Tunnel opened and will support train traffic Excavators find pieces of rail and the original wood-frame support; archaeologist on site Becky Bosshart Appeal Staff Writer, bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com September 19, 2006 Riders of the future Virginia & Truckee Railway locomotive will ride through historic tunnel no. 2, rather than around it. Workers found an opening into the tunnel recently, which was dynamited shut in the 1970s, and also uncovered some of the original wood frame, said Gary Luce, a senior engineer with Geocon Consultants. The discovery means the tunnel completion will be cheaper than going around the site, which would've wrecked the old-time ambiance, project managers said. "On Friday afternoon we exposed the original support sets for the tunnel opening," he said. Support rail has also been found. Because of this discovery, an archaeologist from Zeier & Associates has been monitoring the excavation. State officials want to turn this public hazard into a historic spot along the V&T right-of-way, where they will run a $420,000 steam locomotive between Carson City and Virginia City. Until this recent discovery it's been uncertain if the tunnel could be saved for train travel. Track has been laid from Gold Hill to American Flat, but just around the bend in the next phase of construction is tunnel 2. The tunnel reconstruction could cost up to $3 million, and project engineers see the tunnel passage as the best option to bring the train through the rugged terrain. The alternatives were not viable, said project engineer Ken Dorr. Engineers would've had to take the train tracks around the hill, or cut passage out of the 500-foot-long hill. "Both cases we would have major visual impacts and plus, in the case of daylighting the tunnel, we don't have any place to take the material that we would have to haul away. "Tunnel 2 is fairly important from a historical perspective," Dorr said. The original 566-foot-long tunnel burned in 1872, ignited by sparks from a passing locomotive. It was reconstructed two months later for rail passage. After the line was abandoned, another fire broke out in the tunnel in 1969. According to local lore, it was started by hippie squatters. The tunnel was dynamited shut around 1970 after it was declared a public hazard. The tunnel is located on the Lyon and Storey county line. The new opening was found in the collapsed section of the tunnel on Sept. 1. Luce said the opening is about five feet high and about 15 feet across. The project has been kept secret in some cases because of the danger it poses to those who ignore the fencing and warning signs. "We can see into the tunnel so we know where we are," Luce said. "We didn't know there would be (wood) sets in this pile of muck." Workers can see several sets of the 12-foot-by-12 foot wood supports framed in a horseshoe shape that once supported the roof of the tunnel. Luce can see about 30 feet into the tunnel from the opening, but what's there isn't a mystery. The west side of the tunnel that faces Virginia City was opened in late September. Luce and a team of eight workers walked all the way up to this collapsed section of the tunnel from the other side. A mystery that is solved: how much of the tunnel was destroyed by the blast. "We lost about 200 feet of tunnel, so we're at 360 feet of intact tunnel. But when we're done we'll extend a concrete portal on both sides so we'll gain some with that. We'll have about 450 feet of tunnel when we're done." • Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.
some more history on Tunnel #2 Becky Bosshart Appeal Staff Writer, bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com September 20, 2006 Timber and rail found inside the historic tunnel No. 2 in Lyon County will be removed and documented, and may eventually make it back into the new tunnel construction, officials said Tuesday. A team of excavators recently found several sets of the tunnel's original wooden frames while looking for an open portal on the east side. History is fuzzy, but it's believed both ends were blasted closed in 1969 to put out a fire that had been started by hippie squatters. The discovery of the wood and some rail, which was used to support the sides of the tunnel, came as a surprise to the archaeologist on staff with the project. "The problem with the tunnel is that we've always thought it had all been scavenged or burned out," said Ron Reno, an archaeologist with Zeier & Associates, of Minden. "It was unexpected that we find timber inside." The horseshoe-shaped frames appear to be crushed up against debris, but still standing straight in an 18-foot-high collapsed section. Workers found the new 5-foot tunnel opening behind this collapsed section by digging out the top. The original portal is about 60 feet in front of the new opening. "For 135 years, it's been standing," said Gary Luce, a senior engineer with Geocon Consultants. "So the inside is not that bad. And for the last 40 years, it's been standing without support. That tells you it's pretty good rock." Evidence of Comstock-era craftsmanship can be seen in the rock face. Several rocks have hand-drilled holes and blast points from black powder. The work was done by the miners, the archaeologist said. A spot farther inside the old tunnel was probably cut by Chinese workers with sledge hammers. Builders could incorporate the excavated wood into the future east and west portal designs. "But a lot will depend on how much comes out," said Luce. "We'll try to use it if we can." Workers also found about 12 pieces of rail, one marked with the date 1869 that was made in Sheffield, England. State officials want to turn this public hazard into a historic spot along the V&T right-of-way, where they will run a $420,000 steam locomotive between Carson City and Virginia City. This month, excavators from subcontractor Art Wilson Mining Co. uncovered the portal opening on the Carson City side, which confirms that enough of the tunnel is intact for future train travel. The west end was opened almost exactly a year ago. Hardrock Tunnel Contractors Inc., of Vancouver, Canada, will be on site Monday to set up then start stabilizing the inside of the tunnel. Track for the reconstructed Virginia & Truckee Railway has been laid from Gold Hill to American Flat, but just around the bend in the next phase of construction is tunnel 2. The tunnel reconstruction could cost up to $3 million. Luce said the tunnel will be ready when workers begin laying track for this phase of the 16-mile project. "The tunnel should not hold up the project at all," he said. . Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.
John .. what do you hear about how the problem(s) of #18 not being designed to negotiate the tight curves on the V&T?
Interesting news about the tunnel. I wonder if they'll be able to retain any of the old style lining work? Such wood is very interesting to see in person. Boxcab E50
I think Jeff Moore or somebody else may know better but what I've heard is they may take the flanges off some of the drivers to allow them to 'float' on top of the rails instead of spreading them. Course this effects tractive effort and related items. I'm not up on my steam terminology an characteristics so not sure what all will happen. There is another thread about #18 goin to V&T that mentioned some of this.
Blind drivers Removing flanges from drivers on a steam locomotive does not reduce tractive effort. PRR's I1s Decapods were built with only the first and fifth axle drivers flanged. The tread was 8.5 inches wide on the center drivers, though to make sure they did not drop off the railhead. Many 2-8-0's were built with the center two driver sets "blind". Look real closely in many photos and you'll see blind drivers were really quite common.
An 8 1/2 inch tread ... I would think that would present a serious problem to negotiate self-protecting frogs on turnouts!
