I'd like to know the names of the dessert mountain pass crossings in the United States. I'm familiar with Tehachapi, Cajon, San Gorgonio (Beaumont Hill), Santa Susana (perhaps), Raton (I think), Glorieta (maybe), the old Salt Lake Route (definitely), and Abo Canyon (probably), but are those the only ones? I'd also like to know which of these have tunnels and/or helper operations, if possible.
There was Montgomery Pass on the Carson & Colorado/SP narrow gauge.
Santa Susana and Raton have summit tunnels. Some of the others have tunnels, but not at the summit.
I am surprised that no one has brought up two on the Sunset Route. The first is the crossing of the continental divide in New Mexico which is about 35 freeway miles east of Lordsburg, which appears to be near the center of the siding at Wilna. Approach grades both ways are a very modest .2%. There are steeper approaches to local summits at Steins, Raso, and Dragoon, all to the West of Lordsburg.
The highest point on the Sunset Route is Piasano Pass, located in the Big Bend country of Texas at MP 619, which is about 49 miles east of Valentine and 11 miles west of Alpine.
Mac
Raton and Glorietta are on the same line and Raton has the Tunnel. Just passengers for now, Glorietta is only severe in one direction (Like falling off a tabletop)
Tennessee Pass (mothballed by UP), two tunnels
D&SL / UP is the Moffat line ....Glenwood canyon is a collection of Tunnels
Stevens Pass
Stampede Pass
Rogers Pass (Canada, sorry)
Monument Hill (CO) - Helpers yes, no tunnels
Hagerman Pass (Wigglesworth Pass)/ Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel - CM (gone)
Altamont Hill
Marias Pass
Crawford Hill, WY (tunnels bypassed), helpers sometimes
Franklin Canyon (three tunnels)
Caliente, NV (gosh yes on both counts, one nasty piece of railroad topography)
I thought of both SP's and Santa Fe's crossing of the continental divide, but I was not sure they would have been thought of as passes by the OP.
Dessert mountain crossings...do we not have any Strawberries, Cream Pies or cakes? Just in case no one noticed, thought I'd bring a little humor to the thread.
Desert mountain:
Are Tennessee pass, Stevens pass & Maria’s pass really in the desert?
from the Far East of the Sunset Route
(In the shadow of the Huey P Long bridge)
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