great. how soon until this spawns another neighborhood trying to give itself a name with 'toluca' in it in a bid to boost property values?

Sad news that any evidence of the tunnel may soon be erased. The open end shown in the photo was already covered up last year; the other end of the tunnel was long ago filled in (when the Bonaventure was built). In modern times, much of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' early 90s video "Under the Bridge" was shot there.

I have nothing to say about the tunnel. Tunnels remind me of Eva Marie Saint at the end of North by Northwest. But whilst pondering the topic of LA archaeology, I just want to tell Amy Alkon (whose column appears in 120 newspapers) the same damn thing I had to tell Seipp six months ago:

It's Club Tee Gee, dammit.

joseph mentioned..

"Tunnels remind me of Eva Marie Saint at the end of North by Northwest. But whilst pondering the topic of LA archaeology..."

Which begs the unsolicited mention that the tunnel scene in the closing sequence of Hitchcock's renowned film was shot at the West portal of (then Southern Pacific Railroad's) Tunnel #26 in the Santa Susana pass near Los Angeles.

But I digress...

Brian

Thanks for the good stat, Brian. So would that be the tunnel mouth in Simi Valley, near the Corriganville movie sets?

The one time I walked this tunnel to the end, there was evidence of cockfighting (or Santaria ritual) near the mouth, and a spot in the middle where our footsteps unearthed a very foul smell from under the mud. The growing pitch darkness as you round that bend is otherworldly. And is it true the Bonaventure illegally sunk those pylons, bisecting a byway that was city property, but going unpunished/ unfined?

Kevin asked...

So would that be the tunnel mouth in Simi Valley, near the Corriganville movie sets?

Yes, the longest of a trio of tunnels in the Santa Susana Pass, Tunnel #26 also holds the distinction at 7,367 feet, of being the lengthiest on the west coast.

It is into the western portal of that tunnel, constructed at the turn of the 20th century (sorry, my ferroequinologist friends, that is not a pun related to the movie), that Hitchcock found his fitting (and some will say sexually charged) image of a train speeding into a tunnel to climax his epic tale of cross-country adventure.

Those who are obsessed with movie goofs may take some delight in seeing the fleeting image of the locomotive rushing the tunnel as clearly being from the "Southern Pacific Railroad" and not the meticulously mentioned and choreographed "20th Century Limited" that is otherwise featured prominently throughout the film.

The history of the Santa Susana Pass tunnels is a fascinating one, with some holding fast to the notion that Tunnel #26 may be haunted.

On November 19, 1941, an inexperienced railroad crewmember is but one of the factors that reportedly led to a freight locomotive fire within in the mile-plus long Tunnel #26. The crew was overcome by fumes and despite the efforts of local Firefighters, the crew died in the non-ventilated tunnel.

The fire burned for several days, and some Chatsworth residents still vividly remember the fire and the sight and smell of the burned up train and cattle being hauled back down to Chatsworth.

Precious few locals however, are aware that the 670 acre area of the tunnels (but not the west portal of Tunnel #26) are now part of the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.

Yes, a fascinating history indeed. If you're the adventurous type and like to mountain bike, let me know. There's plenty to explore in the seemingly gentrified wildlands that surround Los Angeles, including remnants of the storied Corriganville movie ranch.

Brian

This area was also featured in that really oddball film "Masked and anonymous" with Bob Dylan and John Goodman. Not the greatest film in the world, but it did feature some interesting location shots, including this one here.

Great stuff, Brian, thanks. There's a lot of history to those tunnels, which opened up the first coastal train route -- replacing the grueling "Devil's Slide" stagecoach route over the rocks above. As a kid I never had the gumption to get very far into the Chatsworth end of the tunnel. From the train it looks pretty tight: you guys ever have to take anybody out of there?

Kim's talking about the subway tunnel that used to end at the Subway Terminal Building downtown on Hill Street. It was either the Bonaventure or another Bunker Hill high-rise, possibly California Plaza, that blocked off the tunnel, I believe.

Regarding the *Santa Susana* Tunnels, Kevin asked:

you guys ever have to take anybody out of there?

Yes. Not a frequent occurence, but periodically - and often with tragic results. One of the more memorable and troubling occurences of recent memory involved a seriously injured Los Angeles Police Officer.

My work with the railroad probably causes me to be more cognizant of these than most.

Kim's talking about the subway tunnel that used to end at the Subway Terminal Building downtown...

Indeed she was. Joseph's mention (above) of "Eva Marie Saint" and "tunnels" caused by to lead this thread astray. My apologies to one and all.

Brian

Pretty scary.

Don't know if it's "astray" or not, but thinking about Eva Marie Saint is quite nice, actually.