In New England, ordinary people with virtually no knowledge of railroads are aware of ‘The Tunnel’.
They’ll ask me, ‘Have ya been up to that Housantonic Tunnel?’ Or comment, ‘That Hoosick Tunnel, by North Adams, it’s the longest in the world, Right?’
I’d like to speak with an etymologist, or someone with a deeper understanding of the evolution of New England names. I’ll bet that Hoosick, Housatonic and Hoosac all have the same root, but I’m more curious to know about how and when the variations in spelling originated.
But, it’s really the tunnel that interests me; 4.75 miles of inky cool darkness, occupied by legends, stories and ghosts and serving a corridor for trains below the mountain.
The other day, Mike Gardner and I made a pilgrimage up to New England’s longest tunnel; Boston & Maine’s famous Hoosac. (Please note correct spelling).
While waiting for westward freight EDRJ, that was on its way from East Deerfield, I exposed these photos with my FujiFilm XT1.
The portal can’t be too dark, but the shafts of sunlight streaming down can easily be over exposed. As a result, I exposed for the light, than adjusted my RAW files in post processing to make for a more balanced image. This isn’t ‘fixing the photo,’ it’s maximizing the data capture and adjusting it for the most pleasing result.
Pan Am freights generally don’t operate to tight schedules, so it’s best to assume that a train may pass through the tunnel at any time.
Brian, did you walk the 4.75 miles? I would have been terrified. Even if you knew the schedule, a rogue train could have come through – it’s possible…
Two tries:
Found eastern portal accessible (on public roads) but no trains.
Western portal appears to be off- road, accessible by some kind of path. Is this right?
paulr
I still have to visit this Tunnel. I have heard about it, but never had a chance to actually visit.
Nice shots……