Simpson Tunnel

The Simpson Tunnel, so named for the Simpson Farm it passed under, was a railroad tunnel originally built in 1903 by U.S. Steel and subsequently used by the Dunlap Creek branch of the Monongahela Railway. The tunnel was made of stone with a brick arch construction. The line was utilized both to serve coal mines and coke works in the area and to interchange with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Fairmont, Morgantown and Pittsburgh line and the Pennsylvania Railroad's Coal Lick Run branch.[1] The last move on that line, and thus through the tunnel, was on November 6, 1975.[2] The line was subsequently abandoned by 1976 and the real estate disposed, however the tunnel was not destroyed or blocked at the time. At some point between 2008 and 2010 the tunnel was destroyed, likely due to the construction of the Mon-Fayette Expressway. It is not clear whether the tunnel was blasted or simply filled in.

Not to be confused with Simplon Tunnel.
Simpson Tunnel
South portal in 2006
Overview
LocationFayette County, Pennsylvania
Coordinates39°59′41″N 79°53′39″W
Statusdestroyed
SystemMonongahela Railway (defunct)
Operation
Opened1903
Closed1976 (rail line abandoned)
Technical
Length870 feet (270 m)
No. of tracksSingle
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Highest elevation890 feet (270 m)
Grade0.01%

References
  1. The Monongahela Railway: Its History and Operation 1903-1993 by Gratz, David E. and Arbogast, Terry E., p. 40 (map Circa 1925)
  2. The Monongahela Railway: Its History and Operation 1903-1993 by Gratz, David E. and Arbogast, Terry E., p. 35
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