I am unsure if you need to sign up as a friend of BNSF (I have) to see this, but on the website is a great sound movie of a ride through the pass via microphone and camera attached to the side of a locomotive, pulling what I surmise is the Directors’ Special on an intermodel hot train. A meet with a another freight is included.
What really impressed me was the absolute smoothness of the ride . The track seems in absolutely perfect shape, with the train moving along at abot 50-60mph and no rocking or hunting, just increadibly smooth. Welded rail, so the sound is the steady throb of the diesel with zero audible track noise. I’ve had lots of locomotive rides in my life, and none, absolutely none, were as smooth as this. Very well worth a visit, and it really puts you there. Of couse the Deltic from London to New Castle was very smooth for a steady 100mph, but I could not say there was absoltely zero motion other than steady progress. New Haven (PC) Turbotains and PC and Amtrak Metroliners, well, they have been discussed plenty of times, and I need not add my criticism here.
If any reader is crew on the BNSF, I would welcome further comment on the quality of track maintenance.