Southern 4501 - Return of a Legend2015 will be remembered as a milestone year for steam in the east, thanks to a short-lived but remarkable renaissance on the Norfolk Southern mainline. While Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 #611 got the majority of the attention, the return of Southern 2-8-2 #4501 was no less impressive. In 1966 the green and gold #4501 kicked off the Southern Steam Program, becoming an excursion-era legend in the process. The locomotive was finally taken out of service in 1998, 4 years after the end of the original NS steam program. In 2015 #4501 was once again on the mainline, this time in her original black paint scheme. This program covers the first mainline excursions, which operated during the last weekend of June as part of the Norfolk Southern "21st Century Steam" program. Departing from the Bristol depot on the Virginia/Tennessee border, you'll see #4501 on 2 trips to Radford, VA on the former Norfolk & Western Pulaski Division. You'll also see #4501 on an excursion to Bulls Gap, TN over the former Southern Railway line to Knoxville. With numerous 1% grades on each line, #4501 put on a great show pulling her 18-car train. In addition to the 3 public excursions, this program also documents the 2-day ferry move back to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga. With coverage of 5 straight days of operation (June 26th-30th), we'll take a comprehensive look at the new and improved #4501 - one of the best looking and well-proportioned Mikado-type locomotives. Filmed entirely in HD, this program features #4501 amidst the rolling hills of rural Tennessee and Virginia. With her haunting 3-chime whistle echoing thru the countryside, #4501 casts her spell on a whole new generation of admirers. This program has minimal narration (with the option to turn it on or off) and no distracting music. It's available on standard definition widescreen DVD, High Definition Blu-ray disc, and for rental or purchase through Vimeo's On Demand streaming service. | |
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Running Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Rent or Buy on Vimeo (HD)  Standard Definition DVD $20.00 High Definition Blu-ray $25.00 *note you must have a Blu-ray compatible player to watch Blu-ray discs
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Southern 630 - Thunder in the RatholeSteam on the CNO&TPAfter a 20-year absence, mainline steam finally returned to the Bluegrass State in the spring of 2014. As part of the new Norfolk Southern '21st Century Steam' program, Southern Railway 2-8-0 #630 pulled a series of trips in Kentucky on the Cincinnati, New Orleans, & Texas Pacific, more commonly known as the Southern Railway's 'Rathole' line. This program begins with coverage of two roundtrip excursions between Lexington, KY and Oneida, TN over the 2nd District of the CNO&TP. On Saturday May 31st and Sunday June 1st, #630 put on a spectacular show, pulling a 14-car train through the heart of the Rathole. While almost all of the 'Rathole' tunnels are gone, this is the most scenic portion of the famed Cincinnati to Chattanooga mainline, with many high bridges, deep cuts, and steep grades. This program also includes coverage of the last mainline trip of the spring schedule on Saturday June 7th. Departing from the Grand Junction station at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, #630 travelled north from Chattanooga, TN to Oneida, TN on the CNO&TP. This excursion commemorated the 50th anniversary of 2-8-2 #4501's historic trip from the Kentucky & Tennessee Railway in Stearns, KY to her new home in Chattanooga at the TVRM. This 1964 deadhead move eventually laid the groundwork for the original Southern Railway steam program, which began in 1966. #630 puts on an impressive show in what may be her last long mainline trip. With 56-inch drivers, she sounds like a locomotive twice her size - especially while working hard at 40mph with a 14-car train. In addition to a number of thrilling runbys, you'll also see the locomotive being serviced in Oneida, as #630 is prepared for the return trip. Filmed entirely in HD, this program features high speed running with great stack talk, as #630 works hard to pull her train on a number of 1% grades. This program has minimal narration (with the option to turn it on or off) and no distracting music. | |
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In addition to the standard widescreen DVD, this program is also available on HD Blu-ray disc. Running Time: 76 minutes Standard Definition DVD $20.00 High Definition Blu-ray $25.00 *note you must have a Blu-ray compatible player to watch Blu-ray discs
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Southern 630 - Steam on the Mainline2013 Bristol Area TripsAs part of the new Norfolk Southern '21st Century Steam' program, Southern Railway 2-8-0 #630 powered two excursions in early March 2013, originating from the historic depot in Bristol, VA. Located on the Virginia/Tennessee border, Bristol was served by both the Norfolk & Western and the Southern Railway in the steam era. Both railroads shared the depot on State Street, with the Southern heading south to Knoxville, TN and the N&W heading north to Roanoke, VA. On Saturday March 9th, #630 pulled a public excursion north to Radford, VA on the old N&W Pulaski District. This 221-mile roundtrip passed many locations made famous by photographer O. Winston Link including Seven Mile Ford, Rural Retreat, and Max Meadows. A cold morning made for great steam plumes, as #630 put on an impressive show pulling the 13-car train. On Sunday March 10th, #630 headed south to Bulls Gap, TN with another public excursion, this time on former Southern rails. This 152-mile roundtrip passed some familiar territory for #630, including Johnson City, TN where she operated on the ET&WNC from 1952-1967 before being reacquired by the Southern for excursion service. This program also has coverage of the Monday ferry move to Roanoke, VA where #630 would operate more public trips the following weekend. Filmed entirely in HD, this program features high speed running with great stack talk, as #630 gives it her all with her 56-inch drivers. This program has minimal narration (with the option to turn it on or off) and no distracting music. | |
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In addition to the standard widescreen DVD, this program is also available on HD Blu-ray disc. Running Time: 58 minutes Standard Definition DVD $20.00 High Definition Blu-ray $25.00 *note you must have a Blu-ray compatible player to watch Blu-ray discs
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Chesapeake & Ohio 614 - Track SpeedThis DVD covers the excursions Chesapeake & Ohio #614 ran on New Jersey Transit in 1997 and 1998. It has been digitally mastered from my original VHS videotapes. Built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1948, C&O #614 was one of the last 4-8-4 type locomotives (called Greenbriers on the C&O) constructed in the United States, and also one of the most advanced in terms of design. All roller bearing - with an enormous boiler - and the most modern steam technology, #614 is an impressive machine, especially when witnessed pounding the rails at track speed as she was built to do. If you've seen any of my #614 videos on Youtube, you know how spectacular these trips were, and how increasingly rare this type of mainline steam action is now. We see #614 pull 20+ car passenger trains unassisted at speeds up to 79mph on the former Erie Railroad mainline between Hoboken, NJ and Port Jervis, NY. This DVD features plenty of pacing (with some incredibly close shots of the locomotive) and many, many high speed runbys with unbelievable stack talk. While Mark I Video's "Return of a Thoroughbred" covered the October 1996 trips in incredible detail, seemingly little video exists of the 1997 and 1998 trips. The quality of my video isn't quite on par with the Mark I production (they had much better equipment, and I was by no means a professional at the time), but the action is unparalleled on this DVD, especially the pacing scenes on Route 17 in New York. | |
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This DVD consists of all my #614 videos on Youtube in higher quality, plus lots of extra footage and deleted scenes not available online. There is no distracting music or narration on this DVD; just well-filmed and well-edited clips of #614 at work. This is a standard definition DVD-R in 4:3 format and should be compatible with any DVD player. Running time: 91 minutes Standard Definition DVD
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