Search - Luxury Trains of the World: The Imperial Express on DVD

Great Program on the Imperial "Secret Train"

Jeffrey Ornstein | Brooklyn, NY United States | 06/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was an absolutely excellent video on the Imperial Express, otherwise known as the Secret Train of the Czech-Hungarian Empire. Originally built for the President of Hungary in the 1930's, it fell into communist hands in the 40's and was seen only rarely after the communist take over. But, in 1993, after the fall of the iron curtain, the train was restored and put back into service as the premiere train of the Budapest to Prague route.

This video has it all for the railfan - the three different steam locomotives that pulls the train, yard scenes, and best of all.....aerial shots of the second locomotive that pulls the train. World Class Trains went all out and hired a helicopter film crew to capture the train as it speeds through the countryside. It's fabulous. Watching the restored locomotive's red painted driving wheels at speed in close-up shots is great to see. There's also a look at side trips by passengers on an electric line as well as aerial cable cars in the mountainside.

We also get to see on-board scenes in the dining car and some of the partying that goes on in the train - a tradition of this famed express.

Oh, and I can't leave out the cab scenes of the engineer driving the train, as well as the train manager cooking a breakfast in the locomotive's boiler - for those willing to try such a meal.

All of this is set to a nice score of classical music.

If I could give it more than five stars, I would."