Videos & Movies

TICKET TO TOMAHAWK. 20th Century Fox, 1949. This is a feature film. It is the story about the Tomahawk & Western Railroad, a fictional narrow gauge line in the Rockies in 1875. The railroad has to get the first train through to the end of the line at Tomahawk with one paying passenger by the date specified in the charter in order to fulfill the requirements of the charter. Obstacles the Tomahawk & Western face are an unwilling passenger, a forty mile gap in the track, hostile Indians, and a stagecoach company that doesn't want to see the railroad completed. Much of this movie was filmed along the Rio Grande's Durango-Silverton line, with the climactic scene taking place just outside Silverton. Rio Grande Southern's 4-6-0 #20 stars in the movie as engine #1, the "Emma Sweeny," of the Tomahawk & Western.

Green Frog Productions

THE RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN/THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN. Green Frog Productions, 1996. Narrow gauge action on the D&RGW and the RGS in the late 1940s. Passenger, freight, and switching action is included. Among the scenes are the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, switching cars at Ouray, crossing Lizard Head Pass in a Galloping Goose, the Monarch Branch, Durango, Cerro Summit, Vance Junction, and Ophir. Both onboard and trackside views are included.
RIO GRANDE ODYSSEY. Green Frog Productions, 1992. Compiled from film footage shot by Emery Gulash from the 1960s to the 1980s, along with some earlier footage. A wide variety of Rio Grande Action is included, both freight and passenger, on both standard and narrow gauge lines. There is also a little footage of the last Colorado & Southern steam engine to work the Leadville-Climax line.
THE CHAMA TURN. Green Frog Productions, 1987. Compiled from footage shot by emery Gulash in the late 1960s. The Rio Grande route between Antonito and Chama is featured. This line is now operated by the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The action here includes trains with doubleheaded locomotives.
SWITCHIN' ALONG THE RIO GRANDE. Green Frog Productions, 1986. More of Emery Gulash's footage from the late 1960s. This video shows servicing and switching of locomotives and cars along the route from Antonito to Durango.
COLORADO NARROW GAUGE PASSENGER CHASE. Green Frog Productions, 19??. Compiled from 16mm footage shot by Emery Gulash during the last passenger run between Alamosa and Silverton in 1965, on a trip chartered by the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. Gulash bought a ticket on the train and then followed it in his automobile. The scenes on the video are from the places Gulash could reach by auto.
IN SEARCH OF NARROW GAUGE MIKADOS OF THE RIO GRANDE. Green Frog Productions, 19??. This video follows the ex-D&RGW Mikados still operating today on the Huckleberry Railroad in Michigan, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Typical operations and joint jobs [whatever a "joint job" is] for each line are shown. A bonus is footage in the roundhouse area in Durango.
CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. Green Frog Productions, 19??. Filmed in 1965 along the route of the California Zephyr. Both onboard and trackside views are included.
CUMBRES & TOLTEC IN '73. Green Frog Productions, 19??. 16mm photography of the C&TS in the fall of 1973. This is from the early years of the C&TS.
TWILIGHT OF THE RIO GRANDE NARROW GAUGE. Green Frog Productions, 19??. This is a film record of the passing of D&RGW narrow gauge freight operations in the 1960s. There is a variety of action along the line between Alamosa and Durango and along the Farmington Branch. Freight trains are chased along easy accessible section of the line. Standard gauge diesels are seen switching narrow gauge cars in Alamosa. Narrow gauge #50 is seen switching at Durango.
WORK TRAIN TO SIVLERTON. Green Frog Productions, 19??. You ride along with a work train of drop bottom gondolas on the way to Silverton from Durango in the 1960s. On the way, the work train meets The Silverton Train.
ROTARY ON THE RIO GRANDE NARROW GAUGE. Green Frog Productions, 19??. Snow plow action on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in 1975 and 1976 as the C&TS used ex-Rio Grande rotary snow plow #OM to open its line.
THE BEST OF NARROW GAUGE ON THE RIO GRANDE. Green Frog Productions, 19??. Top Frog Series, Volume 1. D&RGW narrow gauge action consisting of the best of over seven hours of Rio Grande narrow gauge action from the 1960s. Assembled from previously released Emery Gulash footage. The material has been re-edited, given new narration, and several new scenes have been added.
THE BEST OF STEAM. Green Frog Productions, 19??. Top Frog Series, Vol. II. Rio Grande narrow gauge action is included along with action from the New York Central, Union Pacific, East Broad Top, Pennsy, Nickel Plate, Akron, Canton & Youngstown, and Grand Trunk.
AMTRAK'S CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR: DISCOVERING THE GREAT AMERICAN WEST. Green Frog Productions, 19??. The journey of the California Zephyr from Chicago to the West Coast is followed, both onboard and off. There are visits with the train crew, cab rides, a visit to the Golden Spike Monument, a visit with a cowboy called the "One Armed Bandit," and a visit to the California State Railroad Museum.
AMTRAK'S CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR--2ND SECTION. Green Frog Productions, 19??. This is the railfan version of "Amtrak's California Zephyr: Discovering the Great American West." You go behind the scenes with the train crews, enjoy runbys, and get cab scenes and aerial shots. A brief tour of the California Rail Museum is included. There is no narration. Brief descriptions of each scene appear on the screen. The entire CZ route from Chicago to California is covered. Many views not seen in the first tape are included in this video.
THE BEST OF PASSENGER TRAINS OF THE 50'S AND 60'S--FROM THE CAMERA OF EMERY GULASH. Green Frog Productions, 19??. Relive the great passenger trains of the Santa Fe, Union Pacific, CB&Q, and the Rio Grande. This material was selected from over 25 hours of 16mm material from other Emery Gulash tapes released by Green Frog.
CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR: THE ULTIMATE FAN TRIP. Green Frog Productions, 19??. Complete coverage of the CZ's run from Chicago to San Francisco, including in-cab action in the Rockies and great runbys. The footage used in this video came from the camera of Emery Gulash. The film here is taken from several different trips on the CZ. The last 10 or 15 minutes of the video include latter day shots of the Rio Grande Zephyr.
THE WAY WEST. Green Frog Productions, 1994. Freight action from Illinois to the West Coast on Santa Fe, Burlington Northern, Soo Line, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and Utah Railway. Featured locations include Soldier Summit, Winter Park, the Moffat Tunnel, the Kyune Tunnels in Utah, Colorado's Joint Line, Thistle, Utah, and the Feather River Canyon. The biggest share of this tape is SP/D&RGW. Many Rio Grande landmarks and towns west of the Moffat Tunnel are seen with at least one train passing through each one. There are several trains with sets of pure Rio Grande power. Several Utah Railway trains, with Utah's attractive rebuilt SDs, are seen operating on the Rio Grande/Utah joint track in Utah. Many of the Rio Grande/SP and Utah trains have midtrain helpers. The trains with pure Rio Grande power both on the point and as helpers are especially nice. BN, Soo, and Santa Fe receive only brief mention, with two BN trains and one each for Santa Fe and Soo. The Union Pacific section concentrates on the Feather River Canyon.
THE WAY WEST: VOLUME II. Green Frog Productions, 19??. New fast freight action from Central Illinois to the Sierras. Featured roads include Burlington Northern and SP. Some of the featured locations include the Moffat Tunnel route, Helper, Utah, and the high Sierras.
SLIM RAILS THROUGH THE SAN JUANS. Green Frog Productions, LTD, 19??. The saga of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
COLORADO STEAM MECCA. Green Frog Productions, 1994. Coverage of all major Colorado steam railroads from Colorado Railroad Museum, Georgetown Loop, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, and Durango & Silverton. The CRRM portion concentrates on Rio Grande Class C-19 2-8-0 #345 operating on the museum grounds. On the Georgetown Loop, 3-truck Shay #12 is seen running tender first from Silver Plume to Georgetown and locomotive first from Georgetown to Silver Plume. The reproduction of the Devil's Gate Viaduct is impressive. The C&TS portions concentrates on K-36 2-8-2 #487, but a number of trains operating in both directions are seen at various points along the C&TS. Two interesting scenes are #489 being fueled and sanded at Chama and #487 taking on water at Sublette, Colorado. The scenery is incredible. The sight of heavy black smoke as #487 climbs the 4% grade between Chama and Cumbres looks great against a backdrop of mountains and blue sky. The Durango & Silverton portion uses several locomotives to highlight various locations along the line. The aerial views of trains leaving Durango and Silverton are nice. #480 is seen several times, once putting on a great show of smoke as she climbs the northbound grade and leading trains in both directions through Rockwood Canyon. The Rockwood Canyon scenes with #480 may be the best part of the entire video. The video closes with some great D&S footage, with #497 on the point of a passenger train, running under the closing credits.

WB Video Productions

LEGEND OF THE RIO GRANDE ZEPHYR. WB Video Productions, 19??. Coverage of the travel of the Rio Grande Zephyr as it climbs the Rockies and crosses the desert to Salt Lake City. This tape shows the RGZ on its last run on April 24, 1983. The presentation is supplemented by footage from several years of Zephyr watching as the Zephyr travels across Colorado and Utah. F9A #5771 is shown leading the RGZ on its last arrival at Denver Union Station.
KINDIG'S DIESELS, PART I. WB Video Productions, 1988. Features footage shot by Richard H. Kindig in 1971 and 1972 of Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, Amtrak, and Denver & Rio Grande Western diesels in and around Denver and north to Wyoming. The Union Pacific is mainly in the 1971 Wyoming footage.
THE RIO GRANDE TODAY. WB Video Productions, 1986. Filmed between 1982 and 1986, this video covers operations on the modern Rio Grande. A wide range of trains and motive power is covered. Scenic locations include Tennessee Pass and the Moffat Tunnel.
SANTA FE'S RATON ROUTE. WB Video Productions, 1991. This video is about Santa Fe's line over Raton Pass, but there is some information on the contest between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe for control of Raton Pass.
A SALUTE TO SOLDIER SUMMIT. WB Video Productions, 1989. This video features railroad action on Soldier Summit, Utah. See Rio Grande power lashed up for high speed and brute force over Soldier Summit on the Utah Division.
RIO GRANDE OF THE ROCKIES. WB Video Productions, 1985. Rio Grande action in the 1950s includes standard gauge steam and diesel action and narrow gauge steam action. Highlights include the big 2-8-8-2s in action on Tennessee pass and assisting F units up to the Moffat Tunnel, F9s, the California Zephyr with Alco power, and a variety of narrow gauge steam which includes K-27s, K-28s, K-36s, K-37s, 2-8-0 # 268, and the last run over Marshall Pass. This video was compiled from 16mm footage shot by August Irving of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club.
SNOW TRAIN: RIO GRANDE'S SKI SPECIAL. WB Video Productions, 1985. Filmed in 1984, this tape follows the Ski Train between Denver and Winter Park. Onboard and trackside shots are included. The train in this tape consists of the 1915 heavyweight cars and is powered by the Rio Grande's F9s, #5771 in the lead.
A FORTIES MEMORY. WB Video Productions, 1984. Railroad photography by Billie Bowen in the post-war 1940s includes postwar steam-powered action on the Denver & Rio Grande, both standard and narrow gauge, and the Santa Fe, Western Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Rio Grande Southern.
EXCURSION TO THE THIRTIES. WB Video Productions, 1982. Compiled from film shot by Richard B. and James R. Jackson between 1937 and 1941, this tour of Colorado narrow gauge prior to World War II includes action on the Colorado & Southern, Rio Grande Southern, and Denver & Rio Grande Western.
D&RGW NARROW GAUGE STOCK TRAIN AND KOLOR CARAVAN. WB Video Productions, 1981. Compiled from 16mm film shot in October 1966, this video opens with K-37s #498 and 497 [possibly K-36 #487, depending on the source of the description] working stock cars and lumber from Chama to Alamosa through Cumbres Pass. The tape concludes with the last fall "Kolor Karavan" passenger train from Alamosa to Silverton.
D&RGW NARROW GUAGE FREIGHTS. WB Video Productions, 1981. This video features narrow gauge freights in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in 1966-1967. Action at Alamosa, Cumbres Pass, Chama, Durango, and Farmington is featured. This video is silent.
RIO GRANDE NARROW GAUGE IN THE FIFTIES. WB Video Productions, 1984. Although the titles says "narrow gauge," this video is a mix of standard gauge and narrow gauge action. The standard gauge action includes 3600 series 2-8-8-2s on Tennessee Pass and the Moffat Tunnel route and a runby of the California Zephyr with Alco power. The narrow gauge action includes scenes at Durango, south of Montrose, a flanger-ore train between Gunnison and Crested Butte, the last train ver Marshall Pass, scenes on the Monarch and Farmington branches, and varied scenes between Alamosa and Durango. RGS #42 is also seen in the narrow gauge portion of this tape.
SILVER RAILS & GOLDEN MEMORIES. WB Video Productions, 19??. This video features original 16mm footage from the collection of Irving August. The footage was shot between 1952 and 1962, during various excursions of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. In addition to Rio Grande narrow gauge action, there is footage of the Colorado & Southern standard gauge, the Great Western, the Pike's Peak Cog Railway, and a Union Pacific 4-8-4.
NARROW GAUGE VIDEO VIGNETTE. WB Video Productions, 19??. Large and small Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotives are featured. 2-8-0 #346 is shown under steam at the Colorado Railroad Museum, along with other equipment at the museum. K-36 #484 is shown pulling a special freight train on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad on 6 July 1979 as part of the Great Freight '79 event. Also included is footage of a 1982 Rocky Mountain Railroad Club winter excursion on the Silverton Train.
DIESELS WEST. WB Video Productions, 19??. High horsepower diesles in action on the Denver & Rio Grande Western and the Union Pacific. Also included is footage of the Rio Grander Zephyr, with acab ride in the lead F9, and footage of Alco locomotives on the Utah Railway. The footage in this video is from 1979-1981.
D&RGW NARROW GAUGE FREIGHT TRAINS. WB Video Productions, 19??. Compiled from films made in November and December of 1967. This tape follows freight trains behind K-37s #493 and 497. The locomotives arte seen in action at Alamosa, Chama, Cumbres Pass, Durango, and on the Farmington Branch. This tape is silent.
RAILS ACROSS THE SUMMIT: THE CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD. WB Video Productions, 1984. This tape takes you trackside, onboard, and in the cabe of C&TS K-36 #484 as #484 heads for Cumbres Summit. Historic black and white shots show a rotary in action and an oldtimer recounts a wreck at Cumbres. This tape is the video release of an award winning 1976 documentary by Marsh Lovrien Productions.
RAILS ALONG THE ROCKIES. WB Video Productions, 19??. Action on Colorado's Joint Line in all four seasons of the year. Featured are trains from the Rio Grande, the Santa Fe, and the Burlington Northern.
DOUBLEHEADER '83. WB Video Productions, 1985. On October 12-13, 1983, the Peter-Built Locomotive Works sponsored a two engine D&RGW freight train over the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. This video presents the sights and sounds of the trip from Chama, New Mexico, to Sublette, Colorado. The engines were relettered to the D&RGW's 1940s scheme for this event.
COLORADO'S COLORFUL JOINT LINE. WB Video Productions, 19??. Features BN Oakway SD60s, Santa Fe Q trains, and Rio Grande freights.

Pentrex

RAILROADING WITH THE RIO GRANDE. Pentrex, 19??. This is a 1962 Morrison-Knudson Company promotional film. It deals with three track construction projects M-K participated in with the D&RGW in 1962. The film concentrates on the construction of the Potash Branch near Moab, Utah. M-K heavy equipment and crews are shown carving a right of way and roadbed out of the Utah wilderness and digging a tunnel the branch required. There is also some brief footage of a line relocation project on the Rio Grande main line at Cisco, Utah, and mention of the construction of a mine spur near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Several Rio Grande trains are seen in action, including some rare footage of a freight with Kraus-Maffei diesels on the point.
ON THE TRACK. Pentrex, 1989. This is a short feature originally presented by the American Association of Railroads. The Rio Grande is one of the roads that appears in this film.
THE DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD. Pentrex, 1996. Travel to the heart of one of the most spectacular excursion railroads in North America. Step grades, sharp curves, narrow ledges, and perilous chasms are the landmarks of the D&RG. You'll see all the famous landmarks and the Mikado steam locomotives that still ply the rails. A rare winter excurssion brings you the beauty of steam in the snow covered Rockies.
CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC FREIGHT TRAIN. Pentrex, 19??. Summer 1990 footage of freight train action over the entire length of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.
CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC'S ROTARY SNOW PLOW. Pentrex, 1991. Action from the blizzard of May 1991 as plow #OY attempts to open the line. #oy is pushed by two 2-8-2s as the plow attachs five foot drifts at the summit of Cumbres Pass. Also seen is the first passenger train of the season traveling through freshly plowed snow drifts.
CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC PASSENGER TRAIN. Pentrex, 19??. This video of passenger train action on the C&TS includes numerous runby shots along the entire 64 mile route, shots of the engineer and fireman in the cab, and doubleheadert action.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN. Pentrex, 19??. Spectacular railroading through the Rockies in all four seasons of the year, from Denver to Salt Lake City. Travel the Front Range on the Moffat Tunnel route, Tennessee Pass and the Royal Gorge, and view Joint Line operations, Amtrak, and the famous ski train. This is the Rio Grande in the days before Southern Pacific.
GREAT AMERICAN TRAIN RIDES, VOL. I. Pnetrex, 1993. This introduction to currently operating tourist lines includes the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as the 6th of 8 lines featured.
GREAT AMERICAN TRAIN RIDES, VOL. II. Pentrex 1994. This second volume of introductions to currently operating tourist lines leads off with the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad as the first of eight featured roads.
VINTAGE SERIES COLLECTION, VOLUME I. Pentrex? (From the Pentrex catalog) 19??. This video consists of five classic black and white films. The Rio Grande is represented by a 1950 newsreel visit to the Rio Grande's narrow gauge.

Kalmbach Video

MODEL RAILROADER VIDEO LAYOUT TOUR #1. Kalmbach Video, 1983. One of the five model railroad layouts featured in this video is Brian Holtz's Denver & Rio Grande Western.
MODEL RAILROADER VIDEO LAYOUT TOUR #3. Kalmbach Video, 1983. One of the six featured layouts in this video is Al Kalbfleisch's Denver & Rio Grande Western.

Custom Railway Supply

DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN: A MOUNTAIN CLIMBER. Custom Railway Supply, 19??. Rio Grande action in the Rockies as the Rio Grande goes through and over the mountains. Horsepower combination as high as 50,000 horses per train are seen.
KEITHLY'S AND OTHER COLORADO RAILROAD MEMORIES. Custom Railway Supply, 19??. This is mainly Rio Grande action in Colorado. Included in the program is action on the Rio Grande Southern, D&RGW narrow gauge 1940s-1960s, the Rio Grande at Silverton, the Rio Grande's Yampa Valley Mail with Alco power, steam on the Joint Liner, and a Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad freight train ride.

Railway Productions

RIO GRANDE NARROW GAUGE MEMORIES. Railway Productions, 1989. Events on the Rio Grande narrow gauge recounted by retired railroaders who ran the trains.
NARROW RAILS SHINE: A COLORADO-NEW MEXICO STEAMFEST. Railway Productions, 1987. Trains and scenery of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
CUMBRES! THE STORY OF THE CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD. Railway Productions, 1990?. The title says it all. Includes 1989 and 1990 updates.
THE GREAT STEAM FREIGHTS. Railway Productions, 1993?. In October 1992, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad ran a series of freights, including authentic mid-train and rear-train helpers, recreating traditional D&RGW freights. The trains battle from Chama to Antonito and back with rare long trains. There are track side and onboard views, including footage shot from right in front of the belching helpers. In addition to the two engine trains, a 34 car train with three engines is shown on the 45 grade from Chama to Cumbres.

Video Rails

RIO GRANDE ROTARY. Video Rails, 199?. Filmed in May 1993, this video features a restored Rio Grande rotary snow plow as it opened the line for the first C&TS passenger trains of the 1993 season. The plow needed three locomotives to shove it through the heavy drifts and thick snow pack.
RIO GRANDE STEAM '92. Video Rails, 199?. Narrow gauge freight trains in action in October 1992, between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado. Breathtaking mountain scenery compliments the freight action, which includes scenes filmed from track side and onboard the trains. The trains used double-headed engines, mid-train helpers, and rear-end pushers.
THE CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. Video Rails, 1992. The bulk of this video is a rare documentary public relations film on the California Zephyr from the 1950s. Fifties glimpses of Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, Oakland, and San Francisco. There are spectacular scenic views all along the route from Chicago to San Francisco. The film includes trackside shots and shots onboard the diner, sleepers, and domes. Included is a rare newsreel of the last run of the California Zephyr.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD: THE LIVING LEGEND OF NARROW GAUGE MOUNTAIN RAILROADING. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, 1994. This is a history of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and narrow gauge railroading in Colorado. The video is narrated is narrated by C. W. McCall.
REBIRTH OF A LOCOMOTIVE. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, 1992. A documentary of the restoration of K-36 #482.

Finley Holliday Film Corp

HIGH IRON: COLORADO'S HISTORIC NARROW GAUGE RAILROADS. Finley Holliday Film Corp., 1988. Sights and history of Colorado's narrow gauge railroads, including trips on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, Georgetown Loop, and Cripple Creek & Victor.
COLORADO'S NARROW GAUGE RAILROADS. Finley Holliday Film Corp., 19??. This video provides a tour of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, the Georgetown Loop, and the Cripple Creek & Victor Railroads, along with a visit to the Colorado Railroad Museum.

Railroad Video Productions

AMTRAK: DENVER TO GRAND JUNCTION VIA D&RGW. Railroad Video Productions, 19??. This four tape set consists of seven hours of cab ride video on Amtrak's California Zephyr between Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado, on the Denver & Rio Grande Western. The camera was mounted in the lead locomotives. This is pre-SP Amtrak action on the Rio Grande. Each tape is available separately.
TRAIN WATCHERS DIARY, VOL. VI. Railroad Video Productions, 19??. Lots of train watching with a minimum of interruption. The Denver & Rio Grande Western is one of the railroads included in this volume.
ENGINEER'S VIEW OF THE CUMBRES & TOLTEC. Railway Productions, 1994/5?. Get the engineer's view of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic from the cab of K-27 2-8-2 #463 with this four tape set. See the entire line from Chama to Antonito. From Chama to Cumbres Pass, K-36 2-8-2 #484 is in front as a helper. There is no camera movement on these tapes. We look straight ahead the entire time. Vol. 1: Chama to Cumbres Pass. Vol 2: Cumbres Pass to Phanton Curve. Vol. 3: Phantom Curve to Big Horn. Vol. 4: Big Horn to Antonito. The total time of all four tapes is 5 hours and 15 minutes.\

JMJ Productions

DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD. JMJ Productions, 1981. This video shows the historical run of the Silverton Branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, featuring passenger cars of an 1887 design pulled by Class K-28 2-8-2s #473, #476, and #478.
DURANGO & SILVERTON '83. JMJ Productions, 1983. Coverage of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club's 1983 special on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and some regular operations on the line. There are double-headed run-bys at Tacoma Bridge, Teft Spur Bridge, Needle Creek, and more. Engines seen in the video include K-28s #476 and #478 and K-36 #481.
CUMBRES & TOLTEC REVISITED. JMJ Productions, 1981. This video follows the scenic railroad run between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado. There is coverage from line-side and onboard, as well as coverage of locomotive switching at Osier.
CUMBRES & TOLTEC '83. JMJ Productions, 1983. Covers the 1983 Rocky Mountain Railroad Club excursion. Included are run-bys at Rock Trestle, Big Horn, Wye, Phantom Curve, and Cascade Trestle and coverage of the meet at Osier.
LAST TRAIN TO CUMBRES. Historical Video Productions, 1995?. The 1994 season on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was shortened by a weekend because of a three foot snowfall in October 1994. This video shows how the C&TS coped with this storm. Footage is seen of what turned out to be the last train of the season as it headed east from Chama in deteriorating weather. Other trains are seen as they try to get all the equipment back to Chama before the line is closed by the storm.
THE BATTLE TO CUMBRES PASS. Historical Video Productions, 1994?. This video covers every aspect of the four day struggle to clear the line of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama to Antonito. Ride in a 1923 Leslie rotary snow plow as the line is cleared to Osier. Watch the 11 foot blade of the rotary throws snow 150 feet, as seen from the engineer's seat in the lead locomotive. Help the fireman sling coal and then tour the workings of the rotary with John Bush of the C&TS. [No date for this plow effort is given in any of the descriptions, but it may be in 1993.]

Sunday River Productions

RZ: THE RIO GRANDE ZEPHYR. Sunday River Productions, 1994?. A stunning record of the stainless steel Rio Grande Zephyr as it climbed 4000 feet in 49 miles thru 48 tunnels from Denver to the mouth of the Moffat Tunnel. Then listen to the whistle rebound from the 1000 foot vertical walls of Gore Canyon as the train descends besides the cataracts of the Colorado River. Finally, eastbound from Salt Lake, up Spanish Fork Canyon, over Soldier Summit, and down Price Canyon.
OTTO PERRY'S RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN. Sunday River Productions, 1988. The Rio Grande Southern as seen through the eyes and camera of Otto Perry.
LIZARD HEAD PASS. Sunday River Productions, 19??. All four of the only steam powered passenger trains over Lizard Head after 1930. A new addition shows three Galloping Geese running at once in excursion service.
ACROSS THE TOP. Sunday River Productions, 19??. Steam across the highest passes in North America. Included are D&RG articulated on Tennessee and Rollins Passes, D&RG narrow gauge on Marshall Pass, quadruple-heading on the South Park Line, ore trains on the Colorado Central, the Rio Grande's San Juan Express on Cumbres, and the Colorado & Southern from Leadville to Climax. [The Rollins Pass footage would have to be from the Moffat Road, since the Rio Grande never operated over Rollins Pass.]
ALAMOSA TO DURANGO, FREIGHT. Sunday River Productions, 19??. The entire Alamosa-Durango line exactly as it was fifty years ago. All the way with coal, automobiles, lumber, and oil field pipe. Special emphasis on Cumbres; unit trains of tank cars at a walk, the engines screaming for mercy.
ALAMOSA TO DURANGO, PASSENGER. Sunday River Productions, 19??. The entire Alamosa-Durango line exactly as it was fifty years ago. Three trains the whole way in a single day. Plus the Farmington line and the final trip across Cumbres deep in snow.
THE COMPLETE CUMBRES. Sunday River Productions, 19??. [No description has yet been found for this video.]
THE COMPLETE SILVERTON. Sunday River Productions, 19??. [No description has yet been found for this video.]
THE NARROW GAUGE IN WINTER. Sunday River Productions, 1993?. This may be a three part video without being three separate tapes. Part 1 is "The Silverton In Winter": A fairy tale come true! After all the years, the Silverton runs again in winter with the Class K-36 480 series engines. Deep snow mantles the whole line as #481 digs in for a run over the high line to Teft Spur. Part 2 is "Rotaries On Cumbres": Real honest to goodness winter. The snow is so deep in Chama they need rotaries just to clear the yard. Three of the rotary plows, #OM, #OY, and #OU, the only surviving narrow gauge snow fighters in the world, are seen in pitched battles with the drifts on Cumbres. Part 3 is "Blizzard On Monarch Pass": #489 tackles the switchbacks to the mine at Monarch in a howling blizzard. This is a new (1993) addition to this video.

Gandy Dancer

DOUBLE-HEADED FREIGHT ON THE CUMBRES & TOLTEC. Gandy Dancer Productions, 19??. Vintage "Great Freight" 1972 steam action on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
ROTARY SNOWPLOWS ON THE CUMBRES & TOLTEC. Gandy Dancer Productions, 19??. Vintage 1976 and 1978 steam rotary snowplow action on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
STEAM ROTARY OY. Gandy Dancer Productions, 1991?. 1991 rotary snowplow action on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
THE TROUBLE AT TROUBLESOME. Gandy Dancer Productions, 19??. Vintage 1950s Rio Grande training film that explains the whys and wherefores of an unfortunate accident between to F7-powered freights at Troublesome Siding, Colorado.

Greg Scholl

RIO GRANDE STEAM FREIGHTS. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 1993?. Turn the clock back to the early 1960s when helper engines were an everyday practice over former Rio Grande's Cumbres Pass line, now called the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. October 1992 was a great show of steam in the Colorado Rockies with five days of multiple engine freights. Chama to Cumbres eastbound trains used a rear pusher and westbound trains from Antonito used a med-train helper. In addition to two round trips on the 64 mile line, we also witness a rare three engine freight, with two up front and one on the rear. All three engines were lettered "Rio Grande" for the special freights. Super lineside sequences are supplemented with onboard shots as we ride a freight car just ahead of the helper engines. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic also provided a nice bonus, lining up five operating steam engines in Chama for the first time since 1963. The freight trains were operated as authentically as possible. It is unlikely that such a large scale week-long scenario will ever be repeated.
TRIPLEHEADER ROTARY. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 1993?. In May 1993, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad operated its 1923 steam rotary plow #OY for only the second time in ten years. The heavy wet snow was a tremendous obstacle for men and machines battling to reach the summer of Cumbres, Colorado, at an elevation of 10,015 feet. For the first time since 1963, three Rio Grande-lettered 2-8-2s powered a rotary train, since they were to be used on special charter trains before the beginning of the regular tourist season. The plow operated for four consecutive days. This plow effort was the hardest #OY was ever worked. You'll enjoy cascading snow as the plow battles drifts up to 12 feet deep. Slide areas required tree cutting with chain saws. Crews even shoveled snow into tenders that ran low on water. It was a time-warp that resembled Rio Grande plow operations of the 1950s. There are lots of surprised in this incredible show of steam and snow fighting.
CHAMA FREIGHT TURNS. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 1993?. After the 1993 plow run featured in TRIPLE-HEADER ROTARY, two days of charter freights, organized by Greg Scholl were operated in the Chama area on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. There were six consists with Rio Grande-lettered engines and rolling stock. One train had three engines until #497 blew a cylinder head. Mid-train helpers and doubleheaders really put on a show. Reflection shots, switching in the yard, and winter-like operations await you in this video. The Rocky Mountain scenery along the C&TS is superb.
STEAM ROTARY. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 1991?. Coverage of the two day 1991 plow run on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Also included is a tour of the rotary plow by John Bush, Mechanical Officer of the C&TS.
CAB RIDE THROUGH THE ROCKIES, VOLUME 1: DENVER TO MOFFAT TUNNEL. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 19??. Ride in the cab of an Amtrak AMD-103 Genesis locomotive on the point of the California Zephyr from Denver to the Moffat Tunnel.
CAB RIDE THROUGH THE ROCKIES, VOLUME 2: MOFFAT TUNNEL TO BOND. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 19??. Ride in the cab of an Amtrak AMD-103 Genesis locomotive on the point of the California Zephyr from the Moffat Tunnel to Bond, Colorado.
CAB RIDE THROUGH THE ROCKIES, VOLUME 3: BOND TO GLENWOOD SPRINGS. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 19??. Ride in the cab of an Amtrak AMD-103 Genesis locomotive on the point of the California Zephyr from Bond to Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
A DAY ON SOLDIER SUMMIT. Greg Scholl Video Productions, 1991.

Miscellaneous Producers

TENNESSEE PASS FROM START TO FINISH. Charles Smiley Presents, 1996/97. This video compliments the TRAINS article on Tennessee Pass in the March 1997 issue. The presentation starts at Pueblo and heads west, catching coal, ore, and merchandise trains at classic locations like Canon City, Salida, Princeton, the summit tunnel, Minturn, and Dotsero. The line's heritage is evident is a smattering or Rio Grande diesels, but the dominant units are SP's big GEs and rebuilt EMDs. Besides the information on modern action, the narration presents information on the area's history, focusing on the Denver & Rio Grande Western and backed up with vintage photos and film clips. Onscreen maps appear often to supplement the presentation.
AMTRAK'S CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. TM Bks (Books?), 19??. The ride of a lifetime! Starting in Chicago, the California Zephyr winds its way through America's heartland and over the canyons and peaks of Colorado and the High Sierras to the West Coast.
RAILROAD MEMORIES. Colorado Council For Public Television, 1996. Features the remembrances of Jackson Thode, Edward Haley, Charles Albi, Edward Gerlits, and Bob Griswold. These men recount their adventures over decades of chasing steam locomotives through the Colorado high country. This video includes archival still photographs and film footage of the last passenger train to Cirpple Creek, runs of the Rio Grande Souther, the Colorado & Southern, the Galloping Goose, and more.
RIO GRANDE TUNNEL DISTRICT. Backtrack Videos, 1992. This is a contemporary look at operations on the Tunnel District of the Denver & Rio Grande.
NARROW RAILS STILL SHINE. Interurban Films, 19??. A visit to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge and Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroads. Both lines are shown today and in historical perspective.
RAILFANNING THE SILVERTON: A GUIDE TO THE DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD. Mark I Video, 1989. Historical and current film footage of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
TENNESSEE PASS. Steve Neff Videos, 1994/5?. Visit the SP's D&RGW formidable railroad grade between Leadville and Minturn, Colorado. Filmed in May 1994.
JOURNEY TO YESTERDAY. Paramount Pictures?/Pentrex?, 19??. Behind the scenes view of the filming of DENVER & RIO GRANDE, which was filmed along the Durango-Silverton line. Footage of Rio Grande freight and passenger trains is included.

Hollywood Movies

D&RGW Videos