Grimms Bridge Tunnel (Grimms Bridge, OH)
Grimms Bridge Tunnel (1933-1965)
Grimms Bridge, Ohio
In 1933, the Pittsburgh Coal Company built a 13-mile railroad from the Ohio River at Smiths Ferry north to Negley, including the curved, 1042-foot-long, concrete-lined tunnel at Grimms Bridge, Ohio. At Negley, a connection with the Pittsburgh, Lisbon & Western (also owned by Pittsburgh Coal via its Montour Railroad subsidiary) provided coal transport to steel mills in Youngstown. The PL&W was merged into the Youngstown & Southern (Y&S) in 1945 and this line became the Y&S Smiths Ferry Branch.
Pittsburgh Coal was succeeded by the Consolidated Coal Company which decided to sell its railroad assets. The Pennsylvania Railroad and Pittsburgh & Lake Erie jointly purchased the Montour Railroad at the end of 1946. Active service continued on the Smiths Ferry Branch until November 1965 when a landslide filled the tunnel's south portal. Once CSX acquired the P&LE mainlines in 1991, the Y&S was leased to the newly formed PL&W. The non-profit Little Beaver Creek Valley Railroad was organized the same year to operate a tourist train over the branch from Negley to Glasgow. The plan dissolved and the Smiths Ferry Branch was officially abandoned by the PL&W on September 4, 1996, though already dormant for more than 30 years. The north portal of Grimms Bridge Tunnel remains in good condition with rails still in place. The bore was flooded its entire length when visited due to a slide at the south portal which has since been cleared.
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 MoreGrimms Bridge, Ohio
In 1933, the Pittsburgh Coal Company built a 13-mile railroad from the Ohio River at Smiths Ferry north to Negley, including the curved, 1042-foot-long, concrete-lined tunnel at Grimms Bridge, Ohio. At Negley, a connection with the Pittsburgh, Lisbon & Western (also owned by Pittsburgh Coal via its Montour Railroad subsidiary) provided coal transport to steel mills in Youngstown. The PL&W was merged into the Youngstown & Southern (Y&S) in 1945 and this line became the Y&S Smiths Ferry Branch.
Pittsburgh Coal was succeeded by the Consolidated Coal Company which decided to sell its railroad assets. The Pennsylvania Railroad and Pittsburgh & Lake Erie jointly purchased the Montour Railroad at the end of 1946. Active service continued on the Smiths Ferry Branch until November 1965 when a landslide filled the tunnel's south portal. Once CSX acquired the P&LE mainlines in 1991, the Y&S was leased to the newly formed PL&W. The non-profit Little Beaver Creek Valley Railroad was organized the same year to operate a tourist train over the branch from Negley to Glasgow. The plan dissolved and the Smiths Ferry Branch was officially abandoned by the PL&W on September 4, 1996, though already dormant for more than 30 years. The north portal of Grimms Bridge Tunnel remains in good condition with rails still in place. The bore was flooded its entire length when visited due to a slide at the south portal which has since been cleared.
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.
