Karthaus Tunnel (Clearfield County)

Karthaus Tunnel
Author's Photo

     Karthaus has always been a remote community along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Historically, transportation in this region of Pennsylvania often meant conquering the surrounding wilderness and braving nature’s forces. For much of its early history, the only way to reach the town was either the river itself or primitive dirt roads, both were subject to seasonal changes that could render them impassable and cut-off Karthaus from the outside world.


      In 1884, a new form of transportation blazed its way through the wilderness, the iron horse. It had arrived with completion of the Susquehanna & Clearfield Railroad, a company financially controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), to exploit the local coal deposits between Keating and Karthaus. Passenger service was also provided along the route, serving as a lifeline for other small lumber/mining villages along the river. At Karthaus, a small station was built near the road bridge over the West Branch.

    The PRR had envisioned the line as an eventual alternative route into Philipsburg and the Moshannon coal fields. For whatever reason, this venture was never pursued. In 1901, the entire line from Keating to Karthaus was sold to the PRR’s rival, the New York Central Railroad (NYC).

    Now under new management, the NYC saw the former Susquehanna & Clearfield as a “back door” into the extensive coalfields around Clearfield. By following the meandering West Branch of the Susquehanna, the railroad could avoid the steep grades encountered on the PRR’s route into the region. Although the NYC already had a connection to Clearfield via the former Beech Creek Railroad, it still posed a challenge for heavier trains.

    Construction of the new line would be far from easy. The 30 miles between Clearfield and Karthaus was some of the most remote and wild territory in the region. Even today this remains a fitting description. The project was estimated to cost $2,500,000. Within the contract with the construction company was a stipulation that if the line was not completed by January 1, 1902, the company would be fined $200 every day past the deadline.

    One of the first obstacles encountered was an extending ridge line just south of Karthaus. To follow it all the way around would only add unnecessary mileage. To circumvent this, it was decided to bore through the ridge at its narrowest point. Blasted through brittle sandstone, the tunnel’s curved bore stretched 1,440 feet.

Another view of the portal
Author's Photo

Close up of the portal. 1901 is stamped on each side of the arch
Author's Photo

    Of interest were the companies contracted to build the tunnels on the line. Three of the four tunnels, including Karthaus, were built by companies from southern states, specifically Virginia and Kentucky. These companies were chosen for their experience building tunnels in the mountainous territories of those states.

    One accident during the tunnel’s construction is known to have occurred. It reports that three workers were killed and seven injured after a dynamite explosion near the Karthaus Tunnel. Apparently the dynamite had become frozen overnight and to thaw it out, was placed near a wood stove at the workers’ living quarters. According to the article, the resulting explosion blew the three workers “to pieces.”

Atop the portal looking down at the track.
Author's Photo

    Another newspaper article gave some insight on the construction of the line in the wilderness between Karthaus and Clearfield. The article, titled “Armies of Snakes,” illustrated the interactions between venomous snakes and the laborers. “The laborers of the new road are terrorized with fear of the poisonous reptiles, for nearly every blast brings a snake or two rolling down among them.” Most of the workmen building the line were blacks from the south or Italian immigrants. It is unlikely that they had encountered rattlesnakes and copperheads before. To solve the problem, men were specifically hired to kill as many snakes as possible. One man reportedly killed 102 snakes in just two days.

    In March 1902, it was announced that the contract for the line’s construction had been extended to July 1. A local newspaper declared that “it will take every day of the time” to finish it by the deadline. Despite the difficulties, on July 1, 1902, the first train ran over the line right on schedule. Christened the River Line, the route was a testament to brilliant engineering and human endurance.

    Now 118 years old, the tunnel has outlasted its builder. The NYC merged with the PRR in 1968 to form the financial debacle that was Penn Central. Conrail followed in 1976 and made repairs on the tunnel around 1980. R.J. Corman Railroad Company currently owns and operates the line. The Karthaus Tunnel continues to be a valuable aid to transportation as well as a monument to the men who built a railroad through the heart of the PA Wilds.

    NOTE: Entering the tunnel it is both illegal and dangerous. The "C" shape of the tunnel prohibits any light from being seen from the portal and reduces audible sound.

Information Retrieved From:

Bezilla, M., Gette, L. (2017). Branch line empires. The Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads. Indiana University Press.

C. Skillings. (1980). Skillings Mining Review. Retrieved From https://books.google.com/books?id=399RAQAAIAAJ&q=karthaus+%2B+tunnel&dq=karthaus+%2B+tunnel&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjIwtfKw8zjAhUQHM0KHWXbC384ChDoAQg0MAI

Democratic Watchman. (Bellefonte, PA). 25, January 1901. Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive. https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn83031981/1901-01-25/ed-1/seq-2/#city=&rows=20&proxtext=karthaus+tunnel&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&words=Karthaus+tunnel&page=1

The Patton Courier.(Cambria County, Pa). 10, July 1902. Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive. https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn87079953/1902-07-10/ed-1/seq-4/#city=&rows=20&proxtext=west+branch+valley+railroad&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=3&words=Branch+railroad+Valley+West&page=1

The Star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.), 17 July 1901. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. Retrieved from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87078321/1901-07-17/ed-1/seq-4/>

The Weekly Bulletin (Florin, Pa), 22, January 1902. Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive. https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn89077566/1902-01-22/ed-1/seq-2/#city=&rows=20&proxtext=karthaus+tunnel&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=2&words=Karthaus+tunnel&page=1

YMCA Railroad Branch.(1903).Railroad Men, 16, 92. Retrieved From https://books.google.com/books?id=qu01AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA92&dq=karthaus+tunnel&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7o467_uTfAhVSd6wKHaRHAEEQ6A