Train Month Part 3
New Worlds, Old Worlds
This week for Train Month we are looking at five fresh tapes from the collection of a fellow VHS enthusiast! Just a few months ago, I was contacted by a reader who mentioned that they lived somewhat close by (they recognized places in some of my photos), and we started talking about tapes and collecting, etc. Turns out they had several train tapes that they were willing to trade with me!
Just a few days later, I went a couple towns over from me to meet them for a lazy Saturday morning breakfast and we made a huge trade. I had about 20 tapes they were interested in ranging from movies to home-recorded PBS specials to travel docs, and they had a big stack of the kind of stuff that I like to digitize for the blog. It was a wonderful morning and I really appreciate our time together and the trade! Thank you so much, Holly!
So, for this week, We’ve got a three part box set that will take you all over the world by train, and two tapes featuring some well-taken-care-of steam engines from years past. All Aboard!
From The Pyramids to Down Under
Scenic Railway Journeys of The World
2000 | Runtime: 56 Minutes
Travel to bustling Cairo to see the greatest wonder of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid, still the most powerful and mysterious wonder in our world today. Follow the enigmatic Nile south to the lands of the pharaohs - Luxor, Karnak, Aswan - and more! Ride through India in luxury on "The Palace on Wheels" to see the world's most exquisite building, the Taj Mahal. Enjoy an extraordinary pilgrimage to the holy city of Varanesi. Travel to China to the colorful city of Shanghai, then feast your eyes on the stunning sights of exotic Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Explore the gorgeous, sweeping vistas and unforgettable natural beauty of Australia on a thrilling coast-to-coast rail journey "down under!"
New Worlds, Old Worlds
Scenic Railway Journeys of The World
2000 | Runtime: 56 Minutes
All Aboard for a spectacular journey across the United States. Visit the legendary "Big Apple," New York, New York, sophisticated Chicago, glittering Las Vegas, then enjoy stunning views of the great American West! Travel up into the beautiful mountains of Mexico over exhilarating bridges and through brilliantly engineered tunnels to see magnificent Copper Canyon! Next, witness the awe- inspiring step pyramids at Chichen Itza, home of the ancient Mayans. More beauty awaits as your rail journey takes you to South America to the world famous Andes Mountains in rugged Ecuador. In scenic Peru, you'll explore the mystical "lost city" of Machu Picchu. Your final destination is the incomparable glory of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world!
The Grand Tour
Scenic Railway Journeys of The World
2000 | Runtime: 56 Minutes
Ride the exquisite Glacier Express high into the world-famous Swiss Alps, enjoying unforgettable views of lush Alpine valleys, glittering rivers of ice, glorious snow-capped peaks. See the haunting beauty of Spain's beguiling countryside, then take a side trip to tour the charming, old-fashioned world of Valencia. Next stop - Barcelona, famous for its beautiful architecture and sophisticated lifestyle. Travel by rail along one of the world's great rivers, Germany's lovely Rhine. Enjoy a unique view of the charming castles and ancient fortresses along the shore. Next, see Italy's exquisite Tuscan landscape, then board the most famous train in the world, the luxurious Orient Express for your final destination the magical city of Venice.
Riding the Rails
On America's Most Beautiful Steam Engine
1993 | Runtime 30 Minutes
There was a time when you could buy candy bars for a nickel. Gasoline was two bits and America rode the rails behind giant steam-powered loco- motives. Now you can relive that glorious age as you ride the rails behind the most beautiful steam engine ever built in America, the 4449 Daylight. You'll hear the whistle as you ride in the cab with the engineer and his fireman. Watch as her mighty steam-powered drive wheels forge through remote snow-capped mountain ranges across the West's most beautiful territory. With the smoke stack erupting volcano-sized steam clouds into the cool mountain air, you'll marvel at the power and the beauty of this massive steam engine.
Thunder on the Rails
1990 | Runtime 30 Minutes
The Old West was an awe-inspiring place where boomtowns sprang up overnight, and the steam-engine train was the life blood of the frontier. "Thunder on the Rails" takes you on a video journey back to that legendary place in time. You'll relive the adventure on two of the Old West's most famous railroads; The Virginia & Truckee and Nevada Northern. This thrilling program puts you inside the cab of the giant Baldwin locomotives listening to the engineer. Shovel coal, ride the cow catcher and drive rods. See how the American West was really traveled! If you love trains and the Western Frontier, then climb aboard and let the whistle blow! This video is a must!
Well, that’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the third installment of TRAIN MONTH! If you’re looking for more, please check out my page on Archive.org for the full list of digitized media. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message right here or drop a comment below. If you haven’t already, please check out the one of my previous posts ⬇️, or all of my other previous posts here. Thanks so much for checking out this week’s edition of Diptych!
See you soon!
—Forrest
Welcome to Train Month!
Well, it’s June, and I’ve got a surprise for all my railfans! As I mentioned back in March, I’ve been collecting train media for well over a year now, and it’s FINALLY time to share what I’ve found. I’ve got tapes from yard sales, a DVD from my local Goodwill, box sets from a library free bin, and maybe even an LP from a record shop! I know many of you have been waiting a long time for this, so ALL month I’ll be bringing you the best train content I could find. And uh… I’ve found a lot!
Train Month Part 2
This week I have for y’all five tapes from the year 1995, and each one is something special for all my readers who love trains! But before we get right into the tapes, I’d like to take a moment to highlight a post from all the way back in the spring of 2022:
I can't believe I have to go to work all day with the knowledge that these train vids are waiting for me....
Skipping the Garfield movie matinee to watch trains today