Welcome to Train Month!

All Aboard!

Jun 05, 2024

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!

First off, though, if you haven’t already, take a look at this post from February of last year:

A Journey Across Asia

Forrest

February 28, 2023

While I was looking through the bookshelves at a Habitat Re:Store in my area, I spotted a whole line of train and travel tapes that had recently been decommissioned from a local library. I often come across train videos, however it’s very rare that I find some from these regions, which seems somewhat odd to me, as many Asian countries, like Japan, are known the world over for their highspeed rail travel.

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In this, I highlighted a set of 5 tapes, all from World's Greatest Train Ride Videos, each depicting the rail travel through a different country in Asia. World's Greatest Train Ride Videos will come up a few times over the course of this months posts (including today’s entry with a fantastic ride through Switzerland towards the end of this article). Over the last year, A Journey Across Asia has become my most viewed article, and the one I receive the most messages about. I get it, even as someone who just has a small interest in trains, the videos produced by World's Greatest Train Ride Videos are really fun to watch and look amazing.

This month, I’ll take care to highlight the rest of my previous posts that contain train content, to make things easier going forward, as I haven’t always been great about organizing everything properly, and I’ll include a master list of train content at the end. Stay tuned in all June! Well, take a seat. The conductor will come around shortly to punch your ticket as we leave the station! Enjoy!

Back Of Beyond:

A Living History of The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

2005 | Runtime: 100 Minutes (including the bonus feature: Tracks Through Time)

Explore the legend of a train that carries the history of the beautiful Smoky Mountains along its rails. These mountains were the deepest backwoods of a forgotten frontier and in a testament to its remoteness, Author Horace Kephart called this region the "back of beyond". This is where the Cherokee Indian Nation had prospered. But increasing pressure from settlers, miners and loggers forced them out. This railroad was built as an economic development tool for the whole region and opened up the last frontier.
The 48 minute DVD includes Back of Beyond plus the awarding winning bonus feature, Tracks through Time. Narrated by Dennis Weaver, this feature tells the story of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad's motivation to build the line in 1881 and captures the history through the years.
Enjoy the beauty of the trip on board the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as the train winds through the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado.

The Algoma Central Railway:

Tracks Of The Black Bear

1989 | Runtime: 56 Minutes

The Algoma Central carries over 3 million tons of freight and 125,000 passengers annually from Sault Ste. Marie, on the shores of Lake Superior, north through 296 miles of incredibly beautiful and virtually unspoilt Ontario wilderness. Its construction demanded excellent and sometimes unique civil engineering skills from its builders. See exactly what makes 'The Tracks of the Black Bear' such a unique and popular railway. The famous passenger trains as well as the mainline freights are featured in three seasons, idyllically warm summer sun, breathtaking fall colours - and fighting through snow covered winter landscapes. The entire railway is covered from both the cab, trackside and, for one section, even on the communication gang's Speeder! Of course the spectacular scenery is seen in detail, but the day to day operations of this unique railway are also seen and clearly explained. This is mainline railroading through some of North America's most spectacular scenery.

Switzerland:

World's Greatest Train Ride Videos

1995 | Runtime: 60 Minutes

"The World's Greatest Train Ride" video series takes you on the train adventure of a lifetime! Filled with all the breathtaking excitement of authentic train travel, this exhilarating journey through Switzerland is hosted by popular television actor Bernie Kopell, and takes you on three complete rail tours.
Your train adventure begins aboard the Brienz Rothornbahn Railway, the last regularly scheduled steam train in Switzerland. You'll make your way past picture-perfect farms and charming chalets, on up through majestic alpine country, all the way to the dazzling Rothorn summit. Your adventure continues with a very special tour on the Raetische Bahn Railway, Europe's "best kept secret" train ride. This remarkable excursion takes you past postcard-like villages that seem to cling to mountainsides, over bridges that are amazing feats of engineering skill and then on a thrilling run up Mount Weisshorn. And for the final leg of your adventure, hop aboard the BLS Railway for a truly spectacular high-speed journey that whisks you through flower-filled river valleys, up to the Alp's greatest mountaintop vistas.
"The World's Greatest Train Ride" video to Switzerland features extraordinary scenic beauty, historical landmarks and many, many memorable points of interest around every bend. Ready? All aboard!

The Canadian Rockies:

Great American Rail Journeys

2003 | Runtime: 54 Minutes

Rolling through the majestic mountains of British Columbia, The Skeena-with its colorful locomotive and sleek dome car-offers train enthusiasts an unparalleled trip through the Canadian wilderness. As The Skeena cuts through 700 miles of this province's awe-inspiring countryside, meet unforgettable local characters whose daily lives are affected by the train. Cross paths with amazing wildlife, including elk, moose, bears and schools of salmon. Explore the Columbia Ice Fields, almost 200 bridges, and the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies' tallest mountain. From gentle river rafting to an invigorating mountain climb, The Skeena links together one great adventure after another.

Well, that’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the first part 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