Mount Washington Transit Tunnel
 North portal to the tunnel | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. |
| Status | operational |
| System | Pennsylvania trolley gauge |
| Electrified | 1909 |
| Grade | 5.86% |
Mount Washington Transit Tunnel is an important
Port Authority of Allegheny County. The tunnel changes 204.54 feet in elevation from its north portal at 750.36 feet above sea level to its south portal at 954.90 feet above sea level, resulting in a grade of 5.86%.[2] With the elimination of bus service in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
in 2019, the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel is the only tunnel in the United States shared by bus and rail services.
History
The tunnel was built by
streetcar
services to points south. Excavation was started October 6, 1902, and the tunnel was officially opened December 1, 1904. The tunnel was paved around the rails to allow for joint use by bus and trolley traffic in 1973.
The Transit tunnel is located almost in line with the
South Hills Junction. Because of the related nature of the two tunnels, an urban legend persists that the Transit Tunnel was originally a coal mine.[3]
Accidents
Two spectacular runaway accidents are associated with the tunnel, which is on a steep gradient averaging over 6 percent, and curves as the north portal is reached.
On December 24, 1917, Knoxville service car 4236 ran away downhill after becoming detached from the wire and derailed and overturned on the curve into Carson Street.[4] The car slid on its side until hitting a telegraph pole which ripped the roof off. Twenty-one people were killed and 80 were injured; the claims from the accident sent Pittsburgh Railways into receivership.[5]
On October 29, 1987, a 1700-series all-electric
4000 series cars. Consequently, PAT was left with a shortage of cars, which contributed to the closure of the Overbrook line in 1993.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b Middleton, William D. (1967). The Time of the Trolley, p. 195. Milwaukee, WI (US): Kalmbach Publishing Co. LCCN 67-20155.
- ^ ISBN 9781439672655.
- ^ "Pittsburgh's Forgotten Tunnel". nowthenpgh.com. 16 January 2018.
- ^ "14 Persons Killed Wild Dash of Runaway Car". The Toronto World. December 25, 1917. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
- ISBN 0-915276-48-8.
- ^ Associated Press (October 29, 1987). "Runaway Pittsburgh trolley injures 37". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ Dupuis, Roger II. "Pittsburgh Railways history (Page 6)". Pittsburgh Railways OnLine. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mount Washington Tunnel.
- 40°25′20″N 80°00′23″W / 40.4221°N 80.0063°W - Southern portal
- 40°25′54″N 80°00′16″W / 40.4317°N 80.0044°W - Northern portal
