I always like good commentary. Lots of information makes it interesting.
I saw this one http://au.truveo.com/A-Great-Railroad-at-Work/id/590342884 at a club meeting a while ago and really enjoyed it. It's not online now, but I think its a good example of a good train movie even though its pretty old.
I think it depends on how familiar I am already with what's being shown on the video. In other words, if there is a certain route or location that I'm familiar with that's being featured, I prefer just seeing the trains/operations and not hearing somebody narrate what I already know I'm seeing.
If I'm watching a DVD/video that is a historical look at an area (Revelation Video's A Century and a Half at Horseshoe Curve, for example), I don't mind commentary as long as it doesn't "drown out" the sounds of the trains, if available. In the video I mentioned, they had narration during when the silent films from the past were on screen but cut down the narration when the films/video with audio started to come on.
Also, the video should be accurate. There's a video I have on Conrail's route from Pittsburgh to Crestline that had some glaring errors (to me since I'm from the Crestline area) in it. The video is touring the line from east to west, and when "coming into Mansfield", the area on the northwest side of town (railroad west) is shown. Then the video goes further east into Mansfield. Then when the video is "coming into Crestline", it shows a northbound train coming up the former NYC route from towards Galion, not coming into Crestline from the East from towards Mansfield. The same company released a video on Marion, Ohio years ago, and after showing a Norfolk Southern freight at a crossing, they go to a CSX freight on the former C&O, and the narrator says that it is "at the same location".
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
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