Conococheague Mountain Tunnel (PA)
Path Valley Railroad's Conococheague Mountain Tunnel
Perry County, Pennsylvania
In early 1893, the Newport & Sherman's Valley Railroad opened a 29-mile narrow gauge logging railroad between New Germantown, Pennsylvania and a connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Newport. Later that year, N&SV owner and lumberman David Gring chartered the Path Valley Railroad to extend the route south to Fannettsburg and ultimately connect with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Hancock, Maryland. A westward extension from Doylesburg through the Concord Narrows to Blairs Mills could provide a connection with the Tuscarora Valley Railroad and East Broad Top Railroad.
Six miles of Path Valley grade were completed from New Germantown to Conococheague Mountain where a 2600-foot tunnel was required to link Sherman's Valley with Path Valley. As shown in these present day photos, approximately 100 feet were drilled from the north (railroad east) portal in early 1894 but unexpectedly hard rock made efforts slow and costly. Attempts to drill from the south (railroad west) failed altogether as the rock was found to be too loose to even establish a portal. Funding was depleted within months, and another attempt in 1910 met the same fate. A portion of the grade between New Germantown and the incomplete tunnel was used from 1901 to 1905 by the Perry Lumber Company Railroad.
The N&SV, later reorganized as the Susquehanna River & Western Railroad, was abandoned in segments beginning in 1920. The last of its narrow gauge rails were removed in 1935. Today, much of the Path Valley Railroad's grade between New Germantown and Conococheague Mountain is utilized as the Iron Horse Trail in Big Spring State Park.
Note: This text and accompanying photos are the copyright of Christopher Muller and may not be reproduced in whole or in part on any website, message board, or other medium.
Read MorePerry County, Pennsylvania
In early 1893, the Newport & Sherman's Valley Railroad opened a 29-mile narrow gauge logging railroad between New Germantown, Pennsylvania and a connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Newport. Later that year, N&SV owner and lumberman David Gring chartered the Path Valley Railroad to extend the route south to Fannettsburg and ultimately connect with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Hancock, Maryland. A westward extension from Doylesburg through the Concord Narrows to Blairs Mills could provide a connection with the Tuscarora Valley Railroad and East Broad Top Railroad.
Six miles of Path Valley grade were completed from New Germantown to Conococheague Mountain where a 2600-foot tunnel was required to link Sherman's Valley with Path Valley. As shown in these present day photos, approximately 100 feet were drilled from the north (railroad east) portal in early 1894 but unexpectedly hard rock made efforts slow and costly. Attempts to drill from the south (railroad west) failed altogether as the rock was found to be too loose to even establish a portal. Funding was depleted within months, and another attempt in 1910 met the same fate. A portion of the grade between New Germantown and the incomplete tunnel was used from 1901 to 1905 by the Perry Lumber Company Railroad.
The N&SV, later reorganized as the Susquehanna River & Western Railroad, was abandoned in segments beginning in 1920. The last of its narrow gauge rails were removed in 1935. Today, much of the Path Valley Railroad's grade between New Germantown and Conococheague Mountain is utilized as the Iron Horse Trail in Big Spring State Park.
Note: This text and accompanying photos are the copyright of Christopher Muller and may not be reproduced in whole or in part on any website, message board, or other medium.
