• TVD Avg Rating: 
•  4.5 of 5 (2)

Railroad videos fall into 2 categories. Tourism and rail fanning. Sometimes they overlap. Here is a video that overlaps. We are taken to 3 nations that were hidden from us for many years thanks to communism. Today, these nations are opening up and we are able to witness many things unheard of before. I was fascinated to watch this video and see landscape that I have never seen before, quaint little towns once closed to the world, and locomotives that are magnificent to watch. Because there are 3 countries of travel involved, we are treated to a shot of a border crossing and hear about a few obstacles for continuing on. Very interesting, and almost unheard of at Canada/USA borders at our land crossings. This train is a railfan's dream, inside and out. Beautiful. For the tourist... there is also plenty to see. The video narrator does an excellent job explaining all about the train, and places to see off the train. And we see some of the attractions. My boys, ages 9 and 12, sat through the video and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then questioned me after. I noted the value alone as an educational tool in European studies, geography and history. The time span is not to long for the impatient person, and the price is excellent. 5 star production all the way. Highly recommended.

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

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This was an absolutely excellent video on the Imperial Express, otherwise known as the Secret Train of the Czech-Hungarian Empire. Originally built for the President of Hungary in the 1930's, it fell into communist hands in the 40's and was seen only rarely after the communist take over. But, in 1993, after the fall of the iron curtain, the train was restored and put back into service as the premiere train of the Budapest to Prague route. This video has it all for the railfan - the three different steam locomotives that pulls the train, yard scenes, and best of all.....aerial shots of the second locomotive that pulls the train. World Class Trains went all out and hired a helicopter film crew to capture the train as it speeds through the countryside. It's fabulous. Watching the restored locomotive's red painted driving wheels at speed in close-up shots is great to see. There's also a look at side trips by passengers on an electric line as well as aerial cable cars in the mountainside. We also get to see on-board scenes in the dining car and some of the partying that goes on in the train - a tradition of this famed express. Oh, and I can't leave out the cab scenes of the engineer driving the train, as well as the train manager cooking a breakfast in the locomotive's boiler - for those willing to try such a meal. All of this is set to a nice score of classical music. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.

Additional remarks by Jeffrey Ornstein:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Maybe.
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value: Excellent Value!
Recommend to others? Definitely.

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