Big Stone Gap VA

Twixt Appalachia and Big Stone

Bob Lawrence4 Comments

I’ve posted this before. It’s an out-of-service trestle between Appalachia VA and Big Stone Gap and is part of a pleasant walking trail. You can access the trail in Appalachia, just off the highway and walk along the old L&N tracks past Bee Rock Tunnel and on along the trail. Bee Rock Tunnel is the third shortest tunnel in the United States. Second is the tunnel I mentioned in Gallatin TN. Shortest is Backbone Ridge at 20′, plus or minus, in Shady Valley TN. After Bee Rock Tunnel is Callahan’s Nose Tunnel, then this trestle and on to Big Stone Gap. This should be a fine walk in fall.

Callahan’s Nose tunnel

Bob Lawrence4 Comments

Callahan is a common name in this area.  There’s a Callahan Avenue in Appalachia and a Callahan Creek that’s near here.  I assume that is the origin of the name of this tunnel.
Anyway, this is the other tunnel on that old (1890) Fremont branch of the L&N line that ran from Appalachia to Big Stone Gap.  It’s been unused since 1986 or so.

This is Callahan’s Nose tunnel from the Appalachia side:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The short, 135′ tunnel is centered at 36.884670, -82.786329.
This is the south face.  The overpassing track is active N&S.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took these when I was more interested in the pleasant hike from Appalachia to Big Stone Gap than I was the tunnels, but I took one picture because I was surprised at the brick interior of this tunnel (below).  I suspected that it showed that the tunnel was an older one and, surprise, I was right.  Bricking was an earlier technique of shoring up a tunnel.  After the turn of the century, they generally used concrete to ensure the integrity of a tunnel.  Enlarge the picture and you can clearly see the brick.