The Last Churchill-Wentworth Tunnel Ventilator The Last Churchill-Wentworth Tunnel Ventilator  |
Norfolk & Western Railway's - Engineer of Maintenance of Way - Mr. Charles S. Churchill and fellow N&W engineer Mr. Charles C. Wentworth developed a system to eliminate the poisonous gases emitted from steam locomotives which endangered crews in long tunnels. After studying examples in the Swiss and Italian Alps an improved arrangement was developed. The mouth of the tunnel was enlarged and tapered in towards the interior. Ductwork was installed and air was forced at high velocity into the tapered spaces. This air flow created a low pressure area which drew additional fresh air into the tunnel, and pushing the smoke ahead of the locomotive and out the other side. The ventilating system was successful in clearing smoke from long confined bores. The Churchill - Wentworth system was patented and copied for use on other railroads, including Pennyslvania Railroad's Gallitzin tunnel west of Altoona, Chesapeake & Ohio's Big Bend tunnel near Talcott WV, Virginian Railway's Allegheny tunnel at Merrimac VA, as well as many tunnel sites on the Norfolk & Western Railway. The last installation of a Churchill-Wentworth ventilator was in 1950 at the new Elkhorn Tunnel. It served until late 1959 when steam operation over this part of the railroad was discontinued. The electric motors were removed and the facility retired-in-place.
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Photos (clockwise from the upper left): Electric motors forced air through ducts and into Elkhorn tunnel. Early installations were driven by stationary steam engines with coal delivered trackside by the railroad. Later versions were powered by electric motors, with power either coming from dedicated company lines, or outside commercial sources. A trackside side view of one of the forced air intakes shows the ductwork, while the next view shows the break in this ductwork over top the tunnel bore. This helped redirect the air into the bore. Although the electric motor has been removed, the gearbox from the motor remains on site at Elkhorn Tunnel. A closeup of the air intake closes out our study. |
Photos (clockwise from the upper left): - Two brand new General Electric C36-7 locomotives, work an eastbound coal train towards the tunnel ventilator at the west end of Elkhorn Tunnel. - An SD45 holds at the signal at the west portal of Elkhorn Tunnel. The crew has been "riding the yellow", as it followed a coal train up the hill. - The GP9 replaced steam locomotives and made the Churchill-Wentworth Tunnel Ventilator at Elkhorn Tunnel a surplus asset. As train tonnage increased after the steam era, as many as five of these GP9s could be found on the head end of coal trains. A time passed, improved locomotive models led to reductions in the number of diesel units needed, that is until train tonnage was again increased. - The crew watches from the platform of a caboose brings up the rear of a helper as another trainload of Pocahontas coal makes its way over the summit at Elkhorn Tunnel. - The markers on the ALTAVISTA bring up the rear of a N&W Executive Special as the inspection train rolls under the Churchill-Wentworth Tunnel Ventilator and into the darkness of Elkhorn Tunnel - A two unit helper set of SD40-2s, rolls westward after assisting a coal train over the east. It was during these times, that the SD40-2 became the standard road engine on the N&W. Helper sets working on the district were nicknamed "Pokey Pushers".
Photos (clockwise from the upper left): - The steam powered Powhatan Arrow was the first train to use the new Elkhorn Tunnel and it's Churchill-Wentworth Ventilator in 1950. The Norfolk Southern Steam Program returned steam power to the Elkhorn. That smoke plume from the 611 was the reason the Churchill-Wentworth Ventilator was installed in the first place. - A brace of NS power leads an eastbound coal train into Elkhorn Tiunnel. - A single unit D9-40C helper assists a coal train into the tunnel at the summit. - Early in the Norfolk Southern era, when the SD40-2 was still front line motive power, a set helps a coal train into Elkhorn Tunnel. - From the opposite side of the rails, a helper set pushes a coal trian under the Churchill-Wentworth Tunnel Ventilator at Elkhorn Tunnel. - A mix of four axle power GE and GMD diesels work a manifest train train west out of the tunnel. A steady diet of NS east-west freight passes through Elkhorn Tunnel.
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