Gallitzin Tunnel

The Gallitzin Tunnels are three historic railroad tunnel through a hill on the ridge of the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania. They consist of the now discontinued Gallitzin tunnels, running parallel to the Allegheny Tunnel and the further south, shorter New Portage tunnel. All three tunnels running under the city Tunnel Hill and are now operated by the railroad company Norfolk Southern. At its western end in place Gallitzin a park and a museum set up for visitors.

Allegheny tunnel

The Allegheny Tunnel is now two lanes and nearly 1099 m ( 3605 ft ) long. It was built from 1850 by the Pennsylvania Railroad for the new Horseshoe Curve coming from Altoona via railway and opened in 1854. More than three hundred workers were employed in its construction under the direction of Herman Haupt. The tunnel was a long time little changed until Conrail 1994-1995 crucial rebuilt him. It was extended on two tracks, also the base was lowered somewhat, so today including two-storey container wagons can pass through the tunnel.

Gallitzin tunnel

The Gallitzin tunnel is the youngest of the three buildings. It was begun in 1902 and opened in 1904. He is the same length as the Allegheny Tunnel and parallel. After the conversion of this tunnel the Gallitzin tunnel was taken out of service and the rails were removed.

New Portage tunnel

This tunnel is located south ( west portal at 40 ° 28 ' 38 "N, 78 ° 32' 41 " W40.477305 - 78.544811, east portal at 40 ° 28 ' 41 "N, 78 ° 32' 20" W40.47799 - 78.53891 ) slightly higher and is connected to 496.5 m (1629 ft) is significantly shorter than the other two. It was built from 1850 by the Pennsylvania State belonging to New Portage Railroad, which an alternative route for the old Allegheny Portage Railroad needed because of the competing new route of the Pennsylvania Railroad. But soon after the opening of the line through the New Portage tunnel and via Muleshoe Curve according to Duncanville in 1865, the Pennsylvania Railroad bought the line and built a majority again. The tunnel itself was extended at the end of the 1890s on two tracks and used for the eastward leading traffic. In the 1980s, Conrail built a track and moved from the left in the middle of the tunnel, so that the New Portage tunnel can accommodate double-deck container wagons. It is used primarily for the eastward leading traffic.