All images on these pages are taken directly from Highball's tapes.
BNSF GALLOPING THROUGH GALLUP
We carry on eastwards from where we left off in "Superfleet & Sagebrush, into BNSF's Gallup Sub, from Winslow,
Arizona to Belen, New Mexico. It's now completely different, with lots of dash 9's in Heritage 2 paint, though
there are still some warbonnets around. Lots of intermodals, and lots of different paint schemes, another colorful
railroad for sure, and a busy one!
105 mins GALL $35.95
CURTIS HILL
Curtis Hill, Oklahoma is still a major bottleneck on BNSF's former Santa Fe transcon between
Chicago and Los Angeles. The east slope of the hill was double tracked in 1995, the west side
is currently being double tracked, but there is still the single track over the Cimarron River.
Curtis Hill is also the location of the longest continuous curve on the former Santa Fe between
Chicago & LA. Loads of action, with fleeted trains, lots of different power. Taped in May, 2004.
90 minutes CURT $29.95
SAND HILLS SUB
BNSF’s Sand Hills Sub of the Powder River Division runes east from Alliance, Nebraska. We follow the line
through the scsenic sand hills in March, 2004 from east Alliance to near Thedford. Lots of SD70MAC’s on coal
train, plus some new AC44’s and dash 9’s.
90 minutes SAND $24.95
BNSF'S TRINCHERA PASS
Trinchera Pass is on BNSF's Twin Peaks sub, and runs between Trinidad, Colorado and Texline, Texas, crossing New Mexico. The line is due to start directional running in July, so we paid a visit before it happens.The line mostly hosts coal trains, with a few manifests for variety. The tracks climb and curve along the side of the mountains before heading along the plateau to Texas. A scenic piece of railroad, I even caught a train in an afternoon thunderstorm, lots of lightning!
2 Hours TRIN $35.95
WINTER ON MARIAS PASS
Continuing our very popular winter theme, we visited Marias Pass in January, 2002.
Heavy snow and 70 m.p.h. winds marked our visit, and BNSF celebrated by dumping a
westbound intermodal off the bridge at East Glacier on the Saturday night. We taped
some of the cleanup work on Sunday morning, and caught the first train to pass the wreck.
Lots of dash 9's in both Heritage schemes, and a number of warbonnets, plus SD40-2's,
including some still wearing Cascade Green. Taped between Blackfoot and West Glacier,
all the favorite locations including Two Medicine Bridge, Spotted Robe, Bison, False Summit,
Marias, Java, and Essex, and the weather goes from sunshine to heavy snow.
Click here for more images.
1 hour 45 minutes WOMP $35.95
A SALUTE TO THE WARBONNET
A tribute to the best loved paint scheme in America, the classic red and silver Santa
Fe "warbonnet" passenger paint scheme, resurected in 1989 and applied to freight
locomotives for fast intermodal service. We take a look at this spectacular paint
scheme in current service at many favorite railfan locations on Cajon Pass, Tehachapi
Pass, and the Mojave and Seligman Subs, and give you a brief history of the warbonnet
paint and it's reintroduction in 1989, and look at the types of locomotives wearing it.
WARB 2 Hours $35.95
HIGHBALL OVER STEVENS PASS
A July, 2000 chase of 4449, with 4449 tucked in behind it! Taped between Gold Bar and Trinidad Loop we go from rain
forest to desert, via the Columbia River. Power goes from BN green SD40's through War Bonnets and Oakway to Heritage
2 to a black SP steam engine. Wild! Pine trees and steep grades in the mountains, stunning scenery
(I just sat and looked) in the Columbia River gorge, and Trinidad Loop, all in sunshine for a change.
My first look at big steam, most impressive. 90 MINUTES STEV $29.95
HOT SPOTS 3: ROSENBERG
Rosenberg, Texas, about 35 miles southwest of Houston, is one of the last two operating towers in Texas still in their original buildings. BNSF crosses UP's busy Sunset Route, making for some colorful and busy railroading. Both UP & BNSF have small yards here, with locals, and orders are hooped up to trains going from the BNSF to the UP. See all the action at rosenberg from dawn to after dark.
90 minutes HOT3 $24.95
HIGHBALL THROUGH THE HEARTLAND
BNSF's Marceline sub between Kansas City, MO and Fort Madison, IA. BNSF & NS share tracks for 35 miles east of KC, and UP has trackage rights for plenty of variety. Lots of new "Premium Heritage" units, still a decent amount of Warbonnets, and the trains are moveing right along (mostly!) on the raceway east of KC, then through the scenic wooded hills of northern Missouri. Even caught the 4449 a couple of times, 'course it's a C44-9W! Taped in October, 1999, fall colors.
2 HOURS HART $35.95 plus $3.50 S&H
CHANGE IN THE TEHACHAPI'S - BNSF'S MOJAVE SUB.
BNSF's Mojave sub runs from Barstow to Bakersfield, California, crossing the Mojave Desert and the Tehachapi Mountains in the process. From Mojave to Bakersfield, BNSF uses trackage rights on the UP (former SP). Both BN/SF and UP/SP mergers are in full swing, and the line is a riot of coloful locomotives, the mountains are wearing spring green and traffic is heavy, we even had a surprise visit from the 6936, making for some awesome railfanning. If you can't visit the Tehachapi's in spring, this tape is the next best thing. All the famous locations and then some. Taped in April, 1999.
TWO HOURS MOJA $35.95
MOJAVE MAGIC BNSF'S NEEDLES SUB
Explore the magic of the marvelous Mojave Desert as we follow BNSF's Needles Sub from Barstow to Needles, California. Incredible long vistas across the desert with stunning mountain backgrounds, with hurrying intermodals and dragging manifests. A veritable rainbow of power, from Santa Fe GP30s through gleaming red and silver Warbonnets, Cascade Green SD40-2s through displaced whiteface SD60Ms, repainted Heritage units to solid lash ups of brand new Heritage 2 GEs. This is most definitely BNSF, a heavy duty railroad with lots of traffic in gorgeous winter sunshine, in all the famous locations, Hector, Lavic, Ludlow, Ash Hill, Klondike, Siberia, Bagdad, Amboy, Cadiz, Danby, Goffs, Ibis, Java and lots, lots more. Thoroughly up-to-date, taped in February, 1999.
Two hours MAGC $35.95
MARIAS PASS
Fall 97 on magnificent Marias Pass, BNSF's mainline through the Rockies. I had some perfect weather and caught lots of the new Heritage C44's, which look terrific against the mountains and fall foliage I started at Shelby and worked through Cut Bank, Browning, Grizzly, Two Medicine Bridge, the snowsheds, Summit, Marias, Java, Essex and on down to Whitefish. I even spent a night at the Izaac Walton to complete the railfan experience of a lifetime. Beautiful fall weather and foliage, stunning mountain scenery, varied and hard working motive power make this an exceptional tape.
TWO HOURS MARI $29.95
SUPERFLEET & SAGEBRUSH (BNSF ON THE SELIGMAN SUB)
Warbonnets still rule on the Seligman Sub. Sure, the mergers shows, but there are still lots of units wearing one of the best looking paint schemes ever. The new 700 series GE's are out in force, looking superb in the beautiful winter sunshine. There is some new "Heritage" paint around, and not only on C44's! There are some solid sets of Cascade Green, but not a lot of blue and yellow. This is impressive, heavy duty main line railroading at its best, with howling, high speed double stacks, and roaring manifests dragging up-grade. We cover the line from Needles, CA to Winslow, AZ, including the big bridge at Topock, the Sacramento Wash, Kingman Canyon, Crozier Canyon, Seligman, the Crookton line relocation, Williams Junction, Supai Summit, Maine, Darling, Canyon Diablo, Sunshine and lots more.
TWO HOURS SAGE $35.95
CRAWFORD HILL
This was a spur of the moment trip before Chris went off to RIT in the Fall of '95. Started badly with the plane from Boston breaking its rubber band, then it's not real scenic between Scott's Bluff and Crawford so I thought the trip was going to be a bust. Not so, the Crawford Horseshoes are just awesome, and there was plenty of traffic. Lots of SD7OMAC's and enough older power to keep things interesting. Even saw the "Trough Train," which is just amazing.
TWO HOURS HBCH $29.95
CRAWFORD HILL REVISITED
Join us for a return visit to BNSF's Nebraska helper district, where heavy coal trains struggle up the 1.55% grade over
Pine Ridge and through Crawford Hill's famous twin horseshoe curves. Lots of sound and fury as sets of SD70MAC's assault
the grade aided by sets of SD60M helpers. You'll also see older power on manifests and intermodals, including former Santa
Fe "warbonnets" and Cascade Green SD40-2's. Awesome action and heavy duty railroading through deep cuts, around horseshoe
curves and up steep grades!
2 hours CRAW $35.95
SANTA FE ACROSS ARIZONA
The Santa Fe, pre merger, in 1994. Lots of warbonnets speeding across the desert, from Topock on the California border to the New Mexico border. Highlights include a glorious early morning in the snow at Williams Junction and a meet in dirty weather on the plateau above
Kingman. We got snowed on, hailed on, and roasted. Our first view of the Santa Fe.
TWO HOURS $29.95
HIGHBALL ACROSS THE MOJAVE
Needles to Barstow on the newly formed BNSF ex-Santa Fe mainline. This is one tough route, 30 miles of 1.4% From Needles to Goffs, rising over 2000 feet for westbounds and 40 miles of 1 %+ for eastbounds, plus the 25 mile drag up Ash Hill. Brand new SD75's to freshly painted GP30's and 35's.
90 MINUTES HATM $24.95
HIGHBALL OVER TEHACHAPI
Pre merger SP and SF on this world famous location in December 1995. The loop is impressive, we had a very nice morning sitting in the sunshine on the hillside overlooking the loops, a long Santa Fe pig train draped around the loop has to be one of the most spectacular sights available. We got in to Cable, Bealville, Tunnels 1 & 2, hiked into tunnel 5, got old power, new power, sunset shots, dawn shots and all in all had a pretty good time. the best thing to my mind was the oil cans, now, sadly, no longer running over Tehachapi. The sight and sound of the loads struggling up the grade with B units is just awesome, ground shaking! We covered the line from Mojave to Caliente.
TWO HOURS HBOT $29.95
HIGHBALL ALONG THE COLUMBIA
UP and BNSF along the highly scenic Columbia River between Washington & Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. We covered the line from Cape Horn Tunnel to west of Pasco, and from Troutdale to Hinkle. We were really pleased to find cabooses on the BNSF trains that cross the Columbia at Wishram and on UP's Bend local. We caught UP's Office Car train with the E's and chased him, he was hitting the detectors at 80 mph! We managed to get trans on both sides of the river on several occasions, 11 days of shooting went into this 2 tape set.
THREE HOURS HCOL $49.95