SW Saddle Tunnel

SW Saddle Tunnel. . This map shows the Stumphouse Mountain range in the upper northwest portion of the picture and the somewhat parallel portion of the Turnip Top Mountain range in the southeastern quadrant of the picture. In between the two ranges is a small valley on which the Blue Ridge RR Company was constructing a railroad on the Stumphouse Mountain side. But shortly southwest of Turnip Top Mountain was another salient, but this one connected both ranges making a small Saddle type mountain. It was too large to make a cut for the rail road to go through, so they began to make a tunnel: hence Saddle Tunnel., This is a photograph of the Saddle Mountain between Turnip Top Range on the right and the Stumphouse Range on the left., This is the S.W. Saddle Tunnel approach. Note the drop off into the valley to the right of the picture. The company of Jones and Humbird had been put under contract to construct Saddle Tunnel. By the end of 1856 both approaches to the Saddle Tunnel had been well under construction., It was at this point where the S.W. portal to Saddle tunnel was to be constructed. Aside from the approach no work was done on the S.W. portal. At the time of the work suspension in January 1859 "twenty per cent of the Saddle Tunnel was done" from the N.E. portal. , Photos by Ms. Frankie Townsend