Portland and Westerns Toledo Branch Part 1 Toledo to Summit DVD

5 of 5 (2)

Portland and Westerns Toledo Branch Part 1 Toledo to Summit DVD 7idea Productions 050055D

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Deep in the coastal hills of western Oregon lies a backwoods railroad which weaves through America’s premiere timber producing lands. Operated by the Portland and Western Railroad, the line services a Georgia Pacific paper mill in the small town of Toledo. Trains make the seventy-five-mile journey over the branch line nearly every day between its namesake town of Toledo and Albany in the lush Willamette Valley.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we will show you the west end of the line with an insightful combination of historic images and modern-day operations. Visit the former station of Yaquina and see remnants of the old rail line abandoned by the Southern Pacific in 1936. See the GP paper mill and take a tour of the Western Cascade Industries sawmill. Follow the railroad as it charts an inland course along the Yaquina River crossing it fifteen times on rickety wooden trestles.

With the passing of each milepost lie the ghosts of old derailments, stations, mills, and communities long forgotten. The climax of the journey is a stiff 2.58% mountain grade over the summit of the Coast Range. The classic two-stroke EMD’s thunder up the west side lugging heavy trains of containerboard.

2 hours 14 minutes

Frame grabs:

Westbound Corvallis and Eastern train arrives at Yaquina

Westbound Corvallis and Eastern train arrives at Yaquina.

Toledo Mill

An aerial view of the Georgia Pacific paper mill in Toledo, Oregon.

Loading a Center Beam

Green Douglas Fir lumber is loaded onto a centerbeam at Toledo.

The eastbound

The eastbound "Toledo Patch" crosses the Yaquina near Tunnel 24.

14th Crossing

The train makes the fourteenth crossing of the Yaquina on a foggy August morning.

Nashville Snow

PNWR 3001 and its slug leads the "Toledo Patch" through Nashville on a cold winter's day.

The bottom of the grade.

The train climbs through a natural tunnel of trees on the stiff grade to Summit.

Curved Trestle at Bridge 731-B

The 2.58% grade crosses one of many wooden trestles as trains struggle up the west side to Summit.

Watch Preview:

Portland and Western's Toledo Branch 1 Trailer from 7idea Productions on Vimeo.

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DVD Item#:	050055D
Blu-ray Item#:	050055B
Runtime:	2 Hours, 14 Mins ($0.20/min)
Producer:	7idea Productions
Aspect Ratio:	Wide Screen
Shrink Wrapped?:	Yes
Disc Type:	DVD or BLU-RAY
Region Code:	0 Worldwide NTSC

Portland and Westerns Toledo Branch Part 1 Toledo to Summit DVD

mySP7377 on 2020-09-04 14:01:00.

People who found this review helpful: 9

5 of 5

Another awesome DVD from 7Idea Productions, the action is intense and non stop and its hard to believe that this is a branch line with lash up's of 5 to 6 classic EMD GP 40's and GP 38's with former NS road slugs between the GP's. I was amazed at some of the remote location that 7Idea covered on this DVD how he got to some of these spots is beyond me.....Some of the photography is done with a Drone that's very well done in High Definition, I got a Blu-Ray copy and the photography is fantastic the Narration is informative and interesting along with maps and graphics.....It might not be for everyone there's no massive main line action here just lash ups of EMD GD's at full throttle pulling step grades with limber products from the the large mill at the end of the line.

John R. Schmeling
SP/UP Railroad (retired)

Additional remarks by mySP7377:
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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Portland and Westerns Toledo Branch Part 1 Toledo to Summit DVD

Bulletbob709 (Meridian MS USA) on 2020-09-05 08:46:24.

People who found this review helpful: 4

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5 of 5

This is another superb production from 7Idea and probably their best even if the subject is a short line trying to survive servicing a modern paper mill and sawmill.

The producer is based in Toledo, Oregon so being home each night during production had to have helped a lot such as rethinking and adding scenes. There are numerous special angles of interest in the production including the numerous crossings of the Yaquina River, a tidal river close to the coast and a conventional river further inland and tunnels. Most of the bridges consist of creosoted wood piling trestles that show their age and it is poignantly displayed in the video. 'Rocking and Rolling' as it was described.

The use of old photographs was a special touch. No doubt having the time to work with a local county history office paid off with some special treasure before and after shots. Inclusion of the Sp 4449 traversing the line certainly added some interest. as

The ambiance of the production I would call 'intimate' in that you are taken into a special coastal setting for a gently moving story with a lot of content. Even my wife enjoyed it.

The narration was quite complementary to the production. Informative but never intrusive or overbearing . Some tasteful drone shots helped to learn the scope of the paper mill and sawmill.

Additional remarks by Bulletbob709:
Narration: Just enough.
Would kids enjoy this? Yes.
Image quality: Excellent!
DVD Value: Good Value
Recommend to others? Definitely.

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