Customer Reviews

The History of American Railroads: The Era of Diesel

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

 

 

The video "History of American Railroads: The Era of Diesel" is over four hours long, is filled with vintage railroading action, and is a very good value.

However, the liner notes and the chapter titles do not do properly describe the chapter contents. One would think that the last chapter, "Transition Years" would fall chronologically after the previous chapters. That is not the case. Rather, this last chapter is focused on railroad operations, not always passenger, out of Chicago, and is not really about the demise of passenger travel.

The second chapter "Great Passenger Trains of the South" is neither about passenger trains nor is is about the Diesel era. Rather, it is about rail activity around Atlanta, which includes civil war still photographs, steam trains, freight trains, and trolleys, none of which are suggested by the chapter title. There are very few "Great Passenger Trains of the South" in this hour.

The first and third chapters are closer to their advertised subject, but I was disappointed at the lack of coverage of such passenger giants as SP, GN, NP.

Finally, the video contained a fair amount of Amtrak footage--totally unrelated to the glory days of passenger travel.

So, there's lots of video, and decent quality video, and it makes a good bargain. But don't expect to find what the liner notes or the chapter titles advertise.

This DVD is over 4 hrs long and does a decent job of covering the Fallen Flag Railroad during the late 1950's to the early 1970's. All of the chapters are narrated and cover a broad section of the US. Best DVD for the cost.

Well worth the money and quite detailed of an era gone by. This disk is 4 hours long and you will find yourself watching it over and over. All footage is shot in high quality color and detail. I viewed this on a 43" screen and it is unbelievably clear and detailed. it is not HD, but nonetheless high quality. All in all if you are a trail lover this is for you.

I ordered this for my son. He watched in excitement but then when it came time for Part Two, there was nothing there. I ordered a replacement, which was sent promptly. Same problem, in the exact same place. Part Two is not there.

Informative and interesting review of Railroading for the person looking to understand the history and hobby of railroads.