This is an excuse to show you a really good tunnel

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
  • The Catesby Tunnel, in the UK, is an old Victorian railway tunnel that has a new use: a secretive car testing facility, like a wind tunnel but in reverse. So rather than just show it to the world, I thought I'd answer a question: if you stick a camera on the outside of your car, how much does the drag cost you? ■ The tunnel: catesbytunnel....
    Camera: Jamie MacLeod www.jamiemacle...
    Editor: Michelle Martin / @onthecrux
    This is not an advert, Catesby Projects and the tunnel team had no editorial control and I wasn't paid. (In fact, I paid quite a bit for the fire safety team!)
    Thank you to the many people who suggested this over the years, but in particular to David who was able to put me in touch with them directly!
    🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
    (you can find contact details and social links there too)
    📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: www.tomscott.c...
    ❓ LATERAL, free weekly podcast: lateralcast.com/ / lateralcast
    ➕ TOM SCOTT PLUS: / tomscottplus
    👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: / techdif

ความคิดเห็น • 1.8K

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  ปีที่แล้ว +8431

    There were so many possible titles and thumbnails for this video. "Does attaching a camera to your car cost money?" "It's a reverse wind tunnel." "Testing like this used to be impossible." In the end, I just decided I wanted to show you a good tunnel.

    • @tau9956
      @tau9956 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      Thx I guess

    • @claytations
      @claytations ปีที่แล้ว +68

      Thanks for staying honest. 😊

    • @Spiretail
      @Spiretail ปีที่แล้ว +130

      A good tunnel it was.

    • @Aieieo
      @Aieieo ปีที่แล้ว +44

      It is a nice tunnel.

    • @Acre00
      @Acre00 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      I am so happy you went with the thumbnail you did. The others feel really clickbait-y

  • @bonelesswatermelon420
    @bonelesswatermelon420 ปีที่แล้ว +14417

    Tom somehow manages to continue his trend of train videos despite not having a single train in sight

    • @NeonCoding
      @NeonCoding ปีที่แล้ว +482

      "The accidental train special" would be much worse in this case

    • @ethanhoward389
      @ethanhoward389 ปีที่แล้ว +135

      Train adjacent

    • @SylviaRustyFae
      @SylviaRustyFae ปีที่แล้ว +120

      And this is totes a trains vid, bcuz my train lovin arse even got to have a moment of glee when they used the turn table xD
      I dont think a single trainspotter wudnt be absolutely giddy to be able to ride on a turn table in a disused train tunnel, even if just to flip a u turn xD

    • @traviscesarone4786
      @traviscesarone4786 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Ghost train.

    • @DiegoGarcia-yl3im
      @DiegoGarcia-yl3im ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@ethanhoward389 liked this reference😅

  • @avirubinoff7494
    @avirubinoff7494 ปีที่แล้ว +964

    I really like that the solution to the problem of "there are bats in the tunnel" was "build a bat hotel".

    • @654jimbob654
      @654jimbob654 ปีที่แล้ว +134

      Bats are a protected species in the UK. As they often make homes in abandoned buildings or other structures, it's common to see issues arising where renovations or demolitions are delayed because it's against the law to disturb/kill bats, damage their resting places or obstruct access to their shelters. Relocating them to a hotel is a great way of giving them a suitable replacement home!

    • @aim-to-misbehave5674
      @aim-to-misbehave5674 ปีที่แล้ว +109

      And a reminder to people not in the UK that bats are rabies-free here! So while you don't have to worry about deadly diseases if you upset bats, you _do_ have to worry about the fine of up to £5k per bat for disturbing them

    • @kenmcfa
      @kenmcfa ปีที่แล้ว +14

      When life gives you bats...

    • @Sarahbryson321
      @Sarahbryson321 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      @@kenmcfa make battade…?

    • @snepNL
      @snepNL ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@Sarahbryson321 make a bat hotel

  • @n1ppe
    @n1ppe ปีที่แล้ว +3787

    You don't need an excuse to show us really good tunnels

    • @radekt.7843
      @radekt.7843 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      His last excuse to show us really good tunnel was maglev train

    • @the21andonly
      @the21andonly ปีที่แล้ว +18

      especially since he's right. This is definitely one of the best tunnels I've seen

    • @EvanTownsend
      @EvanTownsend ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ​@Max Thrower that's your girls tunnel

    • @arandomcommenter412
      @arandomcommenter412 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Is this intended to sound sexual or is that just a byproduct

  • @NEPAAlchey
    @NEPAAlchey ปีที่แล้ว +3293

    Cool to see a professional in the automotive industry refer to it as an "Austin Powers turn".

    • @the_original_Bilb_Ono
      @the_original_Bilb_Ono ปีที่แล้ว +69

      I liked that

    • @Stexen
      @Stexen ปีที่แล้ว +86

      Hilarious reference. Always makes me laugh

    • @MonkeyJedi99
      @MonkeyJedi99 ปีที่แล้ว +195

      The one time I got to drive a steam roller (just pulling into a repair bay) I shouted to the other employee, "Get out of the way!" and he just screamed in mock terror while 'stuck in place'.
      We laughed.

    • @narnigrin
      @narnigrin ปีที่แล้ว +44

      That little reference made me unreasonably happy

    • @BaldMancTwat
      @BaldMancTwat ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Everyone I know refers to anything more than a 5-point-turn as an "Austin Powers". We even use it as a verb, e.g. "I Austin Powered my way out of there." or "I might have to Austin Powers it to get out of this one."

  • @MoehClon
    @MoehClon ปีที่แล้ว +1458

    I love that last sentence "this is the closest I´ve gotten to science in a long time".
    I´m especially remembering the "toaster numbers don´t mean minutes" and the "I want to destroy my fingerprints with pineapple-based torture" videos as examples of Tom Scott ´doing science´.

    • @mistermist634
      @mistermist634 ปีที่แล้ว +108

      Don't forget "throwing drums and a cymbal off a cliff"!

    • @lucarr1041
      @lucarr1041 ปีที่แล้ว +38

      meanwhile, the recommended video at the end is literally Tom standing on a science instrument.
      Different kind of "close", but good enough for me

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      I think Tom's greatest scientific work is his audience surveying. He determined important results like the best thing, how weird his audience is, and the variations of "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells".

    • @MoehClon
      @MoehClon ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 and how to call that owl! UN-General secretary Ban Ki-Moon

    • @Shaun.Stephens
      @Shaun.Stephens ปีที่แล้ว +3

      He didn't say "gotten", he said "got". Tom speaks English.

  • @shinyagumon7015
    @shinyagumon7015 ปีที่แล้ว +2644

    I liked that Tom used the fact that he uses different cameras as a way to thrown some science into the video.

  • @Zebra_M
    @Zebra_M ปีที่แล้ว +323

    Loved the editing on that cut from "we don't want to see the cameraman in the back - because he isn't there." Like a magic trick but not exactly secret as to how it works haha

  • @normang3668
    @normang3668 ปีที่แล้ว +440

    I love how the multi-point turn has become universally recognized as the 'Austin Powers' turn.

    • @markfryer9880
      @markfryer9880 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      It's a great universal, non offensive, easily communicated concept. Most Western people have by now seen the film or at least the short of the multi point U turn, so it now works as a shorthand description.

    • @leopold7562
      @leopold7562 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Me too. I used to think it was just me and my mates who used that, but it seems everyone uses it

    • @RCAvhstape
      @RCAvhstape ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Not to be confused with the old "Rockford Files" flying J turn.

    • @supremebuffalo6322
      @supremebuffalo6322 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I also like to use Austin Powers as a verb for getting a car stuck.
      "I've Austin Powers'd the car while trying to turn in the alley"

  • @ryanpenrod1859
    @ryanpenrod1859 ปีที่แล้ว +4571

    3mm in 2.7 km? That's an absurd level of precision even for today, much less Victorian England. What the hell?

    • @TheHobohobbit
      @TheHobohobbit ปีที่แล้ว +305

      The victorians were the best engineers in the world. much of their stuff is still in use today

    • @General12th
      @General12th ปีที่แล้ว +1039

      @@TheHobohobbit That's a description, not an explanation. You might as well just say "dwarves did it".

    • @pachychon
      @pachychon ปีที่แล้ว +233

      The techniques and skills have been lost to time and lowering of quality of material and workers. Money would be a big factor too, with governments using the cheapest options possible.
      There was also the factor of there being a high demand built around a whole industry for the country at large.

    • @modprog
      @modprog ปีที่แล้ว +153

      @@partraiserhc9351 I understood it to mean that it is a straight line within 3 mm, but that straight line isn't actually tangential to earth at the tunnel center.

    • @ildarion3367
      @ildarion3367 ปีที่แล้ว +101

      @@partraiserhc9351 It's impossible to have a straight line running parallel to the earth's geoid so I don't know what you're smoking.

  • @binbob9
    @binbob9 ปีที่แล้ว +182

    I used to work there. Jon is a great guy and a great boss. I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s achieved and for how he’s running that place.

  • @microwave221
    @microwave221 ปีที่แล้ว +467

    As someone who used to work in notoriously more active tunnels, l can say that the procedure for turning around the wrecker/fire trucks was full lock turn until you hit the wall, full lock the other way until you hit the other, then full lock again into the wall once more if you set yourself up well and twice more if you didn't. The trucks were build with this procedure in mind, the difference those last few inches made was astounding

    • @JackieBright
      @JackieBright ปีที่แล้ว +101

      So a well engineered Austin Powers turn

    • @charleslambert3368
      @charleslambert3368 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Reminds me of the time I had the misfortune to go down a no-through-road in Oxford.

    • @semurobo
      @semurobo ปีที่แล้ว

      So you actually physically touched the Wall? Or you Just went as close as possible without touching anything?

    • @microwave221
      @microwave221 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@semurobo actually contact it. You didn't hit it at speed, and the trucks had bumpstops or a pushpad so there wouldn't be any damage. There wasn't all that much space on either side when the rig was perpendicular, so every inch mattered

  • @g00dbyemisterA
    @g00dbyemisterA ปีที่แล้ว +1024

    Gonna be honest Tom, I am mostly upset that this video isnt about the Bat Hotel

    • @Tsudico
      @Tsudico ปีที่แล้ว +84

      Hopefully that's the next one. I wonder where the largest bat hotel is on Earth?

    • @bonecanoe86
      @bonecanoe86 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      Someone get the Tim Traveler to go to it!

    • @frzstat
      @frzstat ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@TsudicoGotham City?

    • @geoffroi-le-Hook
      @geoffroi-le-Hook ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Louisville, Kentucky ?

    • @robs-journeys
      @robs-journeys ปีที่แล้ว +31

      He can't just leave us... uh... hanging...

  • @MikeV8652
    @MikeV8652 ปีที่แล้ว +165

    In case anyone is confused by the tunnel being "flat," yet having a gradient: "Flat" is not the same as "level." A level line is a curved line (constant distance from Earth's center of gravity). This tunnel is instead "flat," meaning straight, not curved. It has gradient, because one end is higher in elevation than the other (probably to facilitate drainage), and the elevation difference between the ends would have to exceed the difference of the middle from level. In the absence of gradient, all water that seeps into a flat tunnel would drain to the middle, because that's the point lowest from level.

    • @GRosa
      @GRosa ปีที่แล้ว +2

      What do you mean by "vertically straightly"?

    • @MikeV8652
      @MikeV8652 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@GRosa That's a slight editing error. I meant "vertically straight," and by that I mean not curved in the vertical axis, as a level line or a line on the surface of the earth is. A straight line is, of course, the shortest distance between two points, or the trajectory of a laser beam.

    • @leopold7562
      @leopold7562 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I'd have said "flat" as in there are no undulations in the surface

    • @PownyRider
      @PownyRider ปีที่แล้ว

      Depends on where your tunnel start. It could also run out from one end.

    • @MikeV8652
      @MikeV8652 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@PownyRider Only if a flat tunnel has gradient could water run out one end or the other. If both ends of a flat tunnel had the same elevation, water would drain (or marbles would roll) to the middle, because the middle sags relatively lowest from level (deepest within a spherical earth). The effects of gravity are balanced by levelness, not by flatness. Imagine a hypothetical straight (flat) tunnel from London to New York. Both ends would emerge from the earth at an angle, and its middle would be many miles deep into the earth. Clearly, any water or marbles would pool in the middle.

  • @somebystander9465
    @somebystander9465 ปีที่แล้ว +335

    This indeed is a good tunnel

    • @slink66
      @slink66 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Abracadabra

    • @MonkeyJedi99
      @MonkeyJedi99 ปีที่แล้ว

      I wonder what happens if you drive a car in the tunnel up to 141.622kph?

  • @kice
    @kice ปีที่แล้ว +126

    Tom's obsession with tunnels or just a big hole underground is comparable to the obsession of Sam from Wendover to airplane/logistics.

    • @Airbourne92
      @Airbourne92 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Tom Scott is a hobbit confirmed

    • @DarkSkay
      @DarkSkay ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It would also have been interesting to see the tunnel as a kind of canal, with vehicles speeding on the water surface instead of asphalt.

  • @batterietyp4059
    @batterietyp4059 ปีที่แล้ว +4125

    3mm deviation off the laser is absolutely crazy to me. How did they do that?

    • @hongk0ngfu3y
      @hongk0ngfu3y ปีที่แล้ว +729

      flat earth

    • @glenngriffon8032
      @glenngriffon8032 ปีที่แล้ว +797

      More stringent adherence to set measurements and probably a very accurate plumb line.

    • @Djorgal
      @Djorgal ปีที่แล้ว

      If you want crazy, look up the Ligo and Virgo experiments. They are like rulers in that they are devices that measure their own length. These tubes are about 4km long, but this length is known to a precision of a tenth of the width of an atom.

    • @stefanmadzharov9170
      @stefanmadzharov9170 ปีที่แล้ว +835

      my guess would be literal thread under tension

    • @DanielQRT
      @DanielQRT ปีที่แล้ว +437

      especially when considering the fact that over 2.7 km due to the curvature of the earth the tunnel rises 57 cm (22 inches) (making some assumptions)

  • @MrGreatplum
    @MrGreatplum ปีที่แล้ว +20

    The Great Central railway main line was built to a phenomenally high standard; it’s no surprise to me that tunnel is so well engineered.

  • @Celestial-Lia
    @Celestial-Lia ปีที่แล้ว +138

    I visited both tunnel heads about 20 years ago as I had an interest in the old GCR. A fascinating piece of engineering and it's pleasing to see you don't have to fight through decades of neglect to get to the tunnel now!

  • @invisiblewizard2538
    @invisiblewizard2538 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Used to live near there, it was on my regular jogging route. I remember when it was just a disused train tunnel - then all the construction, then the new road layout on the A364... Nice to see the inside of it!

  • @izzieb
    @izzieb ปีที่แล้ว +213

    I've heard of this tunnel before, it very much seems they were inspired by Chip Ganassis's testing tunnel (the Laurel Hill Tunnel in Pennsylvania) which was used by his various race teams for testing. I believe Chip Ganassi began using it for testing in 2004.

    • @davidz2690
      @davidz2690 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      And this one is in Northamptonshire, at the heart of world motorsport

    • @SmD-ff5xd
      @SmD-ff5xd ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I don't think so. This tunnel is much larger and is available for hire, I believe the only one in the world. used not just for aerodynamics & emissions testing they also have Sunday's where it's available to the public for cycling and the like

    • @McAdamSandwich
      @McAdamSandwich ปีที่แล้ว

      @@davidz2690 Fairly certain Red Bull's F1 team has/does use it.

    • @davidz2690
      @davidz2690 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@McAdamSandwich Not surprised - seven F1 teams are based nearby

  • @abarratt8869
    @abarratt8869 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    That's a fabulous facility. It strikes me that it's the kind of thing that nobody thought they needed, until someone built it. And then they all realise they need it. And there's not many dead straight, long, spare tunnels around the world...
    Reminds me of the road testing facility Tom went to in France, with a massively heavy high speed merry-go-round on lorry tyres. Crazy, until you see the results.

    • @zr4937
      @zr4937 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I live near this facility, and only just now realised what it was for. Growing up in Northampton, saw lots of random places which had abandoned railway tracks from the old railway line that was abandoned in favour of the Northampton-Milton Keynes/London line. We also have a lift tower that, well, was used to test lifts. Now we just abseil down it because we don't need to test lifts here anymore apparently, and at Christmas time we put a tree on top of it. Midlanders are weird.

    • @abarratt8869
      @abarratt8869 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@zr4937 I know the lift tower - driven round it. Listed building now - that's going to cost the owner a lot of money one day.
      Terry Wogan used to refer to it as the Northampton lighthouse. "Why," he would muse, "are they building a lighthouse in Northampton so far from the sea?".

  • @Mumpy
    @Mumpy ปีที่แล้ว +584

    I love how Jon Paton had to remind us that the surface of the earth is curved, just in case a certain group of people unironically cite the laser light as proof the earth is flat...

    • @MonkeyJedi99
      @MonkeyJedi99 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      "A... fifteen degree per hour drift..." - "Thanks, Bob!"

    • @Grim_Beard
      @Grim_Beard ปีที่แล้ว +15

      "Interesting."

    • @Runescaper1357
      @Runescaper1357 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      In principle, it's not a dumb argument; there *must* be a distance at which the curvature should be noticeable.
      How long of a perfectly-level run would one need to observe (or not observe) the phenomenon?
      I know of the canal and mast test, and that those results can be disregarded due to not factoring in refraction from air and water.
      I know of a test done on a frozen lake at a distance of roughly 6km that demonstrated no curvature.
      I recall several other long-distance shots (10+ km) of buildings and landscapes from a camera (Nikon P900 I think?) which purportedly ought not to be possible on a curved earth.
      What do you think about the idea?
      What evidence do you know of?

    • @ashman187
      @ashman187 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      2.7 Km is = 8 inches per mile squared, or 52 inches of curve.

    • @Creaform003
      @Creaform003 ปีที่แล้ว +56

      @@Runescaper1357 The easiest way to see the curvature with the naked eye, is in our shadow on the moon.
      There is also a place in Australia you can see it quite nicely. The Nullarbor Plains, I spent a few hours going across it in a train and it messes with your head. You can't see beyond about 10-20km in any direction. It feels like the world hasn't rendered correctly and your view distance is set to medium.

  • @otterylexa4499
    @otterylexa4499 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    I've seen videos on the Catesby tunnel before but this was definitely the best. And a fascinating little bit of science as well, which demonstrates the advantage of the set-up. You'd need a lot more runs to get that data in the open.

    • @otterylexa4499
      @otterylexa4499 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      As someone else also mentioned, you could also film a very Tom Scott video on the bat hotel. With an interview with an Environmental Conservation officer.

  • @glenngriffon8032
    @glenngriffon8032 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    "Austin Powers 37 point turn" had me rolling

  • @uumlaut-
    @uumlaut- ปีที่แล้ว +31

    1:07 made me unbelievably happy. I'm glad that they opted to relocate the bats while still getting access to the tunnel

    • @sarahlouisebutler
      @sarahlouisebutler ปีที่แล้ว +11

      I love that too, but legally they cannot disturb the bats. Bats and their roosts are protected under law in the UK (possibly internationally but I'm not sure).

    • @uumlaut-
      @uumlaut- ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@sarahlouisebutler happy non the less. The last thing we need is more meddling with bats, haha

    • @binbob9
      @binbob9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I used to work there and it was the biggest hurdle before starting work, more so than any of the engineering bits. Took a looooong time to get sorted.

  • @ecospider5
    @ecospider5 ปีที่แล้ว +611

    Excellent reuse of infrastructure. I feel there are a lot of old abandoned things that could be reused. It’s just that the people that could use it don’t know it exists.

    • @goosenotmaverick1156
      @goosenotmaverick1156 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Agreed! Reuse of infrastructure could save so much in building materials alone, much less once you consider all the environmental costs that would be reduced significantly by not having to build from an empty lot. Not to mention the cool history that can be saved in ways like this!

    • @DJenerate
      @DJenerate ปีที่แล้ว +17

      It reminds me of something similar near me in Dudley, there's a former rail tunnel that's not being used by the new tram line, so they've repurposed it into part of a test track for 'Very Light Rail'. I guess using a railway tunnel for something running on rails isn't as interesting, but it's still great to see the infrastructure being used again.

    • @goosenotmaverick1156
      @goosenotmaverick1156 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@DJenerate in my opinion, anything like that is interesting, I see any reuse of large scale anything, interesting. I mean, bringing back anything as even the same thing as it was, can be a process. Plus, anything developing in rail transport is also interesting 😎

    • @garganchua
      @garganchua ปีที่แล้ว +1

      reusing train tunnels for cars is such an amazing idea its a shame we dont do it more often. most people who drive cars like to go out of their way just to use the path with tunnels because vroom

    • @DarkSkay
      @DarkSkay ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Well-built stuff can save so much time, money, resources.

  • @JoshuaHill182
    @JoshuaHill182 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    As someone with a degree in physics, this work site really interests me. I love that it was built buy the victorians. Maybe i should send in my CV and see what happens

  • @gilly_the_fish
    @gilly_the_fish ปีที่แล้ว +126

    With all the times Tom and crew have mentioned Thunderbirds over the years, I feel like I've watched the whole thing by now.

  • @Crosier5961
    @Crosier5961 ปีที่แล้ว +68

    I had a friend who would only put $20 worth of fuel in his car because his logic was "more fuel = more weight. More weight = less gas mileage" so he saw that as the perfect balance. This just made me think of that.

    • @paulhaynes8045
      @paulhaynes8045 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      But it would have meant gradually putting less and less fuel in his car. Keep that car long enough, and you're not even going to make it to the shops!

    • @edopronk1303
      @edopronk1303 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      He's got a point. Although it is probably negligible, 20 liters more or less.

    • @Robert-cu9bm
      @Robert-cu9bm ปีที่แล้ว +45

      But then you waste more detouring to the petrol station.

    • @bubblinebee
      @bubblinebee ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@Robert-cu9bm This exactly! Stopping to get more fuel costs fuel, but my mom would never listen...

    • @vylbird8014
      @vylbird8014 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@Robert-cu9bm The solution is to illegally keep a big tank of fuel in your garage and fill up from that as needed.

  • @PietroNobili
    @PietroNobili ปีที่แล้ว +205

    This could help answering whether it's more efficient to lower your car windows or use air conditioning, I've always wondered about that

    • @fireaza
      @fireaza ปีที่แล้ว +26

      The Mythbusters did an episode on that.

    • @TSZatoichi
      @TSZatoichi ปีที่แล้ว +41

      Mythbusters already did that, use your AC.

    • @RJFerret
      @RJFerret ปีที่แล้ว +96

      Mythbusters tested this via measuring fuel usage over a long time around a racetrack, obviously the exact threshold varies based on vehicle, but essentially AC more efficient at high speeds (highway), open windows at low speeds (city).

    • @Atlessa
      @Atlessa ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Mythbusters did that in real world conditions a long time ago. Their method: Have a transparent tank on the outside of the car where they could see how much fuel they used, and drive around the perimeter of a parking lot several times in varying configurations.
      I believe their result was that the AC was quite a bit more efficient, but keep in mind that was more than 10 years ago so car aerodynamics and AC technology have certainly progressed since.

    • @benwisey
      @benwisey ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Mythbusters tested that.

  • @seanehle8323
    @seanehle8323 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Hey Tom! Such a random treat to "run into you" at Heathrow a few days ago. Can't believe I lost my footing like that.
    It's still a highlight of my trip to have met you, even if under unfortunate circumstances.

  • @Craigels
    @Craigels ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Another great video as per!
    I love how, even whilst providing an interesting and informative video, Tom is still able to break the 4th wall and make you think about the filming process for thsoe whom are not in the know.

  • @SockGoblin801
    @SockGoblin801 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    You turn some of the most mundane into stuff I find fun and interesting. Your energy is great for a smile. Thanks for your work.

  • @wanderingrandomer
    @wanderingrandomer ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I love how "doing an Austin Powers" is immediately recognisable as a term. I and a lot of people I know refer to that when botching a 3-point turn

  • @teodorrozej4344
    @teodorrozej4344 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    4:01 As soon as he said deviation, my mind could only think of: "The missile knows where it is at all times"

    • @kindlin
      @kindlin ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Not by knowing where it is, but by knowing where it is not.

    • @kindlin
      @kindlin ปีที่แล้ว

      @Smee Self
      The missile knows where it is....

    • @incognitoaccount7510
      @incognitoaccount7510 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@smeeself Its an explanation of how missile guidance systems work.
      Google "the missile knows where it is"
      Essentially, the missile subtracts where it is from where it isn't to find where it's going

  • @rud
    @rud ปีที่แล้ว +39

    Legends has it that if you go in there at midnight on the shortest day of the year, you can still hear ghosts of trains past, going though the tunnel, their whistles blaring right though your soul.

  • @KeppyKep
    @KeppyKep ปีที่แล้ว +3

    That's a nice tunnel.
    And I love how you gave us a little behind-the-scenes peek AND made that half the story of the video!

  • @jaydavis2839
    @jaydavis2839 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I’m so glad health and safety made you wear hi-vis vests because all the traffic on that roadway

    • @u1zha
      @u1zha ปีที่แล้ว +4

      More like to make rescuers see them more easily, in case of a freak accident with all lights going out lots of smoke accumulating

  • @tigershark2328
    @tigershark2328 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    As an Aerospace student who's used a Wind tunnel:
    THIS IS SO COOL
    I wanna visit!!!

  • @techdaemn
    @techdaemn ปีที่แล้ว +22

    One interesting nit. Gradient aside, "perfectly flat" (or rather perfectly straight) is not flat for the purposes of coasting a car. Mentioned at the beginning, but earth's surface is curved, so if the tunnel were same elevation at both ends, but perfectly straight then effectively it's actually lower in the middle and you're going uphill slightly toward either end. If water leaked in, it would literally pool up in the middle of the tunnel eventually forming a curved surface.
    With the gradient and straight profile it means that the tunnel is effectively steeper at one end than it is at the other end, relative to the pull of gravity. All of this needs to be accounted for in their calculations.

    • @techdaemn
      @techdaemn ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @Smee Self Cept if it's truly laser straight, then it is *not* a constant gradient in the way that gradient matters (coasting in this case). A level will measure different values at one end, center, and other end.

    • @quillmaurer6563
      @quillmaurer6563 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      This crossed my mind as well. Running these calculations (in a rough approximation that will at least give reasonable order of magnitude) I get a difference in angle of about 0.024°, .04%, or 1 in 2355. My guess is that this effect is so insignificant that it doesn't matter, even at the precision they are doing. Initially I figured this might be less than a rounding error for the given 1:176, but when I tried adding this new gradient I got 1:163, so it would be measurable in that given number - but still probably so insignificant they don't really care. 1:176 is probably the average through the tunnel.

  • @ericlotze7724
    @ericlotze7724 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    1:06 I was about to be bummed, but they made them their own little bat hotel how lovely!
    (UF Has some MASSIVE Ones)

  • @phyphor
    @phyphor ปีที่แล้ว +5

    "how's that for timing?" - it's almost like you have been doing this for a while!
    Top work, Tom.

  • @dmdragonfly
    @dmdragonfly ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Went on a couple of tours of this during its repurposing. Amazing environment inside. Of course, we walked through, so took a little longer.

    • @markfryer9880
      @markfryer9880 ปีที่แล้ว

      Must have taken quite a while to reconfigure the tunnel and put in the ceiling and the lighting.

  • @mejiavince
    @mejiavince ปีที่แล้ว +27

    That is a really good tunnel.

  • @NichtcrawlerX
    @NichtcrawlerX ปีที่แล้ว +4

    "This needs the music from Thunderbirds"
    I know that feeling, it always plays in my head when I see those stair single seat elevators and the like. I also always point it out and I am quite certain by now it always annoys the people I am with...

  • @joshuaburgess7727
    @joshuaburgess7727 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    I bet the acoustic sound and potential in there is incredible 😅

    • @quillmaurer6563
      @quillmaurer6563 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ask Richard Hammond about loud V8s and tunnels...

  • @emmahealy4863
    @emmahealy4863 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    As a caver, I can appreciate a really good tunnel.
    Thanks Tom

    • @eadweard.
      @eadweard. ปีที่แล้ว

      As an absolute gash hound, me too!

    • @mrlithium69
      @mrlithium69 ปีที่แล้ว

      gl spelunking to the both of you!

  • @euansmith3699
    @euansmith3699 ปีที่แล้ว +59

    Adam Something is correct, even when it comes to designing cars, railways are the answer.
    Another weird, entertaining and informative video from Tom and his crew.
    Now I want to see the same experiments being run with different breeds of dogs with their head out of the window.

    • @zoom3184
      @zoom3184 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      pugs gotta be the least efficient is my guess

    • @pattheplanter
      @pattheplanter ปีที่แล้ว +10

      And different sizes of evil henchmen hanging on to the roof with varying weapons.

    • @laurencefraser
      @laurencefraser ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Nah, if you're saying that about cars, you're wrong. There are real world use cases where a the car is, in fact, the best option. Just a lot less of them than is assumed when designing infrastructure in most of the world these days.
      On the other hand, it would be entirely correct to say 'when it comes to designing Roads, railways are the answer (most of the time)'.

  • @nitehawk86
    @nitehawk86 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Would love to see a series where Tom just visits tunnels. Nest time you are in Pennsylvania, visit the abandoned turnpike tunnel in Breezewood. :)

  • @mehalld
    @mehalld ปีที่แล้ว +5

    One of the few good outcomes of the Beeching cuts, though the "unnecessary duplication" of other lines sure could come in useful now when we're stuck on capacity.

  • @Sahxocnsba
    @Sahxocnsba ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The turn table at each end is brilliant! That's awesome. Also great timing Tom. Great video. Love this!

  • @DaLoveDonkey69420
    @DaLoveDonkey69420 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I always love the timing with your dialogs!

  • @speedincooper
    @speedincooper ปีที่แล้ว +3

    7:42 - "that's the closest I've got to science in a long time"
    Guy from earthquake tower video: *cries*

  • @Esperologist
    @Esperologist ปีที่แล้ว +3

    2:47 - Impressed me that you had to say the line about the camera operator not being in the back twice... to be able to get the shot from the camera operator of you saying that line to blend with the shot from the dash of you saying that line.

    • @eekee6034
      @eekee6034 ปีที่แล้ว

      Haha! But I think there's a boring explanation: There was probably a camera stuck to the rear window or something.

  • @davidf2281
    @davidf2281 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I'm waiting for the video in a couple of decades where Tom just sits down in front of the camera and says, "Sorry folks, I've run out of interesting things having made a video on every single one of them. Let's play cards or something."

    • @BunkerFox
      @BunkerFox ปีที่แล้ว +7

      That would, in itself, be interesting

    • @godzillas6301
      @godzillas6301 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      In 1945 in mexico 4 men sat down to play cards and each of them was delt a royal flush ........
      True tale ...... now try to work out the odds which are mind boggling .

    • @thegurw1994
      @thegurw1994 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      ​@@godzillas6301 well, the odds of being dealt a royal flush is 4 in about 2.6 million. So the odds of 4 royal flushes dealt in one hand would indeed be astronomical.

    • @otterylexa4499
      @otterylexa4499 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      He's already announced that he will be retiring in a few years time.

    • @kaspernbs
      @kaspernbs ปีที่แล้ว

      I think he already did a running out of ideas video.

  • @riaan6960
    @riaan6960 ปีที่แล้ว

    7:14 i love you for writing the camera costs for all the people in EU, UK and USA even though its exactly the same just different units.

  • @DaHaiZhu
    @DaHaiZhu ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I really appreciate that they were environmentally conscious enough to provide Bat Houses for those they displaced by the reconstruction. 👍👍👍

    • @aim-to-misbehave5674
      @aim-to-misbehave5674 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It's actually a legal requirement! Bats are a protected species, and you can face fines (up to £5k per bat) and jail time (up to 6 months) for disturbing their nesting sites, blocking entrances etc

  • @TheAlison1456
    @TheAlison1456 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    2:40-2:55 you didn't have to mention reality-video editing-cinematography relations here but I love that you did.

  • @listey
    @listey ปีที่แล้ว +8

    You had me at "Tom Scott" and "tunnel".

  • @billyruss
    @billyruss ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Walked through that tunnel back in the 1970s. Amazing piece of engineering.

  • @DirkFedermann
    @DirkFedermann ปีที่แล้ว +6

    That reminds me of (and I had to look it up) the Laurel Hill Tunnel, where a Racing Team bought(?) the tunnel and used it to develop a race car in (almost) complete secrecy.

    • @gordonrichardson2972
      @gordonrichardson2972 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Was that a race car that only goes in a straight line?

    • @otterylexa4499
      @otterylexa4499 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@gordonrichardson2972 I think it might have been a racecar that only turns left.

  • @simonjohncasey
    @simonjohncasey ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I love the concept of taking something from history and using it for advanced science

    • @simonjohncasey
      @simonjohncasey ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I actually watched their marketing video on TH-cam and their tagline is “The future is here, and it’s 125 years old” 😊

  • @DogsWithPurpose
    @DogsWithPurpose ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Glad Tom has been reunited with his true passion.. Tunnels

  • @Oba936
    @Oba936 ปีที่แล้ว

    I really love it, when you show us the bits in the video where you are just happy about timing and such.

  • @officialmcdeath
    @officialmcdeath ปีที่แล้ว +32

    GCR was the last and best engineered mainline of the steam era and Catesby Tunnel is testament to that \m/

  • @belg4mit
    @belg4mit ปีที่แล้ว +20

    I like this. Where possible, consider doing more "actually use the facility in some way", even if it is to test something silly.

  • @bastiaan1150
    @bastiaan1150 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Fantastic approach to measurements!

  • @TrafficCamWatch
    @TrafficCamWatch ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a great video to show to TV networks that want to shove a camera to the outside of a race car during qualifying or a race as if it is "no big deal". It is.

  • @yellowblue_tt
    @yellowblue_tt ปีที่แล้ว +11

    that is a very good tunnel, 10/10

  • @noelward8047
    @noelward8047 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is intriguing.
    I have spent many hours in wind tunnels investigating things such as wind noise in vehicles.

  • @mescad
    @mescad ปีที่แล้ว +35

    I wonder how much having Tom in the car as a passenger affected the tests. Being inside of the car, of course he wouldn't add any direct wind resistance, but I would think his additional weight would affect drag. Likely more than the GoPros, I'd think.

    • @abydosianchulac2
      @abydosianchulac2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      It would have been interesting since they'd have had the info from the run with the camera operator and equipment in the back, too, so they'd know how much he affected the run as well.

    • @toneddef
      @toneddef ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Perhaps they were doing a loaded vs unloaded run, to text the affect of weight. What you don't see are the six loaded suitcases and a bag of sand in the trunk.

    • @geoffroi-le-Hook
      @geoffroi-le-Hook ปีที่แล้ว

      did we see him outside the car during a test at all ?

    • @martijn9568
      @martijn9568 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Tom being in the car would also add 70 kilograms of mass, which means that the car will coast for longer.
      Tom being in the car probably both negatively, as well as positively affected the test.

  • @thegentleartoffisticuffs6983
    @thegentleartoffisticuffs6983 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Another week, another Tom Scott video making me invested in topics I have never cared about before.

  • @tapio_m6861
    @tapio_m6861 ปีที่แล้ว +87

    Oh god I thought Tom had gone to the silly Tesla tunnel.
    The result is interesting, and I can only imagine that they have also done tests for those roof boxes for skis. They are known to be bad for fuel efficiency, but I would like to know how much.

    • @BuzzinsPetRock78
      @BuzzinsPetRock78 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I think the scientific answer to that would be: very. 😋

    • @web4639
      @web4639 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I do think that driving back and forth at a constant speed in a straight line would actually be an ideal situation for a computer controlled car (not a tesla, don't want to ruin the tunnel).

    • @SirDragonClaw
      @SirDragonClaw ปีที่แล้ว +1

      How are those tunnels silly? They seem to be used by 1000's of people per day.

    • @finngardiner5358
      @finngardiner5358 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@SirDragonClaw single lane, no fire exits, build a tram are the main ones iirc

    • @tapio_m6861
      @tapio_m6861 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@web4639 Make a queue out of all those cars and put more seats in them. And ditch the word "car", use something more to the point. Like an underground or a subway. Or a metro.

  • @Lincohh
    @Lincohh ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That title remeber me to my favourite quote from mythbuster: Remember kids the only difference between science and screwing around is writing it down.

  • @TheFatVeganOne
    @TheFatVeganOne ปีที่แล้ว +13

    The phrase "That's the closest I've got to science in a long time!" really tickled me 😅

  • @DigitalDiabloUK
    @DigitalDiabloUK ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Id heard about this a few months ago; great to see Tom give more details.

  • @rkan2
    @rkan2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Fittingly after watching Technology Connection's video about the Ioniq 5's brake lights :P

  • @jamwil200
    @jamwil200 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice to see Tom covering this, having seen Motorbase and Team HARD test in it for BTCC!

  • @alucide
    @alucide ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Nice to see the deviation in the measurements is the same as the resolution of the measurement: 100 fps 0,01 s.
    And now to be as pedantic as Tom would appreciate; the mass of the car does change, as energy in batteries has mass, it's just low enough that the wearing down of the paint on the car by air friction is probably more than the change in weight if the battery, not to mention the moisture loss of the driver or the wear of the tires.

  • @brianholmes1812
    @brianholmes1812 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I just love the thunderbirds style turntable setup they have

  • @Schmidtelpunkt
    @Schmidtelpunkt ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Aaaand there I am sucked into the rabbit hole of following the geographic patterns of a former railway line through England...

  • @RMDragon3
    @RMDragon3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Well, as the quote goes, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down. And you even documented it on video, so it's science!

  • @AdemOmerovicBA
    @AdemOmerovicBA ปีที่แล้ว +3

    0:41 oh bro, the fact that you had to make that disclaimer 😅🗺️

  • @outbackshaqYT
    @outbackshaqYT ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Saw a car in a tunnel and had to check the description to make sure this wasn't a very silly project before watching this neat video :D

  • @HowlParanormal
    @HowlParanormal ปีที่แล้ว +5

    We have one of these in Pennsylvania at the abandoned turnpike. They used F1 vehicles in it for testing .

  • @leecha3444
    @leecha3444 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    came from the news letter after how many weeks of joining! 😄 i look forward to enjoy all your works after my graduate exam next month👍🙌

  • @giraffon5487
    @giraffon5487 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    It was a really good tunnel indeed

  • @xxcarlos505
    @xxcarlos505 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Bruh... Tom, your about to hit 6 MIL. Keep up the great work!

  • @notsogoogleanymore7860
    @notsogoogleanymore7860 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    2:17 when your parents drives past the mcdonalds you've been begging for

  • @waverlh
    @waverlh ปีที่แล้ว

    I always wondered if there was anywhere on earth you could get that kind of accuracy. Well, now I know. Thanks, Tom!

  • @DrBluefox
    @DrBluefox ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This is how you make an empty tunnel interesting

  • @ham1672
    @ham1672 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    There's also another nice abandoned train tunnel up in Market Harborough, which is now a walk and bike trail.

  • @ander4163
    @ander4163 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This is indeed a good and cool tunnel, as a civil engineering student

  • @Soundhound101
    @Soundhound101 ปีที่แล้ว

    Absolutely nuts. I love the science you do Tom. Thank you kindly for sharing this.

  • @commodoresixfour7478
    @commodoresixfour7478 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Everything about this is cool. Including a old historic tunnel still being used and the fact they still care about the bats.

  • @Robot1c
    @Robot1c ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Absolutely love this! Didn't realise i wanted to learn about a tunnel but now I'm greatful I did :) I appreciated the more scientific elements of this too

  • @LittleMountain90
    @LittleMountain90 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I was not ready for the phrase "Austin Powers 37-point turn" midway through the video 😂

  • @claudiogelsomino212
    @claudiogelsomino212 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The title convinced me

  • @user-ph2sz2oy1k
    @user-ph2sz2oy1k ปีที่แล้ว +3

    That is, indeed, a really good tunnel.