While the first part of this program was enlightening--the history of the PRR from 1846 to the 1960s, the narration was so rapid, most was incomprehensible and annoying.

The images were also in rapid succession and difficult to concentrate on. This said, the material was excellent, especially in the later sections and the Pentrex narrator outstanding (as usual with Pentrex).

The history as to why the PRR needed to acquire the Long Island RR was only half the story. The LIRR had a charter to build tunnels under the East River from Manhattan to LI, but no financial resources. The PRR had the money, but no charter. This should have been revealed as railroadiana.

There was good coverage of Pennsy's DDI electric locomotive with drive wheels like a steam engine, that made it a hit with the public. George Gibbs' GG1 was amply covered as were the name-trains of the period, and the NY to DC corridor, the erection of catenary, and engines with pantographs.

I was surprised to learn in the other parts, that position light signals were ALSO displayed in the cab of steam
engines in the 1940's (perhaps earlier) and that the cab had phone communication with oncoming trains as well as with dispatchers.

Great images in the Juniata shops in Altoona, PA, where technicians were scrutinizing drive-wheel operation on stationary engines--wheels made to spin at speeds of 60-70 mph. The section devoted to "piggybacking" was very well done and demonstrates the comeback of freight trains.

The last part of the program was somewhat corn-ball--the bit about a family traveling in a covered wagon in Pennsylvania. 15 minutes of dialogue could have been summed up in a few sentences: "Before railroads, it took a stagecoach 2 1/2 days to travel 95 miles and cost a small fortune. On the train, during that same period,the trip took 3 1/2 hours and was affordable for almost everyone". (I give Ron Ziel credit for that.)

Additional remarks by Rob The Long Islander:
Narration: Way too much!
Would kids enjoy this? I doubt it.
Image quality: A little rough around the edges.
DVD Value:: Fair.
Recommend to others? Not unless they REALLY were interested in the subject matter.

The Pennsylvania Railroad was truly one of the greatest railroads in world history. From the giant Steam 4-4-4-4's to the Electric GG-1's to the finest Diesels of the time, it was always of interest to all railfans. There is a huge amount of history in this video, combined with some very scenic locations. The educational value is very good, as we witness some great railroading action. However, I did find that there some difficulty understanding the video as some of it is a general group of short films, and the narration could have been better. As a Combo, there are 2 different videos on this presentation. "The Standard Railroad of the World" was good enough for a 4/5 rating, but I was not overly impressed with "The Pennsylvania Collection" which is a group of smaller films. I found some it it hard to follow. Although I am not disappointed in the purchase, my final rating after viewing this video a few times was 3/5.
Not a bad video, just not what I was hoping for.

Additional remarks by rrvideoman:
Narration: A little bit too much.
Would kids enjoy this? I doubt it.
Image quality: Good.
DVD Value: Good Value
Recommend to others? Yes.

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One of my favorite benching areas is from Johnstown to Horseshoe Curve, so really enjoyed this old video. Old film, but very informative and watchable.

Additional remarks by Ronnie:
Narration: Could have used more.
Would kids enjoy this? I doubt it.
Image quality: A little rough around the edges.
DVD Value:: Fair.
Recommend to others? Not unless they REALLY were interested in the subject matter.

This DVD has a good collection of railroad produced videos. The coverage of the PRR equipment and services is very good. I have spent a lot of time along the PRR from New York to Washington, DC and to Harrisburg, PA. Good memories came back.

Additional remarks by John Sacher:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Maybe.
Image quality: A little rough around the edges.
DVD Value: Good Value
Recommend to others? Yes.