In the early 1900s lucrative coal and steel traffic sparked the Western Maryland Railway's ambitious westward expansion from Baltimore. Construction took place in two stages: Big Pool, MD to Cumberland (59 miles); Cumberland to Connellsville (87 miles). In order to compete with the existing B & O Railroad, nine tunnels and over thirty bridges and viaducts were built to shorten the route and lessen the grade Here at Big Savage, tunneling went well until workers encountered soft, wet mud and sand 600 feet from the western portal. Conventional methods did not stem the flow so air locks used in New York subway construction were brought in. The tunnel was completed in 1912, but the soft material continued to plague the railway, requiring continual repairs. T UNNELING B IG S AVAGE M OUNTAIN William Price photo, courtesy of the William Price and Harry Stegmaier Railroad Collection at the Lewis J. Ort Library, Frostburg (MD) State University. Building a better route west Freight train heading west c. 1954. After the rail line was abandoned in 1975, the tunnel’s deterioration accelerated. In the late 1990s, the Allegheny Trail Alliance garnered support for the tunnel restoration. Work included extensive rock-bolting of the original liner and installation of a new liner with an aggressive drainage system to minimize the freeze/thaw conditions that damaged the tunnel in the past. It was completed in late 2003. Cross-section of the tunnel from Engineering Record, December 23, 1911. Photo credit Mary Shaw The sands are still running. Look at the water discharge pipe and you will see the red sand in the ditch.This is the same problem encountered by workers 100 years ago.

TUNNELING BIG SAVAGE MOUNTAIN - Great Allegheny Passage › ... › BigSavageTunnel.pdfHere at Big Savage, tunneling went well until workers encountered soft, wet mud and sand 600

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Page 1: TUNNELING BIG SAVAGE MOUNTAIN - Great Allegheny Passage › ... › BigSavageTunnel.pdfHere at Big Savage, tunneling went well until workers encountered soft, wet mud and sand 600

In order to compete with the existing B & ORailroad, nine tunnels and over thirty bridges andviaducts were built to shorten the route and lessenthe grade

Here at Big Savage, tunneling went well until workersencountered soft, wet mud and sand 600 feet fromthe western portal. Conventional methods did notstem the flow so air locks used in New York subwayconstruction were brought in. The tunnel wascompleted in 1912, but the soft material continuedto plague the railway, requiring continual repairs.

TUNNELING BIGSAVAGE MOUNTAIN

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Building a better route west

Freight train heading west c. 1954. After the rail line was abandonedin 1975, the tunnel’s deterioration accelerated. In the late 1990s, theAllegheny Trail Alliance garnered support for the tunnel restoration.Work included extensive rock-bolting of the original liner andinstallation of a new liner with an aggressive drainage system tominimize the freeze/thaw conditions that damaged the tunnel in thepast. It was completed in late 2003.

Cross-section of the tunnel fromEngineering Record, December 23, 1911.

Photo credit Mary Shaw

The sands are still running.Look at the water dischargepipe and you will see the redsand in the ditch.This is thesame problem encounteredby workers 100 years ago.