This one is another excellent video from 7idea.  The video quality is great and the Wide Screen format lends itself well to the beautiful panorama of the Canadian Rockies.  The scenes were shot in June, September, and October of 2014.

The Laggan Sub runs from Field, British Columbia, on the west to Exshaw, Alberta, on the east, a distance of 136 miles.  Some of the most spectacular and beautiful scenery is found on the Laggan Sub.

Trains shown include mixed manifest freight, double stacks that are 10,000 feet long, unit grain trains, potash trains, and we even get to see Canada’s most prestigious passenger train “The Rocky Mountaineer.”

Two unusual and extremely interesting features of the Laggan Sub are the upper and lower spiral tunnels that were completed in 1909.  These tunnels lowered the grade from 4.4% to 2.2% and added 8.2 miles to the route.  The treacherous 4.4% grade was called “The Big Hill” by railroaders when it was in use from 1884 to 1909.

The tunnels were dug by hand and even though they were built without benefit of all the modern surveying technology, the alignment was off by only two inches when the crews digging from either end met in the middle.

We see trains spiral over themselves as they go through these tunnels, just as they do a Tehachapi Loop in California.

The narrator, Aaron Bentsen, tells the story of how Kicking Horse Pass got its name.  James Hector, a member of the survey crew searching for the best route for the right of way, was kicked in the chest by his horse in 1858 while at this pass.  His co-workers thought he was dead and dug his grave, but, fortunately, Mr. Hector regained consciousness in time and was not buried alive.  So, the pass was named Kicking Horse Pass because of that event.

This video is definitely one you will want and I highly recommend it.