There Are Some Wonderful Train Rides to Be Had on Video

Boys of all ages never seem to lose their fascination with trains. So if you got the boy in your life a new Lionel for Christmas, perhaps he’d also enjoy one of these train videos from Pasadena-based Pentrex.

Two of the most unusual releases are rare live TV broadcasts from the 1950s.

“Western Pacific on TV” ($15) is a 1956 salute to the Western Pacific Railroad. Bob Day was the host of this episode of “Success Story,” a series that gave an inside glimpse of American free enterprise.

Technically, it’s pretty clunky, but it’s a lot of fun. The program begins in the Oakland Yards as Day visits an 1872 Baldwin-built Genoa and an 1909 Alco No. 94, both steam locomotives. Day also gets to show off the powerful new F-unit No. 803A, the pride of the Western Pacific. Also included are tours of the commissary, linen warehouse, meat lockers, dining car attendants’ classroom and a look at how the train is cleaned.

In 1955, the award-winning TV series “Omnibus” did a live broadcast from New York Central’s Grand Central Terminal. “The 20th Century Limited on TV” ($15), hosted by Alistair Cooke, explores the glamorous 20th Century Limited. Co-host David P. Morgan, editor of Trains Magazine, also talks about the terminal’s layout, introduces the 46-member crew and interviews the engineer and fireman as cameras wait for the train to depart. Morgan also has to vamp for several minutes when the train is late leaving the station. It’s a great peek back to the “Golden Age of Television.”

Also new from Pentrex:

“Great American Circus & Show Trains” ($30): A look at the last two modern circus trains and the only carnival that still travels by rail.

“Above 3751 Over Cajon” ($30): Multiple camera crews were used to capture the Santa Fe steam engine 3751 as it traveled over Cajon Pass en route from L.A. to Sacramento to attend Railfair ’99.

“KCS--Across the Meridian Subdivision” ($30): A trip down the length of the Meridian Subdivision of the Kansas City Southern route, across Mississippi from the city of Meridian, through Jackson to Vicksburg.

To order any of the videos, call (800) 950-9333.