Tag: Great Northern

DVD Review: Covered Wagons of the Cascade

December 11, 2016

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“Covered Wagons of the Cascade”, by Pentrex.  Copyright 2016.  48 minutes, color, stereo, narrated, maps, original sound.  Retail $29.95.  Item CWC-DVD.

I received this DVD in the mail yesterday, a Christmas present given to me from….me.  This is the first DVD I’ve purchased in a long time, and it is quite an enjoyable program.

The DVD starts with vintage Amtrak “rainbow” era footage at Portland, OR Union Station and Chicago Union Station in 1971-72.  This is a beautiful but brief look back at that colorful era before repainting into Amtrak coloring took place.  This has personal significance to me (see my earlier post titled “It’s All My Dad’s Fault”).  I’ve often wondered why certain Rail fan DVDs include material from outside the geographic area mentioned in the title – Portland, and especially Chicago, are definitely not in the Cascades.  Perhaps this footage was included to round out the total length of the DVD with material from the same photographer.  Whatever the reason, it’s a welcomed inclusion in this case.

The majority of this DVD consists of Burlington Northern F-units pulling manifest freights between Seattle and Sumas, Washington, on the Canadian border, from the mid-1970s through 1981.  F3s, F7s, and other vintage power including ex-Northern Pacific GP9s with roof mounted torpedo tubes and bells are shown.  Freight cars of the era make a strong appearance on trains traversing the beautiful Cascade region, including vintage BN cabooses from predecessor lines.  The photographer shares a cab ride with us as well.  A bonus toward the end of the program is a train being handed over at the Canadian Pacific interchange at Sumas, WA.  Three CP GP9s, one still in maroon and gray, take over from there.

One feature I believe could definitely be improved is the maps that accompany some of the chapters.  They include minimal detail and incorrect state boundaries and shapes, providing minimal reference more than the general filming locations.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable program worth owning, especially if you are a fan of EMD Covered wagons, early Amtrak, Burlington Northern and its predecessors, Washington State or 1970s railroading.  Enjoy!

Seen any good railfan programs lately?  Let me know:

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It’s All My Dad’s Fault

December 5, 2016

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It’s all my Dad’s fault.  See, when I was 3 years old, my Dad built me a layout for the Lionel trains of his childhood (a 2026 steam locomotive and set).  It was 3 x 6 feet and had casters instead of table legs so I could store it under my bed.  I can remember it quite clearly – the original plan was an up and over design from a Lionel track plan book, but the weight of the 2026 meant cranking up the speed to get it up the hill only to have said weight cause it to crash on the way down.  So plan B was an inverted figure 8 with a 45 degree crossing and three sidings.  This was 1972, and I was hooked.

I grew up in Glenview, Illinois, milepost 17 on the Milwaukee Road in North Suburban Chicagoland.  My Dad enjoyed photographing and filming (Super 8) the rail action in Glenview. He compiled some footage and titled it “Trains out of Glenview”; don’t bother looking for it online or anywhere else – I have the only copy.  He brought me to the depot with him on several occasions to watch the early Amtrak “rainbow”trains of the era come and go on their way to and from Milwaukee and beyond.  I was amazed at these colorful trains, and Great Northern’s “Big Sky Blue” quickly became my favorite and has been to this day.   And once again I was hooked.

By the time the above photo was taken on Halloween, 1973, it was too late – I was hooked for life.  My Dad was a very interested man, and trains were just one of his many interests.  It wasn’t his only interest that wore off on me, but it sure wore off the most.

This blog is a new adventure for me, and I will be covering all things flanged wheel from my perspective.  I hope you enjoy it – feel free to let me know what you think.   And I thought it fitting to open with this tribute to my Dad, because after all, it’s all his fault.

How were you introduced to the flanged wheel?  Let me know below:

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