2017 was a good year for mainline steam, and we traveled across the country "In Search of Steam" in order to film four of the biggest locomotives operating today. Our first stop was Ogden, UT in late April, where Union Pacific 4-8-4 #844 was being readied for a 2-day trip across Wyoming. This was the end of the "Boise Turn Special" and you'll see the Ogden to Rock Springs leg on April 27th, followed by Rock Springs to Cheyenne on the 28th. #844 put on a great show as she headed home amidst cold, windy, and wet weather.
Next we traveled to Roanoke, VA in late May to see Norfolk & Western #611. The streamlined 4-8-4 pulled her last excursions of the year on Memorial Day (May 29): 2 half-day trips over the legendary Christiansburg Mountain grade. This footage is also included on N&W 611 - Reborn Vol. 5. Then we're off to Chicago in mid-June to ride and chase Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 #765 on the "Joliet Rocket" excursions. #765 ran 4 half-day trips from Joliet to Chicago's LaSalle Street Station during the Father's Day weekend (June 17-18), with some high speed running on Metra's Rock Island Line.
Our last stop is Portland, OR at the end of June, as Southern Pacific 4-8-4 #4449 gets ready to pull her first mainline excursion in almost 5 years: a 2-day trip to Bend, OR and back. On Saturday June 24th the 'Daylight' raced up the Columbia River Gorge, before traversing the wild and scenic Deschutes River Canyon on the way to Bend. The next day #4449 returned to Portland and you'll see many of scenic highlights of the route, plus more fast running on the former SP&S mainline along the Columbia River.
Filmed entirely in HD, this video showcases four of the most iconic locomotives in the US, and features lots of high-speed running and great stack talk. This program has minimal narration (with the option to turn it on or off) and no distracting music.
In addition to the standard widescreen DVD, this program is also available on HD Blu-ray disc.
Running Time: 84 minutes
(plus 7 minutes of previews)
Next we traveled to Roanoke, VA in late May to see Norfolk & Western #611. The streamlined 4-8-4 pulled her last excursions of the year on Memorial Day (May 29): 2 half-day trips over the legendary Christiansburg Mountain grade. This footage is also included on N&W 611 - Reborn Vol. 5. Then we're off to Chicago in mid-June to ride and chase Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 #765 on the "Joliet Rocket" excursions. #765 ran 4 half-day trips from Joliet to Chicago's LaSalle Street Station during the Father's Day weekend (June 17-18), with some high speed running on Metra's Rock Island Line.
Our last stop is Portland, OR at the end of June, as Southern Pacific 4-8-4 #4449 gets ready to pull her first mainline excursion in almost 5 years: a 2-day trip to Bend, OR and back. On Saturday June 24th the 'Daylight' raced up the Columbia River Gorge, before traversing the wild and scenic Deschutes River Canyon on the way to Bend. The next day #4449 returned to Portland and you'll see many of scenic highlights of the route, plus more fast running on the former SP&S mainline along the Columbia River.
Filmed entirely in HD, this video showcases four of the most iconic locomotives in the US, and features lots of high-speed running and great stack talk. This program has minimal narration (with the option to turn it on or off) and no distracting music.
In addition to the standard widescreen DVD, this program is also available on HD Blu-ray disc.
Running Time: 84 minutes
(plus 7 minutes of previews)
Customer Reviews
👍 3 found this helpful
- 5 of 5
in search of steam vol 1 looks at four of the nations big operating steam locomotives that operating during the 2017 season the video starts of with union pacific 844 at the end of April returning to her home in cheyenne wyoming during the end of the Boise turn special with a late winter snow the next segment follows norfolk & western 611 on her last trips of the 2017 season this took place over the memorial day holiday traveling over christiansburg mountain for two half day trips out of her hometown of Roanoke virginia next nickel plate road 765 is on the Joliet rocket trips in Chicago traveling on the former rock island railroad over the father's day weekend these was the only mainline trips for the berk in 2017 the last segment follows southern pacific 4449 on the cascades daylight trip from her home in Portland to bend organ at the end of june and her first mainline trip since 2012 overall this is a good presentation of mainline steam i hope that they'll be a second vol in the future
Additional comments:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Maybe.
Image quality: Excellent!
Value: Excellent value!
Recommend? Definitely.
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- 5 of 5
The segments shown in order for part 1 with outstanding footage & narration from James Parfrey Are: Union Pacific 4-8-4 number 844 from Cheyenne Wyoming to Idaho & return through the snow, highlights from “Norfolk & Western 611 Reborn Volume 5” which fun fact: Les Jarrett of Railway Productions was also on the 1950 Roanoke Virginia built 4-8-4 Northern’s Memorial Day weekend trips that was captured in the 2018 DVD & Blu-Ray: 611 on home rails, Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 number 765 on it’s second year operating the Metra Commuter Rail’s Joliet Rocket to Chicago’s LaSalle Street Station in Illinois, & the longest segment covers the final mainline excursion trip of Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4 number 4449 from Portland to Bend Oregon & Return which 2 more producers were also on 4449’s 2017 excursion: Marcam Productions & 7Idea. Minus 844, these are the final excursions for 611, 765, & 4449 before one of Amtrak’s worst presidents: Dick Anderson of Delta Airlines created the no steam specials policy. Almost 10 years after this program was made, 765 made visits to the Cuyahoga Valley Line & the Wheeling & Lake Erie in Ohio, as well as the Indiana Northeastern railroad in Ohio, Michigan & of course Indiana. 611 operated excursions at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer North Carolina, the Strasburg Railroad in Lancaster County Pennsylvania for a family reunion with 4-8-0 number 475, & in recent years the Buckingham Branch Railroad in Virginia, & neither 844 nor 4449 hasn’t been out in action for a number of years after the 1944 Alco Built Northern operated the final run of the frontier days special in 2018, as well as Doubleheading with the newly restored Big Boy 4014 in May of 2019. Will the Daylight & the Living Legend be able to operate on the mainline after being equipped with positive train control? Who knows.
Additional comments:
Narration: Could have used more.
Narration can be turned off.
Image quality: Excellent!
Value: Excellent value!
Recommend? "Must Have"!
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