One Mans Trolleys George Krambles Reflects on a Half Century of Electric Railroading DVD
★★★★★★★★★★4.5 of 5 (2)
His remarkable narrative is a personal excursion through the heritage of electric railroading, from the twilight of the Indiana Railroad through today's Chicago Transit Authority and beyond.
This video begins with Kramble's at the Illinois Railroad Museum, where he shows us some famous cars, including the restored Electroliner and Indiana Lightweight. We then follow Krambles to Chicago, where four decades of rapid transit progress parallel his own rise to become Executive Director of the Chicago Transit Authority. Remarkable footage covers all the important developments: the elevateds, the building of the subway, the interurbans, the formation of the Transit Authority, and especially the Skokie Swift.
One Man's Trolleys consists mostly of archival footage; the balance of the show is a well-paced blend of modern video from the Illinois Railroad Museum and the CTA's new Midway line, as well as interviews with Krambles industry colleagues, and some historic stills. Bill Warrick (of Midwest Traction Classics fame) produced the show; Krambles hosts and narrates. Running time is 54 minutes, mostly color.
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This video begins with Kramble's at the Illinois Railroad Museum, where he shows us some famous cars, including the restored Electroliner and Indiana Lightweight. We then follow Krambles to Chicago, where four decades of rapid transit progress parallel his own rise to become Executive Director of the Chicago Transit Authority. Remarkable footage covers all the important developments: the elevateds, the building of the subway, the interurbans, the formation of the Transit Authority, and especially the Skokie Swift.
One Man's Trolleys consists mostly of archival footage; the balance of the show is a well-paced blend of modern video from the Illinois Railroad Museum and the CTA's new Midway line, as well as interviews with Krambles industry colleagues, and some historic stills. Bill Warrick (of Midwest Traction Classics fame) produced the show; Krambles hosts and narrates. Running time is 54 minutes, mostly color.
Customer Reviews
- 5 of 5
Great video where a 'pioneer' like George Krambles shows the trolleys and 'el's ' that played an important role in his life and where he played an important role in preservation of some of those. Great footage, some unique! Thanks!
Additional comments:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? I doubt it.
Image quality: A little rough around the edges.
Value: Good value.
Recommend? Yes.
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- 4 of 5
Overall, I was disappointed with this video. However, to be fair, it does have some positive points. This independently produced video appears to be produced on less than a shoestring budget. Modern footage is of poor quality. Vintage clips are somewhat better. This DVD is the story of George Krambles, who was Executive Director of the Chicago Transit Authority. The program starts out at the Illinois Railway Museum where Mr. Krambles talks about the various cars on display that ran in the Chicago area. There are also other museum employees who describe the trains in the exhibit.
Most of this video is vintage footage of the Chicago El, the first subway and the Skokie Swift line. And that is the strong point of the program. There's great views of fast moving trains on the Skokie Line, and we see lots of PCC style rapid transit cars, as well as the 4000 series el cars. Most of the vintage part of the program is narration over the older films. And there's LOTS of narration here. Mr. Krambles speaks a lot of his involvement in all aspects of the CTA, and much of it is very interesting. But he speaks without taking much of a breather, and there's a lot of information you have to digest while watching the trains. In addition to the rapid transit, we also see PCC cars gliding down the streets of Chicago. The video ends with modern day filming of the new Midway Airport line and a short look at a CTA shop. If Transit Gloria Mundi rehabbed this video, it could be something nice, especially with all the vintage footage. But I felt it was definitely overpriced given the amateurish production. It's obviously only for the transit enthusiast.
Most of this video is vintage footage of the Chicago El, the first subway and the Skokie Swift line. And that is the strong point of the program. There's great views of fast moving trains on the Skokie Line, and we see lots of PCC style rapid transit cars, as well as the 4000 series el cars. Most of the vintage part of the program is narration over the older films. And there's LOTS of narration here. Mr. Krambles speaks a lot of his involvement in all aspects of the CTA, and much of it is very interesting. But he speaks without taking much of a breather, and there's a lot of information you have to digest while watching the trains. In addition to the rapid transit, we also see PCC cars gliding down the streets of Chicago. The video ends with modern day filming of the new Midway Airport line and a short look at a CTA shop. If Transit Gloria Mundi rehabbed this video, it could be something nice, especially with all the vintage footage. But I felt it was definitely overpriced given the amateurish production. It's obviously only for the transit enthusiast.
Additional comments:
Narration: Way too much!
Would kids enjoy this? I doubt it.
Image quality: Poor.
Value: Overpriced.
Recommend? Only if really interested.
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