Black Widows Over Donner Pass | Circa 1958 - 1964

[@natehill8069]

I think the Black Widow is the prettiest paint scheme in US Railroading.

[@pjwick2437]

So cool watching old school railroad videos. What a difference compared to today. The Black Widow paint scheme is sharp, definitely a favorite.

[@라이언브-q1x]

What a superb post.

[@Olive1234.]

Great video! 😊

[@craytum6945]

Excellent footage. Love to see the old livery workin freight from my era. 😊

[@kenbrashear210]

This is wonderful. I wish somebody had a time machine to go back and record these same scenes in 4K.

[@OScaleMike]

If someone had a time machine, we wouldn't need 4K. We'd all just go back and stay there!

[@SeleneHelgelandTrejo]

It’s recorded on film. Film can already be clearer than 4K as it is. It just depends on the original film quality and if this was transferred from film to video tape originally, which would have made it around 480p. A direct film to digital recording with GOOD quality, well preserved film can be 4K or any quality greater or poorer.

[@freedomforever6718]

I've been listening to the train whistles and laboring diesels for 40 years at my home east of Nevada City as they as they clime out of Colfax. Donner Pass has been my backyard since I was a boy back when these trains were filmed. Thanks for sharing.

[@seabulls69]

Chicago Park?

[@freedomforever6718]

@@seabulls69 , Close but not hwy 174. It's hwy 20.

[@seabulls69]

@@freedomforever6718 Gotcha. Love the area along 20 just below Emigrant Gap. A couple of high school friends and I would explore the tracks between Auburn and Dutch Flat quite a lot back in the 60s. I remember hearing the SD45s laboring up the grade near Applegate from home in Meadow Vista. That thundering roar could be heard for miles on a quiet night.

[@freedomforever6718]

@@seabulls69 , Always fun to hear the train whistles, too.

[@warrenholmar1129]

I want to model Donner Pass in N scale. I wanted to cycle over it in 2015. Sadly, I had a week off the road following an accident in Kansas. I had to take a shorter route to LA to make my flight.

[@philschweyer]

When I was a little boy we lived close to the deput in Auburn and the switch engine would come down from Colfax and I loved to watch them. I was really excited when they switched to diesel.

[@ronniefarnsworth6465]

I'm digging the Red 1960' Chevy !!! (1:25) 👍 😎

[@cris_261]

This is some amazing footage. SP continued to put on a great show long after the F7s in this video were retired. The SP I grew up watching in the 1970s entertained with SD45s, tunnel motors, U33Cs, and the long lived GP9s and SD9s.

[@ScottJohnson4449]

Great video. Now I gotta go upstairs and run my Black Widow in N scale. Awesome!

[@cprtrain]

Excellent video. Thanks.

[@speedracer3104]

Excellent footage! What a beautiful time in railroad history, those simple days are long gone!

[@FrogandFlangeVideo]

Awesome !!! James.

[@stevensipes1823]

THANK YOU FOR FINDING THIS VIDEO!! Remember that is when the helpers we’re maned this was way before DPU’S. And those F-7s were only 1500 up. Steven Sipes

[@remylopez4821]

At 9:53 I love the old British sports cars in the snow. I bet those guys froze they’re behind.

[@MilePost106]

Brings back memories of the good old days of railroading.

[@luzmalara5584]

Love the views of the "Overland" passenger train. I try to accurately model this train in HO and your video is most appreciated!!! Sincerely, Nathan in Chicago 🇺🇲

[@bob_beingessner]

Glad these scenes were captured for posterity! Keep up the good work, Hunter.

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

Glad you like them Bob! Hope you are well!

[@supercuda1950]

Thanks forthe trip back thru time. I love the sound of the EMD's. Great video.

[@munsonstrainswildlife9734]

This is an excellent video! Brings back fond memories from when I was a kid watching SP. Thank you!!

[@SOU6900]

Not an SP guy, but I still love the Black Widow paint scheme SP used.

[@kevinrichards3288]

Back in the days before EOT "End Of Train" devices, defect detectors, & dragging defect detectors which all replaced the cabooses.

[@PoorBoyPennyShow]

i love it ,,i have one in my living room ,,,,i grew up in a town near Houston ,and seen a lot of southern pacific trains but never seen the black widow F 7s it was emd and amtrac in my town Dayton Texas ,my theme is southern pacific in my living room im thinking of doing a cotton belt train as well ,,nice video ,,thanks ,its one i can watch over and over

[@1800clyde]

Excellent presentation! Thanks for sharing.

[@TopHotDog]

Great photography, great narration.

[@californiarailfan5342]

Donner Pass is just such a majestic place and railroads belong their seeing these historic f units and Cadillacs and geeps is just such a treat and is really a wonderful point in time. Wish they still used Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles up their

[@jimholder6656]

A truly impressive presentation -- many thanks!

[@steverudder3321]

As I am enjoying this video and my new Bluetooth speaker, I am surprised by how noisy these older units are! Still, a Great video!

[@josephlalock8378]

great stuff! thank you for preserving this.

[@garygates9493]

Thank you so much for sharing this! I love the sound of those horns!

[@billkraemer4710]

Wow, a caboose with orange ends. My guess is every sludge of dirt I was seeing in the late 80’s started building when this file was made.

[@rockguitarist931]

I once saw a photo of a black widow F7 leading a quintet of bloody nose tunnel motors, I can't remember where I found the photo online but I wish I had saved it.

[@seanpacificrailroad3700]

So amazing thanks for sharing 👍🚂😃

[@EntertainmentWorldz]

great video bro

[@berkeleygang1834]

Another fine video. Thanks Hunter!

[@iannarita9816]

Thank you for all the work presenting these films. I'd seen some of them at the BAERA Friday night meetings in Berkeley long ago. There were many comments from members as the films played.

[@gailyncookMilwRR]

You know I really like this! Best video I have seen of black widows anywhere. First 👍 like!

[@jacksalvin364]

Between 1958 and 1964, Black Widow F units tackled the Donner Pass to the summit at Norden with some helpers.

[@intheengineroom]

Nice work as always. I enjoy your knowledgeable and entertaining commentary as much as the videos themselves.

[@lampitl]

I would have loved to hear these beasts in real life.

[@jamesburnside3023]

Awesome video have liked and subbed

[@rottenroads1982]

So that is what that paint job is called. Looks very Nice. And I say It looks perfect for Freight service. I will also go out and say that F and E units are all great looking. So much so that I believe the F and E unit series must continue.

[@markfrench8892]

The west bound tunnel at Cape Horn was dubbed the Panama Canal.

[@bobkohl6779]

Wish you had more PA/PBs and a Southern Pacific train pulled by an PA/,PB/PA got snowed in in the Donner Pass

[@builderbob58]

How did they control additional locos in the middle of trains? Hand held radio with an operator in the cab?

[@mikehawk2003]

Posted speed limits and hand-delivered train orders at stations. Well into the 90s and early 2000s railroads still used mutliple crews throughout a train. DPUs have ended this practice.

[@AndreiTupolev]

Mid train DPUs were a thing then, then? (Although not remotely controlled then, I suppose)

[@Greatdome99]

Manned helpers, for sure, just like with steam locos.

[@johnrow8376]

How where mid-train and end-train helpers controlled?

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

Helper crew…..

[@Harveycartoonlvr11]

One THING fort me that distinguished the MIGHTY "SP" from all other Railroads were their Diesel Horns! You can ALWAYS to this very day tell an old Southern Pacific Diesel Horn from all others!

[@mikehawk2003]

M5s, P5s, P3s, all very striking horns.

[@grandcrappy]

Different types of rail cars are about the only thing modern railriading shares with this distant past stuff.

[@wendellbrownbrown5968]

To me nothing beats the colour layout of the super cheif!

[@geohig01]

Is this available as a DVD?

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

Everything I make I post through KZbin, however I am willing to burn DVDs to anyone who is interested, it is $25

[@BudmanPackfan]

Soda Springs hasn't changed much.... CWR now....

[@seabulls69]

Interesting job you did with the sound, there. Would like to know more as, the last time I checked, 8mm film did not have a sound track.

[@HunterLohseRRVideos]

I dubbed in all the sound