Product Details

• Format: NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Counter Top Video
• Run Time: 201 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1886089248
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,712 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Actor

This was a really fun program to produce. The staff aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief is first-rate, and went out of their way to show us (and through the camera lens, you, the viewer,) their unique southwest hospitality.

The American Southwest has a certain mystique, and all of the trains in this program tell the story of the Southwest in their own way.

Product Description

The latest in the America By Rail series, this outstanding program follows Amtrak's Southwest Chief from Chicago all the way to Los Angeles.

Enjoy the scenery as you depart the Windy City, then race past farms, the Great Plains, over the southern Rockies, and on through the Great Southwest before your arrival in the "City of Angels".

Sample dinner in the diner, the sightseer lounge, and your own private bedroom, and watch America's incredible scenery roll by in this superbly photographed epic!

You'll visit 8 exciting steam and diesel tourist railroads, plus see such nearby attractions as Abilene's Dwight D.Eisenhower Museum, historic Dodge City, and a brief visit to old Santa Fe. And of course, we pause for a visit to the Grand Canyon, one of the highlights of any trip aboard the Chief.

Along the way we visit several historic and scenic excursion railroads: the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad in Kansas, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad which runs along the border of Colorado and New Mexico and is considered one of the finest preserved steam railroads in the entire world, the Santa Fe Southern which departs from historic downtown Santa Fe,Arizona's stunning Verde Canyon Railroad, California's Orange Empire Railway Museum, the world famous Knott's Berry Farm Railroad, L.A.'s beloved Angel's Flight Railway, and the American Orient Express.

The America By Rail Series is available once again! Order today! 90 min

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic scenery of our country, November 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: America By Rail:Heartland [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A coast-to-coast trip from Washington, DC to San Francisco aboard Amtrak's Capitol Limited and California Zephyr. See our nation's capitol, lush Ohio Amish Farmlands, the Great Plains, the Rockies and Sierras, before skirting along side San Pablo Bay and on into Oakland and San Francisco.

Along the way visit the following steam and diesel tourist railroads: Strasburg Railroad, Potomac Eagle, Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Ohio Central, Boone & Scenic Valley, Omaha Zoo Railroad, Durango & Silverton, Heber valley, Virginia & Truckee, Napa Valley Wine Train, Roaring Camp & Big Trees, and Santa Cruz Trees & Pacific.

States covered include Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California.

This superbly photographed. award-winning epic runs 2 hours. Winner:Videography Awards VHS Color Stereo Sound

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent: Side Excursions, Beautiful Scenery, Great Music, November 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: America By Rail (DVD)

I first watched America By Rail several years ago after running into a newspaper ad for it. It was better than I had expected: The scenery was absolutely stunning, the music by Michael Lynch was superb and very appropriate for the changing scenery, the narration was minimal but very well done, and there were many side excursions to older, historic railroads all across the US.

America By Rail starts in Washington, DC, our nation's capitol, and journeys through the "Heartland" of our country, through Chicago and Utah, until we reach San Francisco, CA. There are shots from inside the train, outside the train, from high above...I thought this was marvelously done. The creators Greg Scholl and Les Jarett certainly did a commendable job, and I, being a nature lover, was very impressed with the wonderful photography.

Well worth the price.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Sampler, February 24, 2000

By 

Mr M R Thornhill (Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: America By Rail (DVD)

We may be zone 4 for DVD and PAL television (not NTSC) but we have our methods of beating the system.

Found this to be a great introduction to Amtrak services with great views of the US countryside and informative commentary. Particularly liked the fact that where the scenery or train dominated the screen the narration stopped. Very rare in this type of program.

The side excursions on preserved lines were interesting and whetted the appetite to try them myself.

Having always intended to tour the US and Canada by rail I can only say keep lobbying your government to keep Amtrak funded - its an asset worth keeping.

Also purchased 'Travel the World by Train - North America' (don't bother) and The Great Trans-American Ride (not bad).