seventies to balance the presentation. *Modoc Line *Shasta Line *Donner Rotary *Cascade Line.
This video has a parade of power with both old and new mixed with foreign power 'smoking it up'. The second half brings back the caboose and many retired units, plus SP's oscillating full light group and many other surprises.
DVD Price: £21.00
Southern Pacif's, now Union Pacific's gateway to and from Los Angeles basin is over Beaumont Hill. Leaving Colton Yard, trains climb through the orange groves of the scenic Timeteo Canyon to the summit at Beaumont, then drop down grade through the desert to Thousand Palms and on eastwards over the Sunset Route. Taped over two springs and a summer there is still lots of SP power around, plus older UP power, though the merger is really starting to show. This is helper country, usually SD45s, but anything UP owns can be seen over 'The Hill' which often needs helpers in both directions creating lots of powerful action. Price: £20.00
Canadian National's passage through Canada's Rocky Mountains is through Yellowhead Pass. Yellowhead Pass proper is west of the Great Divide in British Columbia, but we followed the Yellowhead route from Hinton, Alberta (mp 184) on the Edson Sub to Taverna BC (mp 20) on the Robson Sub via Red Pass (mp 43) - in June 1999 to bring you splendid images of hard working power in superb scenery. The Canadian, the best looking passenger train around and its baby sister The Skeena, make appearances together with CN's unusual power; cowl body EMDs and GEs and new SD75Is and C44-9Ws.
This is an area of great natural beauty, a great portion of the line being in Jasper National Park. Price: £20.00
The line runs through the Rockies and the Selkirks and is a challenge even to today's high horsepower locomotives. It is one of the most difficult places in the world to run a railroad with narrow valleys, steep grades and heavy snowfalls with the attendant risk of avalanches. AC4400s and SD90MACs challenge the grades and big as they are, they are dwarfed by the magnificent snow covered peaks.
The engineering difficulties in building Rogers Pass, CP's crossing of the Continental Divide, were formidable as were the problems facing CP when they built the new line through Rogers Pass (opened May 1989). The sub runs for 125 miles from Field to Revelstoke, British Columbia, through some of the most spectacular scenery on the continent. Shot in June 1999 all the famous locations are seen, including both old and new Stoney Creek bridges, Mount MacDonald and Shaughnessy tunnels.
by Highball Productions 124 mins * colour * narration
SPECIAL OFFER £ 14 Price: £14.00
From Barstow to Bakersfield CA crossing the Mojave Desert and the Tehachapi mountains. Traffic is heavy on the famous loop on which long trains pass over them-selves making for an awesome railfan experience. Both UP/SP & BN/SF mergers in full swing & the line is a riot of colorful locos.
by Highball Productions * 120 mins * colour * narration
ref. D184 Price: £21.95
Enjoy the magic from Barstow to Needles thro' rugged, inhospitable unpopulated wilderness.The magic of magnificent mountain backdrops, wide open vistas, gleaming red & silver warbonnets, orange & green heritage. Trains snaking across desert and slamm ing past the camera at track speed.
Ref D183 Price: £21.00
Explore the fascinating world of interlocking towers, and then train movements at Toronto Union Station. With three towers, a multitude of daily trains and one mighty busy station, the people of the Toronto Terminals Railway are constantly active.
Visit with the Train Movement Director in each of the three towers, and learn exactly how an interlocking tower works. Then go trackside to watch the action. See how snow affects train operations and just what measures are used to keep snow-clogged switches operating.
You'lI see VIA Rail, GO Transit, Amtrak, and CN trains, all controlled by the TTR's three interlocking towers. These are the last of their kind in Canada, and among the very few surviving interlocking towers in North America. 51 mins
The Canadian WORKING No.1
Behind the scenes of VIA's 'Canadian', trains No.1 & 2: From the classic stainless steel equipment to the proud and dedicated personnel, the 'Canadian' is in a class of its own. Making and keeping the 'Canadian' the success that it is takes more than just scenery and equipment though, and 'Working No.1' will show you what a great effort a large, often unseen group of people make towards the train's worldwide reputation for First Class rail travel.
See the overnight maintenance operations necessary to prepare No. 1 for its Toronto departure. Witness what takes place beyond the public's eye to make sure nothing is forgotten and the 'Canadian' is as First Class as its passengers would expect. From Commissary, baggage and maintenance, to train dispatchers, locomotive engineers, track crews and onboard services, each plays an important part in the operation of No. 1.
See how, as 'Working No.1' takes you behind the scenes both prior to and throughout most of No.1's run between Toronto and Capreol. 30 mins
by Rail Innovations TOTAL 81 mins * colour * narrated Price: £20.00
When we say Warbonnets, we mean Santa Fe! In Santa Fe Warbonnets through Raton Pass we take a look at today's high-tech red and silver Warbonnets in action - and there's no better place to do son than the challenging prairies and mountain passes of the Southern Colorado and New Mexico desert. The rugged passes of Raton and Glorieta are a test of strenght and power for the superfleet diesels which pull both freight and modern Amtrak trains on this busy line. Join us for some great Warbonnet action!
Regular Price £ 21.00 Price: £21.00
Beyond the little town of Hope BC lies the Canyon of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers (hence the title). Canadian Pacific and Canadian National run mostly on opposite sides of the canyon through magnificent scenery on their way to the Pacific. The lower canyon of the Fraser is in the heart of the forest, mostly pine trees clinging to massive granite slopes. The Thompson is in the rain shadow of the coastal mountains with sparse vegetation on unstable, almost vertical slopes.
We follow CP and CN along the Fraser and Thompson from Hope to Kamloop lakes, a distance of about 150 miles. We found both new and old power from both roads, often with trains on both sides at the same time. We also caught the Rocky Mountaineer and the American Orient Express, a splendid train. CP came through the canyons first and has the easier route, being joined by Canadian Northern Pacific (later Canadian National) thirty years later. CNP failed soon after, having had to contend with building on the wrong side of the canyon, but the route is often more spectacular than CP's easier route.
by Highball Productions 120 mins * colour * narrated Price: £21.00
Between Oroville and Portola the line climbs 4649ft in 115 miles and is accompanied by the parallel road and the Feather River. Serpentine Canyon is a photographer's delight of S-curves, Keddie is arguably the most recognizable railfan location in the country and Williams Loop has trains crossing over themselves. An incredible railfan experience. by Highball Productions * 120 mins * colour * narrated Price: £21.00
Don Krofta's film of eastern railroads is legendary. In this program he gives you a taste of railroading in the west.
by Herron Rail * 59 mins * colour * narrated Price: £20.00
The mainline skirts the southern boundary of Glazier National Park and is renowned for its scenic beauty. This is the High Line Sub, part of a busy east/west line and features helpers, snowsheds and large bridges.
It is fall 1997 and we follow the line from Shelby, Montana, on the high prairie, west through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at Browning and up the eastern slops of Marias Pass to the Summit. There are lots of "Pumpkins", including the new version of the scheme on the OCS. All the famous locations are visited; Grizzly, Bison, Two Medicine Bridge, the snowsheds. Summit, Marias, Java, Essex and lots more.
Beautiful fall weather and foliage, stunning scenery and varied motive power and paint schemes make Marias Pass the railfan experience of a lifetime.
BC's auto tag says "beautiful British Columbia". BC Rail, formerly the British Columbia Railway and Pacific Great Eastern, is unique amongst railroads, both large and small. Its trains are led by a fleet of GE C40-8 CMs, a model only found in Canada. It runs through spectacular and varied scenery26000 revenue car loads on a system that can be divided into two sections, the North Vancouver to Prince George and north of Prince George where a number of lines feed the mainline. In this tape we concentrate on the Vancouver to Prince George mainline.
We travelled the 1800 miles to North Vancouver in August 1997 to fulfil a long time personal ambition. We got a quick look at a rebuilt RS18 switching the yard, a brief look at the Royal Hudson along Howe Sound, then concentrated on the freights. The big GE C40-8CM cowls are very much in evidence and look handsome. The scenery, especially north of Lillooet in the Fraser River Valley, is just magnificent and we got some great shots of trains clinging to the canyon walls, to river banks and lake shores. They looked really good snaking in and out from between the bluffs. We got into most of the famous locations, Britannia, Squamish, Cheakamus, Green River, Tisdall, Birken, Darcy, Seton Lake, Lilloet, Polley, Fountain, Gibbs, Glenfrazer, Pavillion, Moran, Kelly Lake and lots more. We were thrilled to find a pair of C420s switching at Prince George and took a quick trip to Tacheed for a look at the electrics. A very interesting railroad in magnificent scenery. You'll like it as much as we did. Price: £21.00
You'll see more distributed power, Amtrak, Pig Trains, Soda Ash, and the usual heavy freight. You'll even see action with the Burlington Northern at the Columbia River crossing where both railroads meet. If you like beautiful scenery from stark barren mountains to lush mountain forests to snow capped peaks, then this video is for you.
by Green Frog * 49 mins * Colour * Narrated. Price: £19.00
The Pokey is in the south west corner of West Virginia, Bluefield to Williamson thro' deep valleys & lush undergrowth of this scenic line. This is coal country with up to 150 trains a day! Watch as NS's new high tech power struggles to move the coal, often in a cloud of smoke, over the steep grades.
Price: £21.00
We traveled the length of the MRL in February 1997, braving cold and snow to bring you exciting action of one of regional railroading's finest. We take you through the blowing snows of Bozeman Pass with GP9s and C44-9Ws to the curves and steep grades of the legendary Mullan Pass, from the bleakness of Winston Hill to the scenic splendor of the Clark Fork and the semaphores of Lake Pend Oreille. There is lots of different power battling the elements from MRL's GP9s, SD19s, F45s, SD45s, SD45-2s to BNSF's "Pumpkins" and "Warbonnets". by Highball 120 mins * colour * narrated Price: £21.00
Thrilling passenger train action from early 50s into the 70s, from Illinois to east coast incl. NYC, Pennsy, Erie-Lackawanna, Monon, GM&O, B&O, IC, C&O, Milwaukee, Penn Central, GTW, etc. An evocative list of now sadly Fallen Flags!
Price: £19.00
Kicking Horse Pass is Canadian Pacific's crossing of the Great Divide in Canada's Rocky Mountains, the highest railroad summit in Canada. It runs through some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. We shot at the two most famous rail locations on the continent, Morant's Curve and the Spiral Tunnels - and many more stunning locations full of action, but regretfully one of the vagrancies of winter shooting was a ten foot snow drift that prevented us getting to the conventional shot of the tunnels. However join us for an exciting winter journey as we chase Action Red SD 40-2s through the heart of the Rocky Mountains from Banff, Alberta through Lake Louise and over Kicking Horse Pass, through the Spiral Tunnels to Field, then through Kicking Horse Valley to Golden, British Columbia.
by Highball 90 mins * colour * narrated Price: £21.00
