Run-time: 1 hour and 45 mins. Please note: Filmed and produced in NTSC format.

In the Spring of 2025 we took a journey across the United States between Los Angeles and Chicago, following many of the rail routes that cross the country. This programme is the first to document our journey as we head across southern California. We begin at one of the iconic railroad locations in the State - the Tehachapi Hills. This UP mainline is shared with BNSF and we view trains from both railroads attacking the steep grades over the hills. We visit many locations including Caliente, Bealville, Woodside, the famous Tehachapi Loop, Monolith and Mojave. We see snow on the surrounding hills in a touch of Winter as the trains thrash past our camera positions.

The private Trona Railway has a fleet of SD40-2 locomotives in its power line-up; we follow an afternoon freight hauled by three SD40-2s as it rises out of Trona and heads towards the interchange with the UP at Searles Station. We see spectacular desert landscapes with distant mountains bordering the horizon.

We then head for the BNSF Transcon which we cover from Daggett through to Park Moabi east of Needles on the border with Arizona. This hugely busy railway boasts non-stop action with manifests, grain, autoracks, stack and intermodal services plying their way west and east through more spectacular scenery, including extinct volcanoes and expansive desert vistas. This is classic western railroading and a great addition to any American railway collection.