Schenley Tunnel


Schenley Tunnel is a railroad tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The tunnel runs beneath Neville Street in the city's North Oakland neighborhood; the south portal is at the upper end of Junction Hollow, the north in a ravine that opens into Skunk Hollow, between North Oakland and Bloomfield.
Schenley Tunnel measures in length and runs about beneath Neville Street. It carries CSX Transportation's P&W Subdivision. The Allegheny Valley Railroad, a short-line railroad, uses the tunnel for regional services. Amtrak's Capitol Limited also uses the tunnel when entering and leaving the city.

History

Excavation on the tunnel began about May 1883 and continued for nine months. By August 1883, a vertical shaft reached the tunnel's midpoint, and additional excavation began from the inside, working in both directions. In May 1884, brick masons were hired to build the arched passage lining the tunnel. The track was completed on September 24, 1884 and the Pittsburgh Daily Post reported that an informal opening for involved business leaders was held September 30, 1884, but noted that about 25 feet of the tunnel remained to be bricked. The official opening was delayed until December 1884, when the Junction Railroad's bridge across the Allegheny River and Herr's Island was opened, completing the connecting railroad.
Shaw, Stearns & Norris, railroad builders from Columbus, Ohio were the contractors. The entire Junction Railroad, about four miles long, including the tunnel and a bridge crossing the Allegheny River at 33rd Street, cost about $1.9 million. While the original Schenley tunnel is still in use, the bridge was replaced in 1920.