The P&WV Hi-Line

[M.JCT.]

Today we did some exploring today and found the Donora Branch Tunnels.Here's the Vang's West portal. 19 VANG 31

[M.JCT.]

The Vang Tunnel's West portal.

[M.JCT.]

The Vang Tunnel's East Portal

[M.JCT.]

The Graham Tunnel's East Portal.

[M.JCT.]

The Graham Tunnel's West Portal.

[M.JCT.]

I took artistic license here.

[ple1556]

Very VERY impressive photos. The tunnel's portals looked quite eerie, though, especially the pic of the Vang's east portal. Did you actually walk thru both tunnels? And, do you have any idea why bars were installed at the top of the portals when they were sealed? Again, very impressive photos. The one with artistic license is creative!

[Nice Doors!]

Great Shots! I can almost smell the poison ivy! Wow! Some amature stone masons from Italy must have brought in some heavy sledge hammers to make those little "door" openings? The one looks fairly new as some of the graffiti was taken out when the cinder blocks were removed. Now as they used to say to "us kids" when we were kids, "if you kids would put as much effort into your schoolwork as you do nonsense like that"! Seriously other than "wacky weed" smoking why would someone go to that much effort to knock doors in those fairly well construted walls! Did you see any trace of ties or rails inside or out? And where did they come up with that errie name Vang?

[Nope that don't work]

Nice Doors was really me. Just a test to see if this one goes through after I logged in. I guess you get that message in the subject line if you do not log in?! (This from Fla. Mike)

[Fla. Mike]

Yea weird, that one looks like something out of the Wizzard of Oz! Watch out for the flying monkeys! (Think I got the hang of the logging in thing to avoid that message!)

[PWV101]

When you log in just click the box to log in automatically each time you visit. When you come over from the main page you will be logged on and need not hassle with it.

[ple1556]

I think the name Vang came the company that was contracted to build the tunnel

[M.JCT.]

The Tunnels are very easy to reach and we did not have to hack our way thru a jungle of weeds.The Tunnels are both curved and are still in good shape the old timber lining of the tunnels makes up the back of the man holes along the inside walls.The Vang was named after the construction company contracted to build the Connellsville extension and is about 1700 foot long.The Shorter Graham Tunnel is about 500 foot long.We walked thru the Graham and most of the way thru the Vang but found the eastern side of the Vang under about a foot of water.The tunnels are only about a quarter mile apart from each other and are seperated by a very impressive fill the old road bed is still visible and there are two or three piles of spoils along it. This area is very serene and makes an excelent walking trail. P.S. there were no Bats or critters in either of the Tunnels
.

[ple1556]

You said the tunnels were easy to get to. I would like to take a trek out there to see them. In fact some peeps from the W&LE b. board talked about going out there but nothing ever transpired. Where did you park your car?

[M.JCT.]

The Vang tunnel runs under the Monongahela Country club golf course located on Country Club road just off of Rt.88 by the Hospital.The Graham Tunnel is just East of the Vang.We parked at the baseball field on Country Club road and walked along the edge of the golf course and down into the woods there are signs of an old service road leading down to Vang . Go to Google maps and type in 15063 click on satelite - & + for zoom and the arrow keys to pan ,This is how I found the tunnels. Cut that limb off for me.

[M.JCT.]

Here's a photo showing the inside of the Vang, my friend pictured here grew up in Monongahela and as a boy he and his Father would venture down by the tunnels. He still remembers the rails being intact .He also remembered where the rest of the line ran through the valley and showed me the back roads and parts of the old road bed.Thanks B.