Trains Along the Upper Mississippi, 3 Show, 3 Disc Combo Special

What’s in this combo? Here you go!

Flanking the western shore of the upper Mississippi River runs Canadian Pacific’s River Subdivision, a busy main line that supports a non stop flow of traffic. Pentrex traveled the line in 1999, through hot summer days and cold winter chill to bring you the excitement of railroading in this scenic territory. Beginning at River Junction, just west of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, we follow the line to St. Paul, Minnesota. As much of the subdivision hugs the mighty Mississippi, we spot the trains against backdrops of wooded bluffs and sometimes blue, sometimes frozen waters.

Milwaukee Road and Soo Line operated this route prior to Canadian Pacific. You’ll see motive power and varied paint schemes from all three appearing frequently, such as Milwaukee Road GP40s, Soo Line SD60s, and Canadian Pacific’s AC4400s. Highlights include a candy apple red Soo Line SD40-2 and a Canadian Pacific SD40-2F “Red Barn” wearing the dual flag paint scheme, not to mention plenty of Soo Line cabooses. I&MRL trains, with trackage rights to St. Paul, also polish these rails. The I&MRL sports some of the older power, including SD9s, SD45s, and SD35s. Plus, Amtrak’s Empire Builder uses this route to and from Chicago. Plenty of trains, gorgeous scenery, great variety – that’s railroading on Canadian Pacific’s River Subdivision!

Tracing the eastern banks of the upper Mississippi River is BNSF’s St. Croix Subdivision, a mostly double-tracked route providing access for a nonstop parade of traffic from La Crosse, Wisconsin to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Pentrex takes you across the entire sub in the late 1990s, filming throughout the seasons to bring you a unique perspective on this important, busy line. Starting at the Grande Crossing diamond in La Crosse, where BNSF crosses Canadian Pacific trackage, we follow intermodal, coal, grain, taconite, manifest, and other trains along the shores of the Mississippi. Bald Eagles are seen circling overhead, boats ply the waters, and train whistles echo off the surrounding bluffs.

With the variety of trains comes a great variety of motive power. Two Dash-9s make their maiden voyages in Heritage II paint schemes; an original GP30 is seen working the local at Bay City; three GP20s head up a grain train; even BN’s “Pulling for Freedom” locomotive is spotted. The volume and diversity is amazing. Whether the summer sun is beating down on the rails or winter’s snows are flying off them, trains and more trains keep on rolling across BNSF’s St. Croix Subdivision. Here’s a great opportunity for you to enjoy the action, with Trains Along the Upper Mississippi Volume 2!

It’s winter in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, and the lonely sounds of trains echo through the snowy stillness. This is an area of heavy mainline operations, and when there’s freight to be moved, the depth of winter can’t keep the cars from rolling. Witness the action on the rails of the Soo Line; Burlington Northern; Chicago & North Western; Chicago Central; Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern; and the Green Bay & Western. Pentrex cameras capture train after train crossing the covered landscape, kicking up clouds of snow dust in their passing.

The lines run along the frozen banks of the Mississippi River or cross it on scenic bridges in the area between Clinton, Iowa and Winona, Minnesota. We follow the tracks as they wind along the river bluffs and climb out of the valley. The important junctions and diamonds in the towns of Savanna, Illinois; Dubuque, Iowa; and La Crosse, Wisconsin provide us with plenty of lineside action. Newly painted locomotives gleam under the sunny skies of a crisp January day. Railroad workers trudge through the snow to uncouple cars and sweep out switches. Rarely seen cabooses in surprising numbers can be spotted on this area’s trains. There’s no end to the beauty and drama of railroading in Winter Along the Upper Mississippi River Valley.