All images on these pages are taken directly from Highball's tapes.
RAILS AROUND MOUNT SHASTA
Check out UP's line between Redding, California and Klamath Falls, with lots of BNSF diversion traffic. In addition the big boys,
we see California, Oregon & Pacific at Black Butte, and the McCloud River steam excursion. High Tech diesels whining up and down
the Sacramento River Canyon and through the Shasta National Forest.
90 minutes SHAS $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
FLAGS, FLARES & WINGS - UNION PACIFIC'S SD70M'S ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST
UP's newest power working hard across the Southwest in New Mexico, Arizona and California. Scenic highlights include Steins Mountain, the Dragoon Mountain, the Maricopa Mountains, the Salton Sea and San Timeteo Canyon on Beaumont Hill. I've always liked SD70M's, but with the flaired radiators and the "Building America" flag paint, I think they are really handsome engines. See and hear them flying across the desert and lugging up grades.
2 hours FLAG $35.95
MK5000's OVER SOLDIER SUMMIT
As Monty Python used to put it "and now for something completely different". The Utah Railway has the only
6 MK5000's built, and they ply their trade dragging coal trains over Soldier Summit. They sound very different
with their big Caterpillar prime movers, and they look splendid in the Utah's red and gray paint. We visited
Soldier Summit in January, 2002, and were granted permission to visit the loader, the unit's cab, and Martin
Shops. See and hear these unique units in action!
1 hour $24.95 Order MKSS-DVD
Format:
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.
Walk with us as we climb the hills of San Francisco and watch the world famous cable
cars on the Powell-Hyde line. See these favorite attractions as they climb the steep
hills, just as they have for 125 years. Visit the power house and see the giant wheels
that drive the cables, and find out how it all works. Finally, ride the cars from
Fisherman's Wharf to Market Street, see the scenery and watch the grip man at work.
Continuing on our very popular winter series, we take a look at the Moffat Route west
of Denver through the Colorado Rockies. We see Union Pcific coal trains with distributed
power, with former SP and UP AC units, BNSF trackage rights trains, Amtrak, and the Ski
train with 3 former Amtrak F40's painted in a Rio Grande like scheme. Taped in January,
2001, we see and hear trains working hard in sunshine and heavy snow in the scenic
splendor of the Rocky Mountains.
Oregon's Blue Mountains, known as The Blues, are a formidable challenge to the trains of Union Pacific. 2.2% grades
and tight curves means helpers, and UP uses distributed power on heavy trains. Join us as we follow the La Grande
Sub from Hinkle Yard to Huntington, through the scenic Blue Mountains of Oregon. Big trains twisting and turning
through the mountains, and our first look at Union Pacific's newest power, the SD70M "Wings"
BLUE 90 minutes $29.95
Format:
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
Format:
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
Format:
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
Format:
WINTER IN THE WASATCH
Superb winter sunshine on stunning Soldier Summit in Utah's Wasatch Mountains. Heavy coal drags charging up-grade with 6 unit sets of Utah Railway helpers, or a six unit set of Rio Grande tunnel motors, plus BNSF on trackage rights, all in gorgous December sunshine. The second half of the program is Union Pacific in Weber and Echo Canyons with a variety of traffic, power is everything UP has, including brand new AC6000ís. Superb light and lots of action.
TWO HOURS WASA $35.95
Format:
HIGHBALL OVER CAJON
Another tape on Cajon? Yes indeed. I'd never been and the railroads involved have merged. Because of El Nino everything was green, I had bright blue skies (no smog!) and there was snow on the mountains. Combined with hard working trains and power in a rainbow of paint schemes, models from GP9's through SD751's and C44-9W's pIus leased units, LOTS of SD45's (would you believe 7 in one lash-up?) and GP60M's, all working hard or whining downgrade, what more could you ask for? Lots of action at Blue Cut, Sullivan's Curve, Mormon Rocks, Alray, Terrace Cut, Summit and Frost. Check our the mergers and the scenic splendors of Cajon Pass, you'll be glad you did, this one is GOOD!
NINETY MINUTES CAJN $29.95
WINTER ON TENNESSEE PASS
Well it's gone. This really was the last winter for Tennessee Pass and what a pity it had to close. Taped in January 1997 with lots of snow and sunshine and superb scenery. This is one of the best tapes I've done, and getting on for being my best seller, it got good reviews in both "Trains" and "Railfan" magazines. Excellent trip, I only got dragged out of one ditch and had to be towed out of Pando by a wrecker. Seriously though, the scenery is just magnificent, the trains are working hard, and the sight and sound of 4 head end AC's, 4 AC swing helpers and 2 AC's on the rear of a mammoth coal train grinding through the double S-curves at Mitchell is an unforgettable experience.
TWO HOURS WOTP $35.95
Format:
WINTER ON THE MRL
Montana Rail Link in February, 1997. We worked our way from Huntley over Bozeman Hill, Winston Hill and Mullan Pass, along the Clark Fork with its semaphores to the famous causeway near Sand Point. We had lots of snow, blowing around in the sunshine on Bozeman, sunshine and heavy snow on Mullan, and got out to the old Milwaukee Trestle at Lombard (what a drive on snow covered dirt roads that was). We caught just about all the power MRL has to offer including F45's, GP9's and a caboose, BN power including the new C44's in Heritage paint, and even an 11 unit lashup in heavy snow. Awesome railroad with older power in the depths of winter.
TWO HOURS MRLW $35.95
MRL 2007
The MRL SD70ACe show! Taped in late April 2007 between Livingston, MT and Elliston, west of Mullan Pass.
Features MRL's new SD70ACe's in both road and helper service, plus BNSF run through trains. Heavy action
on Bozeman Hill and over Mullan Pass to Blossberg Tunnel. Narration on/off feature.
2 hours $35.95. DVD-R FULLSCREEN OR DVD-R WIDESCREEN
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
MULLAN PASS
Montana Rail Link's Mullan Pass is the crossing of the Rocky Mountains in Southern Montana on the old Northern Pacific route. This short section of railroad has two horseshoe curves, two spectacular trestles and Mullan Tunnel. MRL uses older, rebuilt power, SD4O's, SD45's, SD45-2's SD19's, GP9's, some in MRL's dark blue and some still in the original RR's colors, while BNSF uses anything they own. Taped in fall, 1997.
90 minutes MULL $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
Format:
UP ON THE SUNSET ROUTE
It's all change in Arizona, and anything goes on UP's former SP Sunset Route these days, from brand new SD90MAC's to scruffy tunnel motors, CNW C44's to an SP SD7, SP AC's to elderly C36's. UP puts on quite a show in the magnificent scenery of Southern Arizona, from Steins on the New Mexico border all the way to Yuma on the California border. Slogging up the mountains to racing across the desert, coal trains to double stack, we caught all the action.
TWO HOURS SUNS $35.95
Format:
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
Format:
THUNDER IN THE WASATCH
SP action on Soldier Summit, from the Price River Canyon to the Gilluly Loops. Spectacular scenery, with snow covered mountains in the background. This is helper country, we had one set of 5 Rio Grande tunnel motors! Lots of action, from tunnel motors to brand new AC's, 6 trains in 15 minutes at Colton, and multiple trains on Gilluly. This is one awesome place and one tape you won't want to miss.
TWO HOURS TITW $29.95
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 SFAA $29.95
SOUTHERN PACIFIC IN SE ARIZONA
SP on the Sunset Route between Steins on the New Mexico border to Maricopa. Pre merger, with all kinds of run through and leased power, from Conrail, SF, C&IM, BN, UP, CSX, EMD, VMV and MK. San Simone, Olga, Wilcox, Cochise, Dragoon, Davidson Canyon, Picacho and Cow Town.
75 MINUTES $29.95
STACKS & SEMAPHORES
SP's, now UP's Tucumcari line, one of the few places left that you can find any concentration of Style B lower quadrant semaphore signals. I concentrated on the area around Coyote, Carrizozo and Polly, where most of the signals are, catching then going up ano down. This was taken just after the merger, there is not too much sign of UP yet. One of my Favorites.
80 MINUTES STSE $29.95
Format:
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
Format:
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
Format:
UNION PACIFIC
UP'S TRIPLE TRACK MAIN (NORTH PLATTE TO GIBBON)
Awesome action on the busiest piece of freight railroad in the world, with an average of 125 trains in 24 hours. Loads of SD90/43MAC's and C6044AC's on manifests, coal trains and intermodals, plus CNW and SP power, and run-throughs. UP is working on triple tracking the complete line between North Platte and Gibbon Junction, the trains follow in a constant parade. On the day we actually counted, we saw 85 between 6:30 am and 9:00 pm, this really is big time railroading. This is a tape for motive power fans, exciting and fast paced, with LOTS of meets. Say farewell to famous Buttermilk Curve, it's being straightened and we caught plenty of action there. See aerial views of Bailey Yard, biggest in the world, and some stunning sunset scenes.
TWO HOURS of intense action TTMN $35.95. Order Today, you'll be glad you did.
Format:
HIGHBALL OVER SILVER ZONE
UP over the former Western Pacific between SaIt Lake City and Winnemucca, including the paired track with SP (pre merger) through Palisade Canyon. The "Trains" article called this line "Trains in a desolate landscape" and it sure is. We got out and about on the salt Flats, Wendover Hill, Arnold Loop, which to my mind is simply splendid, ranks up there with Crawford. You can see westbounds 13 or 14 miles away, then they round the loop and head over Silver Zone Pass. We Followed the line through the sage brush to Hogan tunnel, then across tine desert (VERY lonely) to Wells, Palisade Canyon and Wininemucca. Splendid desolation.
TWO HOURS HBSZ $29.95
Format:
UNION PACIFIC'S SALT LAKE ROUTE
The inspiration came from Mark Hemphill's superb book. We cover the line from east of Barstow, through the scenic splendors of Afton Canyon, along the access road through the Devil's Playground to Kelso, up Cima Hill, down through the Ivanpah Valley, over Erie Summit and beyond Las Vegas to Meadow Valley Wash. A superb piece of railroad.
TWO HOURS UPSL $29.95
Format:
SHERMAN
Sherman Hill, UP's crossing of the Continental Divide in Wyoming is one of the greatest shows in railroading. We braved thunderstorms, hail, torrential rail and even sunshine to bring you all the excitement of big time railroading. We hiked in to Hermosa Tunnel and Dale, found our way in to Sherman Summit and covered the line from Cheyenne to Laramie. Taped in July, 1995.
TWO HOURS HBSH $29.95
Format:
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
Format:
ALONG THE FEATHER RIVER
Nine days of charging up and down the Canyon went into this tape, they weren't running many trains! Sometimes it was hard to tell just who the railroad belonged to, BNSF has trackage rights and sent everything they had, and of course UP is a mix of UP, SP, and CNW, plus leased power, a veritable rainbow of color. We covered the line from Oroville to Portola, including the horseshoe at James, the bridges at Pulga, Rock CreeK, Keddie, Clio and lots more. Serpentine Canyon is just a photographers delight, and we got some shots at the RR Museum at Portola. Caught some rock dumping and MOW for a little variety.
TWO HOURS ATFR $35.95
Format:
FEATHER RIVER CAB RIDE
From Rowlingstock Productions of Australia, we present "Feather River cab Ride". Ride the cab of a UP C40-8W from
Stockton up into the Feather River Canyon, with numerous meets, untill darkness stops the tapeing. Next day we see some
trackside views in the canyon, then at Portola, where we join an SD60M for a ride down the canyon. Taped by Colin
Eggleston, edited by Rowlingstock.