Rating:
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NS - Allegheny Tunnel
Description
It is an example of a mid-19th century railroad tunnel featuring ashlar masonry portals and a brick arch lining. Upon completion it was the longest railroad tunnel in America, allowing railcars to pass for the first time from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh without the use of inclined planes. As an integral part of the development of the Pennsylvania Railroad, it is associated with significant development in the transportation history of America. Herman Haupt made significant contributions to the fields of railroad, tunnel and bridge engineering.-- Historic American Engineering Record
Facts
- Overview
- Tunnel under Allegheny Mountains on Norfolk Southern Railway (formerly PRR)
- Location
- Gallitzin, Blair County, Pennsylvania, and Cambria County, Pennsylvania
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Constructed 1851-854, Reconstructed in 1941, Adapted for COFC trains in 1994-1995
- Builders
- - Edward Miller (Co-Chief Engineer)
- Herman Haupt of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Co-Chief Engineer)
- John Rutter & Son (Contractors)
- Thomas Reilly (Engineer)
- Thomas Seabrook (Principle Asst. Engineer)
- Railroads
- - Norfolk Southern Railway (NS)
- Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)
- Design
- It is an example of a mid-19th century railroad tunnel featuring ashlar masonry portals and a brick arch lining.
- Dimensions
-
Total length: 3,605.0 ft. (0.7 mi.)
Deck width: 21.6 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 19.4 ft.
- Also called
- NS - Summit Tunnel
NS - Gallitzin Tunnel - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +40.48154, -78.55074 (decimal degrees)
40°28'54" N, 78°33'03" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 17/707601/4484087 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Cresson
- Elevation
- 2167 ft. above sea level
- Inventory number
- BH 49338 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- November 11, 2019: New photo from Chester Gehman
- March 10, 2019: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
- October 7, 2014: HAER photos posted by Dave King
- June 25, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added categories "Norfolk Southern Railway", "Pennsylvania Railroad"
- June 25, 2013: Updated by John Marvig: Removed category "Ballasted Deck"
- November 20, 2012: Updated by Daniel Hopkins: Added category "Railroad"
- August 14, 2011: Added by Jodi Christman
Sources
- Jodi Christman - masterofchaos [at] outlook [dot] com
- HAER PA-515 - Pennsylvania Railroad, Allegheny Tunnel, Beneath Allegheny Mountain, east of Railroad Street, Gallitzin, Cambria County, PA
- Geoff Hubbs
- Chester Gehman - gehmanc2000 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Comments
NS - Allegheny Tunnel
Thanks,Luke.I knew car was one of the words.
NS - Allegheny Tunnel
COFC = Container on Flat Car.
NS - Allegheny Tunnel
If anybody can answer this what are COFC trains?Does this have to do with double stacked trailer rail car clearances for the tunnel height?If i'm not mistaken wouldn't daylighting have something to do with this?
NS - Allegheny Tunnel
If anybody can answer this what are COFC trains?Does this have to do with double stacked trailer rail car clearances for the tunnel height?If i'm not mistaken wouldn't daylighting have something to do with this?
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This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/pa/blair/allegheny-tunnel/
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/pa/blair/allegheny-tunnel/
Thanks,Luke.I knew car was one of the words.