1958 - Hole Through Made in Tunnel Near Carbo

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Roanoke Times - May 17, 1958

'Hole-Through' Made in Tunnel Near Carbo

    CARBO, May 16 - The last 23-foot section of rock in the Norfolk 
and Western Railway Co.'s newest and longest tunnel was crumbled by 
explosives late today and drill crews who had been burrowing toward 
each other for months met deep under Sandy Ridge.
    The happy crewmen finished drilling more than a mile and a half 
of tunnel with the long-awaited "hole through," which came at 5:24 p.m.
    The huge tunnel project was started on April 16, 1957. Drillers 
penetrated the south side of the mountain last July 3 and started 
drilling into the north side last October 30. One entrance of the 
8,240-foot tunnel is in Dickerson County and the other in Russell County.
    N&W officials said the railroad plans to move the first coal 
train through the tunnel on Aug. 1. The coal will come from 
Clinchfield Coal Co.'s new Moss No. 3 mine and most of it will be 
going to Appalachian Power Co.'s huge multi-million dollar steam 
generating plant now under construction here.

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- Ron Davis, Roger Link