Pentrex did good putting this video together. 1993 was a bad year for USA flooding and rail travel was difficult. Having to follow detoured trains became a challenge, and Pentrex met the task. While not a huge steam excursion fan, I did find the video quite interesting and would recommend it to the steam fans.

Pentrex and Main Line Motion Pictures were the only ones to capture the events of 1993. In Knoxville, Tennessee, Southern 4501 pulled the first day to Richlands, Virginia with the Independence Limited sponsored by the Roanoke Chapter NRHS. Day Two and Three, Norfolk and Western Class J 611 took over the train on former N&W main line to Portsmouth, Ohio and former Nickel Plate Road to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Final Day, two Nickel Plate steam engines 587 and 765 pulled the train the rest of the way to Chicago for the 1993 NRHS. In addition to Norfolk Southern steam specials, Union Pacific Challenger 3985 would also be traveling to Chicago but the 3985 ran many hours late when heavy rains and Missouri River flooded Nebraska and Missouri. More coverage of 1993 NRHS can be found in another Pentrex show; Chicago Steam Celebration. Great video but no chapters.

The part involving the Challenger 3985 battling through bad weather when a detour to Chicago forced the engine to take on a different route had represented a challenge for the mighty locomotive, despite the delay of a closed line, the hazards from rain and wind, 3985 did lived up to its name as the "challenger", thrust into a great challenge of chugging through serious weather of rain and heat. But it's well-worth it.

steam to Chicago is a unique video pentrex put together this video follows over five different steam locomotives from four different railroads heading for the 1993 nrhs convention in Chicago Illinois the Roanoke chapter of the nrhs sponsored the 1993 Independence Limited for four steam engines the first on the trip follows southern mikado 4501 on the first day of the independence limited from Knoxville Tennessee to Richlands Virginia than the second and third days of the independence limited were powered by the mighty norfolk & western class j streamlined northern 611 on the second day the 611 powered the the train from richlands virgina to portsmouth ohio on the former norfolk & western mainline then the third day saw the 611 pulling the train from portsmouth ohio to fort wayne indiana still on the former n&w than latter the former nickel plate road mainline than at fort wayne the train was than pulled by both operating nickel plate road steam engines mikado 587 and Berkshire 765 on a doubleheader from fort wayne to the calumet yard outside Chicago there's also a look at union pacific challenger articulated 3985 on a special train which she had the more difficult time than the engines of the ns as she was detoured in Nebraska and Kansas with the terrible flooding by rain until she would arrive in st. Louis Missouri the 3985 had almost missed the event due to the bad weather but she was still able to make it for anyone who's a fan of mainline steam this is a unique look at these five steam machines make their way to Chicago for highly recommend for mainline steam fans

This Prequel Video to the Chicago Steam Celebration video features 5 locomotives on 4 railroads heading to the windy city. Unfortunatley, Like the Big Boy 4014 Update and the Atlanta Steam Celebration DVDs, this one, doesn't have any chapter menus whatsoever. And not only that but Pentrex have listed the time limit wrong like their first Milwaukee Road 261 Video. I Checked the Time limit as the program plays, but its surprisingly a 75 minute video! The 261 tape is an 80 minute video as well. What was pentrex thinking back when these 2 videos were first released? Oh Well.