Spiral tunnels

[@donnawoodford4127]

Wow, this video is so cool. Watching the trains going over themselves. Those big beautiful red locomotives. The whole beauty of the area. I live in Washington, and our beauty is incredible, too. But this is phenomenal. I'm hoping within the next 3-5 years to make a trip to Banff myself, and see not just the park, but to see the Spiral Tunnels for myself, along with the Fraser River and Thompson River Canyons. I love trains, and hiking, so I hope to experience both on a trip like this. I've always liked Canada. It's beautiful and quirky. And it's both exotic and familiar. Great trains, great beauty, and quite a few other things to make Canada fascinating.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks for watching Donna, i agree the mountains and trains are spectacular. I have some locations in your area that some day I would like to film as well

[@davkarshobby2468]

I have seen 2 twists in the spiral but never 3. Fantastic feats of engineering to build this and photography to film this.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

@@davkarshobby2468 thank you, glad you enjoyed it

[@billjones251]

😲cool video!

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks Al

[@raeward8092]

Thank you Tony, I that earned my subscription 🙂

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Your welcome Rae, hope you enjoy many others

[@My70mach1]

Tony perfectly sequenced showing the EB in the lower spiral then the EB coming out of the upper spiral, very nicely done.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thank you sir however I didn’t realize it was Laggan sub not Laggen oh well minor mistake most will never know

[@terrencekilburn2289]

The planning just amazing. Very IMPRESSED.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

The tunnels and the railway design sure are an engineering marvel. Thanks for watching

[@gumbykevbo]

I got to see this back in the 70s when I was a kid. My dad was a signalman for the D&RG, so we didn’t pass by any rail attractions without a stop.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thats very interesting, thanks for sharing

[@AdventWestie]

Cool video It makes me realize how much I love my job

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks, Ya. I appreciate the work both the railways and the truckers do bringing goods to our table.

[@shane7162]

Fabulous once again good sir! Thanks for taking the time. Canada has some of the most Beautiful views i've seen 😍👍🏽🇨🇦

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Shane Maxfield thanks so much, this trip was great !

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Beautiful footage!

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks 😁

[@MrMASSEYJONES]

Nice telephoto, coming out of the upper portal, lower spiral. As for the trees, not much can be done. I photographed a lot around the Spirals, in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks, yes soon you won’t be able to see much from the viewpoint. I hiked up to the Stoney Creek Bridge last summer and that area has grown in so much also.

[@roberthaworth2158]

Tony.. thanks for going out and filming at these locations. Being down here in nz the chances of us ever visiting these unique places are very unlikely. Keep up the good work. Rob H

[@TonyVRailfanning]

My pleasure!

[@ColbyGrants]

Awesome video Tony

[@johnshobbies4224]

So much engineering. I love seeing the same train going in different directions.again the scenery is stunning.🌲🌲

[@darcidc4116]

Fantastic video, these tunnels stir our imagination. Everything perfect, the trains and the footage. From Brazil 🚂🇧🇷❤🇨🇦🚂

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Darci DC thank you, a lot of engineering went into building these and considering they had no mashies and no computers to aid in this it's all that more astonishing

[@mloik1]

This is truly an awesome vid, Tony. My favorite part is where the train is moving in three different directions in one shot. That must be a pretty fancy lens.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Michael Loik thank you, it's a decent video camera. Having the closeups of the train at the lower tunnel was better than I thought. From the viewpoint you really can't see that well any more with all the trees grown up

[@inboundbryguy]

Great series of videos Tony. Love that location

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks Brian

[@joesanchez4895]

Great video, learned lots and what a fantastic view!! Thanks for posting it!!!!!

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Your welcome, glad you enjoyed it

[@jaybo3303]

Great photography! Beautiful scenery!

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Jay Turner thanks, it is an amazing feat of engineering

[@hunsbuckel55]

Wonderful Tony, I love it!!!!!! :-)

[@petenielsen3453]

I thought it was more that likely that they had independent control over the different units. thank you.

[@KelleysQuiltsandCruises]

Since 2016 when we first started making drives to Alberta to deliver kids to college I have never had a good view here. The viewpoint is either closed and full of snow or crammed with tourists, depending if it is college drop off or pick up time. Thanks for this! 😀🚂🇨🇦

[@kirklonnquist3265]

This is amazing just watching this action. And i thought the Tehachapi tunnel loop was incredible but this wow!!

[@TonyVRailfanning]

It’s a shame it’s within the Parks as I can’t fly the drone there. That would make for an amazing shot

[@jacktaggart2489]

Great vids. Staggering engineering achievements. Keep the trees! In the great mountain National Parks of Alberta and B.C.-world treasures.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks Jack, we do have some of the most amazing scenery in the world

[@pointingdog7235]

I remember standing in the rain watching a train go through the Spiral Tunnels when I was in Alberta.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

It truly is an engineering marvel even to watch today

[@dj6927]

Love that part of the railway. Stop there every time I go out to the coast with friends or family. Too bad they took out the wooden walkway where you could walk and look right over the railway.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Yes, I agree. They should’ve rebuilt that walkway however apparently it was in bad condition and parks Canada wouldn’t allow the Railway to rebuild it

[@michaelhopper3654]

Keep up the good work on the videos. This area would be good to follow the train with the drone one day...

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Michael Hopper thank you, unfortunately flying a drone is not allowed in the parks Canada zones.

[@terrencekilburn2289]

The forward PLANNING most IMPRESSED.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

It’s an amazing location to see in person, thanks for watching and Merry Christmas

[@Albertarailfanning]

Nice!!! The first train you saw was CP 400 a great mixed freight train

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Alberta Railfanning ya, and a long one to boot!

[@petenielsen3453]

I just saw the funniest thing , CP train with a CSX leading with a BNSF running second through some waters and not a CP engine in sight.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Yes Seen similar, Train 200 heading through Red Deer with CN leading and UP in second.

[@donaldthomas7070]

Talk about "foreign" power . . .

[@bcr4601]

Parks Canada need to do some tree trimming as the trees grow the view diminishes

[@TonyVRailfanning]

I agree but that’s unlikely as they don’t usually disturb trees for that purpose. Look at Morants Curve for example

[@djteako]

Amazing that they were able to do this back in 1908/09, without the aids of lasers, gps, etc. Its also too bad Parks Canada won't allow some trees to be cut down at the viewpoint. It will only be a couple of more years, and you won't be able to see the lower tunnel at all from there. P.S. you make some amazing videos. I don't doubt Kalmbach productions will be getting ahold of you!! Keep up the awesome work!

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thank you, yes the entire railway through the mountains is an engineering marvel.

[@Heather-qr4wm]

stunning views from yoho ntnl prk

[@Heather-qr4wm]

bedazzling trains

[@HOWNDOG66]

Great video. What's that UP loco doing in there? 3.05

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Thanks, Railways often swap power as it’s easier to just keep them on than take off at the boarder particularly mid train units. The railways also keep track of what units are in other countries and “owe hours in return”

[@MrMASSEYJONES]

I remember the days, standing at the Spirals, when those grain cars were not yet “decorated” (1970s & 80s)

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Ya, the old hoppers gave a train some nice color in those days.

[@markwalker1144]

The engines in the middle and rear are called dpu's (distributed power units)

[@TonyVRailfanning]

@@markwalker1144 actually no they are not. Canadian Pacific has always called them remotes and given the Canadian Pacific was the creator of the remote unit. It seems fitting to call it that.

[@petenielsen3453]

Morning Tony. Pete here again. I have a question for you. Do the operators have controls for each DPU, or are they operated through the same controls as for the lead engine?

[@TonyVRailfanning]

They have a choice, normally the remotes follow the same commands as the lead unit is at however they can run them individually if they need to for example if the front of the train is cresting a hill and the rear is still climbing the lead unit will back off on the throttle while the rear unity will still push a little more

[@joserodriguezfernandez5041]

Una dresina y a reparar ese fallo antes que se haga mayor se parta el rail y se tenga que soldar con termita

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Yes, your correct. La soldadura por termita es algo de lo que quiero obtener un video

[@stephenheath8465]

This and Tehachapi are two of the most difficult Mountain Railroading terrain in North America

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Agreed, even Notch hill and Rogers pass should be included

[@AlanWolf-d7l]

The.3.killed as locomotives left the track on the River crossing on the way down the " Big Hill" ( spiral tunnels now ) from Ab into Field BC . Lots of poltics involved with this. As better frieght route is though Edm Ab more nothern. South rail CP was due to Americian imigrstion into Southern Ab / BC. .

[@TonyVRailfanning]

@@AlanWolf-d7l it’s always fascinating information, thanks for watching

[@dougberry1011]

Great viewing spots for the trains. are they easy to find?

[@TonyVRailfanning]

The viewing pulloff is right on the highway and the other spot is actually trespassing but I was with a CP person so thats how I got access.

[@heatherallan2695]

yoho np w mom=train full of people seeing this in 2017 we saw many trains

[@TonyVRailfanning]

It’s truly an amazing location

[@TheKoenigr]

It's interseting to watch so long trains, because here in Austria we have not long trains. But why are they going in North America with so long trains. Is it because of economic reasons? Best regard Rudolf

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Hi Rudolf, the main reason for the long trains is just financial to the railways. The less train crews they need the more in their pockets. Just 2 crew in the lead locomotive for each train.

[@TheKoenigr]

@@TonyVRailfanning Ok, thank you, that's interesting. I think in Austria and also Europe we have other circumstances. The distances between the stations are shorter and also the speed of the trains is higher and the track is mostly electrical. I have heart, that the accidents at the mountain tracks (e.g. Tehechapi loop) happens more often, becaus of the long trains. So it seems to be difficult to go with such trains over curvy and steeply tracks. We also have in Austria such tracks (e.g. Brenner, Tauern, Semmering, etc.). But the length of the trains in Europe have a maximum of 740m (2400 ft.). See e.g. this video from the Brennerbahn : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWLRaZVmiqyanNU

[@TonyVRailfanning]

@@TheKoenigr very interesting to view, yes in North America trains can be as long as 18,000 feet (5600m) but those only travel on flat track through the prairies. CN will run 15,000 (4800m) foot intermodal across the country.

[@cp9831]

To bad they don't thin out some of the trees. Nice shots!

[@TonyVRailfanning]

I agree but parks Canada won’t allow it

[@olivep9550]

Yay! First! Whats the rough elevation of these tunnels? How do they communicate wit the mid and rear dpus? I would think radio would be blocked by the tunnels.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

4,267 feet (1,301 m) climbing to the top of the Continental Divide at 5,340 feet

[@railfantrainman1000]

Nice vid, thanks for posting this. I especially liked seeing the train coming out of the upper portal of the upper tunnel, and it rounding the curve just before it does so. That's something which isn't videotaped often at all (videos of the upper tunnel are far less in number than those of the lower). Just curious...how close are you actually allowed to get to the tracks, if you don't mind me asking?

[@TonyVRailfanning]

I had special permission to access that area and was with someone who knows the area well. I also had safety gear on. There is access to both locations but it is trespassing to do so

[@railfantrainman1000]

@@TonyVRailfanning If I ever get out to visit that area I'll try to get as close to the tunnels as I can...not just view them from the lookout points. Don't imagine I could get too close to the upper tunnel w/o trespassing so I won't probably see it up close...I wonder about the lower tunnel, though.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

@@railfantrainman1000 neither tunnel is accessible by the public. All of the access roads have been closed to those areas.

[@railfantrainman1000]

I guess you can still walk to them, though, right?@@TonyVRailfanning

[@TonyVRailfanning]

@@railfantrainman1000 yes, but dont get caught as it will be trespassing

[@ColinBenbow]

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