In part 1 of the return of the 1930 built hudson, the coverage starts at one of 2816's very first trips from Vancouver to Calgary as this journey was made in September of 2001 which was at the same was known as the month that American history has changed due to the 9-11-01 attacks on the twin towers in New York City. Prior to arriving at Vancouver BC for its 3 year long restoration in 1998, 2816 was originally on display at Steamtown both in Bellows falls Vermont which was owned by Mr. F. Nelson Blount, & later moved to Scranton Pennsylvania. During an interview with Al Broadfoot, there is a cameo shot of Royal Hudson 2860. During the restoration, it's already May of 1999 as 2816's boiler jacket was removed, as well as the front door of the engine's smokebox. Like every restoration of returning a steam locomotive to life, every nut, bolt, pipe, wheel, axle, traction rods, & even the main boiler must be inspected. A month later in June of '99 which at the same time the California State Railroad Museum held it's 10 day Railfair from the 18th to the 27th, the Hudson's boiler pressure is rising slowly as the crew inspects the gauges. Later, the workmen are inspecting the inside of the firebox. Here they used hammers to tap for any leaks on the boiler pipes. Meanwhile, another interview with Al is included, as the super heater tubes had to be removed & inspected, as well as the regular tubes & flues. Next, there was an ultra-sound test where an inspection of the boiler was performed. Afterwards, other parts like the Dynamo, the traction rods, the bell, & others have to be removed immediately. 4 months later, it's already October of 1999 as the BC Rail Alco switcher with a slug unit upfront, couples up to the un-assembled 2816 without the tender & rolls it out of the shops. Once outside, 2 mobile cranes removed the boiler from the wheels, & was carefully loaded onto the flatbed, while the same switcher couples up to the Hudson's wheels. Throughout the transition into the new decade, & new century, 2816's boiler was sent to Portland Oregon. It's November of 1999 as there is a lot of welding to be done on the boiler, not to mention the removal of the front smokebox. Meanwhile back in Vancouver, the frame over the wheels must be washed, as well as removing the frame for inspecting the cracks. Each set of wheels must be removed one by one both slowly & carefully, then it'll be sent all across the country to the Tennessee Valley Railway Museum in Chattanooga. Each driving set from 2816 weights in at 8 tons, & has a diameter of 75 inches. Already in the new decade, new century, & the new Millenium, its June of 2000 as the Hudson's boiler is being inspected at the since been demolished Brooklyn yard roundhouse & turntable where until 2012, it was the original home for SP&S 700 & SP Daylight 4449. Speaking of 4449, Engineer Doyle McCormick & his crew wastes no time fixing & repairing the boiler. Returning to Vancouver, the running gear, frame, braking system, & even the trailing trucks must be inspected & repaired. What about the tender? Well, it needs new trucks, a new water hose filling which is capable for operating both US & Canadian engines, & most important of all, Converting the entire Locomotive from coal to oil. 3 months have passed & its already September of 2000. Here the driving wheels are slowly turned for inspection as well as removing the grime its been gathering over the years. A month later in October, the wheels have already came back from Chattanooga as the wheels are waiting to be installed on the new/refurbished frame. Removing the wheels during the restoration is easier, but re-installing them takes challenges even harder. Before putting the wheels on the frame, it's very important that the surfaces of the frame have new shoes & wedges. Back outside the shops, it's already February of 2001, as the tender with some workmen, & even a lumber car with 2816's boiler on it after spending over a year at Portland, are being shunted in the yard by BC Rail 621. Later, they pick up the frame with wheels installed, then the diesel puts the unassembled locomotive into place where 2 more mobile cranes are slowly removing the boiler, & carefully installing it onto the refurbished frame. Before that happens, the diesel slowly moves forward while the 30 ton boiler is raised. Once that's finished, Al talks about converting the engine to oil. 2 Months later in April of 2001, 2816 is waiting for it's new cab to be installed, due to the original cab being really worn out. A month later in May, there is some more welding to be done before the new parts such as the domes, cab windows, & of course the bell are yet to be installed. Meanwhile, the new cab on the outside must be painted. It took a number of weeks, 8 paint samples, & even contacts with the CP Rail archives for the right match to be found. In August which is a month before we know what happened in America, 2816 is fully reassembled, as it is waiting for the test runs while every part is in working order. The date is August 16, 2001 as 2816 is getting ready to roll out for the first time as it makes its 3 test runs in Coquitlynn yard. Here a local freight with Geep 1627 arrives as 2816 idles on the track, then it rolls out to grab its assigned test. The Water Tender was originally built for a 1940 built Delaware & Hudson Challenger. The first test train for 2816 consists of GP38 number 3007, 2 cabooses (1 on each end), & 8 empty hoppers. The diesel was used for Dynamic braking. After the coupling onto the freight, the locomotive heads for the Cascade Subdivision. Our first trackside scene, shows the restored engine crossing over the bridge while testing its own bell & whistle. Next, the 2816 whistles at another crossing as the locomotive increases some speed, followed by another one, until it was parked at Vancouver in the intermodal facility between test periods. In the cab, a local Commuter train is rolling by the yard in the background for the preparation of the Next day's trip. With the blue flags removed, 2816 is slowly rolling out of the yard. While stopped at a station as well as some scenes from onboard, Another interview with Al is Included. Out on the mainline, 2816 was stopped for some Lubrication, as the wheels & other parts are greased & oiled. With maintenance finished, a cab ride is included. Taking the throttle is Bill Stettler, while Mark Liggins handles the fire. There will be some radio communications along the way, as well as some meets with other Freights. With the cab ride portion of part 1 finished, the 2816 crawls to a stop as it makes a race with an auto carrier. Back inside the shops, all systems are clear meaning that 2816 is ready for its journey to Calgary but before that happens, the Boiler jacket is re-installed which means more welding, especially tightening these with the bolts. Before the closing credits, Al Broadfoot said in a statement: "We Told Them That In The End, They'd Have An Excellent Product & I'm Pleased to Say It's Turned Out Very Well". Afterwards, there are clips from part 2.

Overall, SC Bradley did a decent job narrating this recently turned 20 year old program.

This program was on of the 10 RI titles that were Acquired by Greg Scholl in 2011.

Additional remarks by Steamboy:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Yes.
Image quality: Good.
DVD Value:: Fair.
Recommend to others? Definitely.