Rating:
No votes cast

CNTP - Tunnel 19

Morgan County, Tennessee

Photos 

The number stone on Tunnel 19. One can easily be amazed at the skill required to handle and carve this nearly 500 pound stone in the 19th century.

Photo taken by Alex Wood in November 2012

BH Photo #243895

Map 

Description 

Tunnel 19 was bored in 1878 like most of the others and was in service until the mid-1950's. This is contrary to its sister number twenty which sits only 1/3 mile south. 20 was bypassed in the 40's, whereas the 19 held on a little longer. 19 has a slight bulging in the east wall due to the fact the current grade is cut right beside the tunnel's bore. However, this hasn't posed a significant structural threat yet. Like twenty, access is limited. You either hike backwoods ATV trails or climb the mountain from the highway and cross the tracks on foot. I would recommend this and the twenty both for only the serious tunnel enthusiast.

Facts 

Overview
Tunnel
Location
Morgan County, Tennessee
Status
Intact but closed to all traffic
History
Built in 1878 by the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railroad in cooperation with the city of Cincinnati, Ohio
Railroads
- Cincinnati Southern Railway (CNTP)
- Cincinnati, New Orleans, & Texas Pacific Railway (CNO&TP; CNTP)
- Southern Railway (SOU)
Design
Tunnel lined with stacked limestone walls and brick masonry ceiling. Thin coating of cement had once been applied to the brick ceiling, has since eroded. Stacked limestone portals. Packed dirt/rock flooring.
Dimensions
Total length: 762.0 ft.
Deck width: 15.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 20.0 ft.
Also called
CS #19
Cincinnati Southern Tunnel 19
Approximate latitude, longitude
+36.14629, -84.64518   (decimal degrees)
36°08'47" N, 84°38'43" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/711859/4002742 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Pilot Mountain
Inventory number
BH 54689 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (7,566)
Bore Tunnel (291)
Built 1878 (87)
Built during 1870s (1,110)
Cincinnati Southern Railway (28)
Cincinnati, New Orleans, & Texas Pacific Railway (26)
Closed (2,665)
 Morgan County, Tennessee (26)
Railroad (15,414)
Southern Railway (360)
Tennessee (1,223)
Total length 500-1000 feet (2,871)
Tunnel (1,310)

Update Log 

  • November 30, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added railroads to categories
  • November 30, 2012: Added by Alex Wood

Sources 

  • Alex Wood
  • Luke

Comments 

Post a comment here