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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 appreciate the write-ups and feedback we receive, and the reception our programmes have had.

Please select a review from this list:

• Aspects of Rail 1 - Summer 2008 (Continental Modeller, November 2008)
• Rails Around Central China (Continental Modeller, May 2006)
• Chinese Mixed Traction Showcase (Continental Modeller, April 2005)
• Rails Around Pingdingshan (Continental Modeller, November 2003)
• Jing Peng Steam Showcase (Continental Modeller, October 2003)

▪ Continental Modeller Magazine, November 2008 Edition

Review of Aspects of Rail 1 - Summer 2008 (DVD)

Extracts:

This is the first of an intended series of magazine programmes featuring the international railway scene, past and present.

The first screen of the DVD offers the choice of playing the whole programme, scene selection, and additional features (trailers for other programmes in the SPDVP range, each with a short clip and the contents summarised).

The sections are:

• The wall came tumbling down (Germany, 1990/1, 26 minutes);
• Steam over the Montagu Pass (South Africa, 1997, 10 minutes);
• Steam on the Hill (China, 2000, 15 minutes);
• Nocturne (UK, 2001-5, 12 minutes).

The German material reports a 1990 train journey in good weather from Bad Bentheim to Berlin via Hannover and Braunschweig, with a loco change from DB electric to DR diesel at Helmstedt. We then observe traffic from the platform at Berlin Lichtenberg, though most services are not identified.

The following year our vantage point is Köln Hauptbahnhof, mostly at the eastern (bridge) end of the station. This is well before the traffic red era - the branded liveries are only just appearing, while the ET403 is in Lufthansa 'Airport Express' colours.

In South Africa, we see a pair of vintage Class 7 4-8-0s take a short train over the Montagu Pass, observed both from the train and the lineside. A second, much longer, train is headed by a 14CRB 4-8-2 and a GEA Garratt. The landscape is impressive, and so is the steam action and it is excellently conveyed by the photography; one long tracking shot from a single viewpoint as the locos slog up the gradient stands out.

In China, we visit the Chengde steelworks where JS and SY 2-8-2s struggle to lift coal trains up a stiff 1 in 35 branch - three locos for only a dozen bogie wagons! The staccato exhausts are dramatic, and one must admire the cameraman's dedication in snow and wind - although this creates some unwanted background noise at first, later the exhaust effects in the clear cold air are more than compensation. These sequences were previously issued as part of Standard Gauge Steam in China, Volumes 1 & 2, only available on VHS and long withdrawn; this will be their only appearance on DVD.

The final section features shots taken between dusk and dawn in the UK, at Stafford in 2001, Birmingham New Street (briefly) in 2005, and Wolverhampton in 2007, with electric and diesel traction on passenger, post, and freight workings. Vantage points are restricted to where station lighting assists, and some evocative images have been achieved, notably with the lightening dawn sky as a backdrop.

Camerawork is steady; the usual technique is to set up and hold a shot from a good location so the train can run through the frame; the use of zoom and pan is restrained, and smooth when employed.

The material was filmed and mastered on digital equipment, so the picture quality is excellent throughout.

The commentary is sparse but generally informative, though by no means all the trains shown are identified. Captions on screen introduce each sub-section.

▪ 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.

▪ 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.

▪ Continental Modeller Magazine, November 2003 Edition

Review of Rails Around Pingdingshan (VHS)

Extracts:

This is the first of an intended series of magazine programmes featuring the international railway scene, past and present.

The first screen of the DVD offers the choice of playing the whole programme, scene selection, and additional features (trailers for other programmes in the SPDVP range, each with a short clip and the contents summarised).

The sections are:

• The wall came tumbling down (Germany, 1990/1, 26 minutes);
• Steam over the Montagu Pass (South Africa, 1997, 10 minutes);
• Steam on the Hill (China, 2000, 15 minutes);
• Nocturne (UK, 2001-5, 12 minutes).

The German material reports a 1990 train journey in good weather from Bad Bentheim to Berlin via Hannover and Braunschweig, with a loco change from DB electric to DR diesel at Helmstedt. We then observe traffic from the platform at Berlin Lichtenberg, though most services are not identified.

The following year our vantage point is Köln Hauptbahnhof, mostly at the eastern (bridge) end of the station. This is well before the traffic red era - the branded liveries are only just appearing, while the ET403 is in Lufthansa 'Airport Express' colours.

In South Africa, we see a pair of vintage Class 7 4-8-0s take a short train over the Montagu Pass, observed both from the train and the lineside. A second, much longer, train is headed by a 14CRB 4-8-2 and a GEA Garratt. The landscape is impressive, and so is the steam action and it is excellently conveyed by the photography; one long tracking shot from a single viewpoint as the locos slog up the gradient stands out.

In China, we visit the Chengde steelworks where JS and SY 2-8-2s struggle to lift coal trains up a stiff 1 in 35 branch - three locos for only a dozen bogie wagons! The staccato exhausts are dramatic, and one must admire the cameraman's dedication in snow and wind - although this creates some unwanted background noise at first, later the exhaust effects in the clear cold air are more than compensation. These sequences were previously issued as part of Standard Gauge Steam in China, Volumes 1 & 2, only available on VHS and long withdrawn; this will be their only appearance on DVD.

The final section features shots taken between dusk and dawn in the UK, at Stafford in 2001, Birmingham New Street (briefly) in 2005, and Wolverhampton in 2007, with electric and diesel traction on passenger, post, and freight workings. Vantage points are restricted to where station lighting assists, and some evocative images have been achieved, notably with the lightening dawn sky as a backdrop.

Camerawork is steady; the usual technique is to set up and hold a shot from a good location so the train can run through the frame; the use of zoom and pan is restrained, and smooth when employed.

The material was filmed and mastered on digital equipment, so the picture quality is excellent throughout.

The commentary is sparse but generally informative, though by no means all the trains shown are identified. Captions on screen introduce each sub-section.

▪ Continental Modeller Magazine, October 2003 Edition

Review of Jing Peng Steam Showcase (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.