Big Jim Video Productions

08/15/2026

Good afternoon from Waumbek Tank!! Mount Washington Cog Railway

07/23/2026

Last video for a little bit from Union Pacific's East Coast tour of their Big Boy steam locomotive, 4-8-8-4 #4014.

This shot (with special audio thanks to Michael Kam), was taken on Saturday, July 11, seen exiting the famous Bennington Curve, just shy of both the Gallitzin and New Portage Tunnels in Gallitzin, PA. It's at this point that #4014 has to work even harder upgrade, as it was unable to go through the Gallitzin Tunnels due to clearance issues. At this point, Track 1 begins to split off from the mainline, and goes up an even steeper gradient to reach the New Portage Tunnel, where #4014 will eventually exit and begin it's downward descent from the Allegheny Mountains. Enjoy this clip - and again thanks to Michael for the audio assistance!

07/10/2026

As Union Pacific's Big Boy #4014 continues it's Coast to Coast celebration, we see a clip from Wednesday, July 8, 2026 as the massive 4-8-8-4 passes the crowds at the Tyrone, PA Amtrak station, on it's way towards an afternoon arrival in Altoona, PA and a two day layover.

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE. Bonus footage of the North Shore Railroad and an special passenger train is seen right after the last car of the Big Boy passes. Included in the consist is also the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society's RDC cars at Tyrone! Bonus trains!!

07/03/2026

Here's a clip of the heat and madness yesterday in Valley Forge, PA, as Union Pacific's Big Boy #4014 travelled towards the Philadelphia area for it's July 4 weekend day. There were TONS of people there, but as you can see, the wait was worth it for all assembled. Enjoy!

06/15/2026

This weekend was a BIG weekend (pun intended) in Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains for steam operations! Union Pacific Railroad's mighty Big Boy locomotive was running on Saturday and Sunday in the region, including over Reading and Northern Railroad's trackage between Nesquehoning and Pittston, PA. I wasn't able to get out and film on Saturday, but I got a couple of shots on Sunday - here's one of them!

This view comes from Hickory Run State Park, via a three-mile round trip hike on the Sand Spring Trail - enjoy this look at "Union Pacific's Big Boy #4014 Thundering Through Hickory Run"!!

On Sunday, June 14, 2026, Union Pacific's Big Boy, #4014 continued ...

04/26/2026

Happy 425 Day!! One of the few locomotive "days" that I actually commemorate, because the four-and-a-quarter is one of my favorites. Normally I'd simply share a YouTube video, but this time I wanted to go a different route. Over the fourth of July weekend in 2017, Reading & Northern sent 4-6-2 #425 to Jim Thorpe for an extended weekend of Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway trips. Cab rides are available for Lehigh Gorge trains, so I took advantage of that fact and bought a ticket for a ride in the locomotive on that day. I also asked the crew if I could mount a GoPro on the locomotive, and I wanted to catch some driver action. I placed the GoPro on the frame where I could see the drivers at work, and got this footage of the locomotive accelerating at CP Coal, getting up to track speed out of the Jim Thorpe yard. For more from this weekend, including in-cab footage, visit https://youtu.be/I5yL8yYt_14 - and enjoy!!

04/07/2026

Part of the weekend's festivities for the 2026 East Broad Top's Winter Spectacular were a pair of Lerro Photography photo chaters on Thursday, February 12 and Friday, February 13, 2026 - which were supposed to be led by 2-8-2 Mikado steam locomotive #16. However, during test/shakedown runs a few days prior, the locomotive was taken out of service while repairs were made. Pressed into service then, was the railroad's newest locomotive, #19, a recently-purchased diesel locomotive that serves as steam's backup power (and occasional off-season motive power as well). Word is that before the EBT ended common-carrier service, they had looked into purchasing diesels for use. This photo event provided a nice "what if" scenario, if that had actually happened.

I hope you enjoy this clip, and for more from the weekend, visit https://youtu.be/k5Z5hekLUmM

04/03/2026

After a few unseasonably warm days, there wasn't a ton of snow left on the ground, but East Broad Top #16 was still out and about running for the railroad's Winter Spectacular event on Sunday, February 15, 2026. Here, #16 works her way over the Runk Road bridge outside of the town of Orbisonia, heading back to the depot on a very overcast day.