Western Railroad Discussion > Belmont Tunnel, Nebraska's Only Tunnel

Greetings all,

I'm starting to scrape together ideas for a powder river basin circle tour Omaha/Grand Island/BNSF to the mines, UP back south towards North Platte.. back east.

I've done some looking on info for the old Belmont tunnel that was basicly abandoned in the early 80's by BN in favor of a new line around it a couple miles to the west. I'm wondering if it's accessable, safe, on public land, worth the time to visit? Few websites on it, one ghost town site online says it's haunted.. but that's about it.. lol.. so I'm basicly looking for any info on it, have you been there, stories/info to share? any info is appriciated! TIA, UP Omaha

It's actually only about a couple hundred feet away if even that. MOW forces use it as an access road and it is still RR property. Belmont itself is the top of the climb from Crawford and helpers usually cut off just past the summit which can be seen safely from the overpass(narrow).


TCS - BNSaFe

The massive two track cut is actually about 50 yards west of the old tunnel. It's still possible to drive through the tunnel but you have to trespass on BNSF property to reach it. Just go to the bridge over the tracks at Belmont and look north. The cut is on the left while the old tunnel is just out of view to the right.

The Crawford Hill line change was completed in April 1982. But before the line change Crawford Hill had a real "backwoods" flavor, with 10 degree curves and single track.

"fbe" and a few other guys on here know "the old" and "the new" Crawford Hill well. It's a great place to railfan.

AM

I spent a stormy night in the back of my truck on that access road between the tunnel and the overpass back in 1982. Back then, there wasn't much worry about the dreaded trespass. Didn't get much sleep. Just about the time that a train would leave after cutting its helper off, you'd hear another one grinding up the hill behind it. The cut is so big that it holds a lot of noise. My wife still reminds me of that night. What a trooper. She was actually still speaking to me the next day. We did drive through the tunnel in the morning to check out the other side. Probably would find it gated off now. The whole area is well worth checking out.

I also drove through that tunnel in November of 1995. I understand that since that time, it has been gated, and BNSF regularly patrols this area now for trespassing.

Jim Burrill
Loveland, Colorado

I was there in 91. The cut right to the West of the tunnel was a 1 million yd. cut. That's a lot of dirt to move. There is a story of it in a early issue of CTC Board mag. Standing on the top of the hill of the cut, and looking down, the trains look like toys. upkpfan

I was deadheading on a coal train through there in early 1975. One of the slaves went down. 4 U30Cs on point and 3 or 4 U30C slaves 65 cars deep was the normal coal train power on 98 car trains!! Them were the days! Anyway I dropped off the headend at the Horseshoe curve and caught the slaves as they passed. Can't even get on and off moving equipment now days. I found the 4th slave dead and restarted it. Then made the mistake of riding that 4th slave unit through Belmont tunnel with the windows open. Gasp, wheeze! I was laying on the floor gasping for any air I could get. I sure am glad that tunnel isn't any longer than it is.