by Kangaroo_of_72
If you haven't yet seen the "American Trains-Metra Milwaukee District Cab Car Ride" DVD, I highly recommend getting a copy!
Here's the review I just posted on Amazon:
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I admit, I bought this mostly on a whim, and then only after having left it in my Amazon shopping cart for about 6 months. I'd previously bought my son some Pentrex videos -- "Great American Train Rides" or something like that -- and they were pretty boring. So, I had some reservations.
When I first put it in to watch, I thought, "This can't possibly be just an hour of looking out the window." Well, it was -- and I absolutely loved it!!!
As another reviewer pointed out, one of the best parts is listening to the impromptu commentary given by the engineer, a Metra PR spokesman, and the cameraman. (I was a little afraid it'd just be some b.s. corporate propaganda).
They told a great story about a maintenance truck that had accidentally gone onto the wrong track (or, right track -- wrong railroad), and someone pointed out that this guy was clearly from out of state, as any railfan from the area would have instantly noticed the mistake, as the ballast is different on the Milwaukee tracks versus that found on UP / CNW. And I thought, "Wow! I guess the rock IS sorta pinkish on UP." And from that point, I was hooked.
Sure, it's not without its faults. I could have done without the bird sh*t or dead bug or whatever it was splattered across the left side of the windshield. And, it was somewhat amusing that while the run started in Fox Lake, the cameraman apologetically noted that he didn't have much time to get the camera set up, so the cab view doesn't start until Libertyville. (However, we do get a shot of the train leaving the siding at Fox Lake, so how did he manage that?)
Coincidentally, the one time I rode Metra's MILW-N line, it was from Libertyville, so this was perfect for me.
And, the cameraman does insist on pronouncing "Rondout" as "Round Out", even though the engineer says it correctly at least twice. However, the cameraman went on to say that he grew up in northwest Indiana, and I went to elementary school in Valparaiso, myself, so it was like being with an old friend.
I have read that the Mayfair station is a good place for railfanning, but this makes it abundantly clear, as the platform is just south of the UP-NW junction.
And, you pass three running F40Cs, for those that are fans of that type. Two are pulling trains, and one is a simple engine move. And, there are more in the yard near Western Avenue.
Finally, yes, it does go all the way to the bumper at Union Station. I was a little dismayed to see the approach tracks were all torn up with construction, but that's not the fault of the DVD, by any means.
In conclusion, I do highly recommend this one.
Here's the review I just posted on Amazon:
------
I admit, I bought this mostly on a whim, and then only after having left it in my Amazon shopping cart for about 6 months. I'd previously bought my son some Pentrex videos -- "Great American Train Rides" or something like that -- and they were pretty boring. So, I had some reservations.
When I first put it in to watch, I thought, "This can't possibly be just an hour of looking out the window." Well, it was -- and I absolutely loved it!!!
As another reviewer pointed out, one of the best parts is listening to the impromptu commentary given by the engineer, a Metra PR spokesman, and the cameraman. (I was a little afraid it'd just be some b.s. corporate propaganda).
They told a great story about a maintenance truck that had accidentally gone onto the wrong track (or, right track -- wrong railroad), and someone pointed out that this guy was clearly from out of state, as any railfan from the area would have instantly noticed the mistake, as the ballast is different on the Milwaukee tracks versus that found on UP / CNW. And I thought, "Wow! I guess the rock IS sorta pinkish on UP." And from that point, I was hooked.
Sure, it's not without its faults. I could have done without the bird sh*t or dead bug or whatever it was splattered across the left side of the windshield. And, it was somewhat amusing that while the run started in Fox Lake, the cameraman apologetically noted that he didn't have much time to get the camera set up, so the cab view doesn't start until Libertyville. (However, we do get a shot of the train leaving the siding at Fox Lake, so how did he manage that?)
Coincidentally, the one time I rode Metra's MILW-N line, it was from Libertyville, so this was perfect for me.
And, the cameraman does insist on pronouncing "Rondout" as "Round Out", even though the engineer says it correctly at least twice. However, the cameraman went on to say that he grew up in northwest Indiana, and I went to elementary school in Valparaiso, myself, so it was like being with an old friend.
I have read that the Mayfair station is a good place for railfanning, but this makes it abundantly clear, as the platform is just south of the UP-NW junction.
And, you pass three running F40Cs, for those that are fans of that type. Two are pulling trains, and one is a simple engine move. And, there are more in the yard near Western Avenue.
Finally, yes, it does go all the way to the bumper at Union Station. I was a little dismayed to see the approach tracks were all torn up with construction, but that's not the fault of the DVD, by any means.
In conclusion, I do highly recommend this one.
