Side Quest: Tour the massive Culvert of Little Beaver Creek

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.

Screenshot 2020-03-29 at 7.06.52 PM

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.

Screenshot 2020-03-29 at 7.09.46 PM
That giant crack didn’t make me nervous. 😬

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.

Screenshot 2020-03-29 at 7.07.55 PM

For the exact GPS location of this culvert near New Providence, click here. 

Screenshot 2020-03-29 at 7.08.28 PM

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.

 

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: