Rocheport Katy Trail tunnel, part I: Why was this the only tunnel built along the MK&T?

[@amyjones8114]

My great grandpa was a brakeman for the Katy❤

[@ozarkoutsider]

Cool connection!

[@nicholaspence7741]

Thank you for this channel!

[@ozarkoutsider]

Glad you're enjoying it; thanks for commenting!

[@michaelarrowood4315]

Interesting video. Thank you!

[@ozarkoutsider]

Thanks for the feedback, we appreciate it.

[@heidi5047]

I didn't even know it was the only tunnel!! Thanks for the great video!

[@ozarkoutsider]

There's always something to learn in this region!

[@hodakaharold]

The reason this was the only tunnel on a 2,623 mile railroad (1970) was it wasn't really needed. Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are pretty flat. Mid-Missouri certainly is not a mountain area. To call the Katy a 900 mile railroad is misleading and incorrect. The name Katy is from the symbol on the stock exchange (KT) in the 19th century.

[@ozarkoutsider]

Please watch the video, where this is clearly addressed.

[@hodakaharold]

I did which is why I responded. To call the Katy a 900 mile railroad is misleading and incorrect. You should join the Katy Railroad Historical Society if you need basic info on this subject.

[@ozarkoutsider]

I'm deeply familiar with the Katy's history and have used the KRHS as a resource on many occasions (for example, perhaps you noticed that all the route maps we use our Katy videos are provided by KRHS?). 6 seconds into the video we show such a map, of the entire MK&T system as of 1896, with the main-line route between the Gulf Coast and St. Louis highlighted as a "900 mile" portion of the overall Katy system. I do not say the entire Katy system is 900 miles long, I say that the mainline distance between the Gulf Coast and St. Louis (clearly highlighted visually) is roughly that length. We made a conscious choice NOT to use the entire length of the system as this changed regularly with the Katy's expansion and so there's no one accurate overall figure. For example, the number you cite from 1970 is irrelevant to the mid-1890s context of the tunnel's construction, whereas the distance from St. Louis to the Gulf hasn't changed significantly since the tunnel's construction (allowing for minor route realignments and plate tectonics). The purpose of the video is to explore the geologic and geographic reasons why Rocheport DID require a tunnel, which is interesting precisely because it's obvious that the Katy's system did not traverse rugged terrain. Just to further clarify this, at 5:06, we trace the mainline route in question and clearly point out that nowhere else was the terrain tunnel-worthy. Misunderstanding a statement 6 seconds in seems to miss the broader story of this unique location.

[@godzira1158]

Well made video except for the annoying music almost as loud as the speaker. Why!!

[@ozarkoutsider]

We're sorry you found the music distracting. When we mixed this, the levels felt comfortable for us, and rewatching it now it still feels balanced to me personally. Music itself is always a tough choice because peoples's personal tastes are so varied, but we felt that music helps carry the narrative forward in this case. It's understandable that someone else might have a different experience and we appreciate knowing that you found it problematic.