Audio & Videos
VINTAGE RAILS - Volume 1
Now Digitized and for the First Time Available in the Improved DVD Format!
THE MOST THOROUGH VIDEO OF COLOR HISTORICAL D&H STEAM AND ALCO PA1 ACTION FOOTAGE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE!!!
Herein is coverage of the entire "old" Delaware & Hudson from the 1930's thru the 70's. Mostly steam locomotives are shown, in color, including the Challengers, Northerns, Americans, Ten-Wheelers and Consolidations of "the D&H"!!!
Some first generation Alco diesels are also included with an extended look at the famous quartet of ex-Santa Fe Alco PA1 passenger units, including an Adirondack PA1 music video with cab scenes along the rock cuts and shore of Lake Champlain in upstate New York!!!
From Wilkes-Barre to Montreal--Including the Starrucca Viaduct and Now Gone Infamous Pennsylvania Division. Plus Carbondale, Ararat, Tunnel, Oneonta, Cherry Valley, Albany, Colonie, Mechanicville, Saratoga Springs, North Creek, Lake George, Whitehall, Port Henry, Plattsburg, Rouses Point!!!
Films of the Reading's Wilmington & Northern Branch between Wilmington and Birdsboro make up the final portion of this video and, once again, steamers are the subject highlighted!!!
76-Minutes - 96% Full-Color - Color Maps - Music - Narration
INCLUDES...15-Minutes of NEW Recently-Digitized Black & White Bonus Footage of D&H/Reading Steam Film Rescued from Degradation Just in Time!!!
"Everybody Knows the Poconos!"™
Colorful digital maps make sure you know exactly where the action is taking place! A 500-series 4-6-0 leads the miner's commuter train from Scranton into Carbondale station in the 1940's. Pacing a D&H Challenger-led freight was no small feat in the 1940's, but you'll see it all! Shortly before a summer sunset, D&H Challenger and Mallet steam push hard on a northbound behind Dundaff Street in Carbondale, PA, in this 1940's scene from Vintage Rails, Volume 1. Few earth-shattering experiences surpassed the roar of a D&H Challenger -led freight train passing under the famed Erie Railroad Starrucca viaduct at Lanesboro, PA. Quite the impressive sight for a young lad as a Mallet pusher crests the grade at Tunnel, NY. In his usual short-sleeve white shirt and tie, D&H Chief Road Foreman of Engines, the late Marv Davis or "Mr. PA", leans on and talks about "his" locomotives at the Plattsburg, NY station in this 1970's scene from vintage Vintage Rails, Volume 1. Sit in the engineer's seat of an Alco PA1 as the Adirondack rounds the shores and runs through the rock cuts along Lake Champlain. An Alco PA1-powered excursion train has its orders "hooped up" as it passes famed fa tower in Oneonta, NY.
Digital Book (on CD):
Gravity Cars – 100 Years Later
by Robert Stahr
When the D & H Canal Co.’s Gravity Railroad stopped running in 1899, the boxcars and passenger cars were sold to local people for use as chicken coops, cottages, sheds and office space, etc. Seventeen of them have been photographed inside and out by the author along with three from the PA Coal Company. These color photos and two historic black & white photos are included on this CD.
Video: The Gravity - The Story of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Co.'s Gravity Railroad
30 minutes, color
Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson
This is a 10 CD series covering many aspects of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad.
Volume 1: by Paul Cooledge
Published by John Pechulis Media
With the fall of the major anthracite roads and their inclusion into Conrail in 1976, railfans began to focus their attention on capturing the operations of the Delaware & Hudson, as many believed the D&H’s future as an independent company was becoming increasingly uncertain.
The events that followed the acquisition of the D&H by Guilford Transportation just a few years after these films were taken would result in the demise of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad as many once knew it.
In Volume 1, we join Paul Cooledge and friends as they railfan the Delaware & Hudson on the Susquehanna and Penn divisions and on the Conrail Southern Tier Line from March 1979 to October 1981.
Locations include Binghamton to Mechanicville Yard on the Susquehanna division, Nineveh to Ararat including footage of detours over Jefferson Junction at Lanesboro on the Penn division and Binghamton to as far west as Portage, NY on the Conrail Southern Tier Line. Highlights include interchange with the Boston & Maine at Mechanicville Yard, NY; Starucca Viaduct; Starucca Creek Trestle; Harpursville trestle and more.
Commentary and original sound film by Paul Cooledge
Color, approximately 72 minutes run time
Volume 2: 1974 to 1981
Films of Ken Bealer & Robert F Wilt
Published by John Pechulis Meda
In Volume 2 of Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson, we’ll railfan the Champlain, Saratoga and Susquehanna divisions as well as trains on the Lehigh line, former DL&W line to Binghamton and the D&H turns from 1974 to 1981 through the films of Ken Bealer and Robert F Wilt.
Baldwin Sharks, Alco PA’s as well as EMD and other Alco power are featured throughout this program.
Locations include Willsboro to Whitehall on the Champlain division, Rutland to Albany on the Saratoga Division, Mechanicville to Binghamton on the Susquehanna Division; the D&H Turn from Binghamton to Sayre, the Lehigh line from Bergers to Bethlehem and on the former DL&W line from Taylor yard to Nicholson, PA.
Highlights include operations at Oneonta Yard, Sharks on the D&H Turn and the other locations, PA powered passenger trains, D&H/LV run-through trains, Harpursville Trestle and more.
Narration and Subtitles
Color: Approximately 71 minutes run time
Volume 3: Alphabet Route Trains
Binghamton to Philadelphia Covers 1978 to 1985.
Published by John Pechulis Meda
Volume 3 of Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson covers the Alphabet route trains on the former DLW line from Binghamton, NY to Taylor, PA, former Lehigh Valley and CNJ lines from Dupont to Allentown and ex-Reading lines from Allentown to Philadelphia.
After the fall of the Anthracite roads in 1976, the D&H continued the “Alphabet route” trains via trackage rights on what had then become Conrail owned trackage.
The D&H accessed Allentown from a connection at Dupont, PA onto former Lehigh Valley and CNJ lines, which was named by Conrail as the “Lehigh Line”.
Ex-Reading lines from Allentown to Philadelphia allowed the D&H to reach the city of brotherly love and connection with the B&O. This routing would remain in place until May of 1999, when Conrail was split between Norfolk Southern and CSX.
In keeping with the D&H on former Reading trackage theme, we’ll finish with Anthracite Railroad’s RS-3 #4118, former D&H engine, on the Reading Perkiomen Branch.
Narration and Subtitles: Original Super 8mm sound
Color: Approximately 73 minutes run time.
Volume 4: Steam in the Late 1940s into Diesel in the late 1970s Canada to Penssylvania
Published by John Pechulis Meda
In Volume 4 of Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson, we’ll railfan the railroad from Montreal Canada into Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania.
We begin with D&H steam in the late 1940's at Lake George and extend into the diesel era of the late 1970's. We’ll railfan the Champlain division, Saratoga Division, Susquehanna Division and the Penn division along the way.
Highlights include camelback steam, Alco PA powered passenger trains, D&H/LV run-through trains, and a cab ride on the Penn Division from Lanesboro to Ararat.
Footage sourced from a wide range of noted contributors
Narration with commentary by Mike Bedar
Color and Sound: Approximately 63 minutes run time
Volume 5: Early 1970s into the Guilford Era of the 1980s Maine to Pensylvania
Published by John Pechulis Meda
In Volume 5 of Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson, we’ll railfan the D&H from the early 1970s into the mid-1980s.
We begin at Green Village, Maine under Guilford and progress south through the scenic New England states, into the Keystone state. Along the way, we’ll catch a variety of power and connecting railroads which interchanged with the D&H
Highlights include the almost 5-mile long Hoosac Tunnel, scenes on the Greenwich & Johnsonville, Pot Yard trains, a wreck at Spring Street in Moosic, and the PA fantrips during the D&H sesquicentennial from Hudson to Oneonta and Albany and return.
Footage sourced from a wide range of noted contributors
Narration with commentary by Mike Bedar
Color and Sound: Approximately 63 minutes run time
Volume 6: D&H Penn Division Part 1
April 1979 to March 1980
Dave Deyo Collection
Published by John Pechulis Meda
Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson Volume 6 begins the three-part series on the last two years of the Penn Division as it was known and the subsequent transition to the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western line from Binghamton to the Lackawanna Valley
Volume 6 covers operations from West Carbondale up over Ararat Mountain to Lanesboro and beyond from April 1979 to March 1980 from the films of David Deyo
Highlights include the Bethlehem Steel and Sea-Land “Landbridge” trains, as well as mixed freights from Oneonta to Hudson, NE-84 and NE-87 and combined trains.
Featured landmarks include the Starucca Viaduct and Starucca Hi Iron Trestle
Narrated with commentary by Mike Bednar
Color: Approximately 76 minutes run time
Volume 7: The Penn Division Part 2
March 1980 to June 1980
Dave Deyo Collection
Published by John Pechulis Meda
Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson Volume 7 is the second part of the three-part series on the last two years of the Penn Division and the subsequent transition to the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western line from Binghamton to the Lackawanna Valley
Volume 7 covers operations from Simpson up over Ararat Mountain to Lanesboro and to the connection with the main at Ninevah from March to June 1980 from the films of David Deyo
At this time, deferred maintenance was beginning to catch up with the D&H. Slow orders and derailments were becoming more frequent due to poor trackage and passing sidings were being consolidated, which really began to impact operations.
The D&H’s money-making Bethlehem Steel and Sea-Land “Landbridge” trains, would eventually go to Conrail, severely cutting revenue for the D&H.
Narrated with commentary by Mike Bednar
Color: Approximately 74 minutes run time
Volume 8: The Penn Division Part 3
Last Months and Transition to the Ex-DLW Line
Published by John Pechulis Meda
Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson Volume 8 is the third part of the three-part series on the Penn Division.
Volume 8 covers the last months of the Penn Division and the transition to the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western line from the films of David Deyo
We’ll view operations on the Penn Division from Olyphant to Lanesboro between June and August 1980, and then operations on the ex-DLW line from Binghamton to the Scranton area from October 1980 to June of 1985, including a cab ride with Bernie Gill from Conklin Yard to Hudson yard
Narrated with commentary by Mike Bednar
Color: Approximately 70 minutes run time
Volume 9: The Susquehanna Division
May 1979 to August 1985
Dave Deyo Collection
Published by John Pechulis Meda
Volume 9 of Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson covers the Susquehanna Division between May 1979 and August 1985 from the films of David Deyo.
A variety of landmarks are featured between Binghamton and Oneonta, including Belden Tunnel, Harpursville Trestle, SW Cabin at Nineveh and more.
Highlights include interesting symbol freights, as well as operations at Oneonta and Binghamton Yards.
We close with detour moves over the remaining section of the Penn Division due to a derailment at Sanitaria Springs in March of 1985 and the rebuilding of Belden Tunnel to accommodate High and Wide Loads between August and December 1985.
Narrated with commentary by Mike Bednar
Color; approximately 75 minutes runtime.
Volume 10: Operations from New York to Pennsylvania
Early 1970s to Early 1980s
Published by John Pechulis Meda
In Volume 10 of Railfanning the Delaware & Hudson, we’ll railfan the D&H from the early 1970s into the early 1980s.
We begin at Willsboro, NY and progress south into the Keystone state. Along the way, we’ll catch a wide variety of power and scenes along the D&H
Highlights include ore trains on the North Creek Branch, scenes on the Greenwich & Johnsonville, Alco PA powered passenger and freight trains, the Penn Division in the early 1970s including Lehigh Valley run-through trains, excursions and more.
Footage from noted cinematographers Walter Appel and Dave Deyo
Narrated with commentary by Mike Bednar
Color and Sound; approximately 59 minutes runtime.