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No More Mindless Runbys
Below are the ten newest releases from Big "E" Productions in both DVD-R and VHS format.

CN's ex-EJ&E Leithton Subdivision DVD

Since its takeover by Canadian National in early 2009, the former Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway that went around, not through Chicago, has undergone more changes than any rail line in this country. The acquisition of the EJ&E was quite contentions with many tony communities protesting the big increase in the number and length of the trains that would be running through their towns. Traffic on the former EJ&E Western Subdivision north of Joliet has quadrupled from what it was before the takeover. With the completion of the new connections with the former Illinois Central main line at Matteson, this line now hosts most of CN’s traffic from western Canada and Wisconsin for the Chicago gateway and beyond. Both BNSF and Union Pacific have overhead rights for certain trains on this busy section of track. CN, as they prefer to be called, runs trains over two miles in length and up to 22,000 tons in weight on this part of the former EJ&E including many with distributed power. This program shows twenty-four hours of action on the former EJ&E northwest of Joliet around Plainfield, Illinois in April of 2015. This DVD is one hour and 52 minutes in length and can be watched with or without narration.

Price: $34.95

Attributes

  • Video Format: DVD

CN's ex-EJ&E Leithton Subdivision

Since its takeover by Canadian National in early 2009, the former Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway that went around, not through Chicago, has undergone more changes than any rail line in this country. The acquisition of the EJ&E was quite contentions with many tony communities protesting the big increase in the number and length of the trains that would be running through their towns. Traffic on the former EJ&E Western Subdivision north of Joliet has quadrupled from what it was before the takeover. With the completion of the new connections with the former Illinois Central main line at Matteson, this line now hosts most of CN’s traffic from western Canada and Wisconsin for the Chicago gateway and beyond. Both BNSF and Union Pacific have overhead rights for certain trains on this busy section of track. CN, as they prefer to be called, runs trains over two miles in length and up to 22,000 tons in weight on this part of the former EJ&E including many with distributed power. This program shows twenty-four hours of action on the former EJ&E northwest of Joliet around Plainfield, Illinois in April of 2015. This DVD is one hour and 52 minutes in length and can be watched with or without narration.

Price: $34.95

UP's ex-CNW Frac Sand Main Blu-Ray

This video documents the recent increase in trains on the former Chicago and North Western’s Twin Cities Line, the one-time route of the “400s”. This increase is due to the amazing growth in recent years of hydraulic fracturing or fracking for oil and gas in this country. Nearly seventy percent of the sand used for fracking comes out of Wisconsin and UP handles the largest share of that sand. This historic line is now the property of Union Pacific and until recently was really treated as a secondary line by UP. Today the Adams Line sees more freight trains and much more tonnage than any time since the end of steam in the 1950s. Experts argue that this line has been saved twice in the past decade – first by the addition of a Triple Crown RoadRailer, and then by the frac sand boom. UP has been gradually rebuilding this line and today it hosts a mix of sand and other unit trains, manifest trains, and the Triple Crown train. Although the sand business on this line has receded somewhat from its peak in 2014, UP still puts on quite a show with their long trains and distributed power. This program shows parts of three days and one night of action on UP’s Adams and Wyeville Subdivisions often referred to by railfans as the Adams Line between Wyeville and Ashippun, thirty-eight miles west of Milwaukee in April of 2015. This DVD is 76 minutes in length and can be watched with and without narration.

Price: $32.95

Attributes

  • Video Format: Blu-Ray

UP's ex-CNW Frac Sand Main DVD

This video documents the recent increase in trains on the former Chicago and North Western’s Twin Cities Line, the one-time route of the “400s”. This increase is due to the amazing growth in recent years of hydraulic fracturing or fracking for oil and gas in this country. Nearly seventy percent of the sand used for fracking comes out of Wisconsin and UP handles the largest share of that sand. This historic line is now the property of Union Pacific and until recently was really treated as a secondary line by UP. Today the Adams Line sees more freight trains and much more tonnage than any time since the end of steam in the 1950s. Experts argue that this line has been saved twice in the past decade – first by the addition of a Triple Crown RoadRailer, and then by the frac sand boom. UP has been gradually rebuilding this line and today it hosts a mix of sand and other unit trains, manifest trains, and the Triple Crown train. Although the sand business on this line has receded somewhat from its peak in 2014, UP still puts on quite a show with their long trains and distributed power. This program shows parts of three days and one night of action on UP’s Adams and Wyeville Subdivisions often referred to by railfans as the Adams Line between Wyeville and Ashippun, thirty-eight miles west of Milwaukee in April of 2015. This DVD is 76 minutes in length and can be watched with and without narration.

Price: $32.95

Attributes

  • Video Format: DVD

UP's ex-CNW Frac Sand Main

This video documents the recent increase in trains on the former Chicago and North Western’s Twin Cities Line, the one-time route of the “400s”. This increase is due to the amazing growth in recent years of hydraulic fracturing or fracking for oil and gas in this country. Nearly seventy percent of the sand used for fracking comes out of Wisconsin and UP handles the largest share of that sand. This historic line is now the property of Union Pacific and until recently was really treated as a secondary line by UP. Today the Adams Line sees more freight trains and much more tonnage than any time since the end of steam in the 1950s. Experts argue that this line has been saved twice in the past decade – first by the addition of a Triple Crown RoadRailer, and then by the frac sand boom. UP has been gradually rebuilding this line and today it hosts a mix of sand and other unit trains, manifest trains, and the Triple Crown train. Although the sand business on this line has receded somewhat from its peak in 2014, UP still puts on quite a show with their long trains and distributed power. This program shows parts of three days and one night of action on UP’s Adams and Wyeville Subdivisions often referred to by railfans as the Adams Line between Wyeville and Ashippun, thirty-eight miles west of Milwaukee in April of 2015. This DVD can be watched with and without narration.

Price: $32.95

UP's San Joaquin Valley main Blu-Ray

Union Pacific’s line between Fresno and Bakersfield traverses America’s breadbasket - the southern half of California’s great Central Valley known as the San Joaquin Valley for the river that runs through it. This historic, former Southern Pacific line was once in SP’s San Joaquin Division and was part of the first rail line to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. Part of UP’s Fresno Subdivision today, this line was once home to long blocks of Pacific Fruit Express reefers carrying all kinds of produce and SP’s pioneering piggyback trains. Today, UP’s Fresno Sub is populated mostly by lumber drags from Oregon and Washington, grain trains, and stack trains carrying all kinds of merchandise between Portland, the Bay Area, and Southern California. Perishable traffic has even made a small comeback with the two day a week Railex unit trains. With all scheduled freight trains having been taken off of the UP’s Coast Line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Fresno sub has seen an increase in train count in recent years. This program shows two and a half days of high speed action on UP’s table flat Fresno Subdivision between Fresno and Delano, thirty-three miles north of Bakersfield, in October of 2014. This program is 59 minutes in length and has the option of being watched with or without narration.

Price: $30.95

Attributes

  • Video Format: Blu-Ray

UP's San Joaquin Valley main DVD

Union Pacific’s line between Fresno and Bakersfield traverses America’s breadbasket - the southern half of California’s great Central Valley known as the San Joaquin Valley for the river that runs through it. This historic, former Southern Pacific line was once in SP’s San Joaquin Division and was part of the first rail line to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. Part of UP’s Fresno Subdivision today, this line was once home to long blocks of Pacific Fruit Express reefers carrying all kinds of produce and SP’s pioneering piggyback trains. Today, UP’s Fresno Sub is populated mostly by lumber drags from Oregon and Washington, grain trains, and stack trains carrying all kinds of merchandise between Portland, the Bay Area, and Southern California. Perishable traffic has even made a small comeback with the two day a week Railex unit trains. With all scheduled freight trains having been taken off of the UP’s Coast Line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Fresno sub has seen an increase in train count in recent years. This program shows two and a half days of high speed action on UP’s table flat Fresno Subdivision between Fresno and Delano, thirty-three miles north of Bakersfield, in October of 2014. This program is 59 minutes in length and has the option of being watched with or without narration.

Price: $30.95

Attributes

  • Video Format: DVD

UP's San Joaquin Valley main

Union Pacific’s line between Fresno and Bakersfield traverses America’s breadbasket - the southern half of California’s great Central Valley known as the San Joaquin Valley for the river that runs through it. This historic, former Southern Pacific line was once in SP’s San Joaquin Division and was part of the first rail line to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. Part of UP’s Fresno Subdivision today, this line was once home to long blocks of Pacific Fruit Express reefers carrying all kinds of produce and SP’s pioneering piggyback trains. Today, UP’s Fresno Sub is populated mostly by lumber drags from Oregon and Washington, grain trains, and stack trains carrying all kinds of merchandise between Portland, the Bay Area, and Southern California. Perishable traffic has even made a small comeback with the two day a week Railex unit trains. With all scheduled freight trains having been taken off of the UP’s Coast Line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Fresno sub has seen an increase in train count in recent years. This program shows two and a half days of high speed action on UP’s table flat Fresno Subdivision between Fresno and Delano, thirty-three miles north of Bakersfield, in October of 2014. This program is 59 minutes in length and has the option of being watched with or without narration.

Price: $30.95

UP's San Joaquin Valley main

Union Pacific’s line between Fresno and Bakersfield traverses America’s breadbasket - the southern half of California’s great Central Valley known as the San Joaquin Valley for the river that runs through it. This historic, former Southern Pacific line was once in SP’s San Joaquin Division and was part of the first rail line to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. Part of UP’s Fresno Subdivision today, this line was once home to long blocks of Pacific Fruit Express reefers carrying all kinds of produce and SP’s pioneering piggyback trains. Today, UP’s Fresno Sub is populated mostly by lumber drags from Oregon and Washington, grain trains, and stack trains carrying all kinds of merchandise between Portland, the Bay Area, and Southern California. Perishable traffic has even made a small comeback with the two day a week Railex unit trains. With all scheduled freight trains having been taken off of the UP’s Coast Line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Fresno sub has seen an increase in train count in recent years. This program shows two and a half days of high speed action on UP’s table flat Fresno Subdivision between Fresno and Delano, thirty-three miles north of Bakersfield, in October of 2014. This DVD is 59 minutes in length and has the option of being watched with or without narration.

Price: $30.95

The Cal-P, UP's Martinez Sub Blu-Ray

The Cal-P, short for California Pacific, the nickname for Southern Pacific’s main line from Sacramento to Oakland, was part of the historic Overland Route and once the busiest and most important section of track on the far-flung Southern Pacific system. This line has seen dramatic changes in the past three decades, the least of which was the UP takeover of the SP. Today this is UP’s Martinez Subdivision and their busiest main line into Oakland, but what is more amazing is that thirty-four Amtrak trains use the eastern part of this line where we videotaped and even more west of Martinez. With thirty state supported San Jose or Oakland to Sacramento Capitol Corridor trains during weekdays on this strategic section of track, the Cal-P is as busy today as any time since World War II when freight trains were much more numerous but much shorter and lighter than those of today. This program showcases this amazing passenger rail renaissance by showing over twenty-four hours of action on the flat and straight section of UP’s Martinez Subdivision west of Davis, California in October of 2014. It makes the point, that even in auto-centric California, if you provide frequent and convenient intercity rail passenger service, Americans will use it. "The Cal-P, UP's Martinez Sub" is 58 minutes in length. This DVD has the option of being watched with or without narration.

Price: $30.95

Attributes

  • Video Format: Blu-Ray

 

                                                       Big “E” Productions

P.O. BOX 75

GREENLAND, NH 03840

Our DVDs show the whole train!

Our web page is at www.trainvideos.com, email us at bigeee@trainvideos.com.

 800-832-1228 or 603-430-3055   Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or Discover Card Orders Accepted.

Last updated 12/14/2023

 

Frequency – twice a year

 

 Issue #179                            December, 2023

May all of you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Remember, our DVDs make great Christmas gifts for the railfan in your family.  This Newsletter begins our 32th year of selling train videos.  As long as both my wife and I are in good health we intend to continue selling old videos and I still have some hope to do a few new programs. We will not be attending the Big Train Show in West Springfield, Massachusetts anymore.

 

Again no new programs.  I was recently diagnosed with AFib (atrial fibrillation – fast, erratic heartbeat).  Medication seems to help but it will be some time before I know how much.  Also both knees need to be replaced but it will also be some time before that can happen.  My wife is still recovering from having both knees replaced.  She is using a wheelchair and walker to get around.  I would still like to do more videotaping but this is looking less and less likely.  We hope that all of you are safe and sound.  Our next newsletter will be around June of 2024.  Railfan Depot in Indianapolis is now carrying some of our videos.

 

We have four grandkids playing sports right now – two here in New Hampshire and two in Illinois.  I hope to be able to see their games in person as much as I can.  And then we have 12 other grandkids and one great grandson to keep track of.  I am looking forward to attending the girls state basketball tournament in Illinois beginning in 2025 and the class IV boys baseball tournament here in New Hampshire next spring.

 

No other train video producer shows and explains railroading like we do and our catalogue includes programs on fallen flags ATSF, SP, BN, CNW,  IC, Wisconsin Central, and Conrail.  We almost always show the whole train and most of our videos show all of the action – day and night.  Our newest program is “PSR on CSX’s Chicago Line in Northern Indiana”, part of our look at PSR on eastern railroads.  This is our 49th program to be released in both Blu-ray and in regular DVD.  You need to specify what type of DVD you are ordering with programs available in both DVD and Blu-ray.  All of our DVD’s have chapters and menus and around half – everything videotaped from 2004 on plus a few programs from 2003 - have a choice of being watched with narration and without narration by using the menu or audio and language buttons on your DVD player controller.  321 programs are available in DVD (49 in Blu-ray) and all are listed in the flyers.  No other train video producer shows and explains railroading like we do and our catalogue includes programs on fallen flags ATSF, BN, SP, CNW. IC, Wisconsin Central, and Conrail.  Our shipping and handling charge on orders remains $5.00 with no charge on orders over $100.  We offer year-round discounts on large orders.  See flyers for details.  These discounts are available only by mail and phone.  If you have questions and get our answering machine, please leave your name and number and we will call you back as soon as possible.  You can reach us by email at bigeee@trainvideos.com or on our webpage at www.trainvideos.com.

 

If we are able to videotape again, the focus will be on changes on the western railroads due to PSR.

 

                                              Dick and Barb Eisfeller