Double Heading Steam
When one locomotive couldn't handle the job, two joined forces to increase speed or conquer steep grades with heavy loads. Witness spectacular plumes of smoke as double-headed engines roar at maximum effort!
Across the Top: Steam in the High Rockies
Across the Top: Steam in the High Rockies
Doubled power was needed on these summits and steep grades. Ride steam across the highest mountain passes in North America, in the 1930s and 1940s. One triple pusher shot.
The 1930's:
Watch the ore trains descend from the Blackhawk Mine on the Colorado Central to Clear Creek. The South Park Line is shown with quadruple headers battling upgrade through South Platte Canyon. The last passenger train from Leadville to Denver. Scenes at Buffalo, Pine Creek and detail shots of Como. Enrout to Boreas Pass and Fairplay.
The 1940's:
Ride the "San Juan" from Toltec to Durango; watch both freights and mixed trains on the Silverton . Ride over Marshall Pass and down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Scenes of the "Shavano", the Transcontinental Express of the thirties, at Gunnison and the Colorado Museum's 346 as it really used to be. Finally, climb aboard and pull the throttle on the climb from Leadville to Climax.
Includes early 1400 class Mallets doubleheading and the monster 3400 series, the last steam built for D&RG.
47 minutes.
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