Black Rock Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Black Rock Tunnel is an active rail road
tunnel
of the old Reading Railroad
. The 1835 tunnel was the second rail tunnel constructed in the United States
, and is the oldest still in use. The tunnel is also notable as being the first for which shaft
s were sunk during construction. The tunnel is cut through a hill in Phoenixville
, Pennsylvania
, USA. The tunnel and line are now owned by Norfolk Southern.
The Black Rock Tunnel was constructed between 1835 and 1837 and opened in 1838. W. Hasell Wilson
was the resident engineer in charge. The tunnel was originally 1932 feet (588.9 m) long, 19 feet (5.8 m) wide, and 17 feet (5.2 m) high. The tunnel passes 122 feet (37.2 m) below the top of the hill. A then-unique feature of the tunnel's construction was the sinking of six, 7 feet (2.1 m) diameter shafts, tangent to the tunnel cross section. These shafts were spaced at 100 feet (30.5 m) intervals to correct errors in the tunnel alignment. Construction of the tunnel cost an estimated $178,992.
Noted local miner
, geologist
and palaentologist Charles M. Wheatley
examined the rock excavated from the tunnel and identified many previously unknown fossilized
species, some of which now bear his name.
In 1858 and 1859 the Black Rock and Flat Rock Tunnel
s were widened to accommodate the wider rolling stock from the Lebanon Valley Branch
. The spacing between the tracks was increased from 4 feet (1.2 m) to 6 feet (1.8 m). The widening of the tunnel was the first project to employ electric detonation of multiple explosive charges.
The northern end of the tunnel is high on a steep bank of the Schuylkill River
so the rail line makes a dramatic transition from tunnel to bridge. The ends of the Black Rock Tunnel are located at 40°08′51"N 75°31′06"W and 40°08′39"N 75°30′46.5"W.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
of the old Reading Railroad
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
. The 1835 tunnel was the second rail tunnel constructed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is the oldest still in use. The tunnel is also notable as being the first for which shaft
Shaft mining
Shaft mining or shaft sinking refers to the method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom....
s were sunk during construction. The tunnel is cut through a hill in Phoenixville
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA. The tunnel and line are now owned by Norfolk Southern.
The Black Rock Tunnel was constructed between 1835 and 1837 and opened in 1838. W. Hasell Wilson
W. Hasell Wilson
William Hasell Wilson was a civil engineer for the Reading and Pennsylvania Railroads in the 19th century.Wilson was the resident engineer in charge for the 1835 Black Rock Tunnel, the second rail road tunnel constructed in the United States, and the oldest tunnel still in use.His son, Joseph M...
was the resident engineer in charge. The tunnel was originally 1932 feet (588.9 m) long, 19 feet (5.8 m) wide, and 17 feet (5.2 m) high. The tunnel passes 122 feet (37.2 m) below the top of the hill. A then-unique feature of the tunnel's construction was the sinking of six, 7 feet (2.1 m) diameter shafts, tangent to the tunnel cross section. These shafts were spaced at 100 feet (30.5 m) intervals to correct errors in the tunnel alignment. Construction of the tunnel cost an estimated $178,992.
Noted local miner
Miner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
, geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and palaentologist Charles M. Wheatley
Charles M. Wheatley
Charles Moore Wheatley was a noted English-American miner and palaeontologist of the 19th century...
examined the rock excavated from the tunnel and identified many previously unknown fossilized
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
species, some of which now bear his name.
In 1858 and 1859 the Black Rock and Flat Rock Tunnel
Flat Rock Tunnel
The Flat Rock Tunnel is an active railroad tunnel near Manayunk, Pennsylvania, USA. The tunnel was built by the Reading Railroad for its line along the Schuylkill River....
s were widened to accommodate the wider rolling stock from the Lebanon Valley Branch
Lebanon Valley Railroad
The Lebanon Valley Railroad is a railroad line between Harrisburg and Reading in Pennsylvania, USA. The line opened on 18 January 1858.The road was acquired by the Reading Railroad on 20 March 1858, which put them in direct competition with the Pennsylvania Railroad for the Philadelphia to...
. The spacing between the tracks was increased from 4 feet (1.2 m) to 6 feet (1.8 m). The widening of the tunnel was the first project to employ electric detonation of multiple explosive charges.
The northern end of the tunnel is high on a steep bank of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
so the rail line makes a dramatic transition from tunnel to bridge. The ends of the Black Rock Tunnel are located at 40°08′51"N 75°31′06"W and 40°08′39"N 75°30′46.5"W.
External links
- Historic American Engineering Record for Black Rock Tunnel
- Black Rock Tunnel stero image pair at the New York Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
- Black Rock Tunnel on RailPictures.net