The Pokey, Norfolk Southern’s Pocahontas Division
SKU: DVD-HBP-POKYOriginal price was: $24.95.$12.47Current price is: $12.47.
This is coal country, and you’ll see lots of heavy coal drags twisting through the narrow valleys and blasting up the grades and through the tunnels that make up this famous and highly scenic route.
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| Producer | Highball Productions |
|---|---|
| Run Time | 2 hours |
| Narration | Yes |
| Shrink Wrap | Yes, Brand New |
| Technical Details | NTSC, Region Free, View Worldwide on Computer |
This is coal country, and you’ll see lots of heavy coal drags twisting through the narrow valleys and blasting up the grades and through the tunnels that make up this famous and highly scenic route. Taped in the spring of 1997 when the new wide cab GEs were out and about in force, both on the point and as helpers. NS still used cabooses for back up moves on the mine runs, – some trains back up for 15 or 20 miles. Imagine a new C40-9W on one end and a caboose on the other! We’ll also see a coal train at War Eagle being run around by half a dozen trains.
rickyfreni –
A Flashback to the Spring of 1997 was made as there are a variety of diesels on this Former Norfolk & Western Mainline with not only Today’s Norfolk Southern, but also other road names like Conrail, & Southern Pacific.
Locations include Bluefield West Virginia Yard with a coaling tower from the Steam Years, Milepost 366, Falls Mills, MP363, LaMoors, Bluestone, the bridge & tunnel at Cooper (which is one of the late Greg Scholl’s favorite locations on the N&W), Keystone Tunnel, Switchback, Elkhorn, Kyle siding, Keystone with a caboose, Campbell at MP382, Dual Tunnel, Big Four at MP383, Keuger, the coaling tower & twin tunnels at Farm near MP390, Antler Tunnel 1 at Caples, Antler Tunnel 2, the Twin Tunnels at Branch, Roderfield Tunnel, Laurel Tunnel, Iager with another Coaling Tower & the Dry Fork Branch, Panther, Mohawk with a children’s basketball field, Moore Eagle, Old Joe, Bend, Glen Alan Tunnel, the Brier Mountain Branch with Dash 8-40CW number 9000 (referenced to a Union Pacific 4-12-2 on Display in Southern California), Lindsay, Devone near the Buchannan Branch, The Dunn Fork River near the Kentucky State Line, Vulcan, Thacker at MP441, the twin Hatfield tunnels & bridges at Matewan, & ends at Williamson.
Motive power is shown from the since-retired C40-8s & C40-9s to today’s Wide Cab Units as well as high hood & Chopped-Nosed GP38-2s & SD40-2s, not to mention the SD50s & SD60s.
All in all, Peter Falconi did an outstanding job narrating this program.
22chase22 –
Highball did a fine job of documenting the Pokey on this program. It was shot in 1996 when the first of the once ubiquitous D9-40CWs were showing up. Another note of interest here is the video shows when NS was testing SP AC4400s on the Elkhorn pushers. There’s a great variety of motive power here from GE C39-8s to EMD GP38-2s, which to me makes it that much more enjoyable. Also shown is a shifter pulling loads out of the now inactive Keystone Preparation Plant. Auville Yard in Iaeger is also shown during it’s heyday. The footage of the yard is historic now as the yard closed not long ago. I’d give anything if the busy days seen here would come back but I think it’s all over. Aside from a few mispronunciations from the narrator, this program is near perfect in my opinion. 5/5
Chase Freeman
Videographer-Green Frog Productions
Lloyd –
Eastern coal railroading is much different from the Powder River operations. In the Pocahontas region, many trains have to be backed into mines, and therefore cabooses are used so a person can relay to the engine crew as to what to do. Helper units are also needed to assist. Steep grades and tight curves add to the excitement of the experience. This video show the great action that the Norfolk Southern had to experience in some very rough terrane.