For those brave enough to venture below the Enola Low-Grade, scores of beautifully constructed tunnels and culverts await. Dozens of people pass over them every day often without ever knowing.
To my surprise, this culvert is massive. It’s nearly as wide as the tunnel entering Shenks Ferry and almost as long. Of all the culverts and tunnels I’ve visited, this one was in the worst shape. I didn’t stand under this large crack for long.
A Brief History
Enola Low-Grade, also known as the Atglen & Susquehanna Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was 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.
For the exact GPS location of this culvert near New Providence, click here.
The Complete List of Culverts & Tunnels of the Enola Low-Grade
Check out my growing list of the Enola Low-Grade’s tunnels and culverts with GPS locations and photos.