Big Savage Tunnel
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Somerset County, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 39°44′27″N 78°53′37″W / 39.74083°N 78.89361°W |
| Status | restored, converted to rail trail |
| System | Western Maryland Railway (defunct) |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 1911 |
| Opened | 1912 [1] |
| Closed | 1975 (rail line abandoned) |
| Technical | |
| Length | 3,294.6 feet (1,004.2 m) |
| No. of tracks | Single |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Highest elevation | 2,351 feet (717 m) |
| Grade | 0.55% |
The Big Savage Tunnel is a formerly abandoned railway tunnel located about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. The Big Savage, Borden Tunnel, and Brush Tunnels are part of the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail.[2] It was originally built for the Connellsville subdivision of the Western Maryland Railway.[3]
Origin of the name
The mountain and tunnel are named for John Savage, an early surveyor who narrowly avoided becoming a victim of cannibalism in the area in 1736.[4]
Renovated for Great Allegeny Passage bicycle trail
The tunnel was renovated for use on the Great Allegheny Passage trail. It is the longest tunnel on the trail.[5]
The tunnel is closed between roughly December 15 and April 10 each winter to protect it from icing damage.
References
- ^ Allegheny Trail Alliance, Latrobe, PA."Tunneling Big Savage Mountain" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-13.
- ^ Gibb, Tom (2003-02-09). "Somerset's Big Savage Tunnel gets new life as bike trail". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
- ^ "Western Maryland Railway Co. Track Chart: Connellsville to Cumberland, Baltimore, MD" (PDF). 1955.
- ^ "John Savage" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-04-29.
- ^ "Bicycling Big Savage Tunnel on the Great Allegheny Passage". Retrieved 2011-04-28.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Big Savage Tunnel.
- Movie of trip through the tunnel (YouTube - large file)
- Map and description of tunnel - WMWestSub.com