Customer Reviews

The History of American Railroads: The Years of Steam

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The History of American Railroads: The Years of Steam" is quite a bargain, considering that it is over four hours of content on one modestly-priced dual-layer DVD.

The first chapter is mostly black-and white, which is acceptable for the time period covered. The other three chapters, from later periods in railroad history, are generally in color. Much of the sound has been dubbed in, not recorded at the same time as the video. That's acceptable for footage taken with silent equipment in the 20s-30s-40s and even into the 50s. But some of the latest footage could have been done with live sound. The result of that is that one often hears a different kind of locomotive than what one sees, and the rhythmic sounds do not sync with the motion of the driving wheels.

Much of the content on this DVD has been previously published. Chapter 3: "Years of Transition II" can also be seen on the previously released "American Steam in the Fifties and Sixties." I recognized virtually all of the footage contained in "Years of Transition I" but have not identified the video that contained that footage in an earlier release.

It's good footage, and very nostalgic and enjoyable. And there's certainly lots of it! But be prepared to get some duplicate footage if you already have a modest railfan library.

I am a New York Central fan - this DVD has excellent vintage footage! I highly recommend it!

This hour long CD has many quality shots and has a wide appeal not only to the train buffs, but those who even have a passing intrest.

I purchased this DVD based on a number of favorable reviews it received. It's a little slow getting started at the first. As a matter of fact, most viewers can probably skip the first segment entirely to get to the meat of the history of steam. The DVD shows scores of engines and briefly mentions the origins of many, which makes for a more interesting view of the subject matter. Much more of the footage than I would have expected is in color and I really enjoyed that facet of the presentation. Being several hours in length, some viewers may want to break up their viewing into segments. I watched the DVD all the way through and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Highly recommended.

This is on of the most informative videos (DVD) I have ever seen
on the history of railroads especially The American steam locomotive.
If your going to buy any video on railroads or locomotives from the
1940's to the 1970's then this is the one.
Mike

If you like Steam engines, this is a good one, vert good prelude to the Diesel Era.

I recommend "When Giants Roamed the Earth" over this piece. You do get to watch some trains but I prefer the historical development of steam trains.

havent watched it
gift for my husband.











thank you
MAB

An interesting collection of the steam railroading side of the industry which will be a great addition to a railfan or railroaders collection.

Great DVD for steam train lovers. Lots of different type of steam engines and very interesting.