Tehachapi Loop Aerial video - June 2015 - Slow Ride

Tehachapi Loop, California, 30mi East of Bakersfield, June 2015 - See an aerial hi-def drone video of a train about 7000ft long (yes, over a mile) that drives under itself in order to maintain a 2% grade. This track loop was constructed in 1876 and is still in operation today. This is the primary path to connect California's central valley and Bay area to LA and other areas of the Southwest. It accommodates over 40 trains a day and is a California Historical Landmark. Video captured with a Yuneec Typhoon Q500+ multirotor.

[@johnpurdum8126]

I Love Trains on FB sent me here. Music was perfect although they did give a warning about the audio overlay. Awesome!

[@CAVLULH]

Great Work Tom with mixing the old with the new......1876 Railroad Right of Way with a 7000' long train and one of the best Rock and Roll songs by Foghat that makes you want to crank up the volume and get the full experience of this trains Sow Ride and last but not least is your modern day Drone out there making VIDEO- ART......Outstanding had to watch it three times...Tom..... Tom & Goldie (15)

[@rebeccajolly8281]

So cool to see this from the air. I live in Bakersfield and have seen this from the ground view many times. Thanks for sharing!

[@JOSEALVIM100]

Fantástico! Ficou melhor ainda com este Rock espetacular desta Banda fOGHAT que fazia grandes músicas na década de 70. Esta música Slow Ride é de 1975. Beleza pura!

[@newpster]

A pleasure watching your video. Thanks for educating me on the new drone at Anaheim Hills.

[@jessegriffin8775]

Great jam for watching a slow train or two, move out.

[@intrademan]

Hi Tom, I'd like to compliment you for the absolutely brilliant aerial video you made in HD no less of the remarkable Tehachapi Loop. The video is awe inspiring which motivates me to visit The Loop in the not too distant future. Kudos to you Tom!

[@Kingman-Automotive]

Fantastic footage Mate, we will be seeing this in about 3 weeks, can't wait.

[@tkh4215]

Been to that pass and from Sacramento to Houston Texas I could have sworn the mountains peaks were higher than they look here

[@margaretstapleton7774]

My grandson drives a train on this route out of Bakersfield, and his stepdad now works on the trains as well. Great to see how the loop looks from the air after having seen it from the ground.

[@lawrenceogden8682]

brilliant video thanks for posting

[@Syclone0044]

Magnificent footage! I especially like the high altitude pan overview starting around 4:00 that gives a fantastic overall view of the loop.

[@klmueller8575]

Very cool video.

[@reynaldbonilla4784]

Fantastic footage you've done!! 10 thumbs up from me! It's a pleasure watching your video!

[@DroneGirl1]

Wow that was epic, love it at 4:51 :) Well done ! :) Greetings from Ireland ! :) I love flying my Q500 for some aerial footage & castles! :) Thanks a million for sharing! :) Thumbs up from me! :)

[@TomSpurlock]

Drone Girl I've seen your work too. The castles are great, nice smooth moves. Someday I will visit Europe to capture some castles like you. Love your hats.

[@hausbergen]

Great vid, thank's a lot.

[@VOMMSpotter]

Awesome!!

[@prex61]

Damn that was cool....from the staff at ACES DEALS!

[@BaronvonBavert]

super, good job !

[@mycroft1905]

good stuff

[@panikrystyna1]

piękno płynących wagonów jest porażające.

[@reggiekenner1527]

And that's just how fast the "Bullet Trains" will be operating over this 30 mile stretch of track.

[@Prolificposter]

The never-to-be completed California HSR is supposed to have its own right of way and would not operate over this route

[@AlfTrains]

i like video!!

[@josebrunovazquezparedes6388]

que bonitos se manjan los trenes de carga yo tambien soy maquinista aqui en mexico yo tambien soy trenista saludos a todos los que manejamos trenes

[@Wolfgangb]

Great! It´s a track like our Blackwood-railroad in germany, only without trees :-)

[@fighting17chicago]

Curious, what day did you film this? My buddy and I were up there May 29th, 2015 around 1400 hours on our motorcycles and saw a drone flying as we left. Could this video be from then?

[@trainmaster9323]

I love this video. And I love the music too

[@socalfun64]

W o w!

[@nasirmahmood7799]

lovely vid: music was nice , but you could gave followed those loco's upto driver screen. anyways great video. .

[@jackyblue67same10]

Like a giant long snake never heard of this b4 today this is wild looking lol

[@azhar8449]

sir tom. pl tell me. why the train does not derail. in the circle.. why law acts here?

[@hugoviljoen9008]

are those mt containers?

[@CGT867]

It's a pity you didn't follow the locos around that bottom loop and over the bridges. No-one ever gets that shot.

[@Zuignappie]

Did you ever tried to land on a container? :-)

[@1fb1gtcs]

A shame this place seems to be a no fly zone now. So much potential there...great video though!

[@rapid13]

Holy smokes man - what's the range on that drone?

[@TomSpurlock]

About 1/2 mile for this Yuneec Q500+. Phantom 3Pro or Phantom 4 will go 2+miles, that's what I use today.

[@rapid13]

Nice. Best railfan video on the web.

[@benwalker3539]

Nice video, but I had to hit the mute button to get rid of the music. I would rather hear the sounds of the wheels on the tracks.

[@sheutsu7381]

+Ben Walker LOL. Me quite opposite. I enjoyed the music ;)

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

All you'd hear would be the "angry bees" sounds of the drone.

[@hawkeye-vv4kb]

Yes, the music is horrible.

[@HeartlandTuber]

Thank $DEITY for the mute button on the sound control. AWFUL music. Nice video of the loop, though. Some really dramatic shots where the sun's angle produces shadows.

[@MurrayJoe]

Can’t watch this, even with my volume on the lowest setting I can still hear that lousy music, pity the little bit a saw was good.

[@srikanthsridharan8773]

Why the track goes turned around instead of straight.

[@TomSpurlock]

+Srikanth Sridharan As stated in the video description this loop was constructed to maintain a 2% grade. Trains cannot climb anything much steeper. Looping over itself allows a more constant grade at ~2%.

[@srikanthsridharan8773]

+Tom Spurlock Thank you sir..

[@wtpwnedu2]

HIGHBALL WALONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@saritabay]

Big production mistake ruins video effort. YOU may love the music - but we simply hit the OFF button.

[@TomSpurlock]

Sorry, I can't please everyone. I'm glad you have command of the volume knob.

[@jonmacdonald5345]

Would have been alot better without the buttrock music on this!

[@charlesoslavens]

Nicely done! BUT.... if yur gonna go to all that trouble, why not have a couple more drones in the air so you'd have something to cut to? THEN.... you'd have a "movie". Maybe next time?????

[@TomSpurlock]

Not much trouble. I was in the area visiting relatives. I spent about thirty minutes there in June to shoot the train, then about an hour editing, basically adding music. I recently shot this loop again with a Phantom 3Pro. You can find it in my channel listing, shot last month in November.

[@fxdb2011]

Awesome!!!