Pentrex – American Train Video Reviews (2024)

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: Cajon Pass

Timeframe: circa 2007- 2008

Length: 3 hours 15 minutes

Comprehensive coverage of the 3rd mainline addition in Cajon Pass. This show includes construction footage of the third line. A bonus cab ride, as well.

A single factory pressed DVD. Main Chapter Menu by locations. On/ Off narration.

Format is16×9 hi-def for the main section. The remainder is 4×3 in standard.

This show features nearly 16 miles of mainline from Verdemont to Summit. The story begins with extensive coverage before and after new construction. The BNSF broke ground for a third main in 2007. Through trains are running, as the heavy equipment operates. A huge project! It was completed in 2008. Excavation of Hill 256 to make room for the third track. Many intriguing views from this phase. A highly detailed narrative. Dave Drui provides excellent narration.

Blue Cut, Cajon, CP Walker, Hill 582 and Silverwood are additional chapters.

The locomotives are modern era. Large 3rd generation types are dominant. Obviously, there is much more in a three hour program.

To the Trains… 👉

Construction

A pre-construction cab ride shows part of the line. Sullivan’s Curve here. At Cajon Wash, a pile driver works on 1 of 5 new bridges to be built. Additional cab rides include travel into tunnels 1 and 2.

Tunnels 1 and 2 are daylighted. Trains traverse both tracks in this 2007 scene. Fascinating scenes of the tunnel removal stages.

Track 3 is complete. Another 51 trains per day travel through Cajon Pass.

Cajon Widescreen.

Verdemont Summit footage from 2008. Four blue/ yellow warbonnets with a BNSF unit. Hi-def, wide-screen video section.

In the DPU age. Occasional, manned helpers are still employed on Cajon.

New signals as seen at Cajon Crossing. BNSF 4436 on the point of double-stack move.

Union Pacific on a general freight passes former Tunnel 1. Note the wildlife ramp that has been constructed here.

UP5514 leads a freight. Takes the Silverwood connector to West Colton

BNSF 7552 on a quartet of engines with The Kaiser Hauler. They descend into Cajon Canyon. This train will get sideswiped later that day in Rialto by a Metrolink commuter. Out of area and is not within this show.

Two ex: Santa Fe warbonnets on the head at Summit.

Slowing to a stop. BNSF 4623 on point. Two locomotives run light and deliver a fresh road crew.

Bonus section is a cab ride. Runs at 35 minutes. Meet with an unspecified Amtrak oncoming in the distance. No narrative or on-screen details. Single front facing camera. This runs about 35 minutes long.

Triple Track Cajon

The modern, standardized version of railroading is not my cup of tea. The US conveyor belt is efficient. Based on largely Intermodal traffic. Two types of container cars. TOFC, trailer on flatcar. COFC, container on flatcar.

The main widescreen portion runs at two hours. Predominantly BNSF and some Union Pacific.a

Outstanding videography! Many new viewpoints and angles. Excellent live audio. Balanced with a relaxed narrative.

Now, if you are a modern railfan. This might be perfect for your interest.

I see why old timers mourned the passing of the steam age. The same can be said for those who grew up years before mergers and mega mergers occurred. Variety in locomotives and equipment was the key.

Well, that was then, and this is now. This is a high quality Pentrex show. If you enjoy double-stacks to oblivion. Here you go!

Rating: 5 Stars

• TagsAmerican Train Video Reviews, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, California, GE, railroads, Union Pacific

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: USA, Mexico

Timeframe: 1993-1994

Length: 2 Hours

This show is exactly what is advertised. Pentrex recorded surviving General Electric Universal series locomotives. They are still serving (mostly) on secondary lines in the United States. Mainline power in Mexico.

Each individual U-Boat type is featured. Statistics include years built and amount purchased by railroads. Naturally, horsepower ratings and spotting features, as well. Contains some footage from previous Pentrex releases.

A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu by model class. Narrated by Dave Drui.

The program is chronologically organized. Vintage photos accompany the video. Informative narrative and screens. Some highlights in this review. There is much more in the program.

To the Trains…

U25B. Southern Pacific 3100. Museum owned for this ex: SP diesel.

U25C. Lake Superior & Ishpeming 2501. Longer chapter with some smoky action.

U28B. TTI. Transkentucky Transportation Inc. fostered 18 units. Ohio River Barge Loader to Paris, Kentucky for reload. A load of empties is chased. A loaded coal move from Paris with 6 units is also highlighted.

U30B. Georgia Central. A U33B fronts a trio of U30B engines near Lyons, Georgia. Passing over Highway 29 to Dublin.

U30C. Guilford. Boston and Maine 663 in 1992 at Portland, Maine.

U33B. Blue Mountain & Reading 3303 is an ex: Conrail. South Hamburg, Pennsylvania to suburban Reading territory. Excursion Train.

U23C.LS&I 2304 in 1994. Conrail 6902 is working at Selkirk Yard in New York.

U23B. Late production to 1977. Second best seller. P&W 2208 (Conrail 2798) leads at New Haven, CT They haul a Stone Train in 1994. MoPac paint on 4502 on Central Michigan. Norfolk Southern with 2 at Kings Mountain, KY. Ex: L&N 3281 on CSX in Kentucky.

U34CH.New Jersey Transit. Double ended Excursion in 1994.

U36C. The U36CG for Mexico. Seen in Mexico. The 415 on a Mixed Train #27. This footage is from Mexico’s Pacifico Railroad show.

U18B. Baby Boat as Seaboard System 1907 runs through Beaver Creek, Kentucky. U18B travels through Beaver Creek, Kentucky. This CSX engine is still wearing Seaboard System paint as 1907.
The U18B, also known as Baby Boats. This was the GE answer in their U-Boat line to manufacture a smaller model for railroads.

U-Boat Survivors

A well organized catalog of the General Electric Universal series from the 1960s to 1970s. This show does not focus on vintage films. The is is a masterclass using contemporary examples. All models do not include movie footage. Some no longer survive.

GE Super 7 began with parts from the earlier incarnations. These get a look to close the show.

An obvious must-have for fans of older General Electric locomotives.

Rating: 5 Stars

• TagsAmerican Train Video Reviews, Coal, CSX, GE, General Electric, Guilford, Michigan, Pennsylvania, railroads, Reading, Southern Pacific, Train DVD

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: Western USA

Timeframe: 1950s – 1970s

Length: 1 hour 25 minutes

Source: Hank Griffiths

Pentrex has compiled two Video Rails shows into a single disc. Notably, Hank filmed nine 16mm color film. Steam to Diesel. Narrow gauge to Standard. Old logging lines, as well.

A single DVD-R. Chapter Menu by Railroad. Narrated. No maps. Previews.

Image quality and Cinematography are excellent. That 16mm film is the ticket for vintage films. Color balance is fine. Dubbed train sounds for the soundtrack. Informative narration.

Filmed primarily in Northwest US States. A jam-packed collection. Some highlights only.

To the Trains…

Oregon and Northwestern Lumber Company in January 1955. Mikado 1400 is hauling logs to Edward Hines Lumber. Eastern Oregon.

St. Regis #7 is a Shay operating on Klickey Klack. Assorted saddle tankers are shown.

Colorado and Southern double-header of 2-10-2 types. North of Cheyenne. C&S was a Burlington Route subsidiary road.

Vintage D&RGW narrow gauge steam. Checkout the revenue freight trains. A helper #487 shoves this freight upgrade. Chama to Antonito. Early era Tourist trains. Hank filmed these in 1960-61.

Union Pacific Steam. Transition era. Some wild steam and diesel combined lash-ups!Gas Turbine 64 with Northern 843 nears Green River, Wyoming.

Big Boy 4005 at Green River roundhouse in 1958. Plenty of Big Boy led trains operate on the mainline.

Plenty of Challengers are seen. The 3712 is on Pusher duty from Riverdale Yard in Ogden, Utah.

Union Pacific Diesels. A Lumber train travels downhill with F3A 507.

Filmed in Idado 1970. Ski special with a 5 unit lash-up. Consist of 23 cars. Portland Rose and Ski Specials behind E units receive coverage.

Southern Pacific. April, 1955. San Joaquin Valley steam powered Daylights. 4-8-4 GS class locomotives. Passenger and non streamlined freight service models.Cab Forwards in 1955. 4183 gets going on Alturas trackage.

Northern Pacific circa 1956. A behemoth Z8 class. Laurel- Billings Montana line. Other Z8 locos are shown.

Milwaukee Road. Electrified. 1970-1971. Little Joe’s on Avery Helper District. Rocky Mountain Division. Boxcabs, as well.

Milwaukee Road. Electrified. 1970-1971. Little Joe’s on Avery Helper District. Rocky Mountain Division. Boxcabs, as well.A Little Joe meets waiting boxcabs on St. Paul Pass at East Portal.

Big Boys, Cab Forwards Challengers & Daylights

Hank Griffiths is among the top railroad cinematographers of his era. Residing in Idaho, he captures some rare action.

Northern Pacific is hard to find, especially steam. Logging lines are also uncommon. He was present at the right time for Union Pacific in the transition years.

Solid entries for Rio Grande, Milwaukee Road, and Southern Pacific steam. Freight trains dominate. Excellent, as many others shot mostly passenger service.

There is much more within this fine collection.

A must-have for anyone with interest of 1950s to early 1970’s railroading. That 16mm all color film is great!

Rating: 5 Stars

• TagsAmerican Train Video Reviews, Logging, Milwaukee Road, Northern Pacific, railroads, Rio Grande, Southern Pacific, Steam, steam train, Union Pacific

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: KS, MO, IA, WI, MS.

Timeframe: circa 1999

Length: 1 hour 21 minutes

The third installment of this Pentrex series. Midwestern area. Class Ones and smaller railroads are the subject material. Coverage is across 5 States.

Union Pacific is the big boy of this show on the Coffeyville sub. Alsothe Spine Line on the Albert Lea subdivision. Illinois Central is on the mainline in Iowa. BNSF’s St. Croix sub in Prescott, Wisconsin. Canadian Pacific’s River sub at Hastings, Minnesota. Regionals include; I&M Rail Link in Iowa plus Wisconsin Central’s Superior sub. There is enough Southern Pacific paint within for a guest star role.

A single DVD-R. Live environmental audio. Choice of On/ Off narration. On-screen graphics with symbols and further train info. Plenty of MAPS! Previews.

Dependable Pentrex quality. David Drui with a sharp narrative. Excellent Videography. Professional in every aspect.

To the Trains…

Show leads off with Union Pacific on the Coffeyville sub. Eastern Kansas to KC. At Bucyrus, train C-NANW travels to Newark, Arkansas, with a coal move. Led by SD9043MAC 8032. Early version SD90MAC with 4300hp.

Illinois Central has a nice extended chapter. Having left Webster City, ICRR GP11 8732 with a local freight. Travels yonder to Fort Dodge Yard.

I&M Rail Link. Marquette to Mason City, Iowa line. Train 377 is followed to Mason City. Number 384, ex: BCOL SD-38 is the lead unit. Trailing is a former Southern in Susquehanna livery. Manifest, Marquette to Mason City.

Leaving Mason City. Action directs Northbound via Union Pacific. The Spine Line is ex: Rock Island to St. Paul. CNW leased the line after Rock Island closed. A CNW C44-9W 8613 is in charge at Manly, Iowa. Minneapolis to Geneva, Utah. O-MIGV is the symbol for this Taconite move. It’s a long chapter.

Albert Lea Tower is a rare survivor. Another Taconitemove with Southern Pacific units leading.

UP EMDs on a Coal Train to Green Bay. Albert Lea Yard. Gets transferred to WC for final delivery.

Twin Cities leads to Hasings, MN. Canadian Pacific 4599 is resplendent in a fresh Golden Beaver scheme. The ex: Soo Line GP38 is operating in Hastings at the old Milwaukee depot.

4384 in BNSF Heritage premium paint. This Manifest symbol is M- NSINTW1-01. This is Burns on the BNSF trackage. Chicago to Northtown Yard. Norfolk Southern origin. The lift bridge spans the St. Croix River.

WC is the final chapter. Junction City, Wisconsin is a hotspot. This Canadian National freight with 5690 leads number 177. The 6 unit lash-up rolls past the camera. Intermodal to Winnipeg.

Wisconsin Central F45 6655 and SD45 6598 on WC Train 18. Wausau to Stevens Point. Led by an Electromotive cowl diesel, these are highlight lineups for Railfans.

The Best of the Midwest Volume 3

An interesting assortment of railroads and locomotives. The high level of detailed information is great! In fact, the subtitles are fascinating. One wonders when trackside. What is the origin and destination of many trains? The foreign power too. Trackage rights, or leased motors?

The combined: narrative, train info, and maps are more intriguing than the ugly graffiti disfigurements on the freight cars.

Notice the contemporary era is best when featuring scenery or a ton of good information.

One would think that map references would be a standard on the majority of shows in the marketplace. They add a sense of geographical awareness and scale to a show. Sadly, this important facet is often neglected so often. Fine work here.

This is a fast paced show. The variety and detail create an enjoyable presentation. Well done Pentrex!

Rating: 5 Stars

• TagsAmerican Train Video Reviews, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Chicago North Western, Chicago railroad, Coal, Illinois Central, railroads, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific

Producer: Pentrex

Locations: USA, Canada, Mexico

Timeframe: 1986-1997

Length: 1 hour 58 minutee

The final installment of this series. Each features Alco diesel locomotives. Later models appropriate to the time progression. Big Century road power is featured. Schenectady built to Montreal Locomotive Works.

These engines are seen on a variety of railroads. Mainline, Shortlines and Industrial service. Contains some previously released film.

A single DVD. Main Chapter Menu by locomotive types. Billboards with locomotive specifications. No maps. Narration by Dave Drui.

Schenectady built designations. C-425 example. C for Century type. 4 is the four axles. 25 shows 2500 horsepower.

By the way. The old rule of thumb on Alco versus Electromotive of LaGrange engines. The Alcos blow black smoke. The EMDs blow blue.

To the Trains..

Montreal built RS-27/C424 types with CP Rail 4217/ 4250. Brownsville Jct, Maine, a freight from Canada to the Banger and Aroostook.

Two Centuries to New Brighton, Minnesota. C-424M is Delaware and Hudson. Old number was 462. Cheap paint over marks it as 62 now. The D&H was rebuilt. GBW 313 trails.

Susquehanna 2010 with a high hood. Hamburg, New York. A C-420. 251 powered and was originally on Long Island.

C-420M operate at Holbrook, Arizona, on the Apache Railway. The 5 units pull into the yard. This being located off the Santa Fe mainline.

C-628. The last Survivors were working for FCP in Mexico. Number 606 was built in 1966. Pentrex Mexico’s Pacifico Railroad the source for this footage.

C-425. Erie Lackawanna had the first order. Former BCOL 603 is on Mohawk, Adirondack and Northern at Rome, New York.

A trio of Alco diesels at Browns, Illinois. Lead is ex: L&N. The former BN was previously on KYLE.

C-630 5308 is restored in Reading Lines- Beeline Service scheme. This is on Reading and Northern. A 3000 horsepower diesel. Owned by Reading Technical and Historical Society. Working on a Special Excursion Train with an ex: GBW engine, nee Reading Lines.

C-630M trio on Cape Breton. Trains operating in Nova Scotia. Impressive to see these hauling freight at track speed. Additional units in BC Rail paint are viewed in Mexico, working for FNM.

Cartier still operating C-636 and M-636 models. They haul ore predominantly.

Continues with a variety of Bombardier built units. HR-616 was a modernized Century.

Those Incredible Alcos Volume 3

An intriguing show packed with hard to find Alco and Montreal Locomotive Works power. Visits multiple countries to document the assorted examples. No vintage footage. Seems to have been shot in the 1990s.

There is much more to see. Obviously, the review format just has highlights.

The usual high quality Pentrex production.

Alcophiles need this program. Plenty of surprises and perhaps unknown diesels. Any Model Railroader od Railfan should find this wide-ranging show interesting.

Rating: 5 Stars

• TagsAmerican Train Video Reviews, Canada, Canadian Pacific, Chicago railroad, railroads, railway, trains, transportation