science · 12 April 1831 · 193 years ago
In 1831, the first U.S. railroad tunnel was started between Hollidaysburg and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Driven through slate, the Staple Bend Tunnel was 901 feet long, 25 feet wide and 21 feet high and lined throughout with masonry 18 inches thick. It was for the Allegheny Portage Railroad, the first railroad to go west of the Alleghany Mountains. The project engineer was Solomon White Roberts. The tunnel was completed 18 Mar 1834. The restored tunnel is now a National Historic Site
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