Customer Reviews

Railway Journeys: The Vanishing Age of Steam

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I reconsider the reasonable price and great packaging, maybe I should rank this item higher - maybe 4.5? (but cant figure to how to change the star rating) Bought this 5 disc set for my toddler who is steam train crazed right now because I was tired of watching the one Railway Journeys show we had on Tivo over and over and over and over and over...

A few of the videos in this collection do look like they are the old VHS versions in quality (I was looking for the tracking option on my DVD remote for a minute!!!) but if you are a railfan or have a child who is nuts for trains like mine is right now, there IS a TON of wonderful chugging, puffing, billowing steam and smoke footage in this collection. And if you can get past the poor sound quality on parts of most of the discs you might even be able to hear what the narrator is saying a good part of the time and you'll be able to learn some historical steam train info too!

I would rate this collection higher for its overall content and reasonable price but the sound quality and some of the scratchy old video make me want to lower my rating. NOTE: MY child does not care one bit about any of the stuff I am finding fault with. This collection is by far his FAVORITE group of dvds to watch! Our many Wiggles and even (gasp!) Thomas the Tank Engine dvds are now gathering dust!!

DOH! and forgot to tell you about the great metal case the set comes in, and the enclosed booklet with images and info from the dvds! My child likes the metal box with the raised image of the Steam Train on it almost as much as he likes watching the dvds. I'm sure the box will eventually be a home for some of his toy cars or trains. And he asks for the "book" to take in the car to "read" on the way to daycare in the mornings!

Overall I am happy with this Amazon purchase - and free shipping was an added bonus that helped keep it reasonably priced.

This 5 DVD disc collection covers completely the age of Steam. Rare footage of these grand iron horses before their demise to Diesel in the early 1950's. Thank goodness we still have the TOURIST STEAM RAILROADS around America!!

Sit back and enjoy these magnificent iron beasts pulling their heavy loads, puffing heavily as they move through the beautiful panoramic landscapes. This is definitely a collectors set!!!

Bottomline: Disc 1 covers Cass and Mower Lines and Canadian Steam. Bonus included, The Best of Steam the 1950's. Disc 2 covers Classic Steam the 1920's - 1960's. Bonus included, The California Zephyr. Disc 3 covers Steam of the 50's (throughout North America) and Steam Shortlines of the South. Bonus included, Wabash R.R. Disc 4. covers Colorado Steam and Colorado Narrow Gage. Bonus included, Santa Fe Odyssey Part 1 And finally Disc 5 covers Twilight of Steam and Steam Giants Across America. Bonus included Santa Fe Odyssey Part 2. Plus, a 20 page booklet covering the entire history of the steam engine a great supplement document to have.

This is a very enjoyable Collection seeing and hearing these mammoth steam engines powerfully cruising the rails with their wailing whistles sounding their approaches and departures. Buy it!! A great addition to your DVD library!! Enjoy.

As an avid fan of Steam locomotives i was thrilled to watch the videos capturing all well known Steam locomotives including the Biggest and most powerful the Union Pacific "Big Boy"
The Videos proceed with description narrated in the background and the original sound. There is enough time for one to hear he "Chug, Puff" of these steam giants, not to forget the Whistle!!!!

My son who is an infant simply loves these videos.

The 5th DVD covers a nice video on the Diesel Giants - Santa Fe.

A must buy for all steam Fans.

This set is well packaged and features tremendous video and is a an absolute bargain.

However, be warned that the narration is not worth the tin the set is packaged in. There are numerous errors in the script, ranging from the obvious to the obscure.

Enjoy the pictures, but trust little of what you hear.

I have not viewed the DVDs personally, but bought them for my StepDad's 60th birthday. He is an avid garden railway hobbyist and loves Steam Engines. He's been absolutely thrilled with the DVDs and the metal box they are packaged in.

As I reconsider the reasonable price and great packaging, maybe I should rank this item higher - maybe 4.5? (but cant figure to how to change the star rating) Bought this 5 disc set for my toddler who is steam train crazed right now because I was tired of watching the one Railway Journeys show we had on Tivo over and over and over and over and over...

A few of the videos in this collection do look like they are the old VHS versions in quality (I was looking for the tracking option on my DVD remote for a minute!!!) but if you are a railfan or have a child who is nuts for trains like mine is right now, there IS a TON of wonderful chugging, puffing, billowing steam and smoke footage in this collection. And if you can get past the poor sound quality on parts of most of the discs you might even be able to hear what the narrator is saying a good part of the time and you'll be able to learn some historical steam train info too!

I would rate this collection higher for its overall content and reasonable price but the sound quality and some of the scratchy old video make me want to lower my rating. NOTE: MY child does not care one bit about any of the stuff I am finding fault with. This collection is by far his FAVORITE group of dvds to watch! Our many Wiggles and even (gasp!) Thomas the Tank Engine dvds are now gathering dust!!

DOH! and forgot to tell you about the great metal case the set comes in, and the enclosed booklet with images and info from the dvds! My child likes the metal box with the raised image of the Steam Train on it almost as much as he likes watching the dvds. I'm sure the box will eventually be a home for some of his toy cars or trains. And he asks for the "book" to take in the car to "read" on the way to daycare in the mornings!

Overall I am happy with this Amazon purchase - and free shipping was an added bonus that helped keep it reasonably priced.

I have to rate this 5 DVD set a FIVE. Now I know there are a lot of
"purists" out there that point out the discrepancies they see and hear.
Although it's true that the narration has some errors in it, at least we know where we're at and what's going on.
Concerning "VHS" quality video, please remember VHS didn't exist in
the '50s and '60s; this was movie film, likely 16mm, that was converted to
a new format suitable for watching on TV or computer. Watching the original film probably would not show a significant improvement since film technology at the time was not as good as subsequent years.
That being said, I appreciate the fact that all the scenes were recorded for prosperity.
There are many hours of enjoyment and nostalgia here, and at the price it's being sold for is an absolute "best buy" for railroad fans.
The packaging is a wonder in itself! Relax and have a good time with these videos.

I am 62 and old enough to remember steam engines. OMG, there is no machine ever created by man more wonderful than a steam locomotive. I entitled this, Get Over It for those who find the sound not quite right, or the pictures not containing enough pixels or WHATEVER! Let me tell you that this set of DVDs is phenomenal!! I have never wanted to literally hug a machine, except for a steam locomotive. What a terrific video showing these beautiful, elegant, giant, behemoths at their best. Having once worked as a yard clerk for the Soo Line in Chicago, I can tell you I LOVE trains. But NOTHING, but nothing, can compare to a Steam Locomotive. Which is probably why I have my Lionel train set up all year long. If you love steam engines, or just want the thrill of seeing them in their prime, BUY THIS VIDEO!! It's the BEST! When you get to the last DVD that premiers the GIANTS, including the Big Boy, hold on to your hat. There is NOTHING like it!! What an era! Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200.00, BUY THIS DVD NOW!!

Good video set. Lots of live action moving trains through all sorts of terrain. Both my 7 year old son and his grandfather loved watching it!

I recieved this as a gift from a friend who is a fellow railfan and I can safely say this is the best collection of steam videos I've ever seen. The videos cover unique areas of railroading and are fasinating to say the least. There was even some footage of an Streamlined A4 Pacific being moved dead in tow to the National railroad museum and of Flying Scotsman running in America on one of the Discs. The only thing that would top it would be if Pentrex made a collection like this.

Despite the many good things there is one thing that prevents this from getting a 5 star review. That is some of the problems I've had with the set, particularly the last DVD on the set. On the first set I got the audio got scrambled part way through the video. My friend who also owns this set said the same thing happened to him as well. On the replacement set the audio was working right but when played on a computer the chapter selections were acting funny. Giving the video is from Green Frog productions and having prior knowledge of there DVDs I suspect this is just the way this last DVD was produced and not a problem of major concern if played on a conventional DVD player. Don't get me wrong Green Frog Productions makes great railroad videos, It's just my experiences of them on computers isn't to great. Overall it's a great buy for any one interested in Trains, I just recommend going to a store and getting it there and not on the internet. Just in case something goes wrong with it.