Side Quest: Tour the Enola Low Grade’s tunnel inside of a tunnel

One of the approximately 80 beautifully constructed tunnels, culverts, and bridges that were built along the Enola Low-Grade Line. Most of these tunnels and culverts are entirely hidden from view. In fact, scores of people pass over them every day without ever knowing.

The Atglen & Susquehanna Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad (commonly referred to today as the Enola Low-Grade) is one of the greatest feats of engineering marvels in Lancaster County. The goal of this ambitious project? Create a low-grade railroad line with no slope steeper than one percent and no curve sharper than two degrees.

Easy on paper.
Difficult in reality.

Roughly 1,000 men and 150 horses were deployed to build it. Many were immigrants from Italy, Turkey, Syria, and other southeastern European countries taken directly from incoming boats to the Lancaster job site.

To learn more about the Enola Low-Grade and its history, click here.

Click here for the GPS location of this tunnel inside of a tunnel on Hollow Road

Screenshot 2020-03-22 at 12.51.22 PM — *The southern entrance to the tunnel.*

Before You Go

Please respect private property. Boundary lines are clearly marked in this area. As a rule of thumb, Enola Low-Grade property lines typically extend 30 feet on both sides of the trail. If you stay on the slope, you should be okay. Property lines have been superimposed on the satellite image below.