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CNTP - New Tunnel 22

Video 

NS 174 exiting Tunnel 22

Norfolk Southern train #174 exits the 22 northbound. One can really observe here the intense grade the trains meet coming out of this tunnel as the train seemingly crawls on its hands and knees to attack the grade it will battle from here to Andy Cooper road. the friendly engineer gives a few blasts on the horn. Note the curvature in the tunnel.

Aaron Beaubien

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Description 

New tunnel #22 built in 1962 as a co-op project between the city of Cincinnati (owner) and Southern Railway (lessor) to bypass old tunnels 22, 23 and 24. The old tunnels are only 15ft wide by 20ft tall, due to increasing rail car sizes, this was not enough. The Emory River Bridge between new tunnel 22 and 24 was also a part of the project. The tunnel is difficult to get to. It requires hiking down the mountain and onto the abandoned (IMPORTANT NOTE) former railroad grade through ABANDONED tunnel 22 and beside the Emory River after wading across on foot. One will follow the old grade until you meet the new grade. Railroad property begins 25 feet from the track edge. Trespassing within the bore is strictly prohibited, dangerous and against federal law.

Facts 

Overview
Tunnels through mountain on Railroad, approximately 40 - 50 trains per 24 hour period
Location
Morgan County, Tennessee
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built in 1963 as part of the tunnel bypass program which replaced tunnels 22, 23 and 24 with new 22 and new 24 and built the Emory River Bridge between the two new tunnels. It was placed in service Nov. 12, 1962.
Railroads
- Cincinnati Southern Railway (CNTP)
- Cincinnati, New Orleans, & Texas Pacific Railway (CNO&TP; CNTP)
- Norfolk Southern Railway (NS)
- Southern Railway (SOU)
Design
Tunnel, concrete portals and entrances, solid rock bore in center.
Dimensions
Total length: 2,551.0 ft. (0.5 mi.)
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 30.0 ft.
Also called
NS #22
CNTP #22
CS #22
Approximate latitude, longitude
+36.08606, -84.64387   (decimal degrees)
36°05'10" N, 84°38'38" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/712139/3996063 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Lancing
Inventory number
BH 54669 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log 

  • November 3, 2013: Updated by Ed Hollowell: Date correction
  • November 29, 2012: Added by Alex Wood

Sources 

  • Alex Wood
  • Ed Hollowell - erhollowell [at] aol [dot] com