Harpers Ferry Tunnel - 1931 - Near Knoxville, MD
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 39° 19.447 W 077° 43.584
18S E 264979 N 4356290
Harpers Ferry Tunnel, built in 1931 on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, is a very busy tunnel where trains cross from the tunnel over the river to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia.
Waymark Code: WMMW5R
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 11/12/2014
Views: 16
Along the Potomac River, across from the village of Harpers Ferry, is this tunnel built in 1931 and still actively used by the CSX System.
The tunnel is located within a mountain across the river from the village it is named after. From it extend two railroad bridges. One is now no longer active but does support the pedestrian bridge that carries the Appalachian Trail over the river. The other is a girder bridge that supports all the trains along this mainline. The tunnel is visible from several positions in Harpers Ferry. The best view of the tunnel mouth is from the AT pedestrian trail bridge. Below the tunnel entrance is Sandy Hook Road and Lock #33 of the C&O Canal, which is part of the C&O Canal National Historic Park. Do not try to approach the tunnel mouth itself since it is private property and there is heavy railroad traffic.
The tunnel entrance is made of a light concrete. At the top is the year, "1931," and below that, the name, "Harpers Ferry" runs along the arch. There is other design work surrounding the entrance.
According to a website describing proposed changes to this tunnel, the tunnel was originally built in 1893 and modified in 1931. Proposed changes are to modify the tunnel to accommodate 'double stack' freight cars needing a 21 foot clearance. The tunnel runs through a geographic feature called Maryland Heights, which was one of the locations that the Confederate Army placed batteries to surround and eventually capture Harpers Ferry.
Other Source:
nationalgateway.org:
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visit link)