Great Bend Tunnel (Talcott, West Virginia)
Great Bend Tunnel (1872-1974)
Talcott, West Virginia
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad completed its route through New River Gorge in 1872, including the 6,449-foot Great Bend Tunnel. Much of the tunnel was bored through red shale which would crumble and collapse the original timber lining. This necessitated replacement with a brick lining that began in the 1880s and completed in 1893.
The C&O initially relied on two ventilation shafts, spaced roughly 2,000 feet from each portal, to clear the tunnel of smoke. Natural currents proved insufficient to ventilate the smoke from an increasing volume of trains, averaging 45 per day by turn of the century. The exhaust was particularly problematic on the 0.4% eastbound grade. In 1902, the shafts were sealed and ventilation fans installed, powered by a boiler and steam engine at the east portal. A ventilation plant was later added to a new concrete west portal in 1917, extending the tunnel length to 6,560 feet. Ventilation was removed from service in the 1950s with the transition to diesel locomotives.
A parallel 6,152-foot Big Bend Tunnel was completed in 1932 to accommodate increasing traffic. Both bores were used until 1974 at which time the original was abandoned. A monument stands in honor of John Henry in a community park at the east portal. CSX and Amtrak continue to utilize the 1932 tunnel.
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 MoreTalcott, West Virginia
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad completed its route through New River Gorge in 1872, including the 6,449-foot Great Bend Tunnel. Much of the tunnel was bored through red shale which would crumble and collapse the original timber lining. This necessitated replacement with a brick lining that began in the 1880s and completed in 1893.
The C&O initially relied on two ventilation shafts, spaced roughly 2,000 feet from each portal, to clear the tunnel of smoke. Natural currents proved insufficient to ventilate the smoke from an increasing volume of trains, averaging 45 per day by turn of the century. The exhaust was particularly problematic on the 0.4% eastbound grade. In 1902, the shafts were sealed and ventilation fans installed, powered by a boiler and steam engine at the east portal. A ventilation plant was later added to a new concrete west portal in 1917, extending the tunnel length to 6,560 feet. Ventilation was removed from service in the 1950s with the transition to diesel locomotives.
A parallel 6,152-foot Big Bend Tunnel was completed in 1932 to accommodate increasing traffic. Both bores were used until 1974 at which time the original was abandoned. A monument stands in honor of John Henry in a community park at the east portal. CSX and Amtrak continue to utilize the 1932 tunnel.
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.
