Penobscot Mountain Tunnel (Nuangola, PA)
Wilkes-Barre & Hazleton Railway Penobscot Mountain Tunnel (1903-1933)
Nuangola, Pennsylvania
This 2684-foot tunnel was built by the Wilkes-Barre & Hazleton Railway in 1903. The WB&H provided a fast and direct (45-minute, 30-mile) alternative to the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad between the coal town of Hazleton and county seat of Wilkes-Barre. It was the first railroad to use a guarded third rail to supply electric power, now commonplace for safety and protection from snow/ice.
The tunnel is unlined and has suffered numerous cave-ins since abandonment nearly 80 years ago. The north portal was filled in the late 1950s during the construction of Interstate 81 directly above the portal. A pipe through the fill fails to fully drain the significant volume of water that pours from the tunnel ceiling and walls. The south portal was gated in 2014. Track and structures were removed within a few years of abandonment.
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 MoreNuangola, Pennsylvania
This 2684-foot tunnel was built by the Wilkes-Barre & Hazleton Railway in 1903. The WB&H provided a fast and direct (45-minute, 30-mile) alternative to the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad between the coal town of Hazleton and county seat of Wilkes-Barre. It was the first railroad to use a guarded third rail to supply electric power, now commonplace for safety and protection from snow/ice.
The tunnel is unlined and has suffered numerous cave-ins since abandonment nearly 80 years ago. The north portal was filled in the late 1950s during the construction of Interstate 81 directly above the portal. A pipe through the fill fails to fully drain the significant volume of water that pours from the tunnel ceiling and walls. The south portal was gated in 2014. Track and structures were removed within a few years of abandonment.
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.
