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Pinkerton Bend Tunnel

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120 years of sitting in the countryside of Pennsylvania is an unfinished, incomplete and abandoned railroad route that the Pennsylvania Turnpike purchased about fifty years after the railroad stopped work in 1885. Most travelers along the new highway known as the Pennsylvania Turnpike are either aware or slightly aware of its history but not many know what your about to see here on this web page. For thirteen years I have been searching for the exact alignment of the railroad and I only research this railroad. If you ever came across the topic of the turnpike either on the internet or even in books you will notice as I have that the topic of the railroad is slightly looked at but then the topic quickly goes into the Pennsylvania Turnpike route. My reply to that was Hey what about the railroad? Where is it. What is left. Was it all used by the turnpike? What makes up the real history of the railroad that Turnpike bought.
Many people have hobbies but I wanted something that would dwarf others collections. Here and as far as I know is the only place where you could learn about what went on in the railroad construction period. If I do come across other railroads, I barely come off the South Pennsylvania Railroad to explore its connection with the historic route. But soon I am back on track searching for any and all items that is pertanant to this route.

Western Maryland, Youghiogheny River Trail

There are many people who are curious as to where the remains of the South Pennsylvania Railroad alignment might still exist today. Like many others, I have been curious for the past thirteen years and my research has been yielding much never before known information about what is left of this route. What the Pennsylvania Turnpike used, what they own, what and where is the route today. But this next piece of information will probably mystify most. The fact that after the trunk line of the South Penn across Somerset County or even the whole route from Harrisburg to Wheeling (later changed to Pittsburgh) was to have several branch lines built and the second most important branch line to be built was to be the Deeters Run alignment. Deeters Run is a creek located just outside the east portal of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel and crosses from the south (left) to the north (right) across the portals past and present. The line built was to be built along the west bank from the south side of the present Pennsylvania Turnpike to and crossing Deeters Run to the west bank to run south to Deeters Gap at the present route 31 highway crossing. Read the following letters to see just what was going to happen once the main line was completed. Two things to think about as you read these letters is Western Maryland Railroad and its present alignment owner the Youghiogheny River bike trail on that removed railroad alignment did not exist in the 1880's.

*Remember this fact*.

Western Maryland Railroad was hung up in Hagerstown, Maryland until the year 1906. This left the south bank of the Castleman River without any railroad during the survey of the South Pennsylvania Railroad. This means the following described route on the following letters was for the South Pennsylvania Railroad not Western Maryland Railroad.

Above: Site of the two Pinkerton Bend Tunnels. Notice the upper line is not crossing any part of the Castleman River. You can see the tunnel along that route and that is the then B&O Railroad Pinkerton Bend tunnel. The southern bank line in this 1939 photo was the Western Maryland alignment and you can see that it crosses from the south bank to the north through the present abandoned (unsafe) Pinkerton bend Tunnel then back to the south bank as described in the following letters.

Below left: Looking west, this was the caved in B&O Railroad tunnel mentioned in the above letters when the South Penn came upon this site during their survey of 1883. Obviously this tunnel was repaired and still in use today.

Below right: This tunnel did not exist during that same period of the South Pennsylvania Railroad survey of 1883. This tunnel is just about 1000 feet south or to the left of the B&O Railroad tunnel. Notice the bridge has to be crossed before entering the tunnel just as mentioned in the letters.

According to the South Pennsylvania Railroad letters, the path of the South Pennsylvania was to cross the river to enter a future tunnel but that another railroad was in their way. It would seem that because the B&O tunnel was caved in they (B&O) detoured to the left crossing the path of the proposed South Pennsylvania Railroad Tunnel as they (B&O) went around the bend to rejoin with their west side of their tunnel alignment. This meant that the South Penn was having to either climb above the present Western Maryland Tunnel that didn't exist in that period or dig below to build their own tunnel below this tunnel site. Today this tunnel built by Western Maryland Railroad is closed (unsafe) and cyclist and walkers have to cross this bridge, turn to the left (south) and follow onto the old B&O bypass as mentioned in the letters above.

Above left: Western Maryland West Portal: The west portal view of the Western Maryland, Pinkerton Bend Tunnel (behind me) looking west across the second Castleman River crossing to the south bank once more. The B&O/CSX Railroad Tunnel bypass would have crossed this path (left east, right west) on this side of the bridge to reach their original alignment off to the right just outside this view. Doing this would keep the B&O alignment on the north bank bypassing the caved in tunnel.

Above center: Taken from the east bridge of the then South Pennsylvania Railroad alignment bridge later built by Western Maryland Railroad looking north to the active B&O/CSX line as the train is about to enter the B&O/CSX Pinkerton Bend Tunnel off to the left.

Above right: Looking south, a CSX train enters from the west to the east of the west end of the repaired B&O/CSX Railroad Pinkerton Bend Tunnel. The South Pennsylvania Railroad/ Western Maryland Railroad would be off to the right inside the woods.

What was decided upon.

Above: Along the left side of this letter the decision shows that the present tunnel should be thirty feet higher.

Mountain Craft Days

Every year I travel sixty miles to the east up the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a great place north of Somerset to Mountain Craft Days. This year the event will be Fri/10/11-Sun/10/12. This year I focused on the 1938-1939 aerial photos against the South Pennsylvania Rairload Survey Maps. You will be able to compare the remaing work on the aerial photos against the survey maps. I enjoy this event and even the day after the previous showing I look forward to the next year.

Thanks to all.

Once again Mountain Craft Days was a great success and I want to thank all who came to the display and listened intently to the information shown. I enjoyed talking with everyone and thank all who purchased the book and DVD's and a few maps I had on the subject. The next coming year I will expand my display to show the areas south into the Western Maryland area that was surveyed by the South Penn in 1883. This will once again be compared to the 1939 aerial photos of that area including the Pinkerton Bend Tunnel and Confluence as well as Ohio Pyle and Connellsville.

See you next year at Mountain Craft Days. Somerset, Pennsylvania.

What's the difference between Obama & GOD? GOD doesn't think he is Obama.

Don't blame me I voted for the AMERICAN

Web page designed by

southpennrailroad@yahoo.com


Home History Old Photos Aerial Photos 1884 Report Survey Maps Store Exploring Now Tours Survey Equip.	Pinkerton Bend Tunnel web page 120 years of sitting in the countryside of Pennsylvania is an unfinished, incomplete and abandoned railroad route that the Pennsylvania Turnpike purchased about fifty years after the railroad stopped work in 1885. Most travelers along the new highway known as the Pennsylvania Turnpike are either aware or slightly aware of its history but not many know what your about to see here on this web page. For thirteen years I have been searching for the exact alignment of the railroad and I only research this railroad. If you ever came across the topic of the turnpike either on the internet or even in books you will notice as I have that the topic of the railroad is slightly looked at but then the topic quickly goes into the Pennsylvania Turnpike route. My reply to that was Hey what about the railroad? Where is it. What is left. Was it all used by the turnpike? What makes up the real history of the railroad that Turnpike bought. Many people have hobbies but I wanted something that would dwarf others collections. Here and as far as I know is the only place where you could learn about what went on in the railroad construction period. If I do come across other railroads, I barely come off the South Pennsylvania Railroad to explore its connection with the historic route. But soon I am back on track searching for any and all items that is pertanant to this route. Western Maryland, Youghiogheny River Trail There are many people who are curious as to where the remains of the South Pennsylvania Railroad alignment might still exist today. Like many others, I have been curious for the past thirteen years and my research has been yielding much never before known information about what is left of this route. What the Pennsylvania Turnpike used, what they own, what and where is the route today. But this next piece of information will probably mystify most. The fact that after the trunk line of the South Penn across Somerset County or even the whole route from Harrisburg to Wheeling (later changed to Pittsburgh) was to have several branch lines built and the second most important branch line to be built was to be the Deeters Run alignment. Deeters Run is a creek located just outside the east portal of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel and crosses from the south (left) to the north (right) across the portals past and present. The line built was to be built along the west bank from the south side of the present Pennsylvania Turnpike to and crossing Deeters Run to the west bank to run south to Deeters Gap at the present route 31 highway crossing. Read the following letters to see just what was going to happen once the main line was completed. Two things to think about as you read these letters is Western Maryland Railroad and its present alignment owner the Youghiogheny River bike trail on that removed railroad alignment did not exist in the 1880's. Remember this fact. Western Maryland Railroad was hung up in Hagerstown, Maryland until the year 1906. This left the south bank of the Castleman River without any railroad during the survey of the South Pennsylvania Railroad. This means the following described route on the following letters was for the South Pennsylvania Railroad not Western Maryland Railroad. Above: Site of the two Pinkerton Bend Tunnels. Notice the upper line is not crossing any part of the Castleman River. You can see the tunnel along that route and that is the then B&O Railroad Pinkerton Bend tunnel. The southern bank line in this 1939 photo was the Western Maryland alignment and you can see that it crosses from the south bank to the north through the present abandoned (unsafe) Pinkerton bend Tunnel then back to the south bank as described in the following letters. Below left: Looking west, this was the caved in B&O Railroad tunnel mentioned in the above letters when the South Penn came upon this site during their survey of 1883. Obviously this tunnel was repaired and still in use today. Below right: This tunnel did not exist during that same period of the South Pennsylvania Railroad survey of 1883. This tunnel is just about 1000 feet south or to the left of the B&O Railroad tunnel. Notice the bridge has to be crossed before entering the tunnel just as mentioned in the letters. According to the South Pennsylvania Railroad letters, the path of the South Pennsylvania was to cross the river to enter a future tunnel but that another railroad was in their way. It would seem that because the B&O tunnel was caved in they (B&O) detoured to the left crossing the path of the proposed South Pennsylvania Railroad Tunnel as they (B&O) went around the bend to rejoin with their west side of their tunnel alignment. This meant that the South Penn was having to either climb above the present Western Maryland Tunnel that didn't exist in that period or dig below to build their own tunnel below this tunnel site. Today this tunnel built by Western Maryland Railroad is closed (unsafe) and cyclist and walkers have to cross this bridge, turn to the left (south) and follow onto the old B&O bypass as mentioned in the letters above. Above left: Western Maryland West Portal: The west portal view of the Western Maryland, Pinkerton Bend Tunnel (behind me) looking west across the second Castleman River crossing to the south bank once more. The B&O/CSX Railroad Tunnel bypass would have crossed this path (left east, right west) on this side of the bridge to reach their original alignment off to the right just outside this view. Doing this would keep the B&O alignment on the north bank bypassing the caved in tunnel. Above center: Taken from the east bridge of the then South Pennsylvania Railroad alignment bridge later built by Western Maryland Railroad looking north to the active B&O/CSX line as the train is about to enter the B&O/CSX Pinkerton Bend Tunnel off to the left. Above right: Looking south, a CSX train enters from the west to the east of the west end of the repaired B&O/CSX Railroad Pinkerton Bend Tunnel. The South Pennsylvania Railroad/ Western Maryland Railroad would be off to the right inside the woods. What was decided upon. Above: Along the left side of this letter the decision shows that the present tunnel should be thirty feet higher. Mountain Craft Days Every year I travel sixty miles to the east up the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a great place north of Somerset to Mountain Craft Days. This year the event will be Fri/10/11-Sun/10/12. This year I focused on the 1938-1939 aerial photos against the South Pennsylvania Rairload Survey Maps. You will be able to compare the remaing work on the aerial photos against the survey maps. I enjoy this event and even the day after the previous showing I look forward to the next year. Thanks to all. Once again Mountain Craft Days was a great success and I want to thank all who came to the display and listened intently to the information shown. I enjoyed talking with everyone and thank all who purchased the book and DVD's and a few maps I had on the subject. The next coming year I will expand my display to show the areas south into the Western Maryland area that was surveyed by the South Penn in 1883. This will once again be compared to the 1939 aerial photos of that area including the Pinkerton Bend Tunnel and Confluence as well as Ohio Pyle and Connellsville. See you next year at Mountain Craft Days. Somerset, Pennsylvania. What's the difference between Obama & GOD? GOD doesn't think he is Obama. Don't blame me I voted for the AMERICAN Web page designed by southpennrailroad@yahoo.com
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