Above: Never used grade just east of the Allegheny Tunnel. Pennsylvania Turnpike on the left looking downgrade east.



Above left: Amtrak enters Harrisburg everyday after crossing this famous Rockville Bridge. South Penn's Liberty Valley survey took the surveyors through the valley across the river on the right west of Marysville

Above center: South Penn quarry still holding to this day atop the Allegheny Mountain.

Above right: Bat study taking place at the east portal of the Allegheny Mountain Railroad Tunnel. Out of respect for their study I don't go inside any longer.



Above left: The dirt mounds along the right side of this photo are remains of the railroad fill headed west just east of the Somerset rest area.

Above right: The old Rockville Bridge stone/iron bridge on the right is being removed after the new all stone one on the left is operating in 1906. Compare this with the one in the top left previous row as it looks today.



Above left: The east portal of the Tuscarora Railroad Tunnel. This became the east bound exit portal of the Turnpike tunnel. The west bound tunnel would be built about twenty years later to the right.

Above right: Off the railroad study and into old bridges. This was a Connestoga wagon bridge in Huntingdon County just south Fannettsburg. Several more of these bridges still exist in this valley.



Above: Inside the east portal of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel looking out/east.

Above right: Looking east towards the railroad tunnel of the Allegheny Mountain tunnel on the west side. Soon the hill on the right would be removed to build the Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnel leaving this railroad tunnel to never be used.



Above left: Railroad work sitting idle made for great fishing spots at the west portal of the Tuscarora Tunnel.

Above center: Inside the east portal of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel.

Above right: The railroad crews lived almost five miles from where they worked and needed a map drawn to show them how to get to their projected work sites and the path to take to get there.



Above left: Inside one of the railroad tunnels before it became a turnpike tunnel.

Above right: The famous Rockville Bridge. Just outside to the left the South Penn planned for but rejected building their own bridge and instead choose a route south, closer to Harrisburg.



Above: Somerset grade featuring a box culvert along the east slope of the Allegheny Mountain west of New Baltimore along Commissary road.



Above: Bats taken up residency in the vent part of the Sideling Hill Tunnel.



Above: Looking south on highway 655 south of Hustontown. The South Penn crews built the curved driveway to change the wagon road. Original wagon road on the left.

Above right: From atop the two hour Blue Mountain climb looking west across Trout Run/Gunter Valley to view topside the east portal of the Kittatinny Tunnel. I had no idea a road to the top of this mountain existed on the east side until I reached the top.



Above left: In Franklin county about one mile west of the Kittatinny Mountain nestled at the base of Timmons Mountain shows the railroad grade now being used as a driveway (see culvert on the left). The turnpike in the back ground should be located here. West is to the left.

Above right: When I am on vacation, I photograph the old railroad maps in the State Archives. This is where I go on my vacation trips in the summer while camping. Do I need a new life. NEVER!



Above left: Old turnpike east of Bedford. The South Penn would have been on the north side across the river in this view. That is the Lincoln Highway bridge and present day Pennsylvania Turnpike across the river. The new highway is now on the right.

Above right: The old tollbooth with a partial view of the old toll bridge on the left.



Above: Remains of an old wagon road along the side of the slope south of Fort Littleton, Fulton Co.. The South Penn was in the process of crossing above me looking east. This road was to be totally eliminated by the railroad in its place the road was to be shifted else where.



Above left: Pennsylvania Turnpike contractors ripping out the 50 year old east portal Blue Mountain never used railroad tunnel to make it into a turnpike tunnel. circa 1938. This became the west bound tunnel today.

Above right: Railroad crew circa 1884, posing outside the east portal of the Sideling Hill Tunnel. 120 years later it is a bike trail after the turnpike being shut down in 1968.



Above: Old Narrows Bridge. Before the turnpike (behind the photographer) this was a turnpike (Lincoln Highway predecessor) Looking west into Bedford. South Penn was to cross just to the right of this bridge entering the low spot into town on the right.

Below: In the valley east of the Rays Hill Mountain east of Breezewood is this never completed railroad fill including a box culvert. Part of a bike trail and old turnpike route today. This site alone probably helped the bike trail receive a grant proving this was suppose to be a railroad corridor.






Stay tuned I will add another photo page soon.

In the mean time consider purchasing the DVD (STORE PAGE) for all the great shots of the railroad and Turnpike history.

e-mail
sprr18811885@gmail.com

Phenomenal!