This new release combines color film shot nearly 20 years ago as well as fresh new material from 1999 and January 2000. The setting is the beautiful Wasatch Mountain range and its punishing 2.4% grades where helpers are a way of life. The town of Helper, Utah is still a stronghold for Rio Grande units with showcase helper action with sets up to seven units! Model Railroad News comments Charles Smiley Presents captures some of these moments from the past through heritage film, and contrasts those scenes with rail traffic of today in "Reflections on Soldier Summit." Tracking the evolution of the railroad through various avenues, his images convey the awesome territory that the Rio Grande conquered, and the brute force of the trains that did it. One of the hallmarks of the Grande was its use of huge helper sets of six, seven, or more six axle diesels, sinister with their paint soot-blackened by tunnel dwelling, prowling the twisting, turning rails. Modern yellow diesels of the all-devouring Union Pacific are shown on the same passes, and even though the UP is touted as wanting to avoid helpers, an SD-90 and a pair of high horsepower GEs still need extra oomph to get their coal up the grade---and sure enough, it's black and orange diesels doing the pushing. Smiley showcases vintage Utah Railway ALCO locomotives, first early RSDs and later, Alligators off the Santa Fe, Mostly still in yellow and blue. This is an interesting collection of images and anyone who is a certified Rio Grande fan will want to watch it. And if you're not a Rio Grande fan, this DVD will make you at least a little bit sorry it's gone. We use maps, grade profiles and other informational graphics specially developed for this video to bring recognition to all the great action filled material. Many of the historical themes are developed as well as current changes that are based on the events of twenty and thirty years ago. See the story too big for the others to tell. Including: Color film from M.A. "Bo" Golson Vintage Rio Grande and ALCos film Ride the Rio Grande Zephyr with runby action Comprehensive Rio Grande power guide Rumbling helper power on fierce 2.4% grades
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Customer Reviews
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- 4 of 5
Good flim,movie wonderful pictures reminds me of growing up. (grew up in provo)Shots of provo train yard great sights.
Additional comments:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Maybe.
Image quality: Excellent!
Value: Good value.
Recommend? Yes.
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- 5 of 5
This was a fantastic video! This area in the west showing the grueling grades and the locos grinding there way up! Incredible power display and great variety. Great show of how "helper units" were used. Just awesome! The scenery was relentlessness wow!
Additional comments:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Maybe.
Image quality: Excellent!
Value: Excellent value!
Recommend? "Must Have"!
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- 5 of 5
A really fine movie on a very beautiful region.
From Provo to Price Utah, an area of only 82 miles, most of the region is well documented. A few side trips to places like Donner Pass and Tehachapi also make appearances.
Plenty of Railroad names like SP, UP, WC, KCS, Conrail, Rock Island, CSX, BNSF, etc... all make appearances. Wide variety of many different power combinations from F9's to AC4400's. Utah RR is main focus with much on the old Alco line up, then on to the EMD and GE line up. Rio Grande along with the famed Zepher is noted in different scenes. Scenes from all seasons are shown. Some branch line operations and some scenes of coal loading. Also are several loops and horseshoes.
Narrator appears to be a GE locomotive fan as there are multiple scenes of both high HP GE's and EMD's SD70's and SD90's, yet there is hardly a word of the heavy EMD's, while the GE AC4400's are well noted. Not a great deal on the History of the region, as the movie is more focused on the operations at the time of filming.
Over all, well pleased in the purchase and highly recommended to all Railfans.
From Provo to Price Utah, an area of only 82 miles, most of the region is well documented. A few side trips to places like Donner Pass and Tehachapi also make appearances.
Plenty of Railroad names like SP, UP, WC, KCS, Conrail, Rock Island, CSX, BNSF, etc... all make appearances. Wide variety of many different power combinations from F9's to AC4400's. Utah RR is main focus with much on the old Alco line up, then on to the EMD and GE line up. Rio Grande along with the famed Zepher is noted in different scenes. Scenes from all seasons are shown. Some branch line operations and some scenes of coal loading. Also are several loops and horseshoes.
Narrator appears to be a GE locomotive fan as there are multiple scenes of both high HP GE's and EMD's SD70's and SD90's, yet there is hardly a word of the heavy EMD's, while the GE AC4400's are well noted. Not a great deal on the History of the region, as the movie is more focused on the operations at the time of filming.
Over all, well pleased in the purchase and highly recommended to all Railfans.
Was this review helpful?