Abandoned Train Tunnel #2

Unbeknown to many on a backroad in the small forgotten town of Glady West Virginia lies an abandoned passageway that harkens back to the areas railroad history. Built in 1902 as part of a connection between Elkins and Durbin this tunnel was left to deteriorate as the railroad later abandoned the route and it now lays in ruins as pictured below.

The tunnel was originally built for the Coal & Iron Railway (C&I) whose main line was Elkins to Durbin and dubbed simply Tunnel #2 because it was the second tunnel on that route. The C&I was a subsidiary of the The West Virginia Central & Pittsburg Railway (WVC&P) until it was acquired by the Western Maryland Railway in 1905 and then by Chessie System in 1973 before being formerly merged into CSX in 1980. The tunnel was abandoned in 1985 when CSX decided to dismantle the line between Greenbrier Junction and Durbin and the line became part of the Rail Trail program in 1986. The Forest Service now considers the tunnel to be unsafe and have placed large rocks in front of the entrance to dissuade anyone from entering it's partially flooded and crumbling depths.

The tunnel itself is situated right beside Bemis Road between Glady and Bemis West Virginia and if you don't look for it you'll pass it by without realizing it's even there. While exploring the area we located bits and pieces of rail cars partially buried in the creek as well as stone culverts and other interesting items. The purpose of our trip was to locate and photograph the tunnel and the image above taken by my business partner and local photographer Chris Reynolds is available for purchase on printed items at our store D&C Studio & Gifts in Parsons WV. If you go looking for this tunnel please be careful as the rock walls on either side of the rail bed leading to the entrance are dotted with loose hanging rock and from the looks of it it wouldn't take much to bring it down.