The 247 images come from photos, slides and postcards in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin. Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wyoming. In some instances, there is the original depot and its replacement pictured. A number of these depots still exist and these are indicated by a date. The depots are grouped by state.

The presentation is like looking through a book on a computer. The CD-ROM works in PCs & Macs and is self-starting. The images can be printed out

PrairieWorks, Photo CD-ROM Book. PW101
Price: 16.95 USD

The 286 images come from photos, slides and postcards in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North & South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon and the Canadian province of Manitoba. In some instances, there is the original depot and its replacement. A number of these depots still exist and these are indicated by a date. The depots are grouped by state.

The Presentation is like looking through a book on a computer. The CD-ROM works in PCs & Macs and is self-starting. The images can be printed out.

PrairieWorks, Photo CD-ROM Book. PW102
Price: 16.95 USD

An intimate look inside the fence of a Chicago-area steel mill.

The tour starts at the coke works to witness a fiery push of incandescent coke out of an oven and the spectacular steam clouds as the hot coke is cooled down. The next stop is at the blast furnace to watch 3,000° molten iron tapped from the furnace on the casthouse floor, with its incredible heat and flying sparks. Hot metal cars are moved into position to be filled underneath the casthouse floor. On the Highline trestle in front of the furnaces, raw materials are brought in and the scale car underneath brings them to the skip hoists. The molten slag flows out of the furnace into a pit for cooling. Other sights in the works include a pig iron caster, the two blast furnaces (one with a brick casthouse), an old hot metal car, SW-1001 locomotives and myriad other details inside the plant.

The second part of the video visits 48 steel mills & foundries in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Utah, Colorado, Ontario and Nova Scotia. The railroads include the Birmingham Southern, Bessemer & Lake Erie, in-plant steel mill railroads and Pittsburgh mainline trains near the mills.

The DVD version includes a self-starting CD-ROM, that is like looking at a book on a computer (PC or Mac), with 492 photos, and some steel mill documents and publications (not included with VHS version).

PrairieWorks, DVD and Photo CD-ROM Book, 96 minutes. PW104
Price: 25.95 USD

A trip back to the iron ore & copper mines of the Lake Superior region through postcards, photos, video & film.

The video spans the period from the late 1800s to the 1970s and tours the Vermilion, Mesabi and Cuyuna Ranges in Minnesota, the Gogebic and Menominee Ranges in Wisconsin/Michigan, the Marquette Range and Copper Country in Michigan and the Michipicoten and Atikokan Ranges in Ontario. Also shown are beneficiation plants, draglines, loading shovels, mining railroads and underground mining scenes (including a video trip down into one).

The video contains 566 images, six minutes of video, two minutes of 8 MM film, comprehensive narration on the mines, table of contents and is 52 minutes long. The video is on DVD and the original photos (with statistics on each mine) are on a self-starting CD-ROM that is like looking through a book (PC or Mac).

PrairieWorks, 52 min., b&w and color photographs and illustrations. PW106
Price: 22.95 USD

Save $29.85 over purchasing these 4 DVD videos separately!

Hot Metal: An intimate look inside the fence of a Chicago-area steel mill (DVD video). PrairieWorks, DVD, 96 minutes.

Taconite Haulers On Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range (DVD video). PrairieWorks, DVD, color, 115 minutes.

Lake Superior Iron (DVD video). PrairieWorks, 52 minutes.

On the Great Lakes (DVD video). PrairieWorks, 51 minutes. PW131
Price: 69.95 USD

The M&StL, a line with transcontinental ambitions and a selling point of avoiding Chicago congestion, has been gone since 1960. Yet, it still remains a fascinating railroad.

The narrated video, through photos, slides, postcards and some 8 mm film, follows the railroad from its operations in the Twin Cities to western South Dakota, its primary mainline to Peoria, Illinois and secondary line to Des Moines, Iowa. There is also a 1960 railfan trip from the Twin Cities to New Ulm, Minnesota.

The video concludes with photos of steam & diesel locomotives, self-propelled passenger equipment, freight cars, maintenance equipment, train wrecks, snow-fighting equipment & scenes and memorabilia.

The DVD video is 40 minutes long. The included CD-ROM has 550 images, along with a 1929 passenger train timetable, a 1938 Industrial Guide, M&StL and Iowa Central steam locomotive rosters, a “Less-Than-Carload ” brochure, advertisements in “Railway Age ” and a booklet that was given out for the 1960 railfan trip (all in Adobe “Acrobat ” PDF format).

PrairieWorks, 40 min., b&w and color. PW108
Price: 25.95 USD

Minnesota Shortlines: Past and Present

A trip around Minnesota, using video, 8 mm film and photos, to see shortline railroads from the past and present. They range from terminal operations and branchline operators to railroads using stretches of former Class One railroad lines.

The shortlines featured are Cloquet Terminal; Dakota Rail; Duluth & Northeastern; Duluth, Rainy Lake & Winnipeg; Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific; Koppers Coke; Lake Superior & Mississippi; Minnesota Central; Minnesota Commercial; Minnesota Northern; Minnesota Zephyr; Minnesota Prairie Line; Minnesota Southern; Minnesota Transfer; Minnesota Valley; Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern; Minneapolis Eastern; North Shore Scenic Railroad; North Star Steel; Northern Lines Railway; Northern Plains; Otter Tail Valley; Progressive Rail; St. Croix Valley; St. Paul Union Depot; Twin Cities & Western; United States Steel Duluth Works and some grain elevator operations.

PrairieWorks, DVD, 115 minutes. PW110
Price: 25.95 USD

The 203 images come from photos, slides and postcards in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon and the Canadian province of Manitoba. In some instances, there is the original depot and its replacement. A number of these depots still exist and these are indicated by a date. The depots are grouped by state.

The presentation is like looking through a book on a computer. The CD-ROM works in PCs & Macs and is self-starting. The images can be printed out.

PrairieWorks, Photo CD-ROM Book. PW112
Price: 16.95 USD

A look back on the boats, ferries, ports and docks on the Great Lakes, following the transportation of iron ore, grain, coal and passengers through photos, postcards, video and film.

These images span the period from the late 1800s to the present and cover Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie, and the ports of Duluth, Superior, Ashland, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Taconite Harbor, Port Arthur and Marquette, and lower lake ports of Escanaba, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago, Gary, Burns Harbor, Frankfort, Port Huron, Detroit, Toledo, Lorain, Cleveland, Ashtabula, Conneaut and Erie. The Soo Locks are also visited.

The video contains 327 images, some video & film, narration, table of contents and has a running time of 51 minutes. The video is on DVD and the photos are on a self-starting CD-R that is like looking through a book (PC or Mac).

PrairieWorks, 51 min., color and b&w. PW114
Price: 22.95 USD

The Minnesota depots are on the lines of the Canadian National, Chicago Great Western, Chicago & North Western; Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range, Duluth & Northeastern; Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific, Great Northern, Milwaukee Road, Minneapolis & St. Louis, Northern Pacific, Rock Island and Soo Line.

The photo album has 540 images and in some instances have both the original depot and its replacement. The images come from photos, slides and postcards.

PrairieWorks, Photo CD-ROM Book, b&w and color photographs and illustrations. PW116
Price: 16.95 USD