[62][4k] Railroad Bottleneck Cascade Tunnel, BNSF Northern Transcon, WA 06/14+15/2018 ©mbmars01

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  • Опубликовано: 8 июл 2018
  • In this episode of the journey through the northwest, we explore the BNSF Scenic and Columbia River Subdivisions along Stevens Pass on the Northern Transcon in the northern Cascade Mountain Range. The iconic and famed Cascade Tunnel - built in 1929 and at 7.8 miles still the longest railroad tunnel in the U.S. - restricts railroad operations on the Scenic Sub. This enormous length requires a ventilation system that clears the tunnel of Diesel engine exhausts (the tunnel was originally built for electric operation which ceased in the 1950s), which takes some time. We follow the rail lines from Monroe, WA east to Rock Island, WA and watch different kinds of BNSF trains at various locations including Monroe, Baring, Skykomish, the east and west portals of the Cascade Tunnel, Malaga near Wenatchee, and Rock Island (all in Washington State). Enjoy interesting railroad operations in picturesque scenery in 4k video quality!
    Note: This video has been recorded and produced in 4k Ultra-HD resolution.
    [© 2018 MBMARS Productions. Exclusive rights for RUclips channel "mbmars01" only.]
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Комментарии • 282

  • @Eismarillen
    @Eismarillen Год назад +3

    I am European, but I like American trains, especially freight trains. You make what I think of as a train ;)
    If the air brake and the length of the tracks were not limited, you would make them even longer. Besides, I have the feeling that here a philosophy of simplicity prevails, freely after the motto "Keep it simple" as we say here. This technique together with the scenery of the western USA fascinate me. Thank you for the beautiful shots around the bottleneck! :)

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  Год назад +2

      Absolutely. Everything in the US is following that motto lol. But yes, it's just absolutely mind-blowing to watch these long, powerful trains traverse the mountains.

  • @deadfreightwest5956
    @deadfreightwest5956 5 лет назад +4

    You know how you tell a great railfan video? It puts you to sleep... really! I woke up to this one several times: Magnificent!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад +1

      Well, I hope that it wasn't the video that made you sleepy ;) Cool, thanks! :)

    • @TrainmasterCurt
      @TrainmasterCurt 5 лет назад

      Dead Freight West Sounds like you need a Jolt Cola ⚡️🥤

  • @bitchinfuckinbob
    @bitchinfuckinbob 6 лет назад +22

    Awesome video as usual. I really like your work, no unnecessary chit chat and no goofy music! Thank you.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Cool, thank you very much.

  • @erichk2750
    @erichk2750 Год назад +1

    Thanks x sharing ...love this .
    Greetins from Italy.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  Год назад

      Great you like it. Greetings back to Italy!

  • @iusetano
    @iusetano 6 лет назад +8

    Fantastic shots. Loved watching your video. Excellent.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +3

      I'm glad it worked out at the tunnel and I got these trains. I had to chase the first for 40 miles since there was no other train on the line at that time and I didn't have much time. Great you enjoyed the video!

  • @merylwade7578
    @merylwade7578 5 лет назад

    Enjoy each one of your videos! A pleasure to watch. Thank you! ☺️

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад +1

      Thank you so much 😊 Keep watching!

  • @Livinginohio25
    @Livinginohio25 6 лет назад

    The definition of railroading in the mountains! Awesome video and shots!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Absolutely! It looks like they get it managed. Thanks!

  • @smithtimkris98
    @smithtimkris98 2 года назад +7

    Would really like to see the engineer’s view through the tunnel

  • @J3scribe
    @J3scribe 6 лет назад +1

    Excellent video. It's a rather spectacular change of scenery going from the Cascades out into the volcanic lands to the east. It stretches all the way down to northern California border.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thanks. That's right. The land between the Cascades and the Rockies is quite different. It was a bit unfortunate I didn't get to see any action traversing this area on the way to Spokane. Traffic patterns fluctuate a lot on those lines.

  • @jimaz6532
    @jimaz6532 6 лет назад

    Fantastic video. Well done. Some great scenery you’ve captured. Appreciate those well cars too. Thanks for sharing. 🚂

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      It’s just awesome out there. Thanks!

  • @Bhil3
    @Bhil3 4 года назад +1

    Wow, amazing scenery, informative, and such good picture quality. Loved it.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад

      Cool, thanks for your feedback!

  • @NW475
    @NW475 6 лет назад +3

    To call it a bottleneck is an understatement. Fantastic video by the way!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      Lol, probably, but the line has a conventional single-track layout anyway, which slows down traffic even without special "bottlenecks". Thanks, glad you like it!

    • @Greatdome99
      @Greatdome99 2 года назад

      With the shift of heavy westbound tonnage to the Columbia Gorge and eastbound empties over Stampede Pass, it's not a bottleneck anymore. Stevens traffic is reserved for Amtrak, intermodals and empty coal and oil trains--nothing else. Sometimes you don't see trains on Stevens all day. BNSF is lucky to have not one route, but three!

  • @jleveille2
    @jleveille2 6 лет назад +1

    MBMars absolutely loved this video. The train leaving the tunnel I could not help but notice how close the two containers were very close to the top of the tunnel. I loved the train with the tank cars going up the mountain beautiful site. Captain obvious here I can see why they call it the Scenic Route. It must be nice getting out of the heat in Georgia. Thanks so much for the video

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      I'm not surprised you liked it :) Tunnel and scenery are very special and I surely enjoyed the day out there.

  • @dannygayler90
    @dannygayler90 6 лет назад +2

    Great stuff , Love the location too !

  • @AndreiTupolev
    @AndreiTupolev 6 лет назад

    What a lovely house by the edge of the river in the shot looking across the river! A real little green oasis in a rugged landscape. .

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Haha, I know. When I saw it I immediately imagined how it would like to live there!

  • @mikehowey4869
    @mikehowey4869 6 лет назад +1

    Man, what a cool video! Pumpkins, a war bonnet and the cascade tunnel.Loved seeing how the tunnel works.The scenery certainly is fantastic!! Thanks for sharing!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Many thanks. Great you had fun watching this video! There will be more soon, stay tuned 😊

    • @ejdsndnj
      @ejdsndnj 2 года назад

      no war bonnet here lol

  • @Nojaru
    @Nojaru 6 лет назад +7

    Theses mountain locations are amazing

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      I know, that's why I made the long trip from the southeast to the northwest. I wanted to see trains in the mountains again :)

  • @georgiasunbelt
    @georgiasunbelt 6 лет назад +2

    ❤️ It. Beautiful scenery, too.

  • @dave3216
    @dave3216 6 лет назад +1

    Exceptional video. From the scenes, to the editing to the locations and the descriptions, love your videos.
    Hope to see your version of The Feather River Route. 👍👍👍👍👍

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thank you so much. Well, there are so many places I'd like to go to... but yes, this is on my wish list, too.

  • @tomschmidt3165
    @tomschmidt3165 4 года назад

    I’m a CSX fan but it’s hard to beat that BNSF color scheme. Beautiful photography and location. Thanks for posting.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад

      I know, that's why I had to make these tours to the west in recent years.

  • @guitarra4abel
    @guitarra4abel 6 лет назад

    thanks a lot to share. Very intereresting your info abuot the tunnel.

  • @cherijim2911
    @cherijim2911 4 года назад +5

    Nice video and I liked the titles you added. Makes watching the video a learning experience also. The last time I visited the tunnel, the old signs were still above the portals. The new ones are okay but the old ones were historic. During the construction of the new line running up to the tunnel, the old Scenic Hot Springs Hotel was razed. There are photos showing the buildings with the new line being constructed pretty much in front of it. I believe a temporary trestle was erected and fill was dumped over it's sides to create the new grade. There is an article in the G.N. Goat (Great Northern Historical Society publication) about a family living in Scenic in 1927 during the construction of the new tunnel. Being that there was an actual town named Scenic, I assume that's where the "sub" got it's name.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад

      Thanks so much! Interesting. I didn't know that someone actually lived in Scenic, which is the siding just west of the Cascade Tunnel.

  • @christye6013
    @christye6013 6 лет назад

    Great camera work, fantastic locations and informative text, nice work

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Many thanks. I'm glad you had fun watching it :)

  • @atlanticcoastexpress
    @atlanticcoastexpress 5 лет назад

    Excellent videography...many thanks. I’ve never seen the diesel fumes being expelled from the Cascade tunnel....like you videoed ...ever before at the western tunnel portal. It illustrates the ventilation problem exceedingly well. I have subscribed. Rob, in Bournemouth, South Coast of England.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад

      Thanks so much, great you like it! I was surprised to see the exhaust coming out this way but it was very interesting to watch.

  • @mountrainiern-scale8589
    @mountrainiern-scale8589 6 лет назад +1

    Another amazing video, I knew the tunnel was up there but I didn’t know it was the longest one in the US, plus how it vents is pretty cool. Thanks for that info.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thanks! The second-longest tunnel is not too far away either: Flathead Tunnel on the Hi Line Sub in the Montana Rockies (7 miles). It's much younger and more modern. I didn't visit it due to lack of time, though.

  • @railfanx4903
    @railfanx4903 6 лет назад +1

    Great footage bud! Skykomish is a beautiful town and I cant wait to one day visit the Cascades!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      Many thanks! The area is definitely worth a visit. One should bring some time, though.

    • @railfanx4903
      @railfanx4903 6 лет назад

      mbmars01 one of these days im taking an adventure out there, the photography is endless!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      It's worth it!

  • @clintonbump3848
    @clintonbump3848 4 года назад

    Awesome video love it

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад

      Very cool, thanks!

  • @southernkentuckyrailfan9177
    @southernkentuckyrailfan9177 6 лет назад +1

    Great video

  • @CarterWHern
    @CarterWHern 6 лет назад +2

    Beautiful.

  • @fastcsx1412
    @fastcsx1412 5 лет назад +2

    Great catches so so very cool!!! Very very lucky!!! And nice 776

  • @salfordladcraigedeane2356
    @salfordladcraigedeane2356 5 лет назад

    Very satisfying to watch

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад

      I'm very happy you enjoyed it!

  • @EntertainmentWorldz
    @EntertainmentWorldz 5 лет назад +3

    dear Friend love it. Really enjoyed. Thumbs up.
    Wishing you good health and beautiful Time.
    God bless you.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад

      Many thanks and great you enjoyed it! Wish you also all the best :)

  • @jerseyrailvideos4139
    @jerseyrailvideos4139 6 лет назад

    Awesome video and I LOVE THE INTRO!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      Thanks! That’s great you like the intro. It’s surprisingly time-consuming to create a good one.

  • @philliplee980
    @philliplee980 6 лет назад +2

    awesome catches.

  • @Nicola636128
    @Nicola636128 6 лет назад

    Beautiful video.

  • @djtodd3
    @djtodd3 6 лет назад

    Looks like you were there either the day that Virtual Railfan started their live webcam or a couple days after. I remember for the first few days that the rail grinder was sitting in the siding in SkyKomish, WA. Great video none-the-less

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      They started about a week or two before my travel. Thanks!

  • @antonijevicmarko1440
    @antonijevicmarko1440 6 лет назад

    Cool video,MBMars01!!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thank you! Good you enjoyed it!

  • @abangnakal1379
    @abangnakal1379 3 года назад

    BNSF my favorite Company ☺️

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  3 года назад

      I like how smoothly they operate, compared to others.

  • @buckyc.9069
    @buckyc.9069 11 месяцев назад

    I suppose James J. Hill would be proud to see his namesake train still Rollin all these years after the "Dissapearin Rairoad Blues".

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  11 месяцев назад

      Absolutely.

  • @roballen5670
    @roballen5670 6 лет назад +2

    Super Video 👍👍👍

  • @ElliottWolcott
    @ElliottWolcott 3 года назад

    Nice catches of the trains.

  • @joshswarens9409
    @joshswarens9409 6 лет назад

    Great video that tunnel is really cool

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thanks! It definitely is cool!

    • @joshswarens9409
      @joshswarens9409 5 лет назад

      @@mbmars01 Is there a difference between the es44ac and the es44c4. Do know what the difference between them is?

  • @BTTF7
    @BTTF7 6 лет назад +5

    Amazing! I truly believe that the US and Canada have been blessed with the most gorgeous scenery of any other country!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +2

      It’s great, but I’ve been in countries that have likewise beautiful scenery.

    • @BTTF7
      @BTTF7 6 лет назад +1

      mbmars01 The earth is beautiful regardless

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      That's right and we should keep it in shape.

    • @BTTF7
      @BTTF7 6 лет назад

      Absolutely

  • @willempipo
    @willempipo 5 лет назад

    and another great video of you ! my dream is, one day, that I will stand there myself taking pictures … but I'm afraid I will stay a dream :(

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад

      Many thanks. I hope you’ll be able to watch trains by yourself at some time. It’s worth it.

  • @ScenicDepot
    @ScenicDepot 6 лет назад +22

    At 19:45 some explanation is needed here. This is Pioneer Tunnel, which runs parallel to the main tunnel for about six miles and was used during construction in the 1920s to allow for much faster movement of rock and equipment during the record-breaking tunnel construction. There are crosscuts about every 1500 feet between it and the main tunnel, and a large stream has been pouring out of its mouth since construction was completed. Pioneer Tunnel partially caved in a couple decades ago, and there is now a steel door across the mouth of it to prevent entry. The steel door has a small air space at the top, and a small space at the bottom to allow the water to run out. West of the cave-ins, at least one of the crosscut doors is still open, and when an eastbound train enters the tunnel against the force of a fan blowing, there is a piston effect, and when a train gets to a point about a mile in, it produces a very strong air pressure into Pioneer Tunnel. The only way for the air to escape out of Pioneer Tunnel is through the gaps around the door, and the air blows through the water and produces a spray that you see that goes a distance of about 20 feet as shown, which is mostly water spray and not smoke. The piston effect is more pronounced with stack trains. This spraying usually lasts for several minutes. Prior to 1966, ventilation was controlled by the station operator at Scenic. Engine emissions used to be much more smokey in those days, and when an eastbound train had left the tunnel and both fans were running to blow out the smoke, it was quite a sight at the west end. One day a passerby saw this and came running into the depot to announce, "The tunnel is on fire!"

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +2

      Very good, thanks for the additional information! I knew of the Pioneer Tunnel, but I didn't know there's so much water in it.

    • @robertheinkel6225
      @robertheinkel6225 5 лет назад +1

      I wonder why they never tried to use both for reducing the bottleneck? Most of the work is already done.

    • @billbaranko8907
      @billbaranko8907 5 лет назад

      pioneer tunnel was a small bore used for construction@@robertheinkel6225

    • @dobdoa3691
      @dobdoa3691 5 лет назад

      So the Pioneer tunnel was not the old tunnel? Just used for construction of the new tunnel.?

    • @billbaranko8907
      @billbaranko8907 5 лет назад +1

      when they dug the main tunnel the were actually digging from multiple faces at once and the pioneer had a narrow gauge to remove the waste and had several connections to the main tunnel.
      until the mid seventies it was actually listed in the time card as a emergency escape route.

  • @lawrencewheeler8868
    @lawrencewheeler8868 2 года назад

    Worked for Roadway (nowYRC), forr 18 yrs here in SLC,UT

  • @glennkanaley224
    @glennkanaley224 6 лет назад

    Great video. It looks exactly like that on train simulator.

  • @nancyoffenhiser4916
    @nancyoffenhiser4916 6 лет назад

    WONDERFUL video! Been thru the tunnel a couple of times on Amtrak.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      Thanks! I was actually wondering what sort of experience it is for the Amtrak passengers to be in that tunnel for quite some time.

    • @nancyoffenhiser4916
      @nancyoffenhiser4916 6 лет назад +1

      mbmars01 Lets put it this way..its unnerving. However, you go thru a lot faster than a freight..but I admit I was thinking of Atlas Shrugged...

    • @nancyoffenhiser4916
      @nancyoffenhiser4916 6 лет назад +1

      mbmars01 I grew up in NYC and was on the Subway quite a bit as child. So, I thought the Tunnel would be fun! Hmmm..I don't think I would like the Chunnel train either.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      Oh cool. I love NYC. On my second channel mbmars02, there is a video about this great city that I made some time ago :) Gotcha, I've been on trains going through tunnels, but almost 8 miles is quite a distance...

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Lol, funny way of putting it.

  • @schirmeyerb
    @schirmeyerb 5 лет назад

    Really impressive.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад

      It's definitely interesting to watch their operations in this complex environment. And it's simply beautiful out there :)

  • @bradley.reim22
    @bradley.reim22 6 лет назад

    Awesome Job

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Cool, thanks so much!

  • @BorisLu
    @BorisLu 6 лет назад +2

    Nice video!

  • @jarroddark8560
    @jarroddark8560 6 лет назад

    that was awesome and how that tunnel go full power to get all the exhaust out that was impressive

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thanks. Yea, it looks impressive, but this much pollution of the beautiful environment is also frustrating :/

  • @RailfanTurner
    @RailfanTurner 5 лет назад

    Terrific catches! Their is a Virtual railfan cam located at the city before Cascade Tunnel.

  • @danielyoung3426
    @danielyoung3426 4 года назад

    In one scene in the video you identified the train with only tanks cars as being an ethanol train. Usually those trains are empty Bakken crude oil trains going back to the oil fields from refineries in Washington State. The full ones go from Spokane southwest to Pasco on the old Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railroad tracks then follow the Columbia River to Vancouver where they head north to the refineries. This routing is also done for coal trains going to the power plant in Centralia, Washington, or for trains going to the coal loading facility at Roberts Bank, British Columbia.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад +1

      I'm not very familiar with the trains in the area so you're probably right.

  • @anrails3220
    @anrails3220 6 лет назад

    Why would somebody dislike these awesome perfect videos it makes me sad that people dislike his videos but this comment is by your truly fan me :) i just love your videos

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      I appreciate your comment and I’m happy you like the videos! My theory is that those people simply accidentally hit the wrong button 😂

    • @anrails3220
      @anrails3220 6 лет назад

      Ooooh

    • @anrails3220
      @anrails3220 6 лет назад

      Lol

  • @Bruh-ji3jk
    @Bruh-ji3jk 6 лет назад

    i like the checkers pattern on the humongous tunnel gate

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      It really looks cool.

  • @hankpenninga
    @hankpenninga 5 лет назад

    In BritishColumbia,Canada,MountMcDonald Tunnel in the RogersPass is 14 kilometres long, which converts to 10 miles long, that seems to be2.2 miles longer.Maybe some of you should come and have alook at it .

  • @jamesfar446
    @jamesfar446 6 лет назад

    As always.....great video shots......probably the closest I’ll ever get

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Many thanks! I try my best to keep the videos as authentic as possible and bring the world of railroads into the living rooms of those who can't go to these places by themselves. I'm glad you enjoy watching the videos on this channel :)

  • @JoseLopez-cf3bt
    @JoseLopez-cf3bt 6 лет назад

    Love video sr

  • @denault3985
    @denault3985 6 лет назад +2

    Excellent video, what happened to the east-side of Cascade Tunnel...in the 1990's there were fences, warning-lights and alarms (kind of like a James Bond movie) when a train was coming.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thanks! There's nothing like that. Would have been cool to see this spectacle, though :)

  • @menguardingtheirownwallets6791
    @menguardingtheirownwallets6791 4 года назад

    Here is how you decrease the bottleneck at the tunnel = blow air into the tunnel from the middle of the tunnel (central ventilation shaft). That way there is no need for those ventilation doors to close as air will be blown out of BOTH tunnel openings at the same time. And this means that the blower can be in operation even when there is a train in the tunnel, so the tunnel will be filled with clean air as the train is passing through it, no need to close the doors and wait.

    • @KatoOnTheTrack1
      @KatoOnTheTrack1 2 года назад

      I’d imagine the desire is to have laminar flow during the process. A train in the tunnel I’m sure wouldn’t allow that. Having a fan in a central spot seems like you would need fans for both directions oppose your maybe having one fan rated for the tunnel

  • @tom-and-mom
    @tom-and-mom 5 лет назад

    @mbmars01 The west portal of the Cascade Tunnel is on the Cascade Highway.

  • @novastardom2689
    @novastardom2689 6 лет назад

    hope you got to see the great northern and cascade railway in skykomish

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Unfortunately not - no time. After Amtrak 7 left Skykomish, I chased the intermodal east to get him at the eastern tunnel end. This way of railfanning is really hard work as the railroads rarely adjust their schedule to fit yours lol. Also, in contrast to some others, BNSF is rather efficient in what they are doing.

  • @epiccsx
    @epiccsx 4 года назад

    19:49 I didn't know the train made that much smoke! you are right about the emission reduction! we need more Tier 4's. imagine how much white smoke would be coming out from the vent if a train with a blown turbo went through there

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад

      Right, but keep also in mind that even these trains are much more fuel efficient than trucks!

    • @epiccsx
      @epiccsx 4 года назад

      yes, that is correct, they can produce much more horsepower and haul much more, you probably know and have seen there are trains loaded with semi truck trailers and all kinds of heavy stuff

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад

      Yep!!

    • @dknowles60
      @dknowles60 2 года назад

      Tier 4 is junk. not much cleaner then tier 3

  • @rollieburrows1666
    @rollieburrows1666 4 года назад

    THIS GOT SMOKE AND WIND

  • @ramo7963
    @ramo7963 5 лет назад

    donc je suis obliger d allez au U S pour voir de superbe train avec des convoi démesuré !

  • @RyansColoradoRailProductions
    @RyansColoradoRailProductions 2 года назад

    11:11 4580 is in H3 paint a wreck rebuild after it derailed into a river in Wyoming in 2010.

  • @denisetindall1487
    @denisetindall1487 2 года назад +1

    I like train videos videos on RUclips 👍

  • @ivanoffw
    @ivanoffw 6 лет назад

    24:42 - 27:29 shows that you don't need to be track side in order to get a great video. As usual great videos.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      If your camera has good zoom... :) I like those distant shots, but they are much more difficult than the trackside shots. Thanks, great you like them.

  • @BruceGordon925
    @BruceGordon925 2 года назад

    I have round tripped the tunnel (As a Hobo) interesting.

  • @johnwilliamson5191
    @johnwilliamson5191 6 лет назад

    great footage if you could get an official tour tunnel vent system and video that would be wild.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      I wish I could do that! If a BNSF official reads this, I’d be on standby for such a tour! 😊

  • @buckyc.9069
    @buckyc.9069 11 месяцев назад

    Well, there weren't many visionaries in the rail biz around 1980 when MILW went down the tubes, and took Snoqualmie tunnel with it. Then BN shut down Stampede pass. Are we seeing a pattern of lost opportunity here?

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  11 месяцев назад

      Of course. Once you start ripping off track, it's game over. Rebuilding such lines nowadays is way too expensive.

  • @welasasihklaten684
    @welasasihklaten684 3 года назад

    Is that the sound of the train doorstop siren ...? equal means in Indonesia there is a sound of the doorstop like that too This locomotive is really cool 4 2 at the front 2 on the back original cool .. wow .... thank you vidoenya my child loves it

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  3 года назад

      It's called a bell here. All locomotives have a horn and a bell. Great you and your kid enjoy the videos!

  • @shadedmuse
    @shadedmuse 4 года назад

    David went through the tunnel on Amtrak.

  • @Chuck59ish
    @Chuck59ish 6 лет назад +2

    Great video, too bad you couldn't have gotten one of the BNSF trains hauling the Boeing 737 bodies from the Spokane plant going to the Boeing main assembly plant, they are impressive coming ot of the tunnels.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +3

      Thanks! I was happy I got trains there at all. It's maintenance season. These 737 parts are on westbound trains, i.e., they leave the tunnel on the west side which is by far not as impressive as the east side. Anyway, I saw a train with a section of 737 fuselages on flat cars in Helena, MT. Will appear in one of the future videos of this trip :)

    • @Greatdome99
      @Greatdome99 2 года назад +1

      Wichita, not Spokane!

    • @Chuck59ish
      @Chuck59ish 2 года назад

      @@Greatdome99 Yeah Boeing trying to move everything East, but the Washington State is putting up a fight, they don't want to lose their major employer.

  • @willkoster
    @willkoster 5 лет назад

    If anyone noticed, the tops of those intermodal cars BARELY scrapped through ! maybe 2' of clearance in the corners ??? you can see it best right when the engines come out of the tunnel
    dang

    • @kylewil12plays
      @kylewil12plays 5 лет назад

      That seems to be normal for these tunnels the st Clair tunnel is the same only like 2’ of clearance I believe

  • @AlexEAE
    @AlexEAE 4 года назад

    Awesome footage THUMBS UP! I was able to visit this scenic area in may 2019 and agree - it is scenic! Btw what camera did you use for this video?

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  4 года назад

      Cool, thanks! I used my Panasonic WXF1 camcorder for this footage.

  • @railyardfilms6491
    @railyardfilms6491 6 лет назад +2

    From cascade route super

  • @AndreiTupolev
    @AndreiTupolev 6 лет назад

    Seems some rather tight clearances. I hope there's a signal inside the tunnel interlocked with the door ..
    I wonder if it would have been more cost-effective to continue with electrification, even if it would have meant a small dedicated fleet and changing power ?

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      You raise a very good point and I though about it myself when I was there. However, keep in mind that the entire electric system was abandoned and removed in the 1950s when diesel was very cheap. Another advantage is that diesel is a "mobile" power resource, whereas electric trains required a complex network from the plant to the locomotive. However, I recently read that BNSF seriously thinks about battery-powered trains and on this line or at least in the tunnel such an operation might make perfect sense.

  • @marquestainter4131
    @marquestainter4131 6 лет назад

    I would love to see that in person someday. What I want to know, if that is the "new" tunnel, where is the old one, or did they just modify the old one. Awesome video, keep up the good work :-)

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +3

      Well, initially, there was no tunnel at all and the line went over the summit of Stevens Pass by using several switchbacks, which was a very time-consuming, slow process, in particular in winter with heavy snowfalls. Then the old tunnel was built and went into operation in 1900 at a lower elevation and was about 2.6 mile long. However, snow slides caused frequent issues and an actual disaster with many people dead. The decision was made to build a new tunnel at a much lower elevation, but this meant it had to be much longer. It was operational in 1929. Fragments of the old tunnel still exist and can be visited (by hiking a trail), but I didn't have time to explore it. Many thanks, appreciated!

    • @marquestainter4131
      @marquestainter4131 6 лет назад

      Thanks, on my next vacation, i may head up that way to check it out.

  • @walterfink9782
    @walterfink9782 5 лет назад

    Great video, as all yours are! If I'm not mistaken, there is another large exhaust located above the tunnel. And maybe you can answer this question.
    On any train, that goes through a long tunnel, how do the crew in the cab keep the exhaust out of the cab? Are the sliding windows, in the cab, really sealed well enough, to keep out the exhaust? I've been on long passenger trains, but not through tunnels. I think the passenger cars are sealed, well enough, to keep most fumes out? Or, do the exhaust fans keep running at a lower speed, when a train goes through? Some shorter tunnels don't have the exhaust system. I guess my question, has man guess different answers, depending on the tunnel. I guess my question can also apply to cars going through longer tunnels as well. Exhaust systems probably in place on the longer tunnels. I may have let out the beast with these questions!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад +1

      Well, as long the train moves there is no problem. If I remember correctly, the crews do have some sort of gas mask in the cab for the case the train stops because of an emergency.

    • @Greatdome99
      @Greatdome99 2 года назад

      There is only an electric fan at the higher east portal to push air toward trains heading upgrade. Fans are not operated for westbound trains heading downgrade.
      Before Amtrak, GN's dome lounge had its A/C shut off while in the tunnel (~15 minutes or so). I rode the train once and as we emerged, the entire car was full of smoke!
      Yes, train crews carry oxygen just in case. There's a call box every few hundred feet inside the tunnel since radio reception is crappy in there.

  • @CentralIndianaRailfan
    @CentralIndianaRailfan 6 лет назад

    Very Nice!! Whats your intro music!? I love it!!

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Cool, it's called "Runner" by Silent Partner. I have created a music video of it in full length. Check it out, if you want. Its label on my channel is [5s].

  • @revengeoftheseph
    @revengeoftheseph Год назад

    23:11 What was that bizarre sound coming from on 6379? (I know I've heard it before)

  • @dumdum7786
    @dumdum7786 5 лет назад +2

    I hate how they covered up the old text on the west portal that said "cascade tunnel" with that other sign, I hope they remove it.

  • @nevingroenig3834
    @nevingroenig3834 6 лет назад

    Nice this is why they need to send these empty unit trains over Stampede Pass, Stampede can't take double stacks only unit trains and plate E or below car manifest train. The nice thing with Stampede it's only a 2 mile tunnel and it doesn't have the bottleneck issue like Stevens.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Right, I know that they share and distribute traffic like this. It's a pretty comfortable situation for BNSF to have these options in this difficult terrain. Unfortunately, due to lack of time, I couldn't explore the Stampede Sub this time.

    • @nevingroenig3834
      @nevingroenig3834 5 лет назад

      That's to bad as there are places with jointed rail at Easton and Cle Elum. It will be replaced next year.

  • @bradley.reim22
    @bradley.reim22 6 лет назад +1

    22:54 bnsf 6379 with the look

  • @washingtonstaterailproduct5382
    @washingtonstaterailproduct5382 6 лет назад +2

    Awesome video! Did you see the Skykomish camera?

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +2

      Many thanks! I sure did see it. It's mounted under the roof of the hotel one can see in the distance.

    • @tom-and-mom
      @tom-and-mom 5 лет назад

      That Skykomish camera is on Virtual Railfan.

  • @kirkzevola5004
    @kirkzevola5004 2 года назад

    Why do they leave one tunnel fan on for the eastbound trains heading inside the tunnel as well exiting unlike westbounds?

  • @blxck_ivy9663
    @blxck_ivy9663 6 лет назад

    Hi Mbmars, Long Time No See

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Welcome back! 😂

  • @tator05
    @tator05 6 лет назад +1

    next time you come out this way let me know and we can get you train symbols and show you some of the more remote areas to shoot from.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      I have studied the Scenic Sub intensively and know there are other great spots. My prime goal was to get trains at the tunnel, which wasn’t easy because the line isn’t overly busy and I had only a few hours. I contemplate returning one day and staying longer. It’s an awesome area.

    • @tator05
      @tator05 6 лет назад

      Same goes for the Funnel and kootenai River over in ID and MT on locations to shoot in you return. Shooting Kootenai canyon is awesome and very hard to do. Next time at Scenic on the west side of the tunnel include a shot of the twin lunar flashing lights that signal to the trains when the tunnel flush is complete. Eastbound's will sit there in the siding or on the main with a clear block to leave until the tunnel flush light comes on. Its unique to this area and should have been included here for reference to people not familiar with the area.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Thanks for the additional information!

  • @trainnut1958
    @trainnut1958 6 лет назад

    Do you know if the RR had to do any special track work at the Cascade tunnel so the double stacks get thru? I noticed that some of the seemed to have VERY close clearances coming out of the tunnel!
    Trainnut1958
    🇺🇸🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🇺🇸

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      I don't think they did special track work, but they had to modify the portals. This is clearly visible in the shots at the west portal.

    • @ScenicDepot
      @ScenicDepot 6 лет назад +1

      To accommodate the intermodals, they had to notch the roof on both sides of the Cascade Tunnel. With the highest cars, there is sometimes just a few inches of clearance.

  • @garysheehan5907
    @garysheehan5907 Год назад

    I wonder how those reefer cars run towards the back of the consist???

  • @amarillotexrails18
    @amarillotexrails18 4 года назад

    BNSF Scenic Subdivision

  • @fhqwgads2
    @fhqwgads2 5 лет назад

    @5:38 - An H3 C-44 followed by an H2 GEVO? Weird.

  • @Jacobkorowin4014
    @Jacobkorowin4014 6 лет назад +2

    Nice video. Have you ever been in the tunnel before.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад +1

      Thanks. No, the only way to get in the tunnel is on the Amtrak Empire Builder (or as a BNSF employee), but I haven't taken this train yet.

    • @Jacobkorowin4014
      @Jacobkorowin4014 5 лет назад

      mbmars01 ok thanks.

    • @billbaranko8907
      @billbaranko8907 5 лет назад

      43 years with BN and BNSF, the inside is a nasty dirty place

  • @mattalbrecht7471
    @mattalbrecht7471 5 лет назад +1

    but why close the one side door when a train enters the tunnel? does this create some vacuum effect?

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад +2

      The fans are at the east end. If they wouldn’t close the east gate, the ventilation would be very inefficient.

  • @kjames1551
    @kjames1551 6 лет назад

    After that head down to California and go to up roseville sub and elvas jct.and binney jct.

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  6 лет назад

      Sigh... Yes, NorCal and SoCal are definitely areas I wish to go railfanning one day...

  • @DanMeyer80
    @DanMeyer80 4 года назад

    i just took rode the empire builder through that tunnel, i timed it, took 15 minutes to go throught it. Curious what happens if a train goes in emergency in that tunnel?

    • @trainsoffinland651
      @trainsoffinland651 4 года назад

      Theres a sign that says no stopping in tunnel, so if a knuckle breaks or something you're fkd

  • @DeansHome1
    @DeansHome1 6 лет назад

    How do they control the end DPU’s when they go through these tunnels ? Surely radio control would not work?

    • @DeansHome1
      @DeansHome1 5 лет назад

      Does anyone know about this question or am I to assume that just magic is how they control DPU’s in an 8 mile rock tunnel? 😳. I would really appreciate an informed answer. Thanks.

  • @SD_Marc
    @SD_Marc 5 лет назад +1

    General railroading question. Is there any rhyme or reason as to which engine leads, is 2nd or 3rd, or ends up DPU?

    • @mbmars01
      @mbmars01  5 лет назад

      Most engines can be used in any configuration.

    • @SD_Marc
      @SD_Marc 5 лет назад

      @@mbmars01 Thank you.