Mogollon Rim Tunnel - Arizona Mineral Belt RR
| July 19, 2015 10:01PM |
Today was spent up on the rim driving the Rim road north of Strawberry over to Woods Canyon Lake. Along this winding dirt road is the trailhead for the tunnel trail. The tunnel was started in 1883 for a line that was supposed to link Flagstaff with the copper mining region at Globe. It is reported that 42 men under the direction of Captain William Tucker worked on the bore.The tunnel was to be 3100' and 16' wide at the base and the height was to be 18'. The grade within the tunnel was to change by 750'. The last report from the tunnel crew was that 70' had been bored and the tunnel portal was faced off before construction halted. The work was halted as the $54,000 of funding from the A&P had run out.
Below are a few of the photos that I captured at the tunnel site today while hiking with my two daughters. It sure would have taken an impressive bridge or really deep fill to make it from the tunnel exit out to the side of the rim to continue the descent. I first visited the tunnel when my oldest daughter was just a tyke and wanted to take her back to where I had carried her down the trail before.
The tunnel entrance and rock structure from the construction days.
An interrior view showing how the back end of the tunnel was being worked on at ceiling level.
The low height at the end of the tunnel.
A view looking back out the tunnel.
Looking out over the expanse at the end of the tunnel ledge. This view doesn't really capture a feeling of how deep the gorge really is.
Dave
Below are a few of the photos that I captured at the tunnel site today while hiking with my two daughters. It sure would have taken an impressive bridge or really deep fill to make it from the tunnel exit out to the side of the rim to continue the descent. I first visited the tunnel when my oldest daughter was just a tyke and wanted to take her back to where I had carried her down the trail before.
The tunnel entrance and rock structure from the construction days.
An interrior view showing how the back end of the tunnel was being worked on at ceiling level.
The low height at the end of the tunnel.
A view looking back out the tunnel.
Looking out over the expanse at the end of the tunnel ledge. This view doesn't really capture a feeling of how deep the gorge really is.
Dave
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.