Here we are a little over 70 miles south of Elkhorn City at Starnes tunnel, 517′ portal to portal.  This is the south portal, 1911 date, looking north.   Again, it’s a horseshoe cross section.  The next picture is from inside the tunnel looking north to what is known as the 3rd Clinch River bridge, a 372′ through rivet truss (according to James Goforth).  Calvin Sneed tells that the community near here, Starnes Slant, got the name when the crews were laying the railbed around a curve and kept fighting landslides, so the “slanted” the hillside to provide stability.  Hence, Starnes Slant.  Hold your breath, the Twins are coming up next, then it’s on to Clinchport tunnel.