| Title | Over Sherman Hill Union Pacific’s Laramie Sub |
| Producer | 7idea Productions |
| Format | Wide Screen DVD |
| Playing Time | 1 hr 45 min |
| Purchased From | TrainVideoDepot.com |
| Date Purchased | 09/13/13 |
| Price Paid | $27.95 |
This video meets the lofty standard set by 7idea Productions for high quality wide screen image and professional presentation of the subject matter. Unfortunately, though, the subject matter in ths case is a little on the boring side as we travel the Laramie Sub of the Union Pacific Railroad.
Something that was not boring was our stop at the town of Buford, Wyoming, zip code 82052. It consists of a convenience store, gas pumps, and a pre-manufactured home on ten acres of ground at 8000 feet elevation. The population of Buford is ONE! It is the smallest town in the United States and is the nearest town to the highest point on the first transcontinental railroad, Sherman Hill Summit.
Sherman Hill Summit is at 8015 feet elevation. Despite this high elevation, the topography is almost flat with the only visible snow capped mountains being seen in the distance. Trains climb a steady 1.5% grade as they travel east to west from Cheyenne to Sherman Summit before dropping down the west side to Laramie.
One point of interest is the Ames Monument, a pyramid of rocks that stands sixty feet tall at Sherman Summit. It was built in 1882 to commemorate the contributions of Oakes and Oliver Ames toward the construction of the railroad.
The Hermosa Tunnel is another point of interest but it is not particularly impressive.
The narrator tells us that during his stay in the area while shooting this video in June of 2013 one train that traveled over this sub had 241 cars and was over two miles long at 14,458 feet! That train passed through at night and was not captured in the video.
There is not too much about this video that generates excitement but there is historical significance to this location as the highest point on the first transcontinental railroad, so I give it a C+.
