First, running an absolute stop signal, no headlights, and what looks like Fred flashing away. We are seeing a reversal of a video taken from the rear of a train passing through the Moffat tunnel.
I was about to say the same thing. Even if you didn't notice the red signals, the flashing red light in the tunnel is a dead giveaway. Only the last car on a train has a flashing red light. But that being said, I did enjoy the video. Even though I lived in Denver for 22 years, I wasn't aware of how long the Moffat Tunnel was. Very interesting to see it from the inside.
The Moffat Tunnel is a major engineering feat. I have hiked in to the local trails from the parking at the east portal and heard the roar of the ventilators raging in the canyon. This view of shows the ultimate single purpose "get her done" execution of its design. Not one of those smatzy Euro multi-purpose great halls. Just a rail thru the Rockies. Well done and thank you.
I knew a train hopper that would go all over the us and sometimes Mexico hopping trains. He would get a black plastic bag full of air and use it to make it through this tunnel so he wouldn’t get poisoned from the exhaust.
Tunnely! My cousin and I wandered about 10' into the nearly abandoned Tennessee Pass tunnel. Much the same, way less traffic. Still neat to see a piece of history like that up close.
I am sorry but this view seems to be from the front part of a train. It seems to be from the locomotive conductor's front window cabin area. It does look nice coming out if the Moffat Tunnel.
Laura Bogue, not sure about your "amazing fact". I have read a few histories related to this tunnel, and they all said that dynamite was used. And as it was built in the late 1920's, not exactly the dark ages of railroad or tunnel digging development, they certainly used quite a few technologies of the time, not just pickaxes and shovels. Not exactly "hand dug".......
I'm from the Intermountain West, and I remember my dad talking about what an engineering feat the tunnel was known as when he was a kid. I rode east through the tunnel for the first time on the CA Zephyr, one Monday in April, 2011. I remember the engineer announcing that the train's ventilation system would be turned off, so not to circulate diesel exhaust back into the train. Day turned to night. I had no idea this is such a tight fit. It seemed it was around 15 miles, but someone told me it was only six.
I rode the cog-train to the Zugspitze. It was 19km long, and you got off the train, still inside the mountain to get on a aerial tram. THUNK THUNK THUNK all the way up on that train.
I used to fly to Denver from Los Angeles ( I hate flying), to ride the Rio Grand Zephyr to Salt Lake City so I have been thru the tunnel a number of times.
I am guessing this was taken from the back end of a passenger train and played in reverse going by the absence of a tailight and the red flashing "Fred". Still it is the best view of the inside I have ever seen and I have been through the tunnel 3 times. The stand offs seem to hold communication equipment but I have to wonder if they also have doors to a room that would protect someone from the fumes were they ever caught in there. But then again, where would they stow their railcar? Hard to imagine multible steam engines going through that with the smoke and fire they would belch. especially in the day of cabooses?
You can tell it's a rear-end mounted camera due to the FRED and the clip is certainly being played in reverse due to the train apparently going through several red signals with no hesitation whatsoever.
Does the Moffat Tunnel on the East Portal access have a door that opens and closes during the ventilation process just like the Flathead & Cascade Tunnels.
I think this was recorded on the tail end of the train, the flashing red light is likely the FRED. Then they played it in reverse. Also it would be a lot brighter with the headlights shining into the tunnel. SIgnals were all red as they entered too. Still a very cool video!
There are crews on the east portal side, and every 10 minutes at a walking pace there is oxygen in case a crew has to leave their train. I think the big fear here is a stalled train or fire.
If it was necessary to dig a parallel tunnel to the Moffat, how much would it cost? Or, if the tunnel had to be closed, rebuilding the route across the west wouldn’t be easily rebuilt, but could it be done?
@@tonyburzio4107 WHATTTTT? You don't think that the 'main use' of the tunnel is all the freight (and some passenger) trains that use it to cross the mountains? The thing called the "Moffat Tunnel" is apparently used for trains (who'ed a thunk it?), while the small parallel tunnel is used for water and communications. Those are two separate tunnels. You have a curious way of smearing your 'facts'......
Can someone explain those lit up turnouts every so often. Like what are they for, what all is there, are they all the same, etc… Very hard to find video or literature explaining them in detail.
I'm not sure why you thought it necessary to run the video in reverse. Looking out the back window is perfectly acceptable. I've been through this tunnel I didn't know it was lined with gypcrete. Pretty cool.
I find it odd that this tunnel's west end doesn't have all the doors and vents like the east end does. I'm also surprised that the Winter Park resort hasn't made a viewing platform to view trains entering and exiting the tunnel's west end
@@ickipoo Yea, The ventilating equipment sucks clean air in through the West portal and blows the foul, dirty air out at the east portal. The doors at the east portal make it work. I've seen it in operation
It must have been something, then. Rode the Coast Starlight last year, and was enthralled - though for probably some very different reasons than the usual. I had a Roomette, and largely stayed in it save to use the bathroom. No, not The Virus, but something akin to social phobia.
@@saintswillwin1013 I was surprised niches weren't placed closer together. Those are placed really far apart. No way a worker could get to it quickly with a train coming.
@@billfeldman2127 As dark as it is in the tunnel a worker would be able to see a headlight long before it got to him; also the railroads used track bulletins to protect MofW workers,
What are all those places that look like a hole in the side of the tunnel with light (sunlight?) coming through? I counted 20 of them..... 03:10; 04:46; 05:28; 06:15; 07:01; 07:52; 08:30; 09:15; 09:37; 10:02; 10:26; 10:50; 11:03; 11:38; 12:12; 12:36; 13:08; 14:06; 14:48; 15:20;
Very possibly, they could be "niches" in the tunnel walls, so that anyone inside will have a place to escape an approaching train. I do know that the Hoosac Tunnel, in northwestern Massachusetts (running east-west) have these such "niches" blasted out in its north face every 300 feet apart (with the exception of some 1200 feet from both its east and west portals). The Hoosac Tunnel used to be double tracked inside, now, single tracked so to gain extra height for today's more modern and taller railway equipment. (The Hoosac Tunnel is numbered every 100 feet, spray painted inside, with the first three digits, #251, aka, 25,100 feet, at its east portal, going down to zero at the west porral.)
Bonsoir est il possible d'avoir un lien ou un manuel pour la maintenance des locomotives sd40 car je viens de debuter dans le domaine des locomotives sd40
I thought the Rocky Mountaineer went from Vancouver to Calgary, and the California Zephyr (SF to Chicago) went through the Moffat Tunnel. I've been on both trains, but what do I know?
Ok, I was a little slow. Couldn't figure why they would turn off the headlight. I wanted to see further ahead, but just had this damn flashing red light. About twelve minutes into it, I struck me that this flashing red light is the end of train signal. Daah!!
Track rails in the tunnel, originally jointed, were replaced in the 1930s with continuous welded rail, one of the earliest such installations in North America. This decision was prompted by the corrosive effect of coal smoke and steam condensate, captive within the tunnel, on the joints. (One Rail Instead of Many". Trains. March 1942. via Wikipedia)
Some commentary of the tunnel would have been good. Maybe a history of when and how it was constructed, not 12 min of a guitar riff. And what's with the red flashing light? Did you film this in reverse? Kind of crazy
It was filmed from the rear of an Amtrak car, then shown in reverse. That explains the lack of sound and the red flashing light at the end of the train.
the scariest part of all this is no steering wheel to hold onto. truck driver for 40+ years. but sad this i a reverse video. but still interesting. and why no man safety placements?
