Indigo Tunnel is an abandoned railroadtunnel in Allegany County, Maryland, located about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Little Orleans. Built by the Western Maryland Railway (WM) in 1904 as part of its Cumberland Extension project from Hagerstown west to Cumberland along the Potomac River valley, which involved construction of four additional tunnels and 23 bridges, Indigo was the WM's longest tunnel.[1] The new rail line opened in 1906.[2]: 44 Trains ran through the tunnel until the rail line was abandoned by the newly formed Chessie System in 1975, in favor of the parallel Baltimore and Ohio railroad line on the opposite side of the Potomac River.[2]: 283
The tunnel and adjoining right of way were sold to the State of Maryland to be developed as the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT). The section of WMRT that includes the tunnel opened in 2019, but due to an endangered bat species that inhabits the tunnel, it remains closed to the public. Instead, the WMRT bypasses the tunnel via the C&O Canal and towpath–rail trail connections that were constructed near each of the tunnel's portals.
^Salamon, Stephen; Hopkins, William E. (1991). The Western Maryland Railway in the Diesel Era. Silver Spring, MD: Old Line Graphics. p. 45. ISBN1-879314-07-X.
^ abCook, Roger; Zimmermann, Karl (1992). The Western Maryland Railway: Fireballs and Black Diamonds (2nd ed.). Laurys Station, PA: Garrigues House. ISBN0-9620844-4-1. OCLC 26302871.
^National Park Service. Washington, D.C. (1981-07-23). "Western Maryland Railway Right-of-Way, Milepost 126 to Milepost 160 (Abandoned)." National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form.
^National Park Service. Hagerstown, MD. "Indigo Tunnel Bat Habitat - Installation of Bat Gates, Interim Closure." Accessed 2010-12-19.
Western Maryland Railway Co., Baltimore, MD (1954). "Track Chart: Cumberland to Hagerstown."
indigo, tunnel, abandoned, railroad, tunnel, allegany, county, maryland, located, about, mile, east, little, orleans, built, western, maryland, railway, 1904, part, cumberland, extension, project, from, hagerstown, west, cumberland, along, potomac, river, vall. Indigo Tunnel is an abandoned railroad tunnel in Allegany County Maryland located about 1 mile 1 6 km east of Little Orleans Built by the Western Maryland Railway WM in 1904 as part of its Cumberland Extension project from Hagerstown west to Cumberland along the Potomac River valley which involved construction of four additional tunnels and 23 bridges Indigo was the WM s longest tunnel 1 The new rail line opened in 1906 2 44 Trains ran through the tunnel until the rail line was abandoned by the newly formed Chessie System in 1975 in favor of the parallel Baltimore and Ohio railroad line on the opposite side of the Potomac River 2 283 Indigo TunnelWest portal of the Indigo Tunnel OverviewLineWest SubdivisionLocationLittle Orleans MarylandCoordinates39 38 21 N 78 21 39 W 39 639207 N 78 360929 W 39 639207 78 360929StatusAbandonedSystemWestern Maryland RailwayOperationOpened1904Closed1975OwnerWMTrafficTrainCharacterFreight and PassengerTechnicalLength4 350 ft 1 330 m No of tracksSingleTrack gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in standard gaugeHighest elevation482 8 ft 147 2 m Grade0 24 Indigo Tunnel The tunnel was acquired by the National Park Service in 1980 and became part of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park 3 In 2010 the Park Service identified bat colonies living in the tunnel and closed the tunnel to the public in order to protect the colonies 4 The tunnel and adjoining right of way were sold to the State of Maryland to be developed as the Western Maryland Rail Trail WMRT The section of WMRT that includes the tunnel opened in 2019 but due to an endangered bat species that inhabits the tunnel it remains closed to the public Instead the WMRT bypasses the tunnel via the C amp O Canal and towpath rail trail connections that were constructed near each of the tunnel s portals See also editAllegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland Kessler Tunnel Stickpile Tunnel Western Maryland Railroad Right of Way Milepost 126 to Milepost 160References edit Salamon Stephen Hopkins William E 1991 The Western Maryland Railway in the Diesel Era Silver Spring MD Old Line Graphics p 45 ISBN 1 879314 07 X a b Cook Roger Zimmermann Karl 1992 The Western Maryland Railway Fireballs and Black Diamonds 2nd ed Laurys Station PA Garrigues House ISBN 0 9620844 4 1 OCLC 26302871 National Park Service Washington D C 1981 07 23 Western Maryland Railway Right of Way Milepost 126 to Milepost 160 Abandoned National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form National Park Service Hagerstown MD Indigo Tunnel Bat Habitat Installation of Bat Gates Interim Closure Accessed 2010 12 19 Western Maryland Railway Co Baltimore MD 1954 Track Chart Cumberland to Hagerstown waymarking com Indigo Tunnel Accessed 2010 12 19 nbsp nbsp This article about a building or structure in Maryland is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This article about transportation in Maryland is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This United States tunnel related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Indigo Tunnel amp oldid 1168585572, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
