Mahanoy Tunnel

Here's some pics I took today of the Mahanoy Tunnel, located outside of Mahanoy City.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=925472

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 846&nseq=1

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 854&nseq=0



M.T.

Great pictures. What is the corrugated steel structure to the right of the locomotive in the first picture?

The buildings to the left & right of the tunnel housed ventilation fans. The fans were controlled by the MJ tower which was located outside of Pottsville.

M.T.

Great pix of one of my favorite parts of the world; Barnesville, PA!

Makes me want to head on up for a beer at Kineski's and then make a run to Kowalonek's in Chendo!

Is Chendo anywhere near Maw Noy?

Seriously MT great pictures. Any idea when the fans were taken out of operation?

Andyt293 wrote:Any idea when the fans were taken out of operation?

I visited about 1976, heard the fans were controlled remotely from a tower somewhere, but found a small unlocked box on the side of one of the buildings with 2 push buttons in it. To my fright, one of them started the fan in that building! I quickly pressed the other button, I hoped before the distant towerman might notice.

Railfans controlled remotely from a tower?? Is this a model railroad? Or are these some kind of Stepford Wives railfans? Or are they like decoy railfans, designed to attract the real railfans into the kill zone?

I'm SOOOOOOO confused!

Andyt293 wrote: Any idea when the fans were taken out of operation?

I'm guessing the fans operated until the late 1970's when Conrail took over & closed the MJ Tower in Pottsville.

M.T.

What were the fans used for? To blow smoke out when there were steam engines?

I think the tunnel has these fans on both sides. Where the tunnel exits under Rt 54 the RDG had a branch line that went to Hacks at the CNJ yard. The row is very dicernable to this day. It actually crossed Rt 54 at grade just a few hundred feet before connecting to the RDG main just before the tunnel opening. This line allowed the RDG to bring interchange cars from Haucks directly to Mohonoy City without having to backtrack to East Mohonoy Jct. I think CR tore it out in the 70s.

carajul wrote:What were the fans used for? To blow smoke out when there were steam engines?

From RDG 1953 Shamokin Division Timetable:



M.T.

Here are photos of the Buck Mountain side of the tunnel:

http://mst145.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=2172753

http://mst145.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1890945

M.T.