Add the Gallitzin Tunnels to the National Register of Historic Places


Add the Gallitzin Tunnels to the National Register of Historic Places
The Issue
The Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, are a set of three adjacent tunnels passing through the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. They were completed in 1854, 1855, and 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of the cross-state route that includes the nearby Horseshoe Curve to the east. Their ownership has been passed to Penn Central Transportation Company, then to Conrail, and most recently to the Norfolk Southern Railway. The tunnels are currently used by Norfolk Southern freight trains and Amtrak Pennsylvanian trains. Before the Pennsylvanian, Amtrak's Three Rivers travelled through the tunnel.
Two tunnels exist, though one is not in use, as it was closed in 1995 for not being able to accommodate double-stack freight trains. Since the nearby Horseshoe Curve is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the tunnels should also be listed.
Adjacent to the closed tunnel sits the Gallitzin Tunnels Park, which has a restored 1942 Pennsylvania Railroad caboose whose interior is visible to visitors. A museum is located across the street; its exhibits about the area's railroad, industrial, social, and religious history. A small model train display is located in the museum as well.
These tunnels deserve a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

93
The Issue
The Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, are a set of three adjacent tunnels passing through the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. They were completed in 1854, 1855, and 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of the cross-state route that includes the nearby Horseshoe Curve to the east. Their ownership has been passed to Penn Central Transportation Company, then to Conrail, and most recently to the Norfolk Southern Railway. The tunnels are currently used by Norfolk Southern freight trains and Amtrak Pennsylvanian trains. Before the Pennsylvanian, Amtrak's Three Rivers travelled through the tunnel.
Two tunnels exist, though one is not in use, as it was closed in 1995 for not being able to accommodate double-stack freight trains. Since the nearby Horseshoe Curve is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the tunnels should also be listed.
Adjacent to the closed tunnel sits the Gallitzin Tunnels Park, which has a restored 1942 Pennsylvania Railroad caboose whose interior is visible to visitors. A museum is located across the street; its exhibits about the area's railroad, industrial, social, and religious history. A small model train display is located in the museum as well.
These tunnels deserve a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

93
Petition created on November 19, 2020


