Most people would think that the Midwestern part of the United States is flat enough that Railroad Builders would not need to construct Tunnels, but this is not the case.
Their are/were about a dozen railroad tunnels in the State of Wisconsin alone. Some no
Longer exist, and others are on bike paths and a few are on private property and only one is still used by a railroad.
1. “Buncombe Tunnel”
Location: Buncombe, Lafayette County, Wisconsin.
Chicago & North Western – Abandoned 1938
Length: 350 Feet Long
History & Photo -
http://www.pbase.com/trailryder/image/64475715
2. “Strawbridge Tunnel”
Location: Strawbridge, Lafayette County, Wisconsin.
Chicago & North Western – Abandoned 1927
Length: 650 Feet Long
History & Photo -
http://www.pbase.com/image/64475716
3. “Stewart Tunnel”
Location: Between Exeter & Belleville, Green County, Wisconsin.
Illinois Central – Abandoned Late 1990s - Badger State Trail
Length: 1260 Feet Long
History -
http://www.whrc-wi.org/History/stewarttunnel.htm
Photo -
http://www.whrc-wi.org/ICG99/ic99d2.htm
4. Tunnel between LaFarge and Viola
Location: Tunnelville, Vernon County, Wisconsin.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific – Abandoned 1950’s
It appears to have been blasted out to remove a dangerous hill and bend in State Highway 131.
5. “Omaha Tunnel”
Location: Between Hustler & Elroy, Juneau County, Wisconsin.
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Railroad – Abandoned early 1980’s
Juneau County Omaha Trail opened spring 1992
Length: 875 Feet Long
Photo -
http://www.great-trails.com/omaha.shtml
6. Elroy and Sparta Trail Tunnel #1
Location: 3 miles from Kendall and 6 miles from Wilton, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Chicago & North Western – Abandoned 1965
Length: 1,694 feet long
Photo -
http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/tunnel-1.htm
History -
http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/history.htm
7. Elroy and Sparta Trail Tunnel #2
Location: 2 miles from Wilton and 4 miles from Norwalk, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Chicago & North Western – Abandoned 1965
Length: 1,694 feet long
Photo -
http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/tunnel-2.htm
History -
http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/tunnels.htm
8. Elroy and Sparta Trail Tunnel #3
Location: 3 miles from Norwalk and 8 miles from Sparta, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Chicago & North Western – Abandoned 1965
Length: 3,810 feet long
Photo -
http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/tunnel-3.htm
History -
http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/history.htm
9. Tunnel City, Milwaukee Road Original Tunnel
Location: Tunnel City, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific -
Length: ???
Photo -
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/ful ... p?id=24918
History - There is some rather sketchy info floating around that the first tunnel collapsed either during construction or shortly after completion. It is seen boarded up on the left side of the photo above.
10. Tunnel City, Milwaukee Road Current Tunnel
Location: Tunnel City, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific – Still in Use by CP, UP & Amtrak
Length: ???
Photo -
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=292917
History – Engineered by D.J. Whittemore and Constructed by Harrison & Green in 1875
11. Tunnel City, Chicago & North Western Tunnel
Location: Tunnel City, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Chicago & North Western – Collapsed in 1972 Sealed and abandoned in 1975
Length: ???
Photo -
http://flickr.com/photos/nordique72/2123319261/
History - The Tunnel City bore of the CNW's collapsed in 1972. In 1975 a new connector track was built in town so the CNW could use the Milwaukee Road Tunnel and tracks to the town of Winona, MN. The tunnel had collapsed due to an underground spring that ran in the rock vein right over the bore that had not been discovered by the engineering crew when the tunnel was bored in 1910-11. The tunnel was one of a kind as it was the only double track tunnel on the CNW, although only one track was ever laid through it.
There may be other railroad tunnels in Wisconsin that this list does not cover, but as far as I know this is it.
I have plans to build a website devoted to the Railroad Tunnels of the Midwest, I am only in the beginning stages and I look forward to adding more.
Later Bill