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Daylight Freedom Special 4449 American Freedom Train DVD
 5 of 5 (2)

Daylight Freedom Special 4449 American Freedom Train DVD Pentrex DFS-DVD 748268003967
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In March 2002, Daylight 4449 returned to the rails for the Columbia-Deschutes Special, a 2-day excursion that took the mighty steamer through the scenic wonderlands of the Columbia River Gorge and the Deschutes River Canyon. Making the trip even more remarkable was the Daylight's patriotic paint scheme: the elegant steamer was repainted for this trip in the same glorious red, white and blue colors she wore during her American Freedom Train tours of 1975-1976.

The Columbia River Gorge and Deschutes Canyon provided outstanding settings for the magnificent locomotive and her Freedom Train colors. The Deschutes River Canyon is an inaccessible and visually stunning site where canyon walls rise 2,200 feet up from the tracks. 4449 looked gorgeous in her revisited colors, pulling former Amtrak "Heritage Fleet" and Northwest Rail Museum Daylight cars, unassisted by diesel helpers!

Leaving Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, the Daylight traveled the north bank of the Columbia River for 110 miles. Then, turning south, she continued to Bend, demonstrating her awesome power. Highlights include fantastic pacing sequences, high bridge crossings, and an added segment showing the Daylight in all her different paint schemes!


DVD Special Features:

  • Bonus footage: The 1976 Interurban Press film The American Freedom Train (25 minutes) is included on the same DVD!

  • Two stereo soundtracks, one with the natural train sounds, the other with narration added. The viewer can switch the narration on or off at any time. (This feature is not available on the bonus film.)

  • Chapter Menu provides instant access to program segments.
60 Minutes (plus 25 minute bonus film)
In Color with Stereo Sound and Narration
Full-screen (4x3) Format
No region code; can be played in any NTSC DVD player worldwide
Packaged in Sturdy Vinyl Clamshell Case

DVD
TVD Price:$ 9.95
List Price:$ 29.95
Live Stock Status: IN STOCK!
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DVD Item#:DFS-DVD
Runtime:
Producer:Pentrex
Aspect Ratio:Full Screen
DVD UPC:748268003967
Shrink Wrapped?:Yes
Disc Type:DVD
Region Code:0 Worldwide NTSC
Daylight Freedom Special 4449 American Freedom Train DVD
armchairrailfan on 2009-09-16 00:05:07.

People who found this review helpful: 1

  •  5 of 5


The 26 car American Freedom Train toured the United States from April 1975 to December 1976. Surprisingly, it was the only "nation wide" event in the celebration of the 200th Anniversary of our Independence. The train was pulled by three different steam engines, of which only 4449 is still in service today pulling excursions - RDG 2101 is now in the B&O Museum in Baltimore MD and T&P 610 is in the Texas State Railroad Park at Palastine TX. Just a few weeks before I received this DVD, Southern Pacific 4-8-4 #4449 made it's second longest trip of it's excursion history to appear at the 2009 Train Festival in Owosso Michigan. Normally painted in Southern Pacific red and orange Daylight colors, 4449 was repainted in the Freedom Train colors in 2002. This DVD covers the March 2002 trip through the Columbia River Gorge and Deschutes Canyon. It also includes the 1976 American Freedom Train video from Interurban Press.

<p>The main program starts with a brief history on the SP GS class locomotives and scenes from the preparation then night before the excursion, and a few shots of the Portland Union Station. As the train pulls out of the station, it is noted that the auxiliary tender is lettered "Let's Roll", the phrase that was used by the doomed passengers of Flight 93 which crashed in Pennsylvania during the Terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Highlights of the video include a long shot of the train crossing the bridge at Wishram while a UP train passes under the west end of the bridge, the Crooked River bridge, the Willow Creek trestle (photo run by) and the long pacing sequence in the Deschutes River Canyon. The cool March weather creates some nice exhaust scenes. I noticed that none of the passenger cars in this train where lettered for any particular railroad...it would have been nice for all of them to have been painted in AFT colors.

<p>The 25 minute American Freedom Train video (listed as "Bonus Material" on the DVD menu) starts in Bakersfield CA showing the 4449 hooking up with a Cotton Belt diesel that is painted in Bicentennial colors for help crossing Tehachapi pass. We then see the train on the Tehachapi Loop and passing through a couple tunnels enroute to the Los Angeles Fairgrounds. The Freedom Train (again with the Cotton Belt Bicentennial painted EMD SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor then is shown enroute to Yuma AZ.

<p>Narration and photography are both very good. There is a lot of wind noise in this video, so you might want to crank the subwoofer down a bit. The Interurban Press video is also well done and good quality. This is definitely a <i>MUST HAVE</i>!


Additional remarks by armchairrailfan:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Maybe.
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value: Excellent Value!
Recommend to others? A "Must Have"!

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Daylight Freedom Special 4449 American Freedom Train DVD
Steamboy (Revere MA US) on 2018-04-20 07:56:32.

  •  5 of 5


Over the Years SP Daylight 4449 Provides some excellent specials in the Pacific Nothwest, and also Provides some excellent transcontinental trips in 1975-77 for the original Freedom Train, 1984 to New Orelans for the World's Fair, and in 2009 to the Steam Railroading institute in Owosso Michigan for a special weekend-long party for Pere Marquette 1225 (The Real Polar Express Locomotive)'s huge Rebuild. This Program made in 2002, features the second time 4449 was repainted in the 1970's AFT Livery but to bring the dedicated tributes to the innocent citizens who lost their lives at New York City's Twin Towers during the 9-11-01 attacks. This one was my Very First Pentrex DVD back in 2003, and at the Same Time, Tom McCommas & Joe Stachler of TM Books & video Provides some of the footages from that video to be used in the "I Love Toy Trains Part 12" Videotape.

Additional remarks by Steamboy:
Narration: Just enough.
Narration CAN be turned off in special features.
Would kids enjoy this? Yes.
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value:: Fair.
Recommend to others? A "Must Have"!

Did you find this review useful?