CB&Q 1889 Belmont Tunnel in Nebraska

(Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

This tunnel is on the BNSF route that carries coal out of the Powder River Basin. [BridgeHunter]

safe_image for Most People Have No Idea This Unique Tunnel In Nebraska Exists

The Belmont Tunnel remains Nebraska's only railroad tunnel in existence, first opening in 1889 along the newly-built Chicago Burlington & Quincy line from Alliance, NE to Crawford, NE.

CB&Q's successor Burlington Northern would operate the tunnel until the 1980's, when the line was upgraded to dual trackage, and relocated just west of the tunnel along a new right of way, abandoning the short stretch of rail line into the tunnel.

Allan Gilbert And it's private property. The highest point in the state too - not the place to be when a thunderstorm rolls in unannounced.


Dennis DeBruler shared

"Freight trains continued to roll through the tunnel until 1982....BNSF Railroad still uses the tunnel and the road on either side of it as a service road for vehicles." [OnlyInYourState]

I was deadheading on a coal train through there in early 1975. One of the slaves went down. 4 U30Cs on point and 3 or 4 U30C slaves 65 cars deep was the normal coal train power on 98 car trains!! Them were the days! Anyway I dropped off the headend at the Horseshoe curve and caught the slaves as they passed. Can't even get on and off moving equipment now days. I found the 4th slave dead and restarted it. Then made the mistake of riding that 4th slave unit through Belmont tunnel with the windows open. Gasp, wheeze! I was laying on the floor gasping for any air I could get. I sure am glad that tunnel isn't any longer than it is. [TrainOrders]

Other comments on that TrainOrders post indicate that Belmont is at the end of a climb from Crawford and that helpers cut off around here.

The tunnel is 700' long. [JournalStar]

StarHerald
[It took 2 years to dig and this source says it was 750' long.]

StarHerald

I wanted to see what that cut looked like on a topo map. Unfortunately, the only high resolution map available was produced in 1980 so it doesn't show the cut. But it does show that the grade rapidly rises over 100' next to the tunnel.

1980 Belmont Quadrangle @ 1:24,000