
Tumlin Gap Railroad Tunnel and Trestle, Altoona, Etowah County, 1899-1903 (Places in Peril 2001)10/22/2001 ![]() Constructed from 1899 to 1903 by the L&N Railroad, the tunnel and trestle are exceptional early twentieth-century examples of industrial engineering skill. At approximately 1,920 feet in length, the tunnel is the longest in Alabama and features concrete headwalls at each end. The trestle is 350 feet long and spans a height of approximately seventy to eighty feet. Following a grant to convert the old railbed and tunnel into a Rails-to-Trails pathway, local landowners contested the transfer of the property, and the court ruled in favor of the landowners. The owners of the tunnel have partially blocked it up to prevent access, which is also preventing rainwater from draining out.
3 Comments
John Wayne Goodin
10/28/2022 04:17:12 pm
I did the math, at 1,920 ft long that would put it at about 6.2 football fields long. Plenty long in case of a local tornado outbreak in the area. You really wouldn’t have to go deep in the tunnel to be save from a tornado as most injuries from a tornado are from flying debris.
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Alex Hartman
11/16/2023 09:18:11 pm
I don’t think this is the longest tunnel in Alabama. There’s another active train tunnel called the Coosa mountain tunnel down here in Sterrett and it’s 2,400 ft long. But it might be longest abandoned tunnel in the state.
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Ricky Carr
11/29/2023 05:22:59 pm
Hoboed trains many times through Tunnel, the scenery going down grade to Ivalee was beautiful. Last trip in 1986 was with a train crew I knew from Gadsden to Mt Pinson. L&N ran heavy trains to the steel mill in Gadsden.
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Alabama's Endangered Historic LandmarksEach year since 1994, Alabama Heritage has highlighted threatened historic sites throughout Alabama. The “Places in Peril” list has identified more than 215 imperiled historic resources throughout the state, and is compiled by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation. The locations highlight the results of deferred maintenance, perceived obsolescence, development pressures, and lack of funding—forces that now more than ever threaten our cultural legacy. But awareness is a powerful force, too, and can cultivate a renewed determination to be responsible stewards of our heritage. For more information, visit the AHC or the ATHP websites. Alabama Heritage is proud to bring to you a selection of the places designated as perilous. Please keep your comments to information relevant to the featured place in peril. Alabama Heritage reserves the right to delete any comment that we deem inappropriate. Archives
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