North America's steepest stretch of railway stood in the way of connecting Canada
The stretch of railway through the Kicking Horse Pass was dangerous and deadly until engineer James Ross figured out how to slow down runaway trains.
The stretch of railway through the Kicking Horse Pass was dangerous and deadly.
To connect the Pacific coast to the rest of the country, Canadian rail engineers had to figure out a way through the Rockies.
They opted to go through the Kicking Horse Pass; it was the shortest and most direct route. Unfortunately, it was also very steep. The steepest stretch of railway in North America. And while getting up is hard, getting down safely seems almost impossible. On their first test run down what's known as "The Big Hill," the train jumps the track, plunging into the river below and killing three workers.
It seems like getting down the hill may be impossible, until engineer James Ross figures out a way to control runaway trains.