S P Owens Valley tape and other archival tapes

Ted ,
I picked up that tape as well . It is interesting ,as it shows the character of the operation . What I found disappointing is that the tape was somewhat short and there is not a single shot of Laws ,the northern terminus of the road .Laws was the most interesting and most modelled location on that road ,as it is a serious omission . It is also a head scratcher as the SPng was 70 miles long in later years ,and lasted late(1960). From what I understand from Greg Scholl and others in the video business ,getting archival video of any quality has become very difficult . I surmise the Sunday River people used the best of what they had ,which is still not all that bad . I have a Virginia and Truckee tape that is largely terrible ,but considering how little film exists of this road it is nevertheless archival . I do have a recommendation ."WESTSIDE : Slim Gauge logging in the Sierra" is one of the best edited and comprehensive video made of any narrow gauge line . It had been out of stock for several years and was re-released by Cantenary Productions .Another favorite ? "Excursion to the Thirties" by WB .It is R.B.Jackson's marvelous films of the Colorado narrow gauges in 1939 . The shot from the back platform of the streets of Old Santa Fe are to die for !