Big Savage Tunnel
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Overview | |
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Location | Somerset County, Pennsylvania |
Coordinates | 39°44′27″N 78°53′37″W / 39.74083°N 78.89361°WCoordinates: 39°44′27″N 78°53′37″W / 39.74083°N 78.89361°W |
Status | restored, converted to rail trail |
System | Western Maryland Railway (defunct) |
Operation | |
Work begun | 1911 |
Opened | 1912 [1] |
Closed | 1975 (rail line abandoned) |
Technical | |
Length | 3,294.6 feet (1,004.2 m) |
No. of tracks | Single |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Highest elevation | 2,351 feet (717 m) |
Grade | 0.55% |
The Big Savage Tunnel is a formerly abandoned railway tunnel located about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. The Pinkerton Tunnel, Big Savage Tunnel, Borden Tunnel, and Brush Tunnel are part of the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail.[2] It was originally built for the Connellsville subdivision of the Western Maryland Railway.[3]
Origin of the name
The mountain and tunnel are named for John Savage, an early surveyor who narrowly avoided becoming a victim of cannibalism in the area in 1736.[4]
Renovated for Great Allegeny Passage bicycle trail
The tunnel was renovated for use on the Great Allegheny Passage trail. It is the longest tunnel on the trail.[5]
The tunnel is closed between roughly December 15 and April 10 each winter to protect it from icing damage.
References
- ↑ Allegheny Trail Alliance, Latrobe, PA."Tunneling Big Savage Mountain" (PDF). Retrieved 2017-12-03.
- ↑ Gibb, Tom (2003-02-09). "Somerset's Big Savage Tunnel gets new life as bike trail". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
- ↑ "Western Maryland Railway Co. Track Chart: Connellsville to Cumberland, Baltimore, MD" (PDF). 1955.
- ↑ "John Savage" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-04-29.
- ↑ "Bicycling Big Savage Tunnel on the Great Allegheny Passage". Retrieved 2011-04-28.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Big Savage Tunnel. |
- Movie of trip through the tunnel (YouTube - large file)
- Map and description of tunnel - WMWestSub.com
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