BIG BOYS and Brothers in the ‘50s 

In honor of the re-steaming of Big Boy #4014, rare never-before-seen footage of working Big Boys and their brother locomotives with their sleeves rolled up at the height of their glory in the 1950s.

Thirteen members of the Big Boy fleet strut their stuff over the Union Pacific's steepest grades. See #4014 in its prime, working hard on Sherman Hill and the Wasatch Mountains. Several unbelievable minutes of double-heading Big Boys—no one really knows how long those trains actually were! An exhaustive survey of UP's fleet of Challengers: in freight and passenger service winding over the mountains, across the plains of Nebraska, and through the open West to the pounding beat of live steam exhaust. 

4-8-4s flash by with their deep, echoing steamboat whistles. In a cameo appearance, #844 (still alive and steaming today), carries mail express over Sherman Hill in the days before anyone had ever heard of a “steam excursion.” Several of the “Big Blow” gas turbine engines and a range of early diesels on the UP handle heavy freight and the pride of the “Cities” streamliner fleet.
From Sunday River and JMJ Productions

John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid

With the creation of the Gorre & Daphetid (Gory and Defeated), John Allen single handedly moved model railroading from a children’s pastime to a form of art. These rare films—discovered after a fire tragically destroyed the model masterpiece in 1972—capture the devotion and sly humor that Allen infused into his miniature universe. Trains in two gauges cross snow-capped mountains and more than 100 soaring bridges. Desperate outlaws, train wrecks, trolleys, bustling cities and thousands of miniature people inhabit this world. Get a peek into the mind of its creator to see his innovative techniques, now in common use by model railroaders around the globe. From trackside close ups to sweeping vistas, the expert photography of Richard Reynolds and Glenn Beier will inspire train fans and model railroaders alike—indeed anyone with an imagination!

The Super Chief: the Whole Story

As one of the world’s most famous streamlined trains, The Super Chief was trumpeted by the Santa Fe Railroad as “the train of the stars!” Hollywood celebrities, captains of industry, and anyone willing to pay the extra fare traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles in luxury and at high speed. Highlights of the train’s trans-continental journey include crossing the Missouri and the mighty Mississippi rivers, snaking through slot canyons and high mountain passes such as Raton, Glorieta, Cajon, and approaches to Chicago, Kansas City and L.A. 

Inside the train passengers dine in the famed “Turquoise Room,” share the view from the dome car, and tuck into a cozy Pullman bedroom as night falls. Glimpses of the entire fleet of Santa Fe streamliners include The San Francisco Chief, The Texas Chief, and the silver San Diegan skirting the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The Super Chief appears in various forms from before World War II to the days just before Amtrak. This DVD takes you back to an age when people took the time to relish a trans-continental journey, and the railroads provided a luxurious experience.