In this now 30 year old program from Video rails, it starts with a narrative introduction on 8444�s big journeys of the 80s. The action starts at caliente canyon in Nevada. During 8444�s journey to Los Angeles, pentrex, Dave Goodheart And of course video rails, shot 8444 from Cheyenne, while the VR segment didn�t start until the unretired northern is at caliente canyon on the freight only caliente subdivision. Next the engine rolls through Etna, NV after a 30 minute layover at caliente as it continues to Vegas. Behind 8444 is E unit 951 from Cheyenne, and SD60M number 6085. Afterwards it continues through the heart of the canyon at Boyd, as well as passing by the caliente cliffs. At Garnett, 8444 is picking up speed into the flat desert base. Departing Las Vegas the next day (May 4, 1989), 8444 is passing through the big yard. Some bits and pieces of the yard was latter shown in History Channel�s American Restoration. Next it passes by the mountains at Sloane. At Jean, 8444 is roaring through the desert at 70 MPH whistling by the cameraman. Next it highballs through Nipton. Afterwards, the engine descends the grade at Cima hill, as it approaches the bend and into Kelso. After service and resting at kelso, 8444 crosses the Mojave river while having some unexpected wheelslips through Afton Canyon. After this scene, one of the most unforgettable moments of steam action in the 80s is happening as both 8444, and Southern Pacific daylight 4449 which traveled all the way from Portland Oregon wearing 2 different whistles minus the rarely used air horn, makes an incredible side by side entrance to LA Union station. Not only was Video Rails there for the Grande entrance, but noteworthy railroad video producers, Pentrex, Greg Scholl, Dave Goodheart, Mark 1 Video, and other forgotten short lived producers were there for the big event. Not to mention some of the local media was there for an unforgettable event. If you don�t know how this entrance goes, Mark 1 was onboard 4449, while Greg was halfway between the mission tower, and the whole station platforms, and pentrex, Video Rails, And Dave Goodheart was at the platform for a great head on welcome. Next, the history of Los Angeles union station is included which contains some archived advertisements, vintage silent films and photographs. Did you know that when the station was built cost at about $11M?! In honor of the opening, there was a big street running parade. In this program, there was dubbed audio, while nearly 25 years later in 2013, Greg Scholl made a program of mixed variety of steam on the SP which also contains the parade, but with music by Gene Michael productions added. After the parade, we fast forward to the 50s as many of these scenes were later shown in the 1995 pentrex program: historic Hot Spots-Railfaining Southern California in the 1950s. At the transition into the 60s, railway travel became obsolete, as baggage cars were rusting out, and the rails were ripped up never to be used again until the debut of Amtrak in 1971. After the 2 northerns make a side by side entrance into the station, the party had just begun. 4449 is sitting on track 9, and 8444 is on track 10. The 2 conductors from both engines make a good handshake on the exact front of 8444. While 951 isn�t the only streamlined diesel to be there, Santa Fe 347, and Southern Pacific 6051 also came to the big golden year for the city of angels from the California state railroad museum in old Sacramento. After the celebration came to a close, 4449 and 8444 are having a great race on Cajon Pass, about less than a week before the big tragedy on the south side of the mountain. Mark 1 and Dave Goodheart used their helicopters, while pentrex was onboard 8444, and that leaves video rails and GSVP for ground level shots. After the big race, and the 50th anniversary of LA Union station with 4449, 8444 returns northbound to Salt Lake City, as it heads west to Portland beginning with Cutler dam in Utah as it makes a slow 10mph speed limit to Pocatello Idaho. Early computer maps are shown in this program. At Trenton Utah, 8444 climbs and whistles through the sweeping curves heading to the border. Next it passes by Downey, and already crossed the state line at McCammon Idaho. The next day, 8444 is highballing through American Falls after spending the night at Pocatello as it heads to Nampa. Next it climbs through meadberry hill At reverse with the 2 diesels doing the assistant power for 8444. At the 30 minute mark of this video, 8444 is climbing through the desert at mountain Home as it approaches Nampa. A lone caboose is idling on one of the yard tracks as 8444 arrives in Nampa. From here, the unretired northern would head to its next leg of the journey to the northwest, Huntington Oregon. Beginning with the crossing of the snake river at Ontario (NOT CANADA), and into the Blue Mountains at Huntington making an S curve. At Oxman curve, the grade is now at 2.2% as 8444 climbs through the steepest part of the journey with some diesel helpers, wheelslips, and even billowing some smoke out of the funnel. Next the engine approaches the first summit at Encina Oregon, which was at an elevation of 3968 feet. At crooks Oregon, 8444 is descending the grade to La Grande, which is located in the middle of the blue mountains. The following day, 8444 leaves the halfway mark on the blue mountain route beginning at Perry Oregon. At Kamela hill, engineer Steve Lee takes the full throttle to give it all the engine got for what it takes to climb over the steepest section of the route. Halfway into the program, 8444 leaves the mountains behind as it passes by Meacham Oregon heading to Portland. At Barnhart, 8444 heads for Pendleton and Hinkle Oregon. At hinkle, there is a yard and also a diesel refueling facility, as 8444 uncouples the train, heading for a wash, some repairs, and also a good night�s rest. The following day, river barge: Knappton rolls through the Columbia river gorge as 8444 is racing through Arlington at 60mph and also whistling through. Next it passes by Blalock, and the Dalles for a brief stop. Leaving the gorge behind at mosier, 8444 makes her final trip for the westbound move to Portland. It concludes with 8444 at Westcliff and multnomah falls. Leaving the gorge the behind, 8444 whistles through troutdale. The engine would layover for a week. At the 46 minute mark, 8444 powered the Portland symphony orchestra train from Portland to bend through the Deschutes river canyon. On this trip, Only SD60M number 6085 would do the help while e unit 951 lays for a display at Portland. Also onboard the symphony special, the president of the Union Pacific, and Oregon�s govenor was onboard as well. On the north side of the river, 8444 crosses the north Sherar bridge. Next it crosses Trout creek bridge leaving gateway. On this run as well as the final miles to the engine�s homebase in Cheyenne Wyoming, Video Rails, Dave Goodheart and Greg Scholl was there for a trip with the final run of the northern as 8444 from Portland to Cheyenne. Next it crosses madras bridge. This is one of the longest bridges on the Portland to Bend line. 8444 also crosses yet another bridge-this time is at Crooked. At south junction, 8444 makes a short horseshoe curve. On the south bridge or the Sherar bridge, the engine crosses the deschutes River itself. Leaving the tunnel at Oregon trunk junction, the engine heads back to Portland on the Columbia River Gorge. At Wyeth, 8444 crosses one of the many Dykes alongside the river. With 951 rejoining the train, the long trip home to Cheyenne begins at Mosier Oregon. Next it passes by the double track main at the Dalles. The climb over the blue mountains is back as 8444 highballs through Hinkle. At Echo, 8444 passes by the grassy fields. A photo runby is performed as 8444 is having some trouble going backwards with the heavy train. At Meacham, 8444 passes by some freights with GP units and C40-8 standard cab units. This scene was shown in the blue mountains volume 2 video from 1990. Rolling downhill at Hilgard, the train descends the grades to La Grande. At La Grande, 8444 passes by another freight, this time it has a bay window caboose on the rear. In Telocaset, there is an unexpected blooper going on as 8444 soaks the lens on the camera. After some cleaning with the camera, 8444 whistles through Oxnard curve. Leaving the blue mountains and the state of Oregon behind, 8444 whistles through Nampa Idaho as it heads for Boise the state capital. Out of Boise, 8444 swoops the curve as it leaves the valley. At Mountain Home, 8444 is descending the grade at meadbury hill. Next the engine is climbing out of the snake river valley at Kings hill. Afterwards, it whistles through Gooding Idaho as it heads for Pocatello. At Pleasant Valley, 8444 is smoking this one really hard, as it makes an S curve. Finally the program comes to a close as the engine passes by a westbound freight, and also the wye. It is hard to imagine that it�s been 30 years since the unretired northern made her final runs as 8444 due to the GP30 diesel�s retirement. There are many things that changed over the years, such as upgrading the auxiliary water bottle, repainted the engine back to black with white lettering, and also removing the mars light. This program was one of the fewer VR titles to have Rodney Hunter Narrating. While video rails thought that this was an 80 minute program, it�s actually a 74 minute program. There is also a mistake spotted in the closing credits when Los Angeles Union Passenger terminal was incorrectly spelled As LUAPT instead of LAUPT. What�s also surprisingly enough is that Walt Disney Cartoonist, hard working railroader, and a good friend to TM Books & Video Ward Kimball appears in the credits. While this was pentrex�s 2nd Blu-ray to be made alongside the 2011 New Mexico & Arizona centennial special that also features the unretired northern, this was the very first Video Rails program to be made on blu-ray.

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