Winter on Donner Pass

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Rover

Conductor
Joined
May 13, 2015
Messages
1,606
Location
N. Texas
Donner Pass Snow Removal

Originally released in 2018 on DVD. Journey high into California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains for a stunning look at winter operations over Donner Pass. As Pacific storms dump heavy snow, Union Pacific battles to keep trains rolling. Get a taste of what it is like to be trackside in the midst of winter’s fury. Long stack trains, heavy manifests, and Amtrak’s California Zephyr share the rails with an army of snow fighting equipment including flangers, spreaders, and the mighty rotaries. Beginning at Colfax, trains climb toward the snow zone at Blue Cañon, then on to Truckee on rails once covered almost completely by snow sheds. Extra time is spent near the summit at Soda Springs and Norden where man and machine are put to the test against the elements. This is mountain railroading and snow fighting rolled into one exciting presentation! Shot over four separate winters including the big snow of 2011, this is your front-row seat to “Winter on Donner Pass!”

 
I enjoyed the video, thanks. It's been quite a while since I rode the Zephyr in winter. I hope I get a chance to do it again.

I also wish I could have taken the WP Calif. Zephyr back when it travelled the Feather River route. Very picturesque. I once visited the little town of Portola which was along the route. A neat little town. It now offers a Western Pacific museum.
 
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