In Cincinnati at the head of the Deer Creek Valley lies a transit relic that few people know even exists. Just a small distance from I-71 sits one of the few railroad tunnels of southwestern Ohio. A little over 600 feet long, with a 19 foot bore the Oak Street tunnel, also known as the Walnut Hills tunnel, allowed the CL&N to enter Cincinnati from the northeast.1
Not to be confused with the more ambitious Deer Creek Tunnel that was never completed, the Oak Street Tunnel was started on by the Miami Valley Railway in 1877.2 The tunnel, as well as the entire grade from Norwood to Cincinnati was only partially completed before the Miami Valley went bankrupt 1880. The successor to the Miami Valley, the Cincinnati Northern (which would come to be succeeded by the CL&N many years later), eventually completed the tunnel in 1882.3
Photo: Tunnel interior shot that showcases the detail in the brick.8
The Oak Street Tunnel was built using the “cut and cover” method that was common for shallow tunnels. A trench was dug out of the hard clay and shale of Walnut Hills. A lining 24 to 32 inches thick was then built around the tunnel out of brick. When this was completed the remainder of the cut above the tunnel was then filled level again with the surface. Much of the dirt excavated was later used in fills elsewhere on the line.4
Construction proceeded quickly and dangerously. Dynamite was used day and night to blast rock apart with little regard for safety of nearby residents. In June 1881 one of the workers was killed by a stone that landed two hundred yards away from the blasting site. Later in July a young boy from Walnut Hills was killed again by a falling rock, causing the court to order a stop to blasting until more extensive screening was put in place. Even so, another accident injured several workers in late August.3
The first trains began running through the tunnel and down the Deer Creek Valley on January 12, 1882.4 Two narrow gauge tracks were laid on the ground along the 26 foot wide tunnel floor. When the CL&N was converted to standard gauge in 1894 the tunnel was likewise converted to dual standard gauge track. However, the tunnel was designed for narrow gauge trains and was not wide enough for two standard gauge trains to past. A set of electric signals was set up to grant track rights on a first-come first-served basis.
This arrangement lasted until 1916 when by chance a northbound CL&N train and a southbound N&W passenger train tripped the signals at the same time and sideswiped each other in the tunnel. No one was hurt, but not long after the Pennsylvania Railroad relaid the tracks as a gauntlet, where two tracks would overlap each other.6
Photo: Tunnel exterior7
Today the tunnel is still there, lying empty since the Pennsylvania abandoned regular service through the Deer Creek Valley line in 1969 and lifted the track in 1975.5 The south portal lies just north of Oak Street a little bit east of Interstate 71. The tunnel was constructed on a slight curve and emerges into a short cut just north of McMillian Street. This cut has poor drainage and even when the line was active there often was standing water along the sides of the track. From the cut the roadbed then proceeds under McMillian Street in a stone underpass that is often visible from I-71 during the winter. The ties of the one track that remained before abandonment still lie along the floor of the tunnel.
Photo: Tunnel interior shot.8
Over one hundred years after its construction the tunnel is still in good shape. As the title photo shows, the arch brickwork has few cracks and the concrete base is still solid.7 However the future of the Oak Street Tunnel after the abandonment of the former CL&N is unclear. Much of the former CL&N right-of-way, including the tunnel, was purchased by SORTA in the later half of the century.4 Often it has been considered as part of a light rail proposal using the former CL&N from downtown along I-71.
However, plans to use the tunnel face a number of problems. The tunnel under Walnut Hills still cannot handle two standard gauge trains at one time. The same curse that struck in the early 1900′s may remove the tunnel from further consideration as a light rail option. Additionally, the ROW suffers from a number of discontinuities from development both north and south of the tunnel.
Even today the future of the tunnel remains in doubt. The picture above, courtesy of Cincinnati Traction History, shows a partially collapse of the sidewalk on the north side of the McMillian overpass. It is unknown how much damage was actually done, and at the very least some cosmetic damage was done to the stonework. It is also unclear if natural erosion was the cause or if the nearby fire hydrant and water main were to blame. What is clear is that the future of this historic transit relic is by no means guaranteed.
Next time you’re driving North on I-71, take a quick look to the right before you pass under McMillian Street. You just might see part of the railroad that had a profound effect on Cincinnati’s east side, if not on the city itself.
References:
- Jake Mecklenborg, “Oak Street Tunnel”, Cincinnati Transit. Accessed 22 April 2009.
- John W. Hauck, Narrow Gauge in Ohio: The Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern Railway (Boulder: Pruett Publishing Company, 1986), 35.
- “The Little Giant”, 55-57.
- “The Secret Contract”, 36.
- “Epilogue”, 273.
- “Pennsylvania Control”, 173.
- Zach Fein, “CL&N Railroad Tunnel”, Local Architecture: Cincinnati, Accessed 23 April 2009.
- Ronny Salnero, “Beneath Your Feet – Exploring a Forgotten Railroad Tunnel – and More”, Queen City Discovery, Accessed 23 April 2009.