Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Great Northern’s historic crossing of Stevens Pass has never been easy. The first two months of 2020 proved particularly harsh as “Old Man Winter” relentlessly pounded BNSF’s Scenic Subdivision with a barrage of winter storms. This provided the perfect setting for capturing trains in punishing arctic conditions.
On the west side, we will visit Skykomish, which lies at the base of the mountain grade. From here, trains dig in for the 2.2% climb across the Foss River Trestle, over the icy waters of Deception Creek, and into Scenic and the west bore of the 7.8-mile-long Cascade Tunnel.
On the east side, trains emerge back into the wintry setting at the east portal of the Cascade Tunnel. From Berne, it’s a stiff 2.2% descending grade to Merritt and Winton as the railroad navigates the foothills of the Cascades. Leaving the snow zone behind, we will tour the former railroad town of Leavenworth, which has been transformed into a Bavarian village decorated in Christmas lights for most of the winter.
Bundle up and get ready for a chilling railroad adventure!
1 hour 43 minutes
Great Northern’s historic crossing of Stevens Pass has never been easy. The first two months of 2020 proved particularly harsh as “Old Man Winter” relentlessly pounded BNSF’s Scenic Subdivision with a barrage of winter storms. This provided the perfect setting for capturing trains in punishing arctic conditions.
On the west side, we will visit Skykomish, which lies at the base of the mountain grade. From here, trains dig in for the 2.2% climb across the Foss River Trestle, over the icy waters of Deception Creek, and into Scenic and the west bore of the 7.8-mile-long Cascade Tunnel.
On the east side, trains emerge back into the wintry setting at the east portal of the Cascade Tunnel. From Berne, it’s a stiff 2.2% descending grade to Merritt and Winton as the railroad navigates the foothills of the Cascades. Leaving the snow zone behind, we will tour the former railroad town of Leavenworth, which has been transformed into a Bavarian village decorated in Christmas lights for most of the winter.
Bundle up and get ready for a chilling railroad adventure!
1 hour 43 minutes
![Minnesotas Iron Range Part 1 [The Iron Range Sub]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sq8uklHIg-s/mqdefault.jpg "Minnesotas Iron Range Part 1 [The Iron Range Sub]
Visit the former Duluth Mesabi and Iron Range in Northern Minnesota where heavy taconite trains roll from the mines to the CN ore docks in Two Harbors along the shore of Lake Superior.
Owned and operated today by CN Railway, the historic lines of the DM&IR still play a vital role in transporting taconite between the mines and the Great Lakes freighters bound for steel mills on the lower Great Lakes.
In Part 1, we will cover the Iron Range Sub which feeds the CN dock at Two Harbors. The majority of traffic is taconite pellets from US Steel’s Minntac Plant near Mountain Iron.
This program is available on DVD and Blu-ray at 7ideaproductions.com.
https://www.7ideaproductions.com/collections/frontpage/products/minnesotas-iron-range-part-1-the-iron-range-sub
0:00 Intro
3:29 Map
6:31 The Mesabi Range/Virginia
9:05 Ramshaw
16:19 Sparta
21:44 Jones
26:52 Biwabik
29:28 Aurora
30:30 Hoyt Lakes
30:56 Nugget
33:59 Allen Junction
28:23 Skibo
44:15 Skibo Viewpoint
45:49 Fairbanks
56:14 Brimson
57:47 Wales
1:04:24 Highland
1:07:37 Alger
1:08:34 Waldo
1:12:15 Two Harbors
1:22:23 Lake Superior
1:26:22 North Shore Scenic Railroad")
