Today’s Chicago Railroads

SKU: DVD-PNX-TCR
(10 customer reviews)

$24.95

The country’s railroading capital, with a network of rail lines unlike anywhere else in the nation.

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Producer

Pentrex

Run Time

2 hours

Narration

Yes

Shrink Wrap

Yes, Brand New

Technical Details

No Region Code, NTSC

Chicago, 1991! The country’s railroading capital, with a network of rail lines unlike anywhere else in the nation. Pentrex explored this intensely active hub, stopping at famous hot spots and some less well-known locations: 16th Street Tower, Belt Tower, Blue Island Crossing, Brighton Park, Colehour Yard, Clyde Yard, Dolton Jct., Downers Grove, Edgebrook, Elmhurst, Eola, Goose Island, Hammond, Hayford Jct., Hegewisch, Lombard, McCook Jct., Porter Jct., Riverside, State Line Crossing, Taylor Street, Tower B-17 (Bensenville), and Van Loon Tower.

The Fallen Flags of today – Burlington Northern; Chicago & North Western; Chicago Central; Conrail; Grande Trunk Western; Illinois Central; Santa Fe; Soo Line; and Wisconsin Central – were then still independent, operating entities. Other railroads plied those busy Chicago rail lines there as well: Belt Railway of Chicago; Chicago Rail Link; Chicago Short Line; Chicago, South Shore & South Bend; CSX Transportation; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; Indiana Harbor Belt; Iowa Interstate; Metra; Norfolk Southern; Union Pacific; and Amtrak.

Locomotives from “new” Santa Fe Warbonnets to time-worn North Western Geeps add special interest to the action seen here. Special treats are the Burlington Northern E-Units and a Belt Railway of Chicago Alco C-424. High-speed railroading rounds out the excitement as we watch Amtrak passenger trains dash to meet their schedules and Santa Fe pig trains speeding toward their destinations. You can expect the unexpected in this 1991 tour of railroading – Chicago style.

10 reviews for Today’s Chicago Railroads

  1. Lloyd

    Here is a very interesting movie. Many different railroad companies make appearances, from quite a number of different locations in the greater Chicago are area/region.
    There is no single location for railroading like Chicago, and Pentrex brings out the best of this large city.
    You’ll see many variations of power from switchers to mainline line freight and passenger. Plus the greater Chicago area commutor service. Fallen flags to no end. Over 1 & 1/2 dozen different rail companies are represented. Being made in the early 1990’s, it now takes on a historical over view that will be a treasure for many years to come.
    It’s a movie that the viewer will watch many times over again. I enjoy it everytime I have the opportunity to view it. I highly recommend all rail video collectors to add this to you collection.

  2. rickyfreni

    Chicago. It was at once upon a time, America’s capital city of railroading, but in recent years, it is now one of the capital cities of never ending mass shootings, MS-13 gangs and gun violence, along With Baltimore, Detroit, Denver, San Francisco, Birmingham, New York City, Buffalo, Albuquerque, Springfield Mass, Atlanta, Portland Oregon, Stattle, Oakland, etc. Overall back to trains however, it is an amazing hot spot somewhat, as well as a great variety of Diesels on various fallen flag colors which have since been merged to today’s Norfolk Southern, CSX, & Union Pacific, plus a ton of commuters on Metra, and South Shore are also included.

  3. david holland

    this is one of my favorite pentrex dvd’s every produced by pentrex. it includes fallen flags, alcos, early emd and ge locos, cabooses, street running, switching operations, commuter and passengar trains, and so much more. this video is great resource if you are going to chicago or love tons of trains. this dvd is worth the money. i love this dvd. glad i bought it

  4. T.A.R.

    THIS FILM WAS FILMED IN 1991. ONE OF THE NATIONS RAILROADING CAPITOLS FOR RAIL ACTION. YOU STOP IN ACTIVE HUBS LIKE BELT TOWER, BLUE ISLAND, GOOSE ISLAND, PORTER JUNCTION AND MANY, MANY MORE. SEE SOME OF THE FALLEN LINES OF TODAY SUCH AS CONRAIL. BURLINGTON NORTHERN, SANTA FE, WISCONSIN CENTRAL AND MANY MORE. SEE ALSO A LOT OF NEAT PAIN SCHEMES AND IN YOUR FACE ACTION. 5 STARS AND 2 HOURS LONG.

  5. andyweise

    This is one of those videos that pentrex did a long time ago and has a historical appeal to it as much as changed in the indursty. Lots of variety from railroads to trains. One of my favorite Pentrex videos.

  6. NorthAmericanSteelVeins

    This is definitely an eye-candy DVD for those who like paint scheme variety and any diesel locomotive prior to the advent of the wide-nose cabs. To give an idea for when this was shot, the newest power I noted from all the footage were the GE C39-8s, EMD SD60s, and ATSF’s Warbonnet EMD GP60Ms. As far as NS and CSX trains, the mergers had occurred recently when this footage was shot so one can expect to see a good amount of power still in predecessor paint as well. An excellent DVD that has something for fans of Chicago railroading, passenger rail, interlocking towers, old signals, old EMD power, etc.

  7. Brad

    Chicago was much more color back then, and pentrex captured it well. If you long for the 90s in Chicago this is your video. Worth a look for sure. Great footage from around the area.

  8. transitionalman

    Pre-merger ATSF? CHECK!!!
    Pre-merger BN? CHECK!!!
    Pre-assimilation CNW? CHECK!!!
    Pre-divided Conrail? CHECK!!!

    OK, you’ve got the picture. I am sentimental about this one because I lived in Chicagoland in 1990-1991 and remember the trains and locations in this film (some of which have completely changed now…and not for the better).

    I can not say enough good things about this video. The locomotives, the railroads, the locations, Chicago has it all!!!

  9. Eddy

    Never mind that the ‘Today’ in the title refers to 1991. Chicago has always been and still is a hot spot of railroad activity, and this Pentrex production provides you a taste of what Chicago has to offer. The variety and amount of motive power and railroads which make an appearance is mind boggling. Especially interesting are the numerous junctions where multiple mainlines cross, as well as a day spent following a local Soo Line switch crew as they trundle through the backstreets making pickups and drop-offs along the way. This DVD has excellent replay value.

  10. Arthur

    Not a bad show lost of different railroads and types of trains back before the big mergers of the 90’s happened.

  11. Chicago Bill

    The “Today” in the title is really more than two decades ago, but that is okay, the action is still great. I do wish Pentrex would come back to Chicago and do a real TODAY look. A lot has changed in Chicago, but it is also good to remember how it was.

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