Donner Pass Southern Pacific’s Sierra Crossing
SKU: DVD-PNX-VR016Original price was: $29.95.$24.95Current price is: $24.95.
Donner Pass… the famous name evokes daunting obstacles… and with good reason. Steep grades and seven months a year of winter weather would put any railroad’s resources to the test, but the Southern Pacific was up to the job.
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| Producer | Pentrex |
|---|---|
| Run Time | 1 hour |
| Narration | Yes |
| Shrink Wrap | Yes, Brand New |
| Technical Details | No Region Code, NTSC |
Donner Pass… the famous name evokes daunting obstacles… and with good reason. Steep grades and seven months a year of winter weather would put any railroad’s resources to the test, but the Southern Pacific was up to the job. The need to transport goods over the Sierras produces a nonstop parade of trains over this famous line, and that was especially true in 1988 when Video Rails captured incredible Southern Pacific Railroad action over Donner Pass. Starting at the classification yards in Roseville, California, you’ll follow Southern Pacific’s trains up and over “The Hill”.
SP’s 6-axle SD40s, SD40T-2s, SD45s, and SD45T-2 tackle 138 miles of up to 2.4 percent grades. Up to 11 units are needed for the climb. The standard arrangement for these 10,000-ton trains is 4 by 6, with four engines leading and 6 mid-train helpers, but you’ll also see long trains with six units leading, six mid-train helpers, and an end-of-train helper. Cabooses are also seen in use here. At Colfax, you’ll see helpers being added to the front and rear of the trains. This is also a stopping point for Amtrak’s twice-daily California Zephyr, several of which are seen with private cars trailing. You’ll follow these trains to Alta, Blue Canyon, Emigrant Gap, Yuba Gap, Cisco, Norden and the “Big Hole,” a 2-mile long tunnel that runs directly under Donner Pass.
Special highlights of this show include rare films of the line’s construction, footage of the trapped City of San Francisco Train 101 at Yuba Pass in 1952, snow fighting equipment with steam powered rotaries pushed by Cab Forwards and other steam power, and chilling views of 1980s railroading through winter blizzards. The scenery is spectacular and the railroading is as intense as it gets when Southern Pacific tackles Donner Pass!
bryanwhenderson –
Classic Southern Pacific mountain railroading at it’s finest. Video Rail did an absolutely fantastic job with this production. One of my all time favorites. Highly recommend to any Espee fan. P3s, jointed rail, and the mars lights.
rickyfreni –
Originally released by Video Rails in 1988, this is the very first VR title to be narrated by Jim Knight.
Locations in this recently turned 35 year old program include Roseville Yard, Auburn Trestle over Interstate 80, East Applegate, Colfax at 2424 feet, the horseshoe curve & bridge at Long Ravine, Cape Horn Tunnel with only westbound trains going through while eastbound trains go around the tunnel, Gold Run Siding, the crossing at Dutch Flats with a boxcar’s axles on its truck almost on fire, Alta, the S Curve at Blue Canyon with a meet, Emigrant Gap, the tunnels of Yuba Gap at 5625 feet, the bridge & Snowshed at Butte Canyon, Cisco, Norden Snowshed with one side made of steel, & the other side out of lumber, Big Hole Tunnel under Donner Peak, Truckee river valley, Boca at 5500 feet, Downtown Truckee, & Cold Stream Canyon (which is the exact same spot for UP 8444 & 3985 doubleheading to Sacramento in 1981).
Aside from the SP itself, there are other road names like Amtrak’s California Zephyr with most of the since been retired F40s, the failed 1985 Santa Fe Merger units, Union Pacific, Cotton Belt, Burlington Northern (with the Montana Rail Link logo on the bottom of the cab windows), & Rio Grande.
The music is very interesting to hear, as well as vintage black & white films of re-creating the building of the transcontinental railroad, to color films of rotary snowplows, Jordan Spreaders, & Flangers in 1952 when the streamlined city of San Francisco was trapped for nearly a week as it was documented in the film made by the railroad itself: Snow on the Run. These scenes were later used in Part 2 of the SP film archives from 1999 but it was mirrored for some reason.
CR6377 –
SP Action on Donner at it’s finest. Shot in 1988. The line is as scenic as ever. Definitely doesn’t look like it today. Before the main double stack containers showed up, along with Wide Cab locomotives. Always a joy hearing EMD power on the mountain.
Dylan Jones –
Produced by Video Rails, this film is great for those who enjoy Donner Pass and the Southern Pacific. Lot’s of long heavy freights battling every element possible. Lots of Tunnel Motor’s and great views of “The Friendly” in action.