Southern Pacific's Shasta Division (DVD)

Southern Pacific's Shasta Division (DVD)

Pentrex presents one of the most scenic and busy railroad routes in Northern California, the Shasta Division of the Southern Pacific. The Valley and Black Butte Districts host a daily parade of heavy lumber and merchandise trains, joined by an ever-increasing number of intermodal movements. Our coverage of this division starts in Redding, California and continues to Grass Lake.

Trains cross the spectacular Redding Trestle as they start upgrade into the mountains. The constantly twisting route follows the Sacramento River to Dunsmuir. Here, diesels are added to many of the trains for the battle through Cantara Loop and up the stiff 2.1% grade through Azalea. Continuing east from Black Butte, trains climb a constant 1.4% grade as they skirt their way around the base of majestic Mt. Shasta. Pentrex is proud of this look at the trains of Southern Pacific's Shasta Division battling their way through ever-changing and spectacular scenery. Your will see trains crossing high trestles on the route and grinding up the steep grades to the summit at Grass Lake. A large number of trains with a great variety of motive power are shown against the seasonal backdrops of summer's long days and winter's snow-covered mountains.