Steam
Train Action and Adventure
on the Grand
Canyon Railway
Thunder
Under Heaven
2 complete feature-length documentaries about railroading in the wild wild west.
(And like a feature-film, we used the Grand
Canyon
Railway
as our "back lot.")
A
show as big
as our American West
!
"I
forget I'm watching a TV documentary.
It's more
like having an
"Indiana Jones" type adventure!
...only
with trains!!"
5.1 Dolby
Surround Sound makes sure you feel the "Thunder."
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To
watch preview scenes from these Grand Canyon Railway adventures,
just click on each of the boxes above.
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To
order
both films at a double-feature
discount price, click here.
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See the complete inside story
and all the rip-roaring steam railroad action
of this historic line and how it connects us to our
past.
Presented on 2 feature-length DVD's.
- Each
film is complete
unto itself. (It just uses some of the same
"characters" to tell each story.)
- Each
dvd is as long as a movie, because each one IS an exciting adventure.
- Each
film sweeps you up into
a separate story that stands on its
own.
Thunder
Under
Heaven
presents an "alternative reality" you will never get from Hollywood.
The people we meet aren't pretending. They really are living
in a "time-warp" world....a separate reality from us.
Whether
you like trains ...Or you just love
travel and adventure....
"Look
no further than Thunder
Under Heaven."*
(*as
recommended by TRAINS magazine)
Thunder
Under Heaven
...
...is a two-disc set that takes you on an
epic
adventure exploring the Grand
Canyon Railway from two unique points of
view.
The
films were
carefully produced so there is no overlap in
the
stories.
They feature rare footage spanning many years including rare winter
steam action.
This new production builds on the solid foundation of the
highly-praised original Thunder
Under Heaven.
Each film presents fresh new information, interviews,
and action.
.
Hi, my name is Rob. I'm the producer of these two films. I'll
go
into more detail about the shows in a minute. But, first...
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For those of you
who like it
short and
sweet, here's a quick overview of
these two documentary films:
Thunder From the Wild West
takes you on a journey through the 120-year
evolution
of
the "Grand Canyon Railway." The story begins just before
the old Santa Fe Pacific
arrived
on the wild west
high deserts of Northern Arizona. Re-live the fascinating
story right up
through
the present day.
Thunder in
the Canyons unravels the myths and legacies
from our steam railroading heritage. Imagine
exploring the equipment, ...the daily
activities, ...and
meeting the people working jobs from a bygone era. The
crews of the Grand Canyon Railway are working jobs from another
century. This
is a real
day-in-the-life on a big steam railroad! A
daily, 128-mile
challenge for the steam locomotive and crews.
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To
order
both films at a double-feature
discount price, click here.
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For more detail
about the Thunder
Under Heaven (the Grand Canyon train) adventure, please
read below.
To
help bring life
to the Grand Canyon Railroad story, both films feature the same "cast".
The steam engines are the actors in this wild west story.
There are three steam
locomotives (two ALCO Consolidations plus one big Baldwin
Mikado), and several first
generation passenger diesels (ALCO FPA's ---both A and B
units).
There are short (special
guest star)
appearances by other historic locomotives (such as the big Baldwin
steam engine
from the Santa Fe #3751, not to mention an old GP-9 diesel) as
well
as the old Harriman
coaches and additional freight equipment.
Whether
charging over a bridge, recreating a mid-20th century "roll-by," or
chugging through a beautiful winter scene,
there's action a-plenty in the two Thunder Under Heaven DVD's.
If you have ever had an interest in
railroads, transportation, travel,
or
the history of the American West, I guarantee you will love owning the
Thunder Under Heaven 2-disc set.
(See
published
reviews at the bottom of this page.)
And with our satisfaction
guarantee, I'll
take the risk whenever you are ready to climb "all aboard."
(See 100% satisfaction guarantee below.*)
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To
order both films at our movie premiere-celebration,
double-feature
discount price, click here.
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A new kind of adventure for your
big screen theater system.
(Each DVD is
presented in 5.1 Surround Sound)
Your
Thunder
Under Heaven adventure begins with
Thunder
from the Wild West.
Like the wild wild west of the 1880's, the
human story unfolds with the
beautiful Arizona scenery setting the stage.
Here is just a taste of
what you'll get to see.
NOTE:
All the following photos are scenes taken directly from the films.
(Copyright
Golden Rail Video. All rights reserved.)
Imagine
in one short year how a lonely cattle ranch in the
high
desert
explodes into a wild west-style Las Vegas? Saloons, ...gambling,
...supplies
for the trail, ...and fortunes won and lost on a draw of a
card.
That's what happened to Williams, Arizona in 1881-'82.
Cowboys, prospectors, loggers, ranchers,
workers, and fortune-seekers
suddenly ride in from all over the high desert and beyond to forge a
town where the rules are being made up as they go
along.
What was the thunder-clap
that sparked this "stampede"?
It was the Santa
Fe Pacific Railway.
In 1881, the Santa Fe carved the first
mainline across the state of Arizona...and
nothing would ever be the same.
More
scenes from the films. Settlers arrive in Williams, Arizona.
Many stayed there to work for the railroad.
Can
you believe it?
Back then, the Grand Canyon was considered
nothing
more than a "big hole" inside a forest preserve. Good for mining...and
maybe "spittin' into". Prospectors were about
the only ones really interested in it.
Yet the Santa Fe
Railway just a few years later jubilantly proclaim itself to
be "The Grand Canyon
Line"?
Well, that's just part of the little-known
history of
the world's most famous National Park. ...the history that comes alive
for
you in Thunder
From the
Wild West.
Thunder From the
Wild West brings
to life the often-ignored railroad history of the world's most famous
National Park
...and the historic spur track heading north off the Santa
Fe main known as The Grand Canyon Railway. ...how it got
started...how it grew...and how
it changed the lives of the
people of the high desert Canyonlands.
Visiting
the site of historic cattle ranches along the line gives you a
glimpse of life in the high desert before and after the arrival of the
Santa Fe Railway.
And then later, you'll see the story how the
Grand Canyon Railroad operation whithered and was abandoned by the
Santa Fe ...how it was
nearly
torn up ...and how it miraculously came back to life.
Massive comeback effort
Discover the new Grand Canyon Railway's race against time to bring the
first steamer (#18) back to life from a 35-year slumber...while the
whole world watched!
Tour
the locomotive shop where legendary steam locomotive #4960 was
carefully restored...costing over one and a half million dollars!
First generation diesels are now almost as rare as steam locomotives.
The new Grand Canyon Railway has those, too...an elegant fleet of ALCO
passenger diesels. (Have you ever seen the engine-room of these
old beasts? In Thunder
from the Wild West you will.)
See moments
frozen in time... snowy winter railroading with
steam and
first generation diesel equipment. Exclusive,
historic footage that enriches Thunder
From the Wild West into a film of mythic proportions.
Engine
#29 challenges a winter blizzard
(extremely rare footage from the railway's
early years featured in Thunder
in the Canyons).
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To
order one or both films at our movie premiere, double-feature discount price,
click
here.
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The
"sequel" to Thunder From
the Wild West
is
Thunder in the Canyons
The steam locomotive is "high-tech" from
the Industrial
Revolution. No one was unaffected. And our lives were changed forever.
The steam engine is in our collective "DNA of consciousness
and culture." Every
family in America once had brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents,
or children who
worked for the steam railroads. The everyday lives of so many
generations
were defined by service to this technology.
But,
the daily chores that once ruled our recent ancestors' lives have
vanished.
Did you wonder if you could get even a small glimpse into their
day-to-day work lives ...the lives of so many of our ancestors?
What would
you see?
Some
folks worked on equipment. Others worked the
depots and stations across America.
Thunder
in the
Canyons will
take you there.
The Grand Canyon Railway is like no where
else in North
America. A place where the steam locomotive travels 128-miles
every day delivering passengers to one of the world's greatest natural
wonders.
Thunder
in the
Canyons is more than "a
day in the life" of a steam locomotive.
It is an exploration of a world lost in time...and the people who some
how manage to still live
in that world.
Who in your family once worked for the railroad and
lived a life such as these?
The Past is Alive
You'll
meet the night hostlers
as they prepare the mighty steam locomotives for
their daily 128-mile trip to the Grand Canyon and back. (This
is no
stroll-in-the-park for a steam locomotive. This is serious
railroading!)
A
night hostler
reflects on doing a job from the 19th century while outside the
locomotive builds up steam for the day.
I can never imagine why these fascinating
activities
are now almost forgotten. The
coverage here is so interesting you can almost feel the steam
and smell the grease.
You'll meet the steam
engineer...a "job description" that quickly took on
mythological proportions.
You'll meet the fireman...maybe
the
most job-critical position on the railroad.
While the
engineer received all the glory, it was the fireman who kept the train
rolling...running a fine line between wasting company resources and
destroying the locomotive in a very dramatic way. Running a
steam
locomotive was the
ultimate TEAM effort...and your life depended on doing it right.
Fireman
and engineer take a moment to talk about
working on a steam railroad.
We'll take an
exciting ride in the cab
of the Grand Canyon Railway's big Mikado-type steam engine #4960
as she plunges 1000 feet down into the high desert only to climb
back up another 1100 feet to get to the forested resorts at the "South
Rim"
of the Canyon.
Explore historic locations along the line to learn more of the
picturesque history of the Canyonlands...and the lasting impact of the
railway.
You'll
see spectacular photo runbys of the trains. You'll even learn about the
fateful bridge washout in the early days of the Santa Fe Railway.
Do you think steam technology is dead?
Not a chance. Hear
the inside story from the railway's CMO (chief mechanical officer Sam
Lanter) on
the latest developments
being applied to the old steamers. Can they really be made
more
efficient than a diesel locomotive?
A fun bonus:
Visit behind the scenes with the railway's Cataract Creek Gang, where
real cowboys take devilish delight in pretending to be their Hollywood
counterparts...cowboys planning to hold up the train...all to total
delight of the passengers.
Cataract
Creek Gang stages
a train robbery. A "robber" tries to talk his way
out of it to the
Marshall. (scenes from the film.)
Santa
Fe steam engine #3751 makes a surprise
appearance
double-heading with 4960.
Steam engine #18 also appears double-heading with
#4960.
So there you have it. A North American
railroad adventure unlike any other. (See
customer feedback and published reviews below.) And get ready
to give your home theater system a steam-powered, double-thunder
workout.
But, you may have trouble describing to your friends which is the main
show. Is one a "sequel"....or is it a "prequel"?
(Or does it matter?)
They're both too good to miss.... both
feature-length, both entirely
original, and each tells their own unique story of historic steam
railroading in the Southwest.
And both films are now available on DVD.
This is such an unusual
production, does it even
surprise you
that it took over 15-years to produce it for you? This is a really BIG
show
that you are guaranteed to thoroughly enjoy.
Choose one to start off your
journey...or choose both and save.
*Our 100% satisfaction guarantee takes away any risk to you of ordering
any of our
shows. If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, simply contact
us here, and return the DVD. We will refund the price of the
show. No questions asked (even though we are always interested in your
feedback.)
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To
order one or both films at our double-feature
discount price, click here.
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"Now here is a video you'll want to
see because it is so well produced you will be entertained
throughout the film."
"The most revealing aspect of the video is the content and editing. What could have been a fairly
dull subject has been made into exciting, living
history."
"The
viewer is treated to a wide range of action shots, interviews,
insights, and original orchestral music. This adds up to a
different kind of railroad video that informs and entertains at the
same time."
"A great video
that is well worth the price."
The
Heimberger Press
"The
Grand Canyon Railway is one of the greatest historic rail operations in
the country. Thunder Under Heaven (Vol
1&2)
tells the story with
a
lively mix
of contemporary video, historic black-and-white stills, interviews,
maps, and original music."
"For
a program about the Grand Canyon Railway, look no further than Thunder Under
Heaven."
TRAINS
Magazine
"Classic
steam engines and shop operations make this a video that will fascinate
and intrigue everyone, including that die-hard railfan.
Not to be missed."
Route
66 Magazine
You may order each film
separately ($24.95 each) or order both and get your big savings!
91
min.
104
min.
Both in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound
Break
out the popcorn!
Your Double-Feature Discount
Saves
you 20%
when you order both.
Only $39.95
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