Customer Reviews

Great Railroad Adventures, Vol. 2: Swiss Rail Journeys

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought volumes 1 and 2 of this set. The DVD is most likely a copy of VHS original. I would have liked a better quality picture. These DVD's don't give justice of the true Swiss countryside.

If you're familiar with the 'Swiss Rail Journeys,' a 15-episode series originally telecast on BBC and PBS, this isn't it. So far as we know, those episodes, produced by a talented two-person British team and featuring various journeys on individual trains and routes, are still only available on VHS. But worth having.
There are two episodes on Vol. 2 here -- one called the Wilhelm Tell Express and another covering just about every form of rail transport between Basel and the Italian border at Chiasso.
The former, which appears to be a copy of a copy as far as video quality, starts with a lengthy tour of Lucerne, then a lake steamer cruise down the Fierwaldstattersee. In fact, it's more than 30 minutes before the camera climbs on a train for the trip from Fluelen to Locarno and Lugano, and much time is spent detailing the cities and towns along the route.
The latter, with marginally better video quality, attempts to film every train that runs north to south in Switzerland. Most trains are shot from varying distances, but there is an interesting assortment of equipment. And it sounds like the narrator is the same man as in the 15-episode SRJ.
Although neither episode is dated in the credits, the Lucerne train station can be seen under construction in both. The station burned in 1971 and was rebuilt from 1984-91. In the "real" SRJ, filmed in the early 1990s,the new station, designed by the noted Spanish architect Calatrava, is open, indicating that both these episodes are older.
In their favor, each is an honest hour long, compared to the "real" SRJ's 50 minutes.

This video is really miss titled. It does not contain very much footage of the Swiss railways. It contains more footage of boat cruises around various Swiss lakes than railways. It is still worth the price and is interesting, but not what I was expecting.

These could have been (but aren't) companion pieces since both share much of the same route and a few of the same clips. Episode One is for tourists: a visit to Lucerne, a boat trip, and (33 minutes later) a brief scenic train ride. Episode Two with an emphasis on freight is far less scenic but should delight train buffs--lots of technical detail on equipment, track gauge, tunnelling, gradients, livery. Happy to have it but won't be on my "constantly replayed" pile.

The picture, obviously copied from VHS, was a little grainy, and not really up to date close to this year. More like it was filmed in the 1980's. I would think twice before buying this.

WOW !!! This is a beautiful and breathtaking video . Scenery was out of this world and I am extremely glad I bought it