Went to Chatsworth Park 64 to 77. Friends and my sister and I used to go hang out in #27 and get high. Going east to west, the good spot was on the right, in the middle of the tunnel. One time 3 of us were in #26 going west, went about 1/2 way and turned around and a train was coming into the tunnel, turned west and ran, feeling for one of the alcoves. We barely made it that day. Went into military for 6 years came back and Santa Susanna Park was the new hangout.
I grew up living in Newhall California, and when I was between 12 and maybe 15 years old, I would ride my bike to the train tracks from my house which was maybe a 30 minute ride, and I'd take a back pack with some food and water, and hike to the tunnel entrance and just find a place to sit and wait for trains! Numerous Southern Pacific freight trains would pass through the tunnel daily and I spent probably 100's of hours over a couple of years, enjoying some time to myself and watch the trains come and go through the tunnel. Fantastic memories ❤️ Thank you for your video and for bringing back so many find memories of my adolescent adventures! 😊
Trains, the track, the stations, 100+ ton locomotives with their cars following along, charging into the blackness of tunnels built over a century ago through mountains made of stone. It’s captivating. Im glad you enjoyed the video.
I was a paramedic in Simi Valley/Thousand Oaks from 1984-1995. I ran several dozen 9-1-1 calls involving trains and specifically the Chatsworth tunnels. If ever a place were haunted it would be the tunnels. One night, about midnight, we got a call for a possible body on the tracks halfway through the tunnel #26. Train service was stopped. Fire and ambulance staged on west end of tunnel and a firefighter and I walked into that tunnel with flashlights. You could feel the cool wind blowing through the tunnel. We walked to the cutout area, our eyes straining to see anything and hoping no train was accidentally let through. My partner shined his light to the left into the alcove and there lay a man who tragically had passed. He had a pistol in his right hand. It is a vivid memory of the tunnel I will never forget. I ran several calls of people found dead in that tunnel. RIP. BTW my Cousin just retired as an engineer from SP. He has stories too from the engineer birds eye view of people walking on tracks. Not pretty.
Thanks for sharing your experience. There was a murder in tunnel #27 in 1990. I did not include this in the video because it was not relevant to the theme of my video, which was the engineering feats that allowed easier and more efficient travel into the San Fernando Valley in the mid 19th to early 20th century. It is a grim and tragic story and I have a link in the description for anyone interested.
Never knew that one tunnel was over 7000 feet long! It’s interesting that Beale’s cut has gotten filled in with erosion so that it’s no longer 90 feet deep anymore. Nice video!
The oil refinery was the site of the pioneer oil refinery in California. Went on a geology field trip to Beale's cut in 1971 and you could still see how deep the cut used to be. Thanks for the trip to these historic tunnels.
Actually the Pioneer Oil Refinery was located further north along Pine Street near old downtown Newhall. The foundations seen near the summit of Beale's Cut are the remains of the old Newhall Refinery which operated continuously until 1990. I grew up in Newhall and remember traveling over Sierra Hwy and Newhall Pass many times, the smell of oil and sulfur (rotten eggs, yuck!) permeating the air.
@@robertbarringer6464 Thanks for clarifying that for me. I used to see a sign indicating it was in the Newhall refinery area. So much lost history and under reported history that sadly is being lost to the present generation. I got to ride through the Newhall tunnel several times on my Metro Line rides to Lancaster, I highly recommend taking that train trip. Thanks for your posting so many interesting videos. Les Harvey
Born / raised in Sylmar 1952 , moved up north after 71 quake , I miss everything about that area except the people ! it's been completely destroyed in my opinion , I would like to walk the old tracks again too , they haven't changed much except transporting more people , not freight any more . San Gabriels look great , our little house was in front of the VA Hospital and the view of the valley was magical . Thank you Brad for awakening my memories again , love your little friend there with ya .
Fantastic video!! Have loved trains my whole life and particularly enjoy learning about the railroad history native to the Newhall area where I grew up in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I was the kid who loved to park alongside the rails with his scanner radio tuned to the train frequencies hoping to hear a bit of official train chatter. In those days you could walk into the Newhall Tunnel's north portal and listen for trains coming through the other end. You could hear the train long before you could see it's bright headlights as there was a slight incline from south to north, peaking somewhere near the middle of the tunnel. Fun times for a kid living through quieter, simpler times.
I was born in 1940, lived in this area, played on Stony Point, watched trains a lot, also going through the gap to Newhall and beyond Saugus. Great history and dates you have brought forward. And the history of the routes. Assumed that way back trains from north either had to go east from Ventura area or go down the Valley by Bakersfield and up and over Tehachapi Pass, Mojave, Newhall and down into LA.
Careful around tunnels on active rail lines. Cute dog. I had one like that when I was a kid, and we walked along the tracks just like that. I got to go to Corriganville when I was a kid. It was cool! Al those western sets, horses, cast members, the whole bit. I didn't appreciate it then (because I didn't know who he was), Ray 'crash' Corrigan himself was there! I met him!
It was great that you had the opportunity to visit Corroganville when it was in its heyday. Here is a good link to Ray “Crash” Corrigan: obscurehollywood.net/ray-crash-corrigan.html
Fantastic overview of some very interesting local history as always! It would be interesting to see a video on Orcutt Ranch and some of its history. It has some ancient oak trees that date back over 600 years!
The extra rails you showed us, sitting a few feet to the right of the tracks believe they were put there to help hold back falling rock and boulders. Not very high I know but then again you might be correct in saying replacement rails. Enjoyed your video, very well done and educational. Thank you and your awsome little sidekick .
I really enjoyed this because I grew up in Northridge back in the 60’s and on a visit to Chatsworth park I was told that the tunnels were forbidden to me because the Manson family members were living in and around them. So, this is the first time I’ve gotten an up close look at the tunnels. Appreciate it!
Brad enjoyed this! The Santa Susanna train depo/museum in Simi as you pointed out is very close to Corrigan Ville Park and the area has a lot of fun adventures and history/ Thanks for the posting..
I spent much of my childhood hiking around those three tunnels. When I was really little, in the early 2000s, my dad and I would pack a picnic breakfast and go up and sit on that large boulder that is at the west end of #27. The track was still jointed then and we would listen to the clicking as the rails expanded in the morning sun. A few years later maybe around 2003-5 they replaced the jointed rails with continuous rail. The clicking stopped, and it removed a big piece of the ambiance of the place.
Thanks for sharing your memories of the trains and tunnels in Chatsworth. It wasn’t until my visit to the Santa Suzanna Railroad Depot and Museum that I first heard that train travel was more clickety clack before the advent of the continuous-weld tracks of today.
Fun fact: at 21:40, Corriganville, that open, flat area by the parking lot was the stand-in set location for Spahn Ranch in Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” (The actual Spahn property was on the other side of the mountains, 3-4 miles away, near the RR tracks and tunnels 27 and 28 on Santa Susana Pass Road.)
Thanks all the same for the video. I’ve spent a lot of time in both the Simi/Chatsworth and Newhall areas. I’m often on the train between Ventura County and LA. The trip portion through the Santa Susana Mountains and tunnels is my favorite part. 😊
Great video.. I was an engineer for the SP and ran over both lines for over 50 years. Great historical photos. The rail is continuous welded rail..the ribbon rail comes in quarter mile sections. The extra rail stashed for replacement. The cameras are live hooked up to the Sheriff's Dept. There are No Trespassing signs posted on the right of way. The ledge in tunnel 27 was in the middle of the curve.
Thank for the compliment, and filling in the story. The alcove I was referring to was very near the eastern entrance, on the south side of the track. If there was a larger alcove in the middle of the curve I was not aware of its existence. I never walked through tunnel 27.
@bradbell3744 Brad we used to call T 27 the Disneyland tunnel. On the weekends it was full of party people. Over the years these people would light fires lots of alcohol drugs and even nudity.
Me and some friends after school during 2010s would go up here and walk in the tracks it really gives off a uneasy feeling and cold spots but when we went up there it wasn’t gated up maybe around 2020 they added the gates my uncle and his friends would go up to the tracks in the early 90s they happened to come across another group of people throwing rocks at the trains passing by and police were called and drawn there guns at my uncle & his friends they thought they were the ones doing it after all the area always has a nostalgic piece for me.
Another good presentation Brad... Yes, WHITE HEAT with James Cagney showed off tunnel 27 the best, in the jump and the movie titles... And speaking of movies, the train tracks of the Santa Susana Pass run through a whole bunch of old movie ranches, the infamous Spahn Ranch, the Bell Ranch, Corriganville and the most iconic Iversons Ranch. Warner Brothers like several other studios had their own vintage railroad stock and would truck them out to the area as with CARSON CITY starring Randolph Scott. You see the loco puffing through the Pass from the vantage of the panaramic view of the lower Iverson Ranch, and you follow the train robbers riding to jump the train. TV's HIGHWAY PATROL with Broderick Crawford shot numerous episodes in the area as did countless TV westerns. Roy Rogers Double-R-Bar ranch was close by on the flatlands of Chatsworth. Frank Sinatra as a sniper tried to kill the President in SUDDENLY as his train pulls into the Chatsworth Station. They used that same locale for the train arriving in INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Having worked in HOLLYWOOD for some 40-years, and being a studio historian as well, you pick up a lot of knowledge and trivia, documenting on video the Iversons Ranch history and the REAL dark saga of the Spahn Ranch and "Manson" connection! Santa Susana Pass certainly has a fascinating REAL and REEL history thats for sure!
Side note at tunnel 26 on the Coast line there was a siding equipped with a spring switch by the name of Hasson. There is an Abbott and Costello film that was filmed at that location. Costello somehow got his foot stuck in the switch with a train coming westbound out of the tunnel. On the Newhall line the abandoned footings , I believe were remnants of the Newhall Oil Company . There is oil in the hills. Also just west of your location was a spur off of the mainline that was known as the dynamite spur. That's where the dynamite was stored for the blasting of the tunnel construction.
Such a dedicated individual, it inspires one to go view this area, thank you so much for the tour and your historical account of this so important area
In 1860, the population of Los Angeles was just over 4,000. San Francisco was approaching 60,000. Connecting them became more important as Los Angeles and Southern California became more populated and important and inversely they became so with the better transportation.
At the 25:00 minute mark with what appeared to be houses or businesses is what remains of the Newhall Oil Refinery which I believe was taken down in the early 90's
Thanks for this information. I was very curious about these foundations. I thought that perhaps some of the foundations belonged to business that might have been at the northern end of Beale's Cut because a lot of travelers used this route through the Newhall Pass. I thought one of the foundations might have belonged to the Beale's Cut toll house.
I think you might be referring to this: On Sunday January 17, 1988, at about 1 a.m., a single-engine Cessna 182L plane flying through a driving rainstorm crashed into the mountain next to the Newhall refinery narrowly missing storage tanks. All four people aboard were killed. The victims were all longtime members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The pilot was identified as Lt. Harry Parson, 50, a 27-year veteran of the department. He was traveling with his wife, Deputy Therese Pinocchio, 38, a 13-year veteran of the department. The couple lived in Long Beach. Also killed were Capt. George E. Reed, 43, commander of the Men's Central Jail, and his wife, Deputy Rosemarie Reed, 47, of Glendale. There was no mention of a fire--perhaps there was another plane crash. Here is more on the Newhall Refinery: www.elsmerecanyon.com/refinery/refinery.htm
Interesting to find out the history of the train paths from the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley. Brad Bell has an interesting way of showing the current paths and historical paths of the tracks.
As kids in the 1960's we hiked up the hill to number 27 from the park and would follow the tracks to the other side, sometimes the train came in on us and we would hang on to the wall till it passes, had such a fun time.
Yes, apparently they were on the north side of the tracks. I looked for exact information on the distance between each niche but couldn't find much. Some of the niches are about the size of a double slide-door closet in an apartment. Other niches are apparently bigger. There are about 25 such niches in tunnel #26
@@bradbell3744 I don’t remember what side they were on, exact dimensions, & at what spacing, but I do remember having to decide whether to run away from an approaching train or towards it. This was nearly 50 years ago so I’m sure well past the statue of limitations 😅
@@bradbell3744 The niches are about 50 yards apart as i recall and are on the north side. There is a large alcove near the center of the tunnel, about 10 x 12 feet in size. Some friends and I would go in with some lawn chairs and a pizza to watch the trains go by. Early 1980s.
Love the video. However, PLEASE stay off the tracks when you’re hiking!!! As a retired Conductor with 8 fatalities in my 20 years, I can tell you that there isn’t a more helpless feeling than coming around a blind curve, or out of a tunnel, and seeing someone on the track. Once you set the emergency brakes, there’s nothing else the engineer can do to not hit you. They can’t swerve and the train isn’t going to stop in time if you don’t get out of the way. Also, you’re far less likely to get turned in to law enforcement if you’re well away from the tracks. Railroads don’t take kindly to trespassing anymore. So please hike away from the track and stay alert. “Expect a train on any track, in any direction, at any time.”
While the rails were originally traditional length capable of being carried by a crew. The Railroads many decades ago performed continuous welding of the rails. This is the new standard
My friends and I (as teenagers) used to wait in the middle Chatsworth tunnel for the train. Exciting!! The rails are welded nowadays so there is no separation.
I have been to these tunnels more than a few times. You can access tunnels 26 and 27 via Chatsworth Park North (tunnel 28 goes under Topanga Canyon Blvd). The dates stamped into the tunnel openings are 1904 (original date) and 1922 (a rebuild/reinforcement) WARNING!!!! This is an active rail line (for Amtrak, Metrolink and UP) so be EXTREMELY CAREFUL if exploring these tunnels!!!
I was born in Van Nuys in 1953. The Valley was actually pretty cool when I was a kid. The Burbank div ran close to my house and ran down Chandeler st. Freight trains would deliver to lumber Co near my house. Now the Valley is a pit! Millions of people. Crime. Glad I saw it before the deluge.
everything passes, everything changes. i was a kid too in no. hollywood in "52 at the apts. at tujunga and vanowen. the train tracks were really a draw. we moved to northridge in "58 and discovered the tracks didn:t go straight forever, tunnels and hills. WOW!! great video thanks!
The standard length of rails are 1/4 mile long and are welded together. Any rail or hardware lying alongside a track are either old or are spare pieces. The labor to remove old pieces usually are not worth it unless there’s a need for it. BTW, all railroad property is private and is against the law to trespass on it. Normal width is 25 feet either side of the track unless fenced off.
Great video. Something that should be shown in local high school and college geopgraphy classes. The foundations and tanks you came across walking to Beals Cut were of an old oil refinery that shut down in the late 80's/early 90's. I remember ski trips back from Mammoth on the 14 at night, and that facility was lit up like something out of Star Wars!
I rode through these tunnels on the Starlight in the late 80's. Someone had put a folding chair in Tunnel 28 and we ran over it, severing an air hose on one of the cars. We had to stop to make repairs. BTW: The fences are there to keep people OUT. Since this video is now out in public domain, it should be noted that walking the rail IS trespassing RR property and you can/will be prosecuted.
I handled a fatal in tunnel 27, several near misses, and made countless arrests. I must say, it’s not very smart walking on the tracks like that. You could have been a statist. I know, it’s not gonna happen to me is the next statement.
My uncle, cousin and I were walking through the tunnel when my uncle thought he saw the light at the end. It was a light, but not sunlight. We barely made it out of there alive.
@@barrygreenstein2816 During the 80s there were still tracks along 126 east of Piru. They weren’t in use, but we collected a few RR spikes there. Made great tent stakes. The tracks are long gone but the old rail-bed, terraced into the hillside, is still discernible in some spots paralleling the north side of Hwy 126.
If you go to Beal's Cut I believe the best way to find it is off of Sierra Highway. Clampitt Rd and Remsen St which runs near it to are not accessible, if I'm not mistaken. If you approach it from Sierra Highway you'll hear a warning that a photo of you has been taken and it will be used to prosecute you (enter 30 feet south of the obvious entry location and you won't get the audible warning). Trespassing is just a misdemeanor so it's up to you. My goal of getting footage compelled me to go film anyway.
An interesting fact about train tunnels is that it is single track through tunnels-because it would be too expensive (and not necessary) to have two separate tracks going through tunnels. There may be a few exceptions. If two tracks run parallel there is the main line and often the siding line. The siding line allows one train to cross over to another track. So if a train comes out of a tunnel it could go onto the siding track. Once it is completely off the main track a train coming in the opposite direction (and was stopped and waiting for the main line to be available to go the tunnel) could then proceed through the tunnel in the opposite direction.
Just a safety tip. You should NEVER walk down railroad tracks like that. Not only is it illegal trespassing (as it is also illegal to walk alongside tracks or be on railroad property in general), but it is very dangerous. Operation Lifesaver points out the dangers but the most important are that trains can move any direction at any time, and you cannot always hear them. According to Operation Lifesaver, there were 715 trespass-related fatalities in 2023, 190 in California alone. And, of course, many more injuries. If you do choose to trespass, at least stay off all tracks.
Very cool video. Just a note, Beale did not build the cut. The original cut was built by Phineas Banning in 1854. Beale gained rights to the cut in the following years, deepening it to cut down on the challenging grade. He collected tolls from those who traversed it
The wreck occurred east of Tunnel 28. I did not mention this in the video because this tragedy has nothing to do with the engineering feats that allowed easier and more efficient travel into the San Fernando Valley in the mid 19th to early 20th century; so I didn’t want to focus on this somber event. I do mention the event in the description of this video. And I made a video about this entitled Chatsworth Train Crash 2008.
An entertaining video....but wandering around on those train tracks is probably not a good idea, they carry quite a bit of traffic. Also, I'd keep your dog on a leash; its obviously not a danger to anyone but there's quite a lot of wildlife (such as coyotes) that would see it as a snack.
In the 40 years that I have been going to Stoney Point and the railroad tracks, I have never seen a coyote, not even once. But I have seen them many times in Woodland Hills where I live, and never have Sticker off-leash there. But it only takes once. Your advice is welcome.
Nowadays Here, You Face The Ever Threat Of Being ARRESTED BY THE POLICE! I Remember We Used To Go Through The SANTA SUSANA TUNNEL With Its 22 CUTOUTS! NO CUTOUTS WHATSOEVER IN THE SANTA CLARITA TUNNEL!
Be careful with your pup, up here in Oregon we can carry a firearm, it comes in handy at times. Coyote will take the pup, even though you don't see them in daylight very often, they are there. I have run into several packs in the springtime up here, they can number over 30, every spring they come together and have a party on newborn calves, they will take almost anything in those numbers, even you. It depends upon how hungry they are, but they tried me at night once, to drive them off you have to take out the leader right in front of God and everyone present, they don't come back to that area for years afterward. I grew up down there, spent allot of time in Chatsworth, but I didn't go in the tunnels, I suppose I was smarter than average, it's so dangerous. Keep sticker safe, dogs make great friends, I defend my friends to the end.
Surprised you didn't mention that Historical Head On Train Disaster near the One tunnel off of Topanga Cyn,💥☠️ ... remember the storyline , ... the conductor was texting and ignored the signals 🚥.. ... resulting in Head On with a Freight Train 💥 ... not sure how many Lost lives...but I think it was at least a couple of dozen ... including the idiot who caused the whole thing 😒
@@bradbell3744 WOW 💥 ... I definitely have to see 🎥 ... I live near the tunnel on the Simi valley side ...will never forget the story - off duty sheriff going to work - couldn't drive his stick shift Mustang - because of ankle injury from work - he was one of the victims 🌹😑
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There is a lot of additional content in the description.
Went to Chatsworth Park 64 to 77. Friends and my sister and I used to go hang out in #27 and get high. Going east to west, the good spot was on the right, in the middle of the tunnel. One time 3 of us were in #26 going west, went about 1/2 way and turned around and a train was coming into the tunnel, turned west and ran, feeling for one of the alcoves. We barely made it that day. Went into military for 6 years came back and Santa Susanna Park was the new hangout.
I grew up living in Newhall California, and when I was between 12 and maybe 15 years old, I would ride my bike to the train tracks from my house which was maybe a 30 minute ride, and I'd take a back pack with some food and water, and hike to the tunnel entrance and just find a place to sit and wait for trains! Numerous Southern Pacific freight trains would pass through the tunnel daily and I spent probably 100's of hours over a couple of years, enjoying some time to myself and watch the trains come and go through the tunnel. Fantastic memories ❤️
Thank you for your video and for bringing back so many find memories of my adolescent adventures! 😊
Trains, the track, the stations, 100+ ton locomotives with their cars following along, charging into the blackness of tunnels built over a century ago through mountains made of stone. It’s captivating. Im glad you enjoyed the video.
I was a paramedic in Simi Valley/Thousand Oaks from 1984-1995. I ran several dozen 9-1-1 calls involving trains and specifically the Chatsworth tunnels. If ever a place were haunted it would be the tunnels. One night, about midnight, we got a call for a possible body on the tracks halfway through the tunnel #26. Train service was stopped. Fire and ambulance staged on west end of tunnel and a firefighter and I walked into that tunnel with flashlights. You could feel the cool wind blowing through the tunnel. We walked to the cutout area, our eyes straining to see anything and hoping no train was accidentally let through. My partner shined his light to the left into the alcove and there lay a man who tragically had passed. He had a pistol in his right hand. It is a vivid memory of the tunnel I will never forget. I ran several calls of people found dead in that tunnel. RIP. BTW my Cousin just retired as an engineer from SP. He has stories too from the engineer birds eye view of people walking on tracks. Not pretty.
Thanks for sharing your experience. There was a murder in tunnel #27 in 1990. I did not include this in the video because it was not relevant to the theme of my video, which was the engineering feats that allowed easier and more efficient travel into the San Fernando Valley in the mid 19th to early 20th century. It is a grim and tragic story and I have a link in the description for anyone interested.
Are u referring to the murder of the student from UCLA and his 2 roommates ? If so I just watched an old Dateline episode. Very sad @bradbell3744
Never knew that one tunnel was over 7000 feet long! It’s interesting that Beale’s cut has gotten filled in with erosion so that it’s no longer 90 feet deep anymore. Nice video!
The oil refinery was the site of the pioneer oil refinery in California.
Went on a geology field trip to Beale's cut in 1971 and you could still see how deep the cut used to be.
Thanks for the trip to these historic tunnels.
Actually the Pioneer Oil Refinery was located further north along Pine Street near old downtown Newhall. The foundations seen near the summit of Beale's Cut are the remains of the old Newhall Refinery which operated continuously until 1990. I grew up in Newhall and remember traveling over Sierra Hwy and Newhall Pass many times, the smell of oil and sulfur (rotten eggs, yuck!) permeating the air.
@@robertbarringer6464 Thanks for clarifying that for me. I used to see a sign indicating it was in the Newhall refinery area. So much lost history and under reported history that sadly is being lost to the present generation. I got to ride through the Newhall tunnel several times on my Metro Line rides to Lancaster, I highly recommend taking that train trip. Thanks for your posting so many interesting videos. Les Harvey
Thanks for adding to the story.
Born / raised in Sylmar 1952 , moved up north after 71 quake , I miss everything about that area except the people ! it's been completely destroyed in my opinion , I would like to walk the old tracks again too , they haven't changed much except transporting more people , not freight any more . San Gabriels look great , our little house was in front of the VA Hospital and the view of the valley was magical . Thank you Brad for awakening my memories again , love your little friend there with ya .
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you liked the video.
This was a great video - thanks for all your work putting this together !!!
Great video. Thanks for posting. I've wondered about those tunnels ever since I first watched White Heat.
Fantastic video!! Have loved trains my whole life and particularly enjoy learning about the railroad history native to the Newhall area where I grew up in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I was the kid who loved to park alongside the rails with his scanner radio tuned to the train frequencies hoping to hear a bit of official train chatter. In those days you could walk into the Newhall Tunnel's north portal and listen for trains coming through the other end. You could hear the train long before you could see it's bright headlights as there was a slight incline from south to north, peaking somewhere near the middle of the tunnel. Fun times for a kid living through quieter, simpler times.
Tunnels through Santa Susana mountains are at about the halfway point for my commute between DTLA and Camarillo. Thanks for making this video!
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I was born in 1940, lived in this area, played on Stony Point, watched trains a lot, also going through the gap to Newhall and beyond Saugus. Great history and dates you have brought forward. And the history of the routes. Assumed that way back trains from north either had to go east from Ventura area or go down the Valley by Bakersfield and up and over Tehachapi Pass, Mojave, Newhall and down into LA.
Careful around tunnels on active rail lines. Cute dog. I had one like that when I was a kid, and we walked along the tracks just like that. I got to go to Corriganville when I was a kid. It was cool! Al those western sets, horses, cast members, the whole bit. I didn't appreciate it then (because I didn't know who he was), Ray 'crash' Corrigan himself was there! I met him!
It was great that you had the opportunity to visit Corroganville when it was in its heyday. Here is a good link to Ray “Crash” Corrigan:
obscurehollywood.net/ray-crash-corrigan.html
Fantastic overview of some very interesting local history as always! It would be interesting to see a video on Orcutt Ranch and some of its history. It has some ancient oak trees that date back over 600 years!
The extra rails you showed us, sitting a few feet to the right of the tracks believe they were put there to help hold back falling rock and boulders. Not very high I know but then again you might be correct in saying replacement rails. Enjoyed your video, very well done and educational. Thank you and your awsome little sidekick .
Thanks for the compliment. I'm glad to have had Sticker in this video. It had been a while since I've done so.
I really enjoyed this because I grew up in Northridge back in the 60’s and on a visit to Chatsworth park I was told that the tunnels were forbidden to me because the Manson family members were living in and around them. So, this is the first time I’ve gotten an up close look at the tunnels. Appreciate it!
Glad you enjoyed the video. Tunnel #27 (the middle tunnel) is also sometimes referred to as the Manson Tunnel.
Brad enjoyed this! The Santa Susanna train depo/museum in Simi as you pointed out is very close to Corrigan Ville Park and the area has a lot of fun adventures and history/ Thanks for the posting..
I spent much of my childhood hiking around those three tunnels. When I was really little, in the early 2000s, my dad and I would pack a picnic breakfast and go up and sit on that large boulder that is at the west end of #27. The track was still jointed then and we would listen to the clicking as the rails expanded in the morning sun. A few years later maybe around 2003-5 they replaced the jointed rails with continuous rail. The clicking stopped, and it removed a big piece of the ambiance of the place.
Thanks for sharing your memories of the trains and tunnels in Chatsworth. It wasn’t until my visit to the Santa Suzanna Railroad Depot and Museum that I first heard that train travel was more clickety clack before the advent of the continuous-weld tracks of today.
Great video, lots of good stories!
Great production -- many thanks!
Fun fact: at 21:40, Corriganville, that open, flat area by the parking lot was the stand-in set location for Spahn Ranch in Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” (The actual Spahn property was on the other side of the mountains, 3-4 miles away, near the RR tracks and tunnels 27 and 28 on Santa Susana Pass Road.)
Thanks for that fun information.
Thanks all the same for the video. I’ve spent a lot of time in both the Simi/Chatsworth and Newhall areas. I’m often on the train between Ventura County and LA. The trip portion through the Santa Susana Mountains and tunnels is my favorite part. 😊
Great video.. I was an engineer for the SP and ran over both lines for over 50 years. Great historical photos. The rail is continuous welded rail..the ribbon rail comes in quarter mile sections. The extra rail stashed for replacement. The cameras are live hooked up to the Sheriff's Dept. There are No Trespassing signs posted on the right of way. The ledge in tunnel 27 was in the middle of the curve.
Thank for the compliment, and filling in the story. The alcove I was referring to was very near the eastern entrance, on the south side of the track. If there was a larger alcove in the middle of the curve I was not aware of its existence. I never walked through tunnel 27.
@bradbell3744 Brad we used to call T 27 the Disneyland tunnel. On the weekends it was full of party people. Over the years these people would light fires lots of alcohol drugs and even nudity.
Me and some friends after school during 2010s would go up here and walk in the tracks it really gives off a uneasy feeling and cold spots but when we went up there it wasn’t gated up maybe around 2020 they added the gates my uncle and his friends would go up to the tracks in the early 90s they happened to come across another group of people throwing rocks at the trains passing by and police were called and drawn there guns at my uncle & his friends they thought they were the ones doing it after all the area always has a nostalgic piece for me.
It has a nostalgic peace for me too.
Another good presentation Brad... Yes, WHITE HEAT with James Cagney showed off tunnel 27 the best, in the jump and the movie titles...
And speaking of movies, the train tracks of the Santa Susana Pass run through a whole bunch of old movie ranches, the infamous Spahn Ranch, the Bell Ranch, Corriganville and the most iconic Iversons Ranch. Warner Brothers like several other studios had their own vintage railroad stock and would truck them out to the area as with CARSON CITY starring Randolph Scott. You see the loco puffing through the Pass from the vantage of the panaramic view of the lower Iverson Ranch, and you follow the train robbers riding to jump the train.
TV's HIGHWAY PATROL with Broderick Crawford shot numerous episodes in the area as did countless TV westerns.
Roy Rogers Double-R-Bar ranch was close by on the flatlands of Chatsworth. Frank Sinatra as a sniper tried to kill the President in SUDDENLY as his train pulls into the Chatsworth Station. They used that same locale for the train arriving in INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.
Having worked in HOLLYWOOD for some 40-years, and being a studio historian as well, you pick up a lot of knowledge and trivia, documenting on video the Iversons Ranch history and the REAL dark saga of the Spahn Ranch and "Manson" connection!
Santa Susana Pass certainly has a fascinating REAL and REEL history thats for sure!
Thanks for the compliment and adding to the story.
That's cool I never knew those tunnels were there except the Newhall tunnel.
Great video really enjoyed it.
Side note at tunnel 26 on the Coast line there was a siding equipped with a spring switch by the name of Hasson. There is an Abbott and Costello film that was filmed at that location. Costello somehow got his foot stuck in the switch with a train coming westbound out of the tunnel.
On the Newhall line the abandoned footings , I believe were remnants of the Newhall Oil Company . There is oil in the hills. Also just west of your location was a spur off of the mainline that was known as the dynamite spur. That's where the dynamite was stored for the blasting of the tunnel construction.
Thanks for adding to the story.
Such a dedicated individual, it inspires one to go view this area, thank you so much for the tour and your historical account of this so important area
All the remains in the canyon where Beales Cut used to be an oil refinery (name escapes me). This includes the tanks, foundations and other items.
Excellent video! I just subscribed. I believe most modern RR trackage is what they call CWR or Continuously Welded Rail.
In 1860, the population of Los Angeles was just over 4,000. San Francisco was approaching 60,000. Connecting them became more important as Los Angeles and Southern California became more populated and important and inversely they became so with the better transportation.
At the 25:00 minute mark with what appeared to be houses or businesses is what remains of the Newhall Oil Refinery which I believe was taken down in the early 90's
Thanks for this information. I was very curious about these foundations. I thought that perhaps some of the foundations belonged to business that might have been at the northern end of Beale's Cut because a lot of travelers used this route through the Newhall Pass. I thought one of the foundations might have belonged to the Beale's Cut toll house.
Friend, great vids. Also, you were walking through the wreckage site of a plane crash causing the eruption in flames of the Beale's Cut Oil Refinery.
I think you might be referring to this:
On Sunday January 17, 1988, at about 1 a.m., a single-engine Cessna 182L plane flying through a driving rainstorm crashed into the mountain next to the Newhall refinery narrowly missing storage tanks. All four people aboard were killed. The victims were all longtime members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The pilot was identified as Lt. Harry Parson, 50, a 27-year veteran of the department. He was traveling with his wife, Deputy Therese Pinocchio, 38, a 13-year veteran of the department. The couple lived in Long Beach. Also killed were Capt. George E. Reed, 43, commander of the Men's Central Jail, and his wife, Deputy Rosemarie Reed, 47, of Glendale.
There was no mention of a fire--perhaps there was another plane crash. Here is more on the Newhall Refinery:
www.elsmerecanyon.com/refinery/refinery.htm
Fantastic video Brad and Sticker! Crazy amount of work the folks that came before us did and most of it is still there!
Interesting to find out the history of the train paths from the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley. Brad Bell has an interesting way of showing the
current paths and historical paths of the tracks.
As kids in the 1960's we hiked up the hill to number 27 from the park and would follow the tracks to the other side, sometimes the train came in on us and we would hang on to the wall till it passes, had such a fun time.
Some months ago I went from Chatsworth Park up to the west side of tunnel 27. That was the first time I had ever been on the west side of the tunnel.
Same! My Mom hated it when we took off to the tunnel
@@DarrelKerr I real loved that park, would climb the rocks and the trees.
My crazy high school friends used to walk tunnel #26. They claimed that there are niche along the tunnel to retreat into when a train comes
Yes, apparently they were on the north side of the tracks. I looked for exact information on the distance between each niche but couldn't find much. Some of the niches are about the size of a double slide-door closet in an apartment. Other niches are apparently bigger. There are about 25 such niches in tunnel #26
@@bradbell3744 I don’t remember what side they were on, exact dimensions, & at what spacing, but I do remember having to decide whether to run away from an approaching train or towards it.
This was nearly 50 years ago so I’m sure well past the statue of limitations 😅
@@ericsokoloff89 I think most people would instinctively run away from the train. But it would be scarier!
@@bradbell3744 The niches are about 50 yards apart as i recall and are on the north side. There is a large alcove near the center of the tunnel, about 10 x 12 feet in size. Some friends and I would go in with some lawn chairs and a pizza to watch the trains go by. Early 1980s.
Very informative, thank you.
Love the video. However, PLEASE stay off the tracks when you’re hiking!!! As a retired Conductor with 8 fatalities in my 20 years, I can tell you that there isn’t a more helpless feeling than coming around a blind curve, or out of a tunnel, and seeing someone on the track. Once you set the emergency brakes, there’s nothing else the engineer can do to not hit you. They can’t swerve and the train isn’t going to stop in time if you don’t get out of the way. Also, you’re far less likely to get turned in to law enforcement if you’re well away from the tracks. Railroads don’t take kindly to trespassing anymore. So please hike away from the track and stay alert. “Expect a train on any track, in any direction, at any time.”
While the rails were originally traditional length capable of being carried by a crew. The Railroads many decades ago performed continuous welding of the rails. This is the new standard
Before welding there was a lot of clippety-clop.
My friends and I (as teenagers) used to wait in the middle Chatsworth tunnel for the train. Exciting!!
The rails are welded nowadays so there is no separation.
"20:37-I LOVE that railway lantern!!!!!
Interesting, good work.
I have been to these tunnels more than a few times. You can access tunnels 26 and 27 via Chatsworth Park North (tunnel 28 goes under Topanga Canyon Blvd). The dates stamped into the tunnel openings are 1904 (original date) and 1922 (a rebuild/reinforcement)
WARNING!!!! This is an active rail line (for Amtrak, Metrolink and UP) so be EXTREMELY CAREFUL if exploring these tunnels!!!
yay! I like hearing about weird historical train stuff around the world, but these are my local tunnels!
What a beautiful narrative, by this man...thank you my dear man...please continue...
I appreciate your compliment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I was born in Van Nuys in 1953. The Valley was actually pretty cool when I was a kid. The Burbank div ran close to my house and ran down Chandeler st. Freight trains would deliver to lumber Co near my house.
Now the Valley is a pit! Millions of people. Crime.
Glad I saw it before the deluge.
everything passes, everything changes. i was a kid too in no. hollywood in "52 at the apts. at tujunga and vanowen. the train tracks were really a draw. we moved to northridge in "58 and discovered the tracks didn:t go straight forever, tunnels and hills. WOW!! great video thanks!
The standard length of rails are 1/4 mile long and are welded together. Any rail or hardware lying alongside a track are either old or are spare pieces. The labor to remove old pieces usually are not worth it unless there’s a need for it. BTW, all railroad property is private and is against the law to trespass on it. Normal width is 25 feet either side of the track unless fenced off.
Great video. Something that should be shown in local high school and college geopgraphy classes. The foundations and tanks you came across walking to Beals Cut were of an old oil refinery that shut down in the late 80's/early 90's. I remember ski trips back from Mammoth on the 14 at night, and that facility was lit up like something out of Star Wars!
I rode through these tunnels on the Starlight in the late 80's. Someone had put a folding chair in Tunnel 28 and we ran over it, severing an air hose on one of the cars. We had to stop to make repairs. BTW: The fences are there to keep people OUT. Since this video is now out in public domain, it should be noted that walking the rail IS trespassing RR property and you can/will be prosecuted.
Used live a few blocks from tunnel #28
I handled a fatal in tunnel 27, several near misses, and made countless arrests.
I must say, it’s not very smart walking on the tracks like that. You could have been a statist.
I know, it’s not gonna happen to me is the next statement.
Just took the Surfliner train from Union Station to San diego.
I would have loved taking that ride.
@@bradbell3744 Was fantastic !
My uncle, cousin and I were walking through the tunnel when my uncle thought he saw the light at the end. It was a light, but not sunlight. We barely made it out of there alive.
May have missed it…didn’t the Chatsworth 2008 collision happen just east of the easternmost tunnel?
Yes, and I made a video about this event entitled "Chatsworth Train Crash 2008" if you'd like to find out more about the incident.
Been to the east portal of tunnel #26 in the 1960s
Are you aware of the tracks that run parallel to Highway 126 which used to go through Santa Paula Fillmore and all the way to San Francisco?
I’m not.
@@barrygreenstein2816 During the 80s there were still tracks along 126 east of Piru. They weren’t in use, but we collected a few RR spikes there. Made great tent stakes. The tracks are long gone but the old rail-bed, terraced into the hillside, is still discernible in some spots paralleling the north side of Hwy 126.
Thank you, I learned some things for sure. But the vandalism of all our historic sites really disgusts me.
Been there many times. Thanks for sharing the history… going to check out Veils Cut.
If you go to Beal's Cut I believe the best way to find it is off of Sierra Highway. Clampitt Rd and Remsen St which runs near it to are not accessible, if I'm not mistaken. If you approach it from Sierra Highway you'll hear a warning that a photo of you has been taken and it will be used to prosecute you (enter 30 feet south of the obvious entry location and you won't get the audible warning). Trespassing is just a misdemeanor so it's up to you. My goal of getting footage compelled me to go film anyway.
Real shame about all the radiation in this area from the meltdown at the Santa Susanna Hot Lab.
100 years later, still single tracked.
An interesting fact about train tunnels is that it is single track through tunnels-because it would be too expensive (and not necessary) to have two separate tracks going through tunnels. There may be a few exceptions.
If two tracks run parallel there is the main line and often the siding line. The siding line allows one train to cross over to another track. So if a train comes out of a tunnel it could go onto the siding track. Once it is completely off the main track a train coming in the opposite direction (and was stopped and waiting for the main line to be available to go the tunnel) could then proceed through the tunnel in the opposite direction.
Just a safety tip. You should NEVER walk down railroad tracks like that. Not only is it illegal trespassing (as it is also illegal to walk alongside tracks or be on railroad property in general), but it is very dangerous. Operation Lifesaver points out the dangers but the most important are that trains can move any direction at any time, and you cannot always hear them. According to Operation Lifesaver, there were 715 trespass-related fatalities in 2023, 190 in California alone. And, of course, many more injuries. If you do choose to trespass, at least stay off all tracks.
Very cool video. Just a note, Beale did not build the cut. The original cut was built by Phineas Banning in 1854. Beale gained rights to the cut in the following years, deepening it to cut down on the challenging grade. He collected tolls from those who traversed it
Thanks for the correction. The information I found was ambiguous.
Have you visited Piru Bridge?
No, I had never heard of it. But I just read up on it. Here is a link for anyone interested: scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2461a.htm
Hey Dude thats Welded Rail its over a quarter mile long ! OMG You almost stepped on that Snake. 😮
I didn’t see a snake, but I’m pretty good at keeping an eye out for one. Do you have a time stamp so I can see what I missed?
Cool 😎
I believe the concrete foundations near the Newhall tunnel were from the oil refinery that used to be in the area.
Yes, others have pointed that out. I was very curious as to what the foundations were.
Thats where Jimmy Cagney and Gang held up the Train !😊
Next time I see White Heat I’ll be looking more closely at the train scenes. “Look ma, top of the world.”
The Big Wreck was just past that Tunnel on the curve.
right, E portal #26
The wreck occurred east of Tunnel 28. I did not mention this in the video because this tragedy has nothing to do with the engineering feats that allowed easier and more efficient travel into the San Fernando Valley in the mid 19th to early 20th century; so I didn’t want to focus on this somber event. I do mention the event in the description of this video. And I made a video about this entitled Chatsworth Train Crash 2008.
An entertaining video....but wandering around on those train tracks is probably not a good idea, they carry quite a bit of traffic. Also, I'd keep your dog on a leash; its obviously not a danger to anyone but there's quite a lot of wildlife (such as coyotes) that would see it as a snack.
In the 40 years that I have been going to Stoney Point and the railroad tracks, I have never seen a coyote, not even once. But I have seen them many times in Woodland Hills where I live, and never have Sticker off-leash there. But it only takes once. Your advice is welcome.
@@bradbell3744 tons in Woodland Hills
Nowadays Here, You Face The Ever Threat Of Being ARRESTED BY THE POLICE! I Remember We Used To Go Through The SANTA SUSANA TUNNEL With Its 22 CUTOUTS! NO CUTOUTS WHATSOEVER IN THE SANTA CLARITA TUNNEL!
Be careful with your pup, up here in Oregon we can carry a firearm, it comes in handy at times. Coyote will take the pup, even though you don't see them in daylight very often, they are there. I have run into several packs in the springtime up here, they can number over 30, every spring they come together and have a party on newborn calves, they will take almost anything in those numbers, even you. It depends upon how hungry they are, but they tried me at night once, to drive them off you have to take out the leader right in front of God and everyone present, they don't come back to that area for years afterward.
I grew up down there, spent allot of time in Chatsworth, but I didn't go in the tunnels, I suppose I was smarter than average, it's so dangerous.
Keep sticker safe, dogs make great friends, I defend my friends to the end.
Surprised you didn't mention that Historical Head On Train Disaster near the One tunnel off of Topanga Cyn,💥☠️
... remember the storyline ,
... the conductor was texting and ignored the signals 🚥..
... resulting in Head On with a Freight Train 💥
... not sure how many Lost lives...but I think it was at least a couple of dozen
... including the idiot who caused the whole thing 😒
I mention this story in the description.
I also made a video about the tragedy entitled Chatsworth Train Crash 2008.
@@bradbell3744 WOW 💥
... I definitely have to see 🎥
... I live near the tunnel on the Simi valley side
...will never forget the story - off duty sheriff going to work - couldn't drive his stick shift Mustang - because of ankle injury from work - he was one of the victims 🌹😑
They are a popular place for homosexual rendezvouses
😂 what
Love this content