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In this new program, it starts with a montage of clips, followed by a look at the oldest operating 2-8-0 number 154 as it is operating on a 3 car freight special (2 boxcars and 1 gondola) with a little red caboose in the Knoxville area. The date for the special was on April 9, 2011, as this trip was recorded by Ronald Burkhard. The first runbys of the day are at the Holston River Bridge. The weather wasn�t co-operating, but at least it�ll still be reminiscent of the final days of steam on the regular southern railroad. The sun is coming out of the clouds as 154 is making more runbys at the entrance to the McWherther Riverside landing park in downtown Knoxville. A pedestrian/bike path runs along the tracks, with a fence between them. East of the holston River Bridge, the final runbys of the 2011 special is along Asbury road. Afterwards, we fast forward the clocks to November 10, as Engine 203 is on a charter train that was used for the three rivers rambler. Between the caboose and the 3 coaches is an open air gondola. Next, 154 is following behind 203 as it is hauling the Norfolk & Western/NS Coaches. Behind the coaches and 154 is diesel number 2250 which will be used to tow the train back to Knoxville due to no runaround tracks at both ends. Once again, 154 is crossing the holston River Bridge in the late afternoon sun. This was the final scene for the 2011 coverage of 154. As we fast forward to 3 years later the same month but 19 days later in 2014, as 154 is on the regular three rivers rambler that was shot by Brady Sanker. Prior to departing Knoxville, some close up looks of 154�s parts are shown. Afterwards the 1890 consolidation departs Knoxville. Throughout the 2014 segment, 154 is wearing a Deep toned steamboat whistle. The first scene shows 154 squeezing between the gates and Publix food and pharmacy. The second departure is from the bicycle path with CSX hopper cars seen in the background. The locomotive with one of the diesels on the rear of the train is through city limits as it is passing the Tennessee River. The multi arch bridge is for automobiles. The steel bridge is Norfolk Southern property. Going under various bridges, 154 is still whistling as goes through an unprotected crossing. During the panning shot you can barely see Brady through the reflection of both the cab and the tender. Next, 154 is whistling by the McWherther riverside landing park entrance. Afterwards there are 3 scenes east of Knoxville which is near the top of the grade. One is being viewed from the bridge, the second features 154 on an S curve, and the third/final scene of the 154 coverage is at the bend which is near the dead end tracks.

From Knoxville, we head about 100 miles south to Chattanooga as 630 is operating on the Tennessee Valley Railroad museum pulling the missionary ridge local, on the day after Ron Burkhard recorded the 154 freight special. The first scene shows 630 crossing the chickamauga creek bridge. One car is from the N&W, the other 2 cars are dead RDC budd cars. Next 630 is departing the museum depot at grand junction as it heads west with another train for the day. A map of the museum tracks are shown. This was the first full year for 630 to ever came back to life since it last ran in the 80s. Moments later after using the east Chattanooga turntable, 630 arrives back at grand junction. On a different trip, 630 crosses the 986 ft long missionary ridge tunnel. It was revealed that the summit is located inside the tunnel. Back at the museum grounds, there is a wye for the entire train to turn around. The final 2 scenes of the April 2011 visit is 630 crossing the chickamauga creek river bridge in both directions. On March 12, 2018, a Peter Lerro productions photo charter is shown as 630 exits the missionary ridge tunnel on a freight with 2 coaches behind the caboose. More scenes of the March of last year�s specials will be shown in one of Greg�s upcoming titles: Southern Doubleheader. We will see 630 & 4501 later in this video.

While the main of this program was shot in Tennessee, there is a trip west to the Monticello railroad museum in Illinois as number 401 is operating on a special freight train in wet weather. The first scene shows 401 going under the wabash line which is a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern. Prior to the special, 401 leaves the shops as it prepares for its regular train of the day. The date is October 13, 2012 as 401 departs Nelson crossing station. Sitting on display is republic steel corporation 0-6-0 number 191. Backing into Monticello, the train crosses cementary road as a horn is placed on caboose 2834, which was built for the wabash. The entire trip was recorded by Brady Sanker. Leaving Monticello, there is some riding footage from the open coach which was originally a Nickel plate flatbed behind 401. From the ground, 401 is rolling through the trees as it goes into the crossing. A mix of both the rain and the fog is shown as 401 picks up speed. Back onboard, 401 goes through more trees as it approaches the museum grounds at Nelson crossing. Back on the ground, heavy rain is still pouring as 401 is negotiating a bend as it bravely chugs through nasty weather. Listen carefully for the thunder in the sky. While 401 operates one weekend per month, it�s still decent to see the engine in service as it is seen going backwards right into the maintenance shops after a busy day on the rails. Listen carefully for the wind during the panning sequence. The following day, a cab ride is included. Afterwards 401 makes a head on shot through a small grade as it approaches Brady. Again note the wind blasting through the mike. Moving onto the freight special with 401, this was shot by Ronald Burkhard last year on May 18. The first runbys show 401 rolling through some grass. Again, note the wind. During the charter, 401 is facing southwest. Many of the scenes with 401 contains vintage cars. This is a remake to what the pre-world war 2 railroading was like in America. On one runby, 401 is whistling. Then comes another one but it�s a bit further down the line. Next the automobiles came to a stop at the crossing as 401 passes by, which includes a repeat but with minor differences. With 401 cleared, one car crosses the tracks. In the next 2 scenes the engine makes a bend as it passes by an onlooker. Afterwards, the special makes 2 runbys at the crossing with each car facing a different direction, and our coverage of 401 comes to an end as it arrives back at the Station.

Throughout this program, there are 3 consolidations, but Back at the Tennessee valley railroad museum, there is a 2-8-2 that operates for the Southern which is 4501. First the mikado is being paced along holtzclaw Avenue in foggy weather on Saturday October 21, 2017. This sequence is a deleted scene from 4501 to Summerville, as it was recorded by Greg himself in the east Chattanooga area. Listen to one of the best bells and whistles on a steam engine. Suddenly, the weather changed, as 4501 whistles through Cleveland street. Random product placements are shown throughout the pacing sequence such as the Wendy�s burger sign for example. Leaving the deleted pacing sequence behind, we fast forward to 5 months later on March 13, as the engine is on a Pete Lerro productions special as it makes 2 runbys crossing the Trion bridge over the Chattanooga river. This segment was taken from one of Greg�s upcoming titles: Southern Doubleheader. This entire weekend was shot by Ronald Burkhard once again. Speaking of doubleheaders, 4501 teams up with 630 in the lead, as the 2 engines pass by the museum�s grand junction depot about yesterday. Next, the duo is on the museum wye. Note the automobiles next to the display engines. Afterwards, the special is heading east on the chickamauga creek river bridge, followed by 2 runbys at missionary ridge tunnel heading west. In the following scene, 4501 is leading the train. The next day, 630 and 4501 are on the Summerville line as it passes by the Peerless woolen mill in Rossville. Further down the line, the 2 engines make a race with a single automobile as they approach chickamauga. One of the favorite locations on the Chattanooga to Summerville line is at an S curve in Rock Spring Georgia, with a private house next to the crossing. On most of the day, 630 is doing most of the whistling for various crossings. This concludes the doubleheader segment in this program, as well as Ronald�s footages. Fast forward to 8 months later on November 10, Brady Sanker recorded the return trip from Summerville back to Chattanooga. The first scene shows 4501 alone as it approaches an S curve in Martindale Georgia. Again, listen to one of the best bells and whistles on a steam locomotive. Next, 4501 is rolling through a crossing at Lafayette. On that day, the locomotive is pulling 10 coaches, which includes a Canadian National coach in the consist. At Rock spring, a photo runby was performed at the state�s northwestern technical college/walker county campus. With the runby completed, the sun is starting to go down as 4501 is passing by the chickamauga battlefield, the peerless woolen mill in Rossville (note the mistake at the crossing lights), and quickly climbs up on a steep hill back to the museum tracks as it approached the missionary ridge tunnel when night is beginning to fall.

Overall, Christopher Kovacs (trainmaster844) did an incredible job narrating this program.

Additional remarks by Steamboy:
Narration: Could have used more.
Would kids enjoy this? Definitely!
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value: Good Value
Recommend to others? A "Must Have"!

southern steam variety is a vary unique video sharing footage of all 4 operating steam locomotives of the former southern railway the video first starts of with southern consolidation 154 in knoxville tennessee first with the engine on a fright train during a photo charter in 2011 than another run with another charter with some of norfolk southern's passenger cars than the regular train rides named the three rivers rambler next is a vist to the tennessee valley railroad museum in chattanooga tennessee in 2011 with southern consolidation 630 operating the museums train rides (this was also the year when the 630 returned to steam) there is footage of the 630 runing solo on a fright train during a two day photo charter on march of 2018 (which also had southern mikado 4501 included) than the next segment looks at southern consolidation 401 on the monticello illinois railroad museum with the 401 on the museum's train ride there's a cab ride on the 401 with the crew and trackside runbys to show how the ride is the last segment on the 401 is a photo run in 2018 with the 401 on a fright train with vintage cars making a look from the past the last engine for the video is southern mikado 4501 which tvrm had been restoring the famed mikado in 2011 to returning her to steam in 2014 which made this the restoration for the 4501 her most extensive restoration with some modifications the segment follows the 4501 on a pacing segment to summerville georgia (which the descreption says it's a different day from the 4501 to summerville video) than there's scenes of the 4501 on the photo fright train solo than there's some scenes of both the 630 and the 4501 doubleheading on the photo fright (the photo fright is also part of the new video southern doubleheaders) there is also a scene of the 4501 on a 10 car train returning to tvrm before the return there's a photo run at rock springs and a nice sunset shot to finish this video this video is a video for anyone that is a fan of the southern as these locomotives put on a display on operation of sights and sounds

Additional remarks by chris collins:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Maybe.
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value: Good Value
Recommend to others? Definitely.