Late Burlington Northern, Late Santa Fe, Early BNSF, 5 shows, 6½ Hours (Pentrex Combo Series)

The story of railroading during a time of expansion, in the 1920s through the 1940s, to a period of contraction into the 1970s. Much, but not all of this film comes directly from the railroad. All of it is quality film, some originally shot in the 35mm format. Here are 22 individual films. Disaster to celebration, the railroad’s were telling their story through film.

Santa Fe into LA, San Bernardino Sub Travel back to 1994, prior to the Santa Fe merger with Burlington Northern, and explore Santa Fe’s San Bernardino Subdivision in Southern California. Most of the trains you’ll see here are pulled by pure sets of Santa Fe power, both Super Fleet locomotives in gorgeous red-and-silver Warbonnet paint and units in classic Santa Fe blue-and-yellow colors as well. The motive power is diverse and includes GP60M, GP60B, GP50, GP39-2, GP30, GP20, GP9, SD45-2, SDF40-2, the rare 7400-class Dash 8-40B, Dash 8-40BW, and Dash 9-44CW. Complete coverage of the San Bernardino Subdivision begins at San Bernardino and continues to Hobart Yard in Los Angeles. A scenic highlight is the single-track segment through Santa Ana Canyon, at a time when grading for two additional main tracks was underway. Trackage-rights trains are also featured. These include Union Pacific freights between San Bernardino and West Riverside, plus Amtrak and Metrolink passenger trains between Fullerton and Los Angeles.

Burlington Northern E-Units Along the Racetrack Once leading the country’s finest passenger trains on high-speed schedules, the last remaining fleet of Electro-Motive E-units worked during their later years pulling commuter trains in Chicago. Pentrex filmed these timeless machines in the early 1990s, capturing their sleek lines and throaty exhaust in exciting line-side action and thrilling cab ride footage just before they were retired from Metra duty. For a nostalgic look at rare power actively still at work and the engineer’s view of the route they travel, treat yourself to Burlington Northern E-Units, Along the Racetrack! Climb up into the cab of BNE-9 #9914 and ride the entire line from Chicago’s Union Station out to Aurora. Watch as the engineer skillfully brings the machine from notch 8 to a screaming stop at stations along the line. Listen as the throttle is ratcheted through the notches and the dual-engine machine responds with rumbling exhaust talk. You’ll get a view of the triple track BN mainline as you’ve never seen it before! The afternoon Dinky Parade, as the railroaders call it, is a dispatcher’s nightmare, with train after train scheduled for action. The route to Aurora is filled with curves, bridges, and scenic stations and many thrilling meets occur as you speed down the “racetrack.”

Burlington Northern’s Funnel The Funnel is one of the busiest single track mainlines in the U.S. today. Stretching seventy-one miles from Spokane, Washington to Sandpoint, Idaho, it incorporates the best elements of Pacific Northwest railroading: mountain grades, deep cuts, long bridges, and high-density, high-tonnage traffic. Ninety percent of Burlington Northern’s container traffic, all of its lumber trains, and the majority of its intermodal trains are routed through the Pend Oreille Subdivision, known as The Funnel. BN runs up to one hundred trains a day through this gateway to the Pacific. Experience the Funnel as you’ve never seen it before. Starting at Latah Junction, follow the traffic over Latah Bridge to Spokane and the Parkwater Yardley facilities. Then watch intermodal, grain, and mixed freights grind past Ramsey, Apple Orchard, The Big Cut, Granite, Cocolalla, and across the 4,000 foot long bridge over Lake Pend Oreille to Sandpoint Junction. This video was filmed just prior to Burlington Northern’s merger with the Santa Fe. The motive power to be seen includes B30-7s, B39-8s, SD45-2s, and multiple SD40-2s on heavy grain trains. Blue skies and gorgeous scenery add to the excitement of railroading through the Funnel.

Black Diamonds through the Dunes Running through the wide open, rolling terrain of Central Nebraska’s Sand Hills region is one of Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s busiest main lines. The Wyoming coal boom has transformed this former CB&Q route into a major corridor for moving “black diamonds” to eastern markets. High priority freight and intermodal traffic to the Pacific Northwest also polish these rails. Many different types of locomotives are seen on this line. Most coal is pulled by SD70MACs, with older power including C30-7s, SD60Ms, SD40-2s and leased Oakway SD60s seen on occasion. The non-coal trains also include a variety of motive power from GE Dash 9-44CWs to EMD GP30s! Every train in this fascinating video is identified with its symbol, origin, and destination.

Grand Island Until July, 1995, Burlington Northern and Union Pacific trains took turns using a diamond crossing where their lines intersect in Grande Island, Nebraska. Now, Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains climb up and over the UP triple-track main line to avoid the congestion of a crossing at grade. The elevated structure provides a spectacular setting for over-and-under railroad action. In this video, Pentrex first follows the BNSF line from Cairo, Nebraska to Grand Island. A variety of motive power is seen, including brand new BNSF SD70MACs hauling coal, Kansas City Southern and EMD/Oakway SD60s, and BN SD60M 1991 in patriotic red, white and blue paint. The action then moves to the Union Pacific line east of Grande Island. Several Chicago & North Western GE locomotives make appearances on coal and doublestack trains, along with lots of UP power. Back at Grand Island, the camera catches a rail grinder at work and a bright red pair of geeps pulls a Nebraska Central train off a branch line and pushes it into the yard.