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Kessler Tunnel
Historic Site
This 1843-foot tunnel is one of several constructed by the Western Maryland railway in the late 1800s. The tunnel portal is showing the effects of water and other damage. It was built to bypass several bends in the Potomac. The tunnel took shape in 1906 as part of the Western Maryland Railway?s push to create a faster, more direct route along its West Subdivision. Built with concrete arch portals and a timber?planked roof, the 1,843?foot tunnel allowed trains to bypass several tight river bends, improving efficiency for both freight and passenger service. Named for local landowner John Kessler, it remained in operation until 1975, when the line was abandoned amid shifting transportation patterns. Today, the tunnel stands quiet and unused, its weathered portals hinting at the era when railroads threaded through the Potomac valley to compete for speed and access in Western Maryland?s rugged landscape.
Suggested Links
Contact Information
Western Maryland Railway Historical Society
P.O. Box 395
Union Bridge MD 21791
410-775-0150
Website