Brush Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Brush Tunnel is a 914-foot railroad
tunnel
located about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Corriganville, Maryland
.
It was built in 1911 by the Western Maryland Railway
, and is currently used by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
, a tourist railroad running between Frostburg
and Cumberland, Maryland
, as well as the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland (part of the Great Allegheny Passage
rail trail
). Some had expressed concern regarding the dual use of the tunnel, but time has shown that the scenic railroad and the bicycle trail can peacefully co-exist.
The Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland
is currently complete from Cumberland to near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, using mostly abandoned rail right-of-way
. The portion of the trail from Cumberland to near Frostburg trail is adjacent to the active tourist line, including the tunnel.
As the tunnel was bored for two tracks
, and the scenic railroad uses only one, there is sufficient room for the bicycle trail alongside in the tunnel, which is now lighted. (However, trail users are cautioned not to be in the tunnel when a train is in or approaching the tunnel.)
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
located about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Corriganville, Maryland
Corriganville, Maryland
Corriganville is an unincorporated town in Allegany County, Maryland, USA. The town lies north of Cumberland at the confluence of Wills Creek and Jennings Run...
.
It was built in 1911 by the Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
, and is currently used by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland. It operates over ex-Western Maryland Railway trackage to Frostburg, Maryland and back using both steam and diesel locomotives....
, a tourist railroad running between Frostburg
Frostburg, Maryland
Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,873 at the 2000 census...
and Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
, as well as the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland (part of the Great Allegheny Passage
Great Allegheny Passage
The Great Allegheny Passage is a rail trail in Maryland and Pennsylvania. It is the central part of a several-hundred-mile long network of long-distance hiker-biker trails through the Allegheny region of the Appalachian Mountains, connecting Washington, D.C...
rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
). Some had expressed concern regarding the dual use of the tunnel, but time has shown that the scenic railroad and the bicycle trail can peacefully co-exist.
The Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland
Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland
The Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland is a long rail trail from Cumberland to the Mason-Dixon line, where it meets the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania....
is currently complete from Cumberland to near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, using mostly abandoned rail right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
. The portion of the trail from Cumberland to near Frostburg trail is adjacent to the active tourist line, including the tunnel.
As the tunnel was bored for two tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
, and the scenic railroad uses only one, there is sufficient room for the bicycle trail alongside in the tunnel, which is now lighted. (However, trail users are cautioned not to be in the tunnel when a train is in or approaching the tunnel.)
External links
- Brush Tunnel map and photos - WMWestSub.com