[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by BP_Brandon

Interesting concept…. Some obvious problems however, firstly the corridor through downtown has more then one track, several actually that CPR needs for capacity requirements. With a one track tunnel, those other tracks would have to be duplicated. Secondly, the strip of land downtown would have to be reclaimed before it could be turned over for other purposes. This would be a very big task considering it’s been an active railway right of way for 100+ years. Thirdly, the tunnel would be approx 10 km long, this would require extensive ventilation engineering using loud exhaust fans usually located at each portal and most probably mid tunnel somewhere. (Loco’s pump out lots of hot exhaust) Fourthly, the tunnel would have to be deep enough so the residential folk above aren’t shaken from there beds, and wouldn’t mind the fact of all the highly dangerous product being shipped right underneath them.

1) the corridor through downtown has more then one track, several actually that CPR needs for capacity requirements. With a one track tunnel, those other tracks would have to be duplicated.
The extra tracks downtown are typically used for holding trains waiting to head westbound or eastbound trains that are waiting to enter the yards east and south of Inglewood. The tracks downtown narrow down to a single track between 14 St W through Bowness (with a siding south of Bowness Road), and a small yard West of Bearspaw Dam. Having the Tunnel connect to this Bearspaw Dam yard doesn't change the number of tracks leaving downtown (one). The siding south of Bowness Rd. and the holding tracks downtown could be re-located alongside the Calgary-Edmonton tracks parallel to Deerfoot Tr. (somewhere between 64th Ave and the Bow River) so that a westbound train can be held there before using the Tunnel, and Eastbound trains that have just exited the tunnel can be held north of the Bow River Inglewood bridge before entering the CPR yards. with both sidings built there, the Calgary-Edmonton line can remain unblocked for its traffic to flow while Westbound and Eastbound mainline traffic are using the tunnel.

2) the strip of land downtown would have to be reclaimed before it could be turned over for other purposes. This would be a very big task considering it’s been an active railway right of way for 100+ years.
Since the land will be dug up anyhow for redevelopment, the extra expense of cleaning up the land will have to be included in the costs that CPR will have to bear for preparing their land for leasing so they can be redeveloped.

3) the tunnel would be approx 10 km long, this would require extensive ventilation engineering using loud exhaust fans usually located at each portal and most probably mid tunnel somewhere. (Loco’s pump out lots of hot exhaust)
We can see how this can be done in an urban environment by taking ideas used in the Mount MacDonald tunnel, which is actually longer than this tunnel in Calgary would be. Moose and Bears are likely as sensitive to industrial noise as people are.

Another option is to have the tunnels and nearby sidings electrified so that an electric engine can be attached to the train waiting at the siding before entering the tunnel, the electric engine can pull the train through the tunnel to the other siding where it's detached & ready to pull another train through the tunnel in the opposite direction. The trains would have their usual compliment of diesel engines idling during the transit through the tunnel to minimize exhaust fumes, and would be ready to rev up & continue their trip as soon as the electric engine detaches and is out of the way.

Perhaps 'green goat' engines could be used instead. These are engines primarily used as yard switchers that have a small diesel engine/generator that is used to keep a set of on-board batteries charged. The batteries are used to supply motive power when the engine is moving cars around the yard, and the diesel engine/generator activates when the battery's charge needs to be replenished and can be done when the 'green goat' is otherwise idle & waiting for the next task to be done.

4) the tunnel would have to be deep enough so the residential folk above aren’t shaken from there beds
Since the tunnel is already 50 or more feet below Huntington Hills and Silver Springs because they are on bluffs overlooking the Nose Creek and the Bow River respectively, and the other districts between Huntington Hills and Silver Springs are at higher elevations as they get closer to Nose Hill, and with the CPR tunnel at a relatively flat slope between the east and west portals, it is doubtful that anyone would notice the train traffic below them. I would expect more problems with vibrations and noise from truck traffic on nearby streets than would be felt from trains rolling under their districts.

5) wouldn’t mind the fact of all the highly dangerous product being shipped right underneath them
I wonder now much sleep the residents of Bowness, Montgomery, and Inglewood are losing by worrying about the dangerous cargos that rumble by their back yards every day?


I've been mulling this over for months, and originally thought that the CPR could just move their mainline tracks & yards outside the city limits, but because these are east-west tracks connecting Toronto to Vancouver, no matter where they are relocated, the city will grow and eventually bang into them again. We might as well accept that fact, and build a new Mainline CPR tunnel under the city, and in doing so open up $billions$ of dollars worth of land for redevelopment. If the CPR is smart, they would slowly pace this so that every few years a block is made available for lease, and the full redevelopment process could take decades to complete.