Charles Smiley Presents

Charles Smiley is an electronic engineer with a background designing military, aerospace, industrial computer and patented professional and broadcast video and audio equipment.  After a number of years designing video equipment, the urge to create entertaining videos on railroad topics became irresistible. A lifelong hobby of model railroading added the spark. “I lived, hiked and went to school along the SN main in Rockridge, Montclair, Canyon, Moraga and Walnut Creek. We moved around in that progression as if we were following the SN.”

Charles Smiley Presents (CSP) has been bringing rail fans and model railroaders videos of railroad subjects since 1994. Since 1997 the emphasis has been on the history of railroads and eras that have either changed dramatically with time, or in many cases, disappeared altogether. CSP uses mostly old movie film and some video shot back when the rail scene looked a lot different.

Check out the great videos and experience the model railroad at www.cspmovies.com. Related to the SN specifically, “Electric Rails Around the Bay” has outstanding color film taken primarily from the 1950s showing the East Bay Hills. It is well organized in terms of placement of the scenes relative to the route. See a synopsis at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok6295ZTAzo