Kessler Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Kessler Tunnel is an abandoned railroad
tunnel
in Allegany County, Maryland
, located about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) east-northeast of Oldtown
. It was built by the Western Maryland Railway
(WM) in 1906. It was constructed with concrete
arch portals and the roof has wood planking. The tunnel was named for landowner John Kessler.
The tunnel was part of a major WM project to extend its rail system from Hagerstown
west to Cumberland
. The difficult route followed the Potomac River
valley and involved construction of four additional tunnels and 23 bridges. The new rail line opened for traffic in 1906. Trains ran through the tunnel until 1975 and the rail line was abandoned that same year.
The National Park Service
acquired the tunnel and adjacent portions of the WM right of way in 1980. The site is part of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
. (See Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160
.)
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...
in Allegany County, Maryland
Allegany County, Maryland
Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the US state of Maryland. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 75,087. Its county seat is Cumberland...
, located about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) east-northeast of Oldtown
Oldtown, Maryland
Oldtown is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland along the North Branch Potomac River founded in 18th century colonial times. The settlement was initially called "Shawanese Old Town" because it was the site of a Shawnee Amerindian village abandoned about a decade earlier...
. It was built by the Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
(WM) in 1906. It was constructed with concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
arch portals and the roof has wood planking. The tunnel was named for landowner John Kessler.
The tunnel was part of a major WM project to extend its rail system from Hagerstown
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
west to Cumberland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
. The difficult route followed the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
valley and involved construction of four additional tunnels and 23 bridges. The new rail line opened for traffic in 1906. Trains ran through the tunnel until 1975 and the rail line was abandoned that same year.
The National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
acquired the tunnel and adjacent portions of the WM right of way in 1980. The site is part of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...
. (See Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160
Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160
Western Maryland Railroad Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160 is a historic section of the Western Maryland Railway in Allegany County, Maryland and in Morgan County, West Virginia...
.)
External links
- Kessler Tunnel photos - WMWestSub.com