Borden Tunnel/B183.3





Borden Tunnel is 2.5 miles west of Frostburg. The tunnel was bored for two tracks and has a length of 957.5 ft. It was reported to be in very good shape today and known to drain very well. It is now part of the Allegheny Highlands Trail.

After the 1975 abandoment the track was left in all the way up west of the tunnel. It was left to serve a small coal strip mine here. When looking at a topographic map of the area, it is dotted with strip mines. A fella drove along the right-of-way west up to Deal some time ago. He spotted a truck scale and a Chessie System C&O coal car in the area. He wrote that trucks would haul coal from the mines and load the railcars. After the railroad stopped serving the mines, coal was still hauled out by truck for some time.




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Looking east and west from a signal base just to the east of Borden Tunnel. (11/7/04)

This old tramway tunnel is under the WMRY, roughly 300 feet from the east portal of Borden Tunnel. The tramway ran from a fireclay mine on the top of Big Savage Mountain down the steep grade to the rear of the brick plant at Zihlman. (warren Jenkins photo)

The Borden Pump Station and Coal Incline. I'm thinking the WM received coal from the nearby tramway from a nearby mine to supply the railroad locomitives while taking on water. (Thanks to Jim Coshun for photos)

Looking west up the 1.75% grade towards the east portal of Bordan Tunnel. Its 1977 and the tracks are out if service to through trains. (1977, Don Biggs photo)

Approaching the East End of Borden Tunnel Tunnel. Construction equipment is still here. It appears that they have just finished restoring the tunnel. (11/7/04)

East End of Borden Tunnel. (11/7/04)

West end of Borden Tunnel pictured in 1977 when the tracks were still down but out of service. Second photo is same location but on 11-7-04. (1977 photo by Don Biggs)

Looking west up the 1.75% grade from Borden Tunnel. (11/7/04)

Bridge piers of a former railroad that crossed the WM here just west of Borden Tunnel. The railroad took clay slurry down to the brick works at Zilman in the valley below. (11/7/04)

A WM eastbound drifts down the grade in the vicinity of Dirt Mountain Road. Bob Lemmert caught the train while riding a dirt bike and heard the train blowing for the crossing.

Looking west up the 1.75% grade from Borden Tunnel. (11/7/04)

Far west of Borden Tunnel, about midway to Colmar the WM continues to wind up the mountain passing many cuts such as this one here. (11/7/04)



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