Like a sleeping giant, Mount Shasta dominates the mountains of Northern California. It dwarfs everything in sight including the iron horses that have traversed its flanks for the past 130 years. Carved out of the base of the volcano, this highway paved with steel continues to be a vital link between the Pacific Northwest and California. It guides trains through some of the most beautiful country in the state.
From Redding, California in the south to Klamath Falls, Oregon in the north, the main line crosses impressive bridges, bores through several tunnels, curves inside deep canyons, and weaves across lonely desert valleys. Through this rough course of 172 miles, the railroad gains over 4,000 feet in elevation. In a follow up to our 2007 release The Shasta Route, we return to one of our favorite locations to view today’s Union Pacific in action.
There is nothing like the show of modern high-powered diesels tackling a 2.2% mountain grade on a hot summer afternoon or racing through a frozen desert on a chilly winter morning. Shot with broadcast quality Hi-Definition and 4K equipment, this is truly a stunning picture of trains traveling through the shadow of Mt. Shasta.
This program was shot between December 2015 and May 2016.
2 hours 35 minutes running time.