Railfanning Gallitzin Tunnels with a Drone

Located in Gallitzin, PA, the Gallitzin Tunnels are two separate railroad tunnels located about 5 miles by rail to the west of Horseshoe Curve. This video features the west portal of the most famous of the two tunnels, the Allegheny Tunnel, which is 3,612 feet in length and reaches a maximum elevation of 2,167 feet, one of the highest elevations on the Norfolk Southern Railway.
Originally, the Allegheny Tunnel had room for just one track and only 19 feet of clearance for trains. In 1994 the tunnel was enlarged to a height of 21 feet, 5 inches and was widened to add room for a second track. The original "Gallitzin Tunnel" is the abandoned, single-track tunnel you see to the left of the Allegheny Tunnel. The Portage Tunnel is located about half a mile to south of the Allegheny Tunnel. The Portage Tunnel is used strictly for eastbound traffic and is 1,620 feet long. The Allegheny Tunnel services trains running in both directions. As you’re facing the tunnel’s west portal, the right track is used for trains traveling in both directions whereas the left track is used only for westbounds.
The Gallitzin Tunnels Park and Museum make this location a great place for railfans to visit! The Jackson Street overpass provides railfans with a great view of the tunnel. There are even openings in the bridge’s fence for photography. Railfans can also stay at the Tunnel Inn (seen just to the right of the tracks as you’re facing the tunnel). Additionally, since Horseshoe Curve is located only about 5 miles down the line, railfans can monitor the Virtual Railfan webcam located at Horseshoe Curve to know when a westbound is coming up the hill. I’ve found that it generally takes about 10 to 15 minutes from the time a westbound train appears on the Virtual Railfan camera at Horseshoe Curve to the time it reaches the tunnel.
The trains in this video were recorded in July and August of 2018 using a DJI Mavic Pro drone, and the audio was recorded at ground level using a GoPro HERO Session. For more great railroad drone videos be sure to subscribe, and don't forget to turn on notifications to be alerted whenever a new video is posted!

[@shanafme]

Well done, you caught some good ones!

[@virginialoverproductions]

Oh, nice! I love the way the hill seems to spit the trains out.

[@iRECKONER]

Great Vids! Thanks for sharing!

[@RailfanTurner]

Terrific catches!

[@MaureenBeck908]

amazing! great video.

[@milestonerailproductions7657]

Nice Job

[@stephengrybowski9573]

Very nice. The only time I was ever in Gallitzin, I spent 2 hours standing on that bridge and only saw a helper set.

[@MBTAMoreRailfan]

Stephen Grybowski that’s unusual and that sucks!

[@taslimchaudhary2541]

Super Video 🇮🇳

[@timothystevenhoward]

I see your audio rig on the ground ;) nice video!

[@MBTAMoreRailfan]

Being right in front of some of the trains kinda hits me as irresponsible, but I’m glad to see you got up outta their way. Edit: I love your channel, so please don’t take this badly.

[@b3j8]

Very cool video! Too bad they closed up the other tunnel. This used to be a busy place! In the steam era the Pennsy had a man stationed under that bridge to cut off the helpers.

[@lthdean]

Excellent video . The Pennsylvania cabin car (Caboose) on the upper left side of your video. Is it a museum ? , A memorial for some event at the tunnel ? A wayside stop for children ? A motel or just a local park attraction. Whatever it is. it seems in excellent shape I would would like to visit it. Can you clarify the purpose of its existence, Thanks.

[@DavidLauback]

Thanks for the comment! I was able to go inside the caboose during one of my visits to the tunnels. I'm not exactly sure what time(s) of day the caboose is unlocked, but I know that it's not always unlocked. The caboose has been restored and is filled with lots of pictures on the inside, so I guess you could say it is a small museum of sorts! The pictures mainly document the history of the tunnels and surrounding area. I'm sure part of the purpose of restoring the caboose was also to show people what it was like to live on a caboose as a conductor. There is also a small, volunteer-run museum located in the building seen across the street from the caboose. Here's a link to the Gallitzin Tunnels Park and Museum website: www.gallitzin.info/ The website also has some information about the caboose. If anyone else knows of any additional information about the caboose, such as when it's open, feel free to comment!

[@kristenliddic8208]

Yes I know I was at this town before

[@kristenliddic8208]

And I'm going here again

[@ChamplainDivision]

Title should be changed from Tunnels" to "Tunnel". So many people are unaware that the Portage Tunnel is right at a third of a mile to the South/Right on Main St. Easily within drone range.

[@DavidLauback]

Thanks for the comment! You’re right, naming this video was definitely tricky. Since the entire group of tunnels in Gallitzin, PA, is referred to as the "Gallitzin Tunnels," I wanted the name of the video to refer to the entire collection of tunnels, even though I never recorded any trains at the New Portage Tunnel a few blocks to the south. I actually tried to catch a train going into the New Portage Tunnel on the afternoon I was there, but unfortunately I never caught one while I had my drone ready to go. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the "Gallitzin Tunnel" (no ‘s’) is the single-track tunnel on left (north) that was removed from service in 1995. Technically the only tunnel featured in this video is the Allegheny Tunnel, which is the double-track tunnel. I would love to record trains at the New Portage Tunnel the next time I go to Gallitzin!

[@filthyphil1000]

Great footage. Where were you with the controls?

[@robertnicholson7192]

Why are there two tracks at the West end of the West tunnel, but only only one at the East end?

[@boydwalker161]

What is the history of closed bore on the left?

[@DavidLauback]

The closed bore you see on the left was used from 1904 to 1995. Beginning in 1994, Conrail began modifications on the tunnel on the right to make it wide enough for two tracks. They also lowered the tracks to permit the taller double-stack intermodal trains to pass through the tunnel. Here's some information about the history of the tunnels from the Gallitzin Tunnels and Park Museum website: www.gallitzin.info/tunnels.php.

[@RCAvhstape]

Weird how it looks like a model railroad in some of these shots. Guess you didn't get harassed by the cops?

[@agentM1991]

How often do trains with John Deere tractor go through the tunnel?

[@DavidLauback]

Good question! I don't know the exact answer, but I would say it's fairly rare to see trains on that route hauling John Deere equipment. They probably just run them once in a while on an "as needed" basis. I always enjoy seeing trains carrying special cargo like that!

[@michaelbell9397]

Most of it was shot way too high up. Can’t see any details of the trains.