Donner Pass

A "scenic picture from a hobo's point of view".

No matter what your age you'll love watching this impressive and comprehensive story of the development of railroading in America. Rail enthusiasts as well as history buffs, teachers and home schoolers, plus kids of all ages will appreciate this magnificent rail adventure covering live action historic operating railroads, rare photos of drawings and valuable memorabilia, and live action re-enactments. Featuring spectacular cinematography and an inspiring musical score, this Award-Winning four part DVD covers over one-hundred years of railroading evolution.

Several films have been made about the lives of train hobos, but Aleksi Pohjavirta's A Good Day to Die is probably the first Finnish documentary on the subject. The film follows Billy, who travels in a pump on freight trains. In the way of life, the feeling of freedom and letting yourself be carried away by chance are attractive and they make the train bomb strive for a windy ride again and again.

Just as the original hobos of the early 20th century were scorned the mainstream of society, so too are today's train riders. FREELOAD is a dive into a beggar's existence. It is a ride through America's backyard. It is a musical endeavor that feels like a drama. It is a sociological examination of the ignored.

Film on the movement of material from the Chicago and Northwestern System.

A short film documentary about the reconstruction of Lac-Mégantic following the 2013 railway tragedy.

The film explores the destruction of a unique train station in Zurich and the construction of the new prison and police centre in its place. From the perspective of the filmmaker’s window, and with testimony from prisoners awaiting deportation, the film probes how we deal with the extinction of history and its replacement with total security.

Pentrex takes you back in time to the late 1950s and 1960s for a close-up look at the waning years of steam locomotives in operation on America's eastern railroads. On the Norfolk & Western-the last major bastion of steam power in the United States-you'll witness the class Js in passenger service near Cincinnati, Ohio and class K, A, and Y steamers in freight service near Columbus, Ohio, Portsmouth, Virginia, and Bluefield, West Virginia. The mighty class S-1 2-10-2s of the Baltimore & Ohio perform both switching and mainline duty near Willard, Ohio and the durable class T-3s roll along the B&O mainline to Chicago. We even see class EM-1 2-8-8-4 Yellowstones pulling coal drags near Grafton, Ohio. At Columbus, Ohio, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, a wide variety of locomotives are seen in action at the yards and roundhouse. Then we join the chase as a pair of class J-1s doublehead north from Columbus with a long coal drag in tow.

Union Pacific has always been on the cutting edge of locomotive technology. In the 1950s, it became the only railroad ever to place a fleet of gas turbine-electric locomotives into regular mainline service. Here is the whole turbine story, from rare footage of an early steam turbine experiment in 1938 to the first gas turbine demonstrator in 1948. UP put 55 production units into service, the largest rated at 8,500 horsepower each – the most powerful locomotives ever built! You'll see the demonstrators and all three production models (including the unique "Veranda" models) hauling tonnage on scenic mainlines, moving through yards, and being serviced in engine terminals alongside steam engines and classic F-units. Along the way you'll learn how turbine locomotives operate and will explore the differences and similarities between turbine-electric and diesel-electric units. The saga ends with an experimental coal-burning turbine locomotive built by Union Pacific itself in 1962.

Flanking the western shore of the upper Mississippi River runs Canadian Pacific's River Subdivision, a busy main line that supports a nonstop flow of traffic. Pentrex traveled the line in 1999, through hot summer days and cold winter chill to bring you the excitement of railroading in this scenic territory. Beginning at River Junction, just west of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, we follow the line to St. Paul, Minnesota. As much of the subdivision hugs the mighty Mississippi, we spot the trains against backdrops of wooded bluffs and sometimes blue, sometimes frozen waters. Milwaukee Road and Soo Line operated this route prior to Canadian Pacific. You'll see motive power and varied paint schemes from all three appearing frequently, such as Milwaukee Road GP40s, Soo Line SD60s, and Canadian Pacific's AC4400s. Highlights include a candy apple red Soo Line SD40-2 and a Canadian Pacific SD40-2F "Red Barn" wearing the dual flag paint scheme, not to mention plenty of Soo Line cabooses.

The mighty 4449 was painted black with BNSF decals to head up a BNSF Employee Appreciation Special in July, 2000. Running in excursions over former Burlington Northern trackage, the Daylight treated enthusiastic throngs of spectators to the sights and sounds of thundering steam power. Starting in Vancouver, Washington, we follow the train across the state and into British Columbia, Canada, and Idaho, visiting the cities of Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Bellingham, and Vancouver, B.C. A special highlight is a ride aboard the train along the Puget Sound, from Balmer Yard in Seattle to Everett. You'll see the EAS traveling over Stevens Pass - what an awesome sight that is! - and at Skykomish and exiting Cascade Tunnel. Continuing eastward, the train stops at Wenatchee and Spokane, then crosses the long bridge over Lake Pend Oreille on its way to Sandpoint, Idaho.

With just six days remaining before Santa Fe was to be merged with the Burlington Northern, Pentrex set out to do something special to mark the occasion. It was decided to document these last few days of Santa Fe's independence by capturing the action along the Marceline Subdivision. Starting at Fort Madison, Iowa, we began a trek that took us across the isolated Missouri hills and river valleys toward Kansas City. Experiencing all types of weather, we had our share of both sunshine and rain as we relentlessly sought out photo locations along the double-tracked line. Step by step, and day by day, we made our way toward Kansas City, arriving there on the afternoon of Santa Fe's last full day, September 21, 1995.

From headwaters in Canada, the Columbia River flows over twelve hundred miles to the Pacific Ocean and for many of those miles it marks the boundary between the states of Washington and Oregon. Cutting through the Cascade Mountains, the river slices through an 80-mile stretch known as the Columbia River Gorge where the basalt mountains tower up to 4,000 feet above the water. Nearby dormant volcanoes such as Mount Hood and Mount Adams add to the incredible beauty of the Gorge area. Following the north bank of the river between Vancouver and Pasco, Washington is Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Fallbrook Subdivision. This is a prized site for railfans, offering spectacular vistas and nonstop railroading. Journey with Pentrex from Vancouver east to Maryhill along this scenic route and experience the variety of trains and motive power that ply this famous line.

Climbing gently from the tidewater ports near Portland, Oregon is the Columbia River Gorge'a wide, flat-water river passage that provides access to the inland agricultural regions of Washington and Oregon and divides the two states along most of their border. It is a spot of unparalleled beauty that hosts two railroad lines: BNSF to the north and Union Pacific along the southern shore. In Columbia River Gorge Volume I: BNSF's Fallbridge Subdivision, Pentrex explored the BNSF side of the Gorge, heading east from Vancouver, Washington to the arid desert mountains near the John Day Dam. Now, in Volume 2, we jump across the river to head back west toward Portland following Union Pacific's Portland Subdivision.

"Who Is Bozo Texino?" is a film study on the 100-year-old tradition of hobo and railworker graffiti. Mostly shot on freight trips across the western US, the film includes interviews with some of the railroad’s greatest graffiti legends: Colossus of Roads, The Rambler, Herby (RIP) and the granddaddy of them all, Bozo Texino. The film also catches some of the socio-economic history of hobo subculture from its roots after the Civil War to the present day. The range of the interviews, and the film’s style deal with both the clichés and the harsh realities of tramp life.

Tracing the eastern banks of the upper Mississippi River is BNSF’s St. Croix Subdivision, a mostly double-tracked route providing access for a nonstop parade of traffic from La Crosse, Wisconsin to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Pentrex takes you across the entire sub in the late 1990s, filming throughout the seasons to bring you a unique perspective on this important, busy line. Starting at the Grand Crossing diamond in La Crosse, where BNSF crosses Canadian Pacific trackage, we follow intermodal, coal, grain, taconite, manifest, and other trains along the shores of the Mississippi. Bald Eagles are seen circling overhead, boats ply the waters, and train whistles echo off the surrounding bluffs.

The most complete and comprehensive collection of railroading films ever compiled on any subject - the Anthony DeRosa collection on the Great Northern. Shot in 8mm color film over a 40 year period, this collection covers the GN route from Seattle to Superior. This will be a stunning series of videos that brings you rare and spectacular scenes that you have never scene before. Volume III covers the vast fleet of steam power from the smallest 0-6-0's to the mighty 2-8-8-2's, including scenes of Northern Pacific and SP&S steam power in action. You'll also pace a huge R-2 class 2-8-8-2!

The most complete and comprehensive collection of railroading films ever compiled on any subject - the Anthony DeRosa collection on the Great Northern. Shot in 8mm color film over a 40 year period, this collection covers the GN route from Seattle to Superior. This will be a stunning series of videos that brings you rare and spectacular scenes that you have never seen before. Volume 1 covers the iron ore operations, including the mines and ore docks, from Kelly Lake to Allouez, St. Paul, and Superior. You'll see the mighty N-3 class 2-8-8-0's in action.

The most complete and comprehensive collection of railroading films ever compiled on any subject - the Anthony DeRosa collection on the Great Northern. Shot in 8mm color film over a 40 year period, this collection covers the GN route from Seattle to Superior. This will be a stunning series of videos that brings you rare and spectacular scenes that you have never scene before. Volume II covers the diesel locomotives that are common to everyday use across the vast Great Northern system, including Northern Pacific and SP&S diesel power. You'll also see GN's mighty electrics!

Experience the power of the mighty Union Pacific as it conquers its toughest run, the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Packed with the thrilling scenes of the latest GE wide cab diesels, Volume 1's dramatic footage covers all the excitement from La Grande to Huntington. You'll climb out of the Grande Ronde Valley from La Grande on the way to Antelope Canyon and North Powder. Race across the Baker Valley and enjoy scenes from Quartz, Encina, the famous Oxman curve and through the Burnt River Canyon.