Gallitzin Tunnel

The Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, are a set of three adjacent tunnels through the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. They were completed in 1854, 1855, and 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of the cross-state route that includes the nearby Horseshoe Curve to the east. Their ownership has since passed to Penn Central Transportation Company, then to Conrail, and most recently to the Norfolk Southern Railway. The tunnels are currently used by Norfolk Southern freight trains and Amtrak Pennsylvanian passenger trains.

Gallitzin Tunnels
Conrail 6169 leads a westbound train through the west portal of the Gallitzin Tunnel in 1993. At right, the west portal of the Allegheny Tunnel.
Overview
LocationGallitzin, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°28′53″N 78°33′01″W
StatusGallitzin Tunnel out of service 1995; Allegheny Tunnel (two tracks) and New Portage Tunnel (one track) in service
Operation
OpenedGallitzin Tunnel 1904, Allegheny Tunnel 1854, New Portage Tunnel 1855
ClosedGallitzin Tunnel 1995, New Portage Tunnel 1857-1890
OwnerNorfolk Southern Railway
OperatorNorfolk Southern Railway
Technical
Track lengthGallitzin Tunnel 3,612 feet, Allegheny Tunnel 3,612 feet, New Portage Tunnel 1,620 feet
No. of tracksGallitzin Tunnel 0 (1 track 1904-1995), Allegheny Tunnel 2 (1 track 1904-1995), New Portage Tunnel 1 (2 tracks 1898-1971)
Track gauge4 feet, 8 and one-half inches (56.5 inches)
Highest elevationGallitzin and Allegheny Tunnels 2,167 feet (at west tunnel portals), New Portage Tunnel 2,198 feet (at AR tower west of west tunnel portal)

The first tunnel, which is the middle of the three bores through the mountain, was built by the PRR from 1851 to 1854. Originally named "Summit" Tunnel, it is 3,612 feet long at an elevation of 2,167 feet above mean sea level and is known today as the Allegheny Tunnel.

The second tunnel, the southernmost of the bores, was constructed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1852 to 1855 as part of the New Portage Railroad (NPRR). In 1857, the PRR bought the New Portage Railroad from the Commonwealth, and appropriated the "Allegheny" name for its "Summit" tunnel. The PRR took the New Portage Tunnel out of service shortly thereafter. In the 1890s, it was expanded to two tracks and used as the primary route for eastbound traffic.

The third tunnel, the Gallitzin Tunnel, was begun in 1902 and opened in 1904 immediately to the north of the Allegheny Tunnel.

In the early 1990s, Conrail (with money from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) enlarged the Allegheny and New Portage Tunnels to accommodate double-stack container on flatcar (COFC) trains. The New Portage Tunnel was opened for eastbound COFC traffic in 1993. The Allegheny Tunnel was enlarged from its original 1854 cross-section to contain two tracks for that could be used for double-stack rail transport in either direction. The work was completed in September 1995, and the Gallitzin Tunnel (which was not enlarged) was taken out of service.

By the 2000s, Amtrak's Pennsylvanian trains traveled through the tunnel.

Gallitzin Tunnels Park & Museum

Near the closed tunnel sits the Gallitzin Tunnels Park & Museum, which has a restored 1942 Pennsylvania caboose whose interior is visible to visitors. The museum, which sits across the street, has exhibits about the area's railroad, industrial, social, and religious heritage; a gift shop, and a theater. The museum building also houses borough offices, a police station, a library, and an archival room.

See also
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