Battle Up Sherman Hill

SKU: DVD-PNX-VR017
(4 customer reviews)

$24.95

Be part of the excitement as Challengers, Big Boys, Turbines and modern diesels leave Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming for the battle up Sherman Hill.

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Producer

Pentrex

Run Time

1 hour

Narration

Yes

Shrink Wrap

Yes, Brand New

Technical Details

No Region Code, NTSC

Be part of the excitement as Challengers, Big Boys, Turbines and modern diesels leave Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming for the battle up Sherman Hill. It’s one of the most legendary climbs in the history of railroading. You’ll witness Union Pacific’s famous Turbines and dual-engine diesels grinding up the grade. Powerful steam locomotives 3985 and 8444, and Super Cab SD60’s are seen in action, too. See what makes Sherman Hill such a popular railfan location!

Produced by Video Rails, brought to DVD by Pentrex in 2018.

4 reviews for Battle Up Sherman Hill

  1. Michael Dembek

    The turbines are well shown in this video. The narrator talks about historical facts about Sherman Hill which makes this video a good film to buy.

  2. Brian La Rosa

    The Union Pacific has a long history of experimenting with almost every type of locomotive ever designed, including lots of standard-sized motive power and especially the largest and most powerful locomotives available in North America. Among the giants of Sherman Hill are the 4-6-6-4 Challengers, the 4-8-8-4 Big Boys, the gas turbines, and the double-engined diesels from Electro-Motive, General Electric, and even the American Locomotive Company. Also included in this program are some early diesels in both freight and passenger operations.

    At the time the video was produced, the newest diesel locomotives for the Union Pacific were the microprocessor-controlled, wide-nose EMD SD60M’s along with the GE standard-cab DASH 8’s. Other modern diesels worth mentioning are the EMD SD40-2 and the GE Dash-7. Battle Up Sherman Hill is a terrific video showing an exciting variety of locomotives that were assigned to haul long, heavy trains up the steep grades west of Cheyenne, Wyoming. If you prefer steamers, turbines, and/or vintage diesels, then this show is absolutely a suitable choice for any railroad buff young and old.

  3. Jeremy C. Schultz

    This is another show not to be missed! … ESPECIALLY the portions showing Big Boys and Challengers doing what they were built to do.

  4. rickyfreni

    In this soon to be 30 year old program from 1989, we start off with vintage films of various challengers big boys and other random steam stars in the 1940s and 50s that have added sound over these silent films. Initially some of these films were shown in volumes 2 4 and 6 of the classic collectors series, plus the Hank Griffiths collection in 1992. Some scenes of the dead engines were shown in the 2008 GSVP title big boys and challengers. Next we see 844 as it was renumbered in 1962 as 8444 throughout the 1960s and 70s shot by perry Becker from 44 years of 8444 in 1988 with dubbed audio as it was also shown years later in the 2013 GSVP program 844 the early years but with music added over these silent footages. Next we see challenger 3985 prior to the 1990 oil conversion operating a 1988 trip. Initially it was shown in the pentrex best of 1988 Video. But unfortunately 3985 never whistles in this video. However some scenes of the doubleheader with 8444 and 3985 in 1981 was shown in various video rails titles which includes UP Steam 81, 44 years of 8444, and the best of video rails part 1. At the 11 minute mark of the video, we switched over to the unique turbines. Of course some of these engines were also shown in the big boys and challengers program from Greg, and also shown in UP’s mighty turbines from pentrex in 1997 or 1998. One scene shows a turbine highballing as 8444 is making a photo runby. At the 17 minute mark, we switched over to early diesels beginning with the f units on freight service in the 40s, followed by the GP7s and 9s in the 50s, and also see the GP20s and 30s in the early 60s. They were followed by the 2500HP GP35s. Throughout the 60s, more diesels were added on the Union Pacific such as the 6 axel 2400HP SD24s. At the 19 minute mark, other road names/fallen flags have also climbed on Union Pacific’s sherman hill such as the Chicago Burlington And Quincy, Burlington Northern, Great Northern, Western pacific, southern pacific, Norfolk and western, rock island, Frisco, Milwaukee road, and the Chicago And northwestern. At the 22 minute mark, we switched over to the passenger trains starting with the farewell to regular steam service in the late 50s, of course some scenes were shown in volumes 2 4 and 6 of the classic collectors series. The f units are next as most of these scenes were shown in the UP Streamliner collection from the 40s until the day before Amtrak’s debut in 1971. Some mismatched rainbow trains during Amtrak’s debut is also shown as well as its own colors. Today Sherman hill is nothing but a freight only line. Next the long gone ringling brothers circus is shown from the pentrex best of 1985 video. At the 25 minute mark, we switched over to the double diesels beginning with the failed U50Bs in 1963. Then comes the 5000 series U50Cs built in 1970 which too have since been failed. Then comes the trio of alco built C855, and along came the EMD’s own DD35s in 1964 that are cabless, but cabs were added to several more units a year later. These giants were retired and scrapped in 1981. Next Comes the king of all double diesels: the 6900 series DD40s, nicknamed the centennial units. Of course some centennial units survived today, but the most notable unit number 6936 provides mainline excursions and assisted 844 or 3985 on helper service at Cheyenne. Some modern scenes of these giants were shown in the 1985 video: Union Pacific 6900s- the centennials, which includes a cab ride aboard 6922. Finally at the 33 minute mark, we’ve come to today’s diesel powered freights which was shot way before today’s widecabs, as most of these units no longer operates today which includes the 9100, 9200, and 9300 series C40-8s that are unfortunately useless on today’s big 4 freights in America, except for some regional lines such as New England’s Pan Am railway, SD40-2s hauling a doublestack near heard WY with a bay window caboose on the rear, plus a coal train with Burlington Northern 6414 in the middle of the Union Pacific units, look carefully as Engine 3213 has weird lettering and numbering on the side, followed by a fast freight with a trio of SD40-2s. Next a mixed freight is being pulled by a pair of c40-8s. Followed by another mixed freight with another pair of C40-8s, this time with a private coach, and space shuttle boosters heading to cape canaveral in Florida and the discovery mission plant. Moving onto hermosa we see a grain train heading to Portland lead by a trio of SD40-2s through the double track tunnel. Westbound grain trains go west, and empties go east. On the other side of the tunnel, a meet with some mixed units are heading eastbound with empties. Many minutes later an eastbound trailer train lead by a pair of C40-8s leaves the tunnel behind, followed by C40-8 number 9111 hauls one of the shortest trailer trains on the UP system at dale junction. Amazingly this one had a caboose on the rear. Next we see an eastbound auto rack on the #1 track. Hey! That rhymes! But anyways, moving right along we witnessed an eastbound mixed manifest going really fast. Next we head to dale creek as we witnessed 5 C40-8s hauling a double stack. At Buford, a 6 unit lash up with A Rio Grande unit heads for the big curve. At Harriman, a trio of well used SD40-2s pulled a mixed manifest outside of Cheyenne. At another spot in Harriman, a pair of SD60s numbers 6010 and 6075, hauls one of the longest freight trains on the entire Union Pacific system, as 6010 uses the RS3L or the RS5T air horn at the railroad crossing. Finally we take a look at the once Brand New 6100 series SD60s nicknamed supercabs because of how wide the cab is shown. We close the program with 3 freights under the Colorado and southern bridge. Overall Jim Knight did an excellent job narrating this program and the music in the closing credits, was later shown in the opening introduction to Cajon 2: railroading in the 90s from 1993. With this convention to dvd finally arrived almost 30 years later, you have to watch this like a videotape because it doesn’t have any chapter menus whatsoever. But it’ll still take you back to the last from the 40s to the 80s with amazing action on America’s superpower railroads: the Union Pacific.

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