An interesting view of the Rogers pusher operations prior to the largest Railroad project in 50 years for North America. Good completion footage of the Shaughnessy/Mount MacDonald diversion project.

When you talk Canadian Railroading in the Rockies, no other name is possibly as famous as Rogers Pass. Spectacular scenery, big bridges, long tunnels, and snow. Lots of snow. Throw in big, long trains and you get one fantastic show.
Rail Innovations captures the final days of the Rogers pusher station, in the winter time. What a sight to witness long coal trains being split to allow multi units to slide in and assit the train over some very long hills. Stop at thye station and listen to the men chat as they wait for another assignment, then on they go again. Keeping the trains moving.
Today, the pusher station is gone, but Rail Innovations has kept the memory alive with this excellent movie.
Hats off to the video producers who braved the elements of winter and summer to bring us one of the greatest shows on earth. Rated as Excellent, a must for all rail fans.

In the last pushers, it starts off with engineer W. E. Ottewell talking about the Rogers pushers station as well as the route itself. Afterwards the engineer climbs onboard Diesel number 6000. Next a look at the map is shown. The line runs from Rogers to Stoney creek. Afterwards a look at the timetable is shown, followed by a look at the bunkhouse, as the men are discussing their errands for the day. Back outside, there is still snow on the ground on this February 1987 day. As the freight with a yellow caboose rolls by. Before the pushers leave the stop, a workman is shoveling snow off the switches. Then from onboard the lead unit, the 6 unit lash up must move to the wye at milepost 66.7 as it�ll have to wait for its assignment. The diesels are all SD40-2s Numbers 5719, 5652, 5651, 5620, 5570, and 5940. Later a passing freight led by a 4 unit lash up with mostly SD40-2s accelerates for the big hill. Next a 4 unit lash up with all SD40-2s, with a B unit in the middle arrives at the yard. As always, the 1980s was the final decade where cabooses are used on mainline freights. At last the coal train arrives led by another quartet of SD40-2s. Once stopped, the first cars with the lead units must uncouple the middle of the train, then it�ll have to give room for the helpers to be in the middle. This coal train has 110 hoppers. More onboard footage from the helper lash up is shown. From the ground, the helpers with the lead units pulling the first hand of the coal train couples up to the second half of the consist. At last, the helpers are ready for the battle over the 10.5 mile line through Rogers pass. Before that happens, a look from the rear of The helpers couples up to the remaining hopper cars of the coal train. At the west end near milepost 68.3, an eastbound empty coal train arrives. It is being led by a pair of SD40-2s, with another duo of SD40-2s in the middle, Complete with a yellow caboose. Inside the cab of the diesels, there is some radio communications going on, as the entire coal train is getting ready to head for the big hill. From the cab of the helpers, the entire crew must get as much speed as possible in order to get to Rogers Pass. While descending the pass, it�ll have to reduce the speed to 15 mph. Griffith BC is at an elevation of 2810 feet near milepost 71.7. Mountain creek bridge is at milepost 70.8. The bridge opened in 1978. It is one of the 3 bridges on the Rogers Pass line. The lead units on this coal train are numbers 5876, 5855, 5789, and 5555 (not sure). The majority of this program is an entire onboard journey to the summit of the pass. The second bridge on the Rogers Pass line is Surprise creek bridge at milepost 74.4. As the train is crossing the bridge, there is a mention of a pair of 2-10-0 decapod type locomotives, as Engine 5767 crashed to the ground below taking lives of 2 men in January of 1929. Further down the line, is the third bridge on the Rogers Pass line known as Stoney Creek Bridge which is at milepost 76.2. This is the highest bridge ever built on the Canadian Pacific. From the ground, a 3 unit freight passes by led by 5993, 5995, and an unidentified third engine. Back onboard, the coal train crosses Stoney creek bridge. It is also the end of the line for the pushers, as a workman is clearing snow from the switches. The coal train must be in the clear for train 401. From the cab of 5940, the diesel must do a little snow busting in the siding. It is at an elevation of 3466 ft. At milepost 77.7. In no time at all, the helpers are in the siding so that the coal train could be reassembled with only the lead units doing the honors. Afterwards the 4 unit mixed freight passes by the coal train as it blares its horn. Next, a man is taking some telephone orders to the crew of the coal train. With the coal train gone, the helper units head back to Rogers wye. A 5 unit mixed train crosses Stoney creek bridge, with 3 cabooses on the rear. Later the helpers cross the bridge. From inside 5940, there is more riding footage going on as the helpers are crossing mountain creek bridge at milepost 70.8. From the ground on the other side of the bridge, the other diesel creates a horn show. The average push takes 35-40 minutes up the hill. Back at Rogers, the helper units head for the siding and back into the nourishment. The village is at an elevation of 2555 ft at milepost 67.2. More chores are shown inside the shanty. The fuel truck arrives as it refuels the diesel�s Tanks. Later a man is on the telephone getting orders from the railroad�s headquarters. As night falls, there is a ton of work to be done no matter what the weather was, not to mention if it�s day or night. The helpers head for a grain train on number 351. Once the helpers clear the siding, the switches are back into position, but before the grain train arrives, VIA rail number 1 the Canadian led by a since retired F unit blares its horn. As the grain train arrives, the helpers must be placed behind 25-30 cars in the middle. At Stoney creek, the helpers are removed from the train, as it continues into the darkness. Back at Rogers, it�s time to go to bed at the shanty. Early The next morning, VIA train number 2 led by an F40 passes by. It is 6:15 in the morning, and once after the men finish their breakfast, the pusher units will couple on ahead of the trains units known as a nose job. Leaving Rogers, there is still plenty of onboard footage left. Looking from the front of the lead unit, note the new right of way to the left of the screen. Next it crosses Mountain creek bridge, followed by surprise creek, then Stoney creek bridge, and all too soon, it arrives at the siding to let an eastbound led by 5834 go by, and also take the camera crew back to Rogers. Not to mention the 2 unit freight passes between the 2 waiting trains. On the return trip, the 12 unit lash up crosses Stoney creek first, then surprise creek, and finally mountain creek before arriving back at Rogers yard. The workman puts the handbrakes on 6000, then the other diesels heads for the wye to await for its next assignment. This ran for 55 minutes and was released in 1987.

In CP rail conquers Rogers Pass, it starts with a helicopter ride over the 3 unit coal train, then comes a look at the actual mountain itself, followed by a map and a little model railroad with a steam locomotive going in and out of various snowsheds, and loops. A 2 unit mixed train enters Connaught tunnel at milepost 80.1. Later a helicopter films the helpers going in. Next, a look at the dispatchers office is included. From the top of the tunnel, a 3 unit grain train goes inside at milepost 85.5 in glacier. Afterwards a 4 unit mixed train passes by, as there is construction going on. From the helicopter once again, a 6 unit lash up is in the middle of various tank cars. Back on the ground at Rogers near milepost 66.2, a 4 unit coal train heads for the unprotected crossing. As always before the reroute, helpers must be added between Rogers and Stoney creek. From the helicopter, the train crosses mountain creek bridge, then a little while later it crosses Stoney creek bridge, but From onboard the train, and also from the helicopter as well. At Stoney creek siding it meets with another freight. From onboard one of the SD40-2s, it crosses the bridge, with a look at the mountains and how deep the ravine is. From the ground, a 4 unit coal train Is shown, led by a quartet of SD40-2s. Next an unidentified SD40-2 is in the middle between the hopper cars, and the mixed freight due to the construction on the reroute. It took 4.5 years and 1000 workmen building 21 miles with 6 bridges and 2 tunnels. It�s already November 9, 1988, and the final track clip has been installed to the concrete tie. On December 12, a westbound coal train was the very first regular train to test the new reroute. On May 4, 1989, there is a grand opening party going on at Fraine near milepost 68.3. 1200 people with a pair of SD40-2s (the lead unit is number 5903) heads for its third conquest. There is plenty of helicopter footage over the special as it heads for the new route. Back at Fraine, a 3 unit coal train led by 5869 is heading for Vancouver. From the helicopter, note the strange stick on the right side of the screen, as the westbound meets the eastbound. Later it crosses a different mountain creek bridge at milepost 70.7. From the helicopter once again, it crosses the new Gulley Bridge at milepost 74. Then it goes by Wakely at milepost 75, followed by a different Stoney creek bridge at milepost 76. Almost the same milepost but is actually 76.6, is the new John Fox viaduct. The viaduct is 432 ft long. Not far from the viaduct is the new Mt. Shaughnessy tunnel at milepost 77.5. This is the shortest tunnel on the reroute. At Mt. MacDonald Tunnel, the doors opens up, with the vent fans activating. This tunnel is at milepost 79.5, and takes about 9 miles. A look inside the 25 ft 10 in high by 17 ft wide tunnel from the front of the diesel is shown. This tunnel also has lights inside, and back outside, the doors close. The cycle takes about 30 minutes. Leaving the tunnel, It passes by Ross peak siding at milepost 89.9. The top of the West portal of the tunnel has a roadway asphalt over it. As it leaves, it makes a meet with the other train. As winter arrives, a look at the Selkirk peaks are shown, followed by a vintage film of The snowplow. At glacier, a big crane passes by. Back at Fraine, a 3 unit freight train is included as it heads for the new route. This is mostly from the sky, and throughout the winter visit, different freight trains are shown. It was released in 1991, and ran for only 27 minutes. Overall S. C. Bradley did a fine job narrating these 2 programs on this combo DVD.

Both of these programs on this combo dvd was acquired by Greg Scholl in 2011.