It was nice talking with you! And awesome video. We only stayed a few minutes in there

In early 1980's I hauled logs off the mountain above and to the left of the tunnel entrance for W J Cowee of Berlin,NY. We could look down onto the tracks from the log landing. LOUD was 6 or 7 B&M F's and GP's at full throttle headed west! Once the engines entered the tunnel it was almost dead silence, all you could hear was the noise of the rail cars. There was a dirt road off MA 2 just before the steep grade warning sign. Great video that brought back many memories of hauling off that mountain for 6 months.

I enjoyed watching your video. Also the beautiful change of color on the trees! And the history of the tunnel. Thankyou!

A Great Video ! Awesome ! Air gushing out ! Coolest Tunnel! Longest Train ! Scenic view ,the Brook,Rocks blast ! A Hand Made Tunnel , the. 👍🙏 All who worked and lost lives for building It ! Thanks Hudson! 👍🌹❤️🇮🇳🙏

The tunnel is nicknamed "the bloody pit". It has taken around 180 lives during its construction. When completed it was the largest and longest tunnel in the Western Hemisphere.

I worked in the Hoosac for over a month back in the 1990s, we were cleaning it and installing equipment prior to the install of fiber optic equipment. I was a mechanic responsible for the Hi-railers, compressors, generators etc. Since the tunnel had never been cleaned to my knowledge, imagine the accumulation of soot and diesel smoke from over 100 years of trains. The vertical shaft(s( are still there and open AFAIK. Some of the tunnel pressure you are seeing is going up that vertical shaft. The tunnel as originally built had TWO sets of tracks in it, but the downsizing of rail traffic and maintenance resulted in going to a single-track setup. Another possible problem was the closeness of trains passing, with people running the risk of hands or heads out of windows getting struck by passing trains. COFFINS (personnel refuges) are cut in the sides of the tunnel, to permit individuals to duck into when trains approach. Ask about the blind mice that live in there..... EDIT: The temp you experienced is pretty much year round. it's gets pretty damned damp and cold in there. SECOND EDIT: No, they do NOT grind the rails like you said...the crown allows the wheels to find their center as they roll. Early rails had flat tops, and derailments were common. Crowned rails permit high-speed traffic. Look this up on KZfaq and other places for comfirmation. They DO grind the rails when crown is diminished due to wear. Look up VIRTUAL RAILFAN here in KZfaq for videos of that.

I thought it was taking the train a long time to get through that tunnel. They were going slow they knew they were going to be stopping. Yes very cool video

Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.

What a great train video - awesome 👏 beautiful fall trees ! Coolest tunnel ! Amazing how air gushing out ahead of it!!!

That was awesome! I know the feeling of staying for hours and getting nothing but then hitting the jackpot. You got there at the perfect time.

I miss the area but I don't miss the snow. Great blueberry picking on that side of the mountain and great hunting

Thank you I love trains

Great video, 8 year old son has watched a couple times. This video started him wanting to learn further about this tunnel and the area in our homeschool so we’ll be digging deeper. Thanks for the inspiration.

Impressive video. Thanx for posting

Awesome, Beautiful fall colours and some history thrown in . Picture postcard ! Great job thank you .

Great video, but you would have been more impressed if you were here at the tunnel in the early 1970's. The B&M trains used to come out of the tunnel going at least 40 mph and the wind was strong enough to blow out my Zippo lighter.

you allways do a great jobwith your videos

very cool. my surname has been in that town for a very long time. my great and grandpas are in a cemetery there. I explored once, but never got to see this. thanks for sharing.

I've watched a lot of train videos,this one was absolutely awesome, well done

Well done. Very interesting video.

Thank you. Interesting and Informative commentary.

My Dad was born in nearby Shelburne Falls in 1910. We were railroad hobbyists and I have known about Hoosac Tunnel from a very early age. Dad told me that the construction of the tunnel was started at both ends, and they met somewhere in the middle. It seems to me that he said they were just off a fraction of an inch when they met.

I don't guess I've ever seen a crew change at East Portal. Thanks for the post.

That idling sound,OMG thats pure oil burning power ,huge diesel engine sound.

Wow! A tunnel of 5 miles! Fantastic engineering. Beautiful Autumn colours too. Thank you for sharing your part of the US with me in England. 👍

Great video 👍 Indonesian railfan here 🙋‍♂️

What a gorgeous location.

Thanks for the commentary. Great video. Lots of NS running with UP in southern Arizona

What beautiful scenery. And the history and narrative are awesome. Thank you.

Once you spend a summer in that tunnel replacing ties and rail it becomes a little less nostalgic.

Awesome video! We got lucky with 2 trains when we were there in Sept 2021 and I didn’t even know it was an active line. We were there to check out the tunnel and hike a trail to the right of the tunnel. There are really cool, quite large, twin waterfalls less than a quarter mile up the trail above the spillway. Thanks for the rail and tunnel info!

Spectacular.... beautiful colours on the hillside...

Nice job!! Very interesting about the air push 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Great video thank you for sharing.

Great, informative video. The tunnel is not well enough known. My MOW heritage dates from the 1870s.

What an awesome video, man that is crazy how that fog just pushes out of the tunnel like that!!! Really cool to think how old that tunnel is and that it was hand dug, really cool video, truly enjoyed, thanks for posting! -Ken

Hiked the full length of the tunnel several years ago. Had a train pass while we were in there. There are places to hide so the engineer doesn't see. The fan in the center shaft is still working and is needed to clean out the diesel fumes. We also went there one night at 12;00 midnight and walked halfway.

I have been driving school bus in Pennsylvania (Pa) over past 10 years. Pa law states ALL school buses must stop at all RR x-ings. And in this case, the driver would have to call-in VIA the radio & get approval to proceed from the bus garage before the driver can proceed over ANY railroad x-ing that had lights flashing, even if the train is stopped (as seen in this video). Or the driver could proceed if the crossing was guarded by a police officer or railroad employee who clearly signaled the driver to proceed. My wife & I share the same run & take turns driving each day. We cross active railroad tracks 10 times each day we drive school bus. I'm NOT familiar with the school bus laws in Mass.

Awesome video!!! Train looks awesome with the fall colours in the background

Great video ! Thanks ! The Hoosac Tunnel fascinates me !

That was an awesome video. Finding NS power, Union Pacific, a crew change all wrapped into catching a train pushing air out of the tunnel...wow! Nice commentary and history.

Love that fog effect at the portal. Thanks for posting!

If I am not mistaken those three engines up front were pulling 131 wagons. That is an incredible number.

The NS train you Videoed is probably a former Pan Am Southern,now Berkshire and Eastern train after the sale of Pan Am to CSX......As such it's destination is probably Ayer Mass. The giveaway is the empty trash containers moving back east to heir loading point at Ayer.

Really enjoyed your video about the Hoosac tunnel in the beautiful mountains of Massachusetts - no wonder the founding fathers were so inspired - the beauty of North America!

WOW... This is a Great Video. I Loved how you described everything that was happening, and the train pushing the air was really something. But we all know it has to displace it, and at the same time it is pulling in fresh air from the other end as well. This was very interesting to say the least. Thanks so much for sharing it. Stay safe and keep up the great work. God bless & Godspeed my Friend...

The spillway is not to keep water out of the tunnel. It is literally a spillway from the hydroelectric dam above the site. Take the trail up and you can still see what is left of the dam and lake.

Had never heard of the Hoosac tunnel until your video..The info that you provided and the video itself was really great..Thanks

Fantastic video, thank you I'm from East Hartford, Ct.

Very nicely shot! Beautiful scenery as well! Overall great!

Love it, especially the shift change sequence.

I have stood near tunnels that aren't even that long and there's a ghostly, cold wind coming out of them.

What makes this video special is that the lead unit is an sd60e. One of the few sd60s left on NS roster

ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS AND VIEWERS. I am honestly honored by all the positive feedback you have given me. As you see in my channel video catalog, I drive long distances and am always looking for new vantage points to bring you the most diverse experience in train spotting. Saying that I don't know everything about trains, jargon, historic references ect. I just want you to enjoy your time with my channel. I read every comment and see your home country. Please share like and subscribe. I ordered3"stickers of my logo. I'll take requests for a sticker when they are available ☺️ ODAAT!

That was cool. And fun all at the same time … that’s some tunnel I never knew of it.

There's nothing better than seeing a black pony. The memories...always a NS Thoroughbred. 💙

That tunnel wind ain't no joke. I work on commuter rail systems and spend a fair amount of time in the tunnels. The wind a lot of times can blow you over or just as easily suck you into a passing train. Definitely no room for daydreaming when you're 3 or 4 feet from a train passing at 60 to 70 mph in a tunnel, even 30 mph.

Thanks for taking the time to record the Hoosac Norfolk Southern Crew Change along with the phenomenon that precedes the portal being breached 😮 BTW - Greetings from New Zealand 🇳🇿 ❤

🇮🇪 brilliant capture of the train 🚇 amazing view beautiful waterfall 💧

1st X I have watched your Chnnel. Great Video. God Bless + + +

Lots of good info, great video!

OMG 24 yrs 2 built the tunnel! Those were the days... cool vid, thx4sharing

Cool Video! Railroad Line lease engines from other Railroads is why there's always mixed Engines on Railroads. I see UP engines all the time on CSX lines.

I too have usually been "blessed" with a total lack of traffic whenever I'm trying to catch trains at far away interesting spots. I once spent an entire day diverting off I-90 and getting to and watching Stampeded Pass Tunnel and not one train. It started to get dark so I drove my way back down the precarious USFS mountain roads to Easton only to have to wait for an eastbound rolling through the grade crossing in the dark.

This was an awesome video, I have heard others talk about this tunnel & how double stacks must remove their top container to get through it. Now I see why. Thank you for all the info on the building of it, Our ancestors were so much better at building things to last the test of time, where did that work ethic go?? I am in awe of the things they did by hand that we can not do with modern equipment! I really enjoyed this video, & will come back for more. Good job!

Just love listening to the thunder of those engines!!!!

I sure enjoyed this video. As a kid, I went to summer camp in Palmer. A track came right behind our cabins. We could literally catch the train for a short ride to Rondeau's Dairy bar. That tunnel must be pretty high to be able to run double stacks through there.

Very interesting and informative, thanks!

I walked through the Hoosac Tunnel in the mid 1970s with a group of friends from MIT, starting at the East Portal. Dinner at McDonalds in North Adams and a taxi back to the East Portal

Awesome video! Enjoyed viewing this and will be showing this phenomenon to many of my friends. Thank you for posting this.

Outstanding!!! Thank you so much

My wife and I watched this video together. It was really good. It was anticipatory to wait for the train to come. Good footage. And not too much talking either. Thanks for shooting it.

Congratulations. Reaching a pb is always an accomplishment!

It looks beautiful out there! Love the fall colors!

Norfolk Southern is half owner of this line. NS units are very common here. The UP is a run-through unit and while not common they do show up from time to time. This tunnel was originally double track and had overhead catenary for electric locomotives to haul the trains just through the tunnel. The grade is about 1% and crests in the middle at Central Shaft. Full track speed was 35/40 MPH when I ran trains there in the early 90's. Probably 10 or 25 MPH now. Clearance was increased to allow a domestic/international container stack (one 9'6", one 8'6") but not two domestic containers.

That was fantastic!! I am a recent rail fan, love to see those trains. I never got enough watching at RR crossings when I was a kid., counting the cars as they went by, then they were gone. Sincei discovered WWW of trains, I can really appreciate all that goes into “catching” a scene ike this. Thank You. I think i will subscribe.Edited: BTW, so i counted the cars as the train moved on..not counting the locomotives I counted 133, probably not entirely accurate considering the shifting view., and trying to pay attention to the scenery. The close up views of the tunnel showed the beauty of the stone work and design in the arch and stairway.,gving a glimpse into a more elegant age gone by. Once, I rode Amtrak from Seattle to N. Dakota, We had to pass through a long tunnel under the Cascade mountains, I suffered from claustrophobia during the 20 or so minutes that we traveled through complete darkness. What a relief it wasto emerge into the light of day.!! This video was very interesting and enjoyable. The fall colors and the landscape were beautiful 🌲🌲😎

Bruce H I walked about half a mile in that tunnel about late 1970s and that rail line goes over the Fitchburg Ayer Massachusetts area. The Palmer yard is fat off the tracks. It run along route 95 mass central railroad. I know all about that part because I used to haul plastics out of our railyard on route 32 in Ware Massachusetts.

Very nice video!

excellent..thanks from Ireland !

Excellent, Amazing, enjoyed

I have seen NS on this line before. I don't think the train is going to Palmer probably East Deerfield or Ayer. Great to see foreign power this far east. I have spent many days at the Zoar picnic area floating down the river or flying my drone waiting for a train. Nice catch outstanding video. Thanks

Yes, they still run the fans. I trimmed the electric lines on Central Shaft road where the fan house is. On a hot summer day the doors swung open and fog began to come out

What a cool video, and a great spot!

Great video. Thank you.

Awesome video !!

Wild wild history of the tunnel, thanks for the video.

Cool tunnel - nice video 👍

nice catch and awesome video!

This vid is impressive. Thx. Question. These cars are huge. Double decker. How did those guys in 1877 foresee that trains would get this big 150 years later?

Great video...thank you for the post!!!

I've been by this many times going to work at the Bear Swamp Hydro just upstream from here. That hydro is built inside the mountain behind the camera operator. A very interesting place to work. There's an old work shop around the halfway point inside the tunnel. It's supposedly cut into the rock so the workers would be able to stand aside when the train came through.

The Hoosac tunnel is unique in that it was started with picks and shovels and some gunpowder, continued with nitroglycerin, moving to dynamite, and finishing with TNT. The attempt at using gunpowder required so much product and did not yield expected results. Nitroglycerin became available in the early 1860s but its instability made it so difficult to transport and use that it was replaced as soon as the much more stable dynamite became available in 1867. Shortly thereafter TNT became commercially available and was even more stable - and helped finish the tunnel in 1875.

Wow so beautiful and super awesome

awsome video

Interesting............

OMG...That was the best video ever recorded.

Love it thank you

This looks like a great area to hang out in. Great Fall colors. We have the Moffat Tunnel here in Colorado. bout 6 miles long. Great train viewing there.

Great video, keep 'em coming ! Got to get up there one day!

Great video been there a few time s not sure how many trains per day go through now now days.