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Reviews
We strive to produce programmes
with high visual quality, and we periodically submit
examples of our programmes for review in the railway press,
and we're proud of the write-ups and the reception our
programmes have received, and our reviews so far have been
positive and complimentary.
Our "Rails
Around Central China", "Chinese
Mixed Traction Showcase", "Jing
Peng Steam Showcase" and "Rails
Around Pingdingshan" programmes have been
reviewed in the popular Continental
Modeller magazine, and full reviews can be found in
the May 2006, April 2005, October 2003 and November 2003
editions respectively. Some extracts can found below:
Continental
Modeller Magazine, May 2006 Edition
Review of
Rails Around Central China (DVD and VHS) |
  Extracts:
This
programme features diesel and electric operations on
Chinese National Railways, plus steam and diesel
workings on a number of local and industrial railways,
in the area west of Shanghai as far as Pingdingshan,
filmed in the Spring of 2005.
The
introduction features some nice clear maps with the
lines to be visited animated; detailed maps recur
through the programme to keep track of progress.
The
locations visited include Anting, Changzhou, The Yangtze
River Bridge at Nanjing, Zou Xian, and Fuyang Bei yard,
as well as various spots in the Shanghai area. Also
included are Dadongshen on the Yanzhou Coal Railway,
Tianzhuang Depot, works, and yard on the Pingdingshan
Coal Railway, and the Luohe to Fuyang local railway,
observed at Jieshou and Fuyang Xi.
Captions
on screen introduce each new section, and each new
location, as well as identifying every loco seen - as a
minimum by class, and usually also by number, home
depot, and (often) build date. This indicates that a
considerable amount of background research has gone into
elevating the material and making the most of chance
observations.
The
commentary is sparse but always informative, and never
intrudes on the location sound. Extraneous background
noise is a minor problem with a few of the longer shots
in urban areas which are by a roadside, but that is only
natural.
Most
of the locos seen seem clean and well kept. There is
quite a range of liveries on the diesels and electrics,
and indeed the passenger stock is far from being all
dull green, as would once have been the case. There is
also a surprising amount of double-deck stock. A good
variety of traffic is observed.
The
locations vary: some are simply platform end or
lineside, but clearly some effort has been made to find
more interesting and attractive viewpoints, no doubt not
always easy when your activities are inevitably
supervised at all times. Some of the industrial or
railway yard settings are by definition, not especially
scenic!
Camera
work is steady. In general each shot is carefully set up
so the train can run through the frame; the use of zoom
and pan is restrained, and if it is employed the
movement is smooth.
The
material was filmed and mastered on digital equipment,
so the picture quality is excellent throughout. The
weather was mostly good, with just a little haze dulling
the sharpness in some sequences.
The
DVD offers scene selection, and additional information
in the form of six pages of text with geographical
details and extra locomotive class information. There
are also trailers for other programmes in the SPDVP
range, each with a short clip and the contents
summarised.
Extracts
reproduced with kind permission from Continental
Modeller magazine.
|
Continental
Modeller Magazine, April 2005 Edition
Review of
Chinese Mixed Traction Showcase (DVD and VHS) |
  Extracts:
This
programme features a selection of motive power in Henan,
Hebei, and Liaoning provinces. To find this mixture one
has to look for sites where an industrial railway
(likely to be still using steam) interchanges with the
China Rail system. Specifically, the locations featured
are Baofeng and Pingdingshan, where the coal railway
meets the state system at Dong yard; Handan steelworks;
Chengde, both the exchange yard and the steelworks
branch; and, south of Shenyang, the Dalian line, Benxi
steel works, Gongchangling mine, the Anping iron ore
line, and Beitai steel mill.
The
programme starts with a map to put these in context. At
the start of each sequence, a caption on screen gives
the location, and every loco is also identified with a
caption giving type, number, allocation (if relevant),
builder, and date.
A
good variety of motive power is observed; diesels of
classes DF4A/B/C/D, DF5, DF7C, DFH3, BJ, DFH5, GK1G,
GK1L, and TH; electric types SS3, SS4G, EL1, and EL2;
while steam is represented by the SY and JS 2-8-2's, QJ
2-10-2's, XK2, PL2, and fireless machines. The time
devoted to each class varies considerably – some
are rarities making an odd appearance, others are
seemingly ubiquitous.
Picture
quality is excellent, and camerawork very steady. The
locations are mostly in yards or by the lineside; there
is little scenic coverage, given the nature of the
operations depicted. The sequences are not dated and
there is no indication of how the material was obtained.
Apart from loops of music under the selection screens,
the sound is mostly on location, and there is some
evidence of the presence of official guides in the
'voices off'. Some of the drivers also acknowledge the
presence of the camera.
The
commentary is pleasantly sparse but usefully informative
when present – like the captions, indicative of
substantial background research.
The
DVD version offers additional features such as scene
selection, an interactive map (clicking on certain place
names takes you to that chapter of the programme), and a
summary of the loco allocations at each of the featured
locations – Benxi steelworks, Beitai steel mill,
the Gongchangling mining railway, Chengde steelworks,
Handan steelworks, and the Pingdingshan Coal Railway.
There are also trailers for other programmes in the
SPDVP range, each with the contents summarised.
Extracts
reproduced with kind permission from Continental
Modeller magazine.
|
Continental
Modeller Magazine, October 2003 Edition
Review of
Jing Peng Steam Showcase (VHS) |
 Extracts:
A
map on screen explains the route, between Yuzhoudi and
Jing Peng, showing how several horseshoe curves are used
to gain height, incidentally providing a wealth of
opportunities for lineside photography.
The
heavy freight trains are all double-headed by huge QJ
class 2-10-2's: some workings tackle the banks with
aplomb, storming the slopes with apparent disdain, while
others make much heavier work of it, slogging doggedly
uphill to attain the summit tunnel. It all makes for
impressive viewing.
Captions
on screen identify the locations and trains, giving
specific loco numbers. The sleeve notes list all the
trains seen in date order with direction noted and both
locos recorded. The parallel road takes a rather more
direct route and so enables photographers to chase
trains very effectively, getting ahead to a new vantage
point, so there is extended coverage of each working at
various locations along this relatively short section.
Some of the favourite spots inevitably become familiar,
but the successful results justify their repeated use,
and each time the view is, sensibly, slightly different.
Like
previous offerings from Sans Pareil, it was filmed and
mastered on digital equipment and professionally
duplicated, so the picture quality is excellent
throughout. The weather was fine and clear, though no
doubt not too warm, as evidenced by the excellent steam
and exhaust effects. The open desolate landscapes
provide an imposing backdrop, and the locations have
been well chosen, generally giving a good long view of
approaching trains which then pass close by the
observer. Camerawork is steady with restrained use of
zooming and panning: each shot is carefully set up so
the train can run through it with the minimum of
disconcerting re-adjustment.
The
commentary conveys background information as well as
explaining each sequence, but never intrudes over the
steam action.
In
short, steam the way it should be - high quality images
of what must be some of the last everyday main line
steam workings anywhere in the world, with no frills.
Extracts
reproduced with kind permission from Continental
Modeller magazine.
|
Continental
Modeller Magazine, November 2003 Edition
Review of
Rails Around Pingdingshan (VHS) |
 Extracts:
First
in a series of 'Rails Around ... ' programmes from Sans
Pareil, this tape takes us to Pingdingshan in Henan
province, one of the last steam 'hotspots' in China,
where the 40-mile long steam worked local railway
interchanges with the national network.
There
is a map on screen at the start of the programme to give
the context, and most of the coverage is from the busy
section within the city limits, around Shenxi West
Junction and Zhongxin station. This offers almost
continuous action: mostly long coal trains, either of
uniform high capacity bogie hoppers or mixed medium and
high side gondolas, but there are occasionally trains of
flats with containers, and some passenger workings.
The
line is noted for QJ 2-10-2's without smoke deflectors,
but we also see SY and JS class 2-8-2's. All the locos
look well kept, and we are fortunate to have a visit to
the Tianzhuang depot and works. The loco allocations as
at November 2002 are given as a table on screen.
In
the China Rail yard at Pingdingshan Dong, we observe DF4
and DF7c diesels and SS3 electrics, looking smart. This
is the end of the electrification, so the motive power
must change here.
Captions
on screen identify the locations, often also giving
specific loco numbers, with builder and date of
construction. The sleeve notes list the locations and
summarise the classes seen.
The
material was filmed and mastered on digital equipment
and professionally duplicated, so the picture quality is
excellent throughout; good weather also helps.
Camerawork is steady, with restrained use of the zoom
and pan: each shot is carefully set up so the train can
run through the frame with a minimum of disconcerting
re-adjustment. The clips are of good length and tend to
show most if not all of the passing train.
After
the introduction, the commentary is sparing but
informative, and never intrudes over the steam action.
The sound was recorded on location, and though it was
clearly windy at times there is little or no distracting
wind noise.
Extracts
reproduced with kind permission from Continental
Modeller magazine.
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