This Hauntingly Beautiful Drone Footage Of A Historic Abandoned Railroad Is Mesmerizing

Drones have become one of the biggest crazes in the world over the past few years. The gadgets have also become a subject of some controversy and debate when used for destructive purposes.

What’s truly amazing is what can be accomplished through the use of drones. Deliver mail and items purchased online? Check. Search for missing people and monitor traffic accidents? Check. Take amazing aerial videos and pictures? Absolutely. That last one tends to be the most common use for the average person, and some fantastic footage has been captured with drones.

“Drone World” is a popular YouTube channel that highlights epic footage of natural and manmade wonders around the world, as well as concerts and motorcycle road tests. Some of the subject videos have featured the Golden Gate Bridge and Yosemite. One of the most recent videos shows some beautiful footage of a historic abandoned railroad.

A railroad might sound dull, but this one is pretty cool, especially from the aerial viewpoint that this drone records. All of the footage shown was shot on a Phantom 3 Professional drone.

Donner Pass is a mountain pass located in the mountain range of Sierra Nevada. Through this pass, emigrants used traveled to California in 1844.  The tunnels shown in the footage date all the way back to 1868, and at that time the Central Pacific Railroad spanned the entire northern Sierra Nevada.

Besides the tunnels, the drone also journeys through the massive canyons where the Donner Party turned to cannibalism in order to survive the arduous adventure through the pass. They had gotten stuck during a snowstorm in 1846 and were forced to survive in any way possible for a lengthy period of time.

Much of the Donner Pass railroad line has been abandoned. Tunnel Zero was abandoned during World War II, and Yuba Gap’s Main line #1 and #2 were demolished in 1993. Also abandoned were Tunnel 40 at Troy and Tunnel 15 on Main line #1.

Despite decay and abandonment, if you’re looking for a great path for your next run or bike ride, consider traversing the enormous tunnels that extend for miles. They’re completely open to the public and feature some amazing sights along the way. Bring your own drone and you can capture some marvelous footage to share with family and friends. Or just bring a regular old camera if you’re boring like that…

To see all of the footage check out Drone World’s YouTube video that presents five minutes of absorbing visuals.

Also, check out some of the other drone videos on the channel that feature beautiful sights of nature, landmarks, and concerts.

The view from a drone is mesmerizing, and we’re betting that the majority of the world will continue to be eagerly enthralled with what can be captured and shared.