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.
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 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gallitzin, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°28′53″N 78°33′01″W |
| Status | Gallitzin Tunnel out of service 1995; Allegheny Tunnel (two tracks) and New Portage Tunnel (one track) in service |
| Operation | |
| Opened | Gallitzin Tunnel 1904, Allegheny Tunnel 1854, New Portage Tunnel 1855 |
| Closed | Gallitzin Tunnel 1995, New Portage Tunnel 1857-1890 |
| Owner | Norfolk Southern Railway |
| Operator | Norfolk Southern Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track length | Gallitzin Tunnel 3,612 feet, Allegheny Tunnel 3,612 feet, New Portage Tunnel 1,620 feet |
| No. of tracks | Gallitzin Tunnel 0 (1 track 1904-1995), Allegheny Tunnel 2 (1 track 1904-1995), New Portage Tunnel 1 (2 tracks 1898-1971) |
| Track gauge | 4 feet, 8 and one-half inches (56.5 inches) |
| Highest elevation | Gallitzin and Allegheny Tunnels 2,167 feet (at west tunnel portals), New Portage Tunnel 2,198 feet (at AR tower west of west tunnel portal) |
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