DVDs on The Forest Railroad Theme Park, Dobwalls
Farewell to the Sherman Hill route
On 7th April 1979, the Union Pacific route opened at the Forest Railroad Theme Park at Dobwalls in Cornwall, and for the next 27 years, locomotives tackled the severe 1 in 65 gradients over Sherman Hill of the Union Pacific route, with power provided by impressive miniature super-power in the form of the mighty Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 'Big Boy' X4008 William Jeffers, and the impressive FEF 800 4-8-4s 818 Queen of Wyoming and 838 Queen of Nebraska. Witness the fnal train to pass over the Sherman Hill route, with this edition also including rare footplate footage, giving the impression of what it really was like to drive and fire a full-size 540 ton Union Pacific 'Big Boy' 4-8-8-4! Sadly, this legend of miniature railway engineering has now past into history, with the site being redeveloped as the 'Falcon Ridge' complex. So join us once more, as we take a historic journey along the Forest Railroad, where America is recreated in miniature in deepest Cornwall.
RUNNING TIME: 88 mins. PRICE: £19.99 + £3 P&P.
RUNNING TIME: 88 mins. PRICE: £19.99 + £3 P&P.
Locomotives of the Forest Railroad
The Forest Railroad at Dobwalls was undoubtably one of the finest examples of miniature railroad engineering in the World. Master-minded by John Southern, the Forest Railroad's extensive fleet of prototypical diesel and steam locomotives, modelled on North American prototypes, captured the imagination of all ages. In this tribute DVD, an examination is made of those engines using photographic material from the 1970s to footage filmed during the park's final seasons in 2005 and 2006. This programme is the defining monument to the vision of John Southern, and has been developed as a sequel to Classic Traction's first DVD on the Forest Railroad, Farewell to the Sherman Hill route, which was released shortly after the park's closure in 2006. Classic Traction is the only commercial company to produce a DVD on the Dobwalls phenomenon, so enjoy for one last time the unique sights and sounds of Union Pacific 'Big Boy' 4-8-8-4s, FEF 800s and Rio Grande K37 2-8-2s, as they storm the gradients of Dobwalls' Sherman Hill and Rio Grande routes. This DVD is a must for all those who loved and admired the Forest Railroad at Dobwalls. RUNNING TIME: 80 mins (approx). PRICE: £19.99 + £3 P&P.
The Forest Railroad Collection: 4 disc edition
THE FOREST RAILROAD COLLECTION: 4 Disc Commemorative Edition is a special commemorative 4 disc DVD set containing over 5 hours of archive digital footage of the final years of the world famous Forest Railroad Park at Dobwalls in Cornwall. Contained within this set is Farewell to the Sherman Hill route (88 mins), Locomotives of the Forest Railroad (80 mins), the original America in Miniature (41 mins) and The Forest Railroad: The Next Chapter (92 mins). The Forest Railroad originally opened in 1970, and for the next 36 years, until its tragic closure in October 2006, gave pleasure to millions, young and old alike! The vision of enthusiast John Southern, these four DVDs explore the legend of the unique Forest Railroad. Farewell to the Sherman Hill route (88 mins) explores the final days of the Union Pacific route, which opened to the public on 7th April 1979, and for the next 27 years prototypical Union Pacific 800 FEF 4-8-4s, such as 818 Queen of Wyoming and 838 Queen of Nebraska tackled the fierce 1 in 65 gradient of the Sherman Hill route. Witness the final train to ever pass over the Sherman Hill route, with cab footage from X4008 William Jeffers, giving the impression of what it was really like to drive and fire a mighty UP 'Big Boy' 4-8-8-4! In Locomotives of the Forest Railroad (80 mins) we explore each of the Forest Railroad's locomotives in turn, from the Rio Grande K36 and K37 2-8-2s 488 General Palmer and 498 Otto Mears to the Union Pacific 4-8-4s and 'Big Boy' 4-8-8-4, to the iconic Union Pacific, Rio Grande and Santa Fe diesels. The third disc, America in Miniature (41 mins), is our original DVD of the Forest Railroad, and filmed in 2005 it shows the world famous park during it last full season before closure. In disc 4, The Forest Railroad: The Next Chapter (92 mins) examines the park's transition from railroad to nature reserve, and we see the locomotives as they work at their new home on Vic Plowman's Railway at West Parley in Dorset, and we see the 'Big Boy' as she makes her first public passenger runs in 2 years, as she hauls trains for the first time in November 2008. Sadly, this legend of miniature railway engineering has now passed into history, with the collection's subsequent sale and relocation to a new miniature railroad in Australia in 2010. This 4 disc commemorative DVD set is a wonderful and lasting testament to this miracle of miniature railroad engineering which was sadly lost forever to the nation in October 2010. RUNNING TIME: 301 mins (approx). PRICE: £49.99 + £3 P&P.