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Tunnel_No._6_(Coast_Line) Latitude and Longitude:

35°21′06″N 120°38′06″W / 35.3517°N 120.6351°W / 35.3517; -120.6351
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tunnel No. 6
Overview
Other name(s)Summit Tunnel
Line Coast Subdivision
Location Santa Margarita, California
Coordinates 35°21′06″N 120°38′06″W / 35.3517°N 120.6351°W / 35.3517; -120.6351
Crosses Cuesta Pass
Operation
Constructed1893–1894
Owner Union Pacific Railroad
Trafficfreight, Amtrak
Technical
Length3,610 ft (1,100 m)
No. of tracks1
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Highest elevation1,323 ft (403 m)

Tunnel Number 6, or the Summit Tunnel, is a railway tunnel between Santa Margarita, California and San Luis Obispo, California. [1] It is the longest tunnel along the Union Pacific Railroad Coast Line at 3,610 feet (1.10 km) in length and is wide enough to carry a single track. [2] The tunnel under the Cuesta Pass represents the highest point along the line at 1,323 feet (403 m) above sea level. [3]

The tunnel was constructed between 1893 and 1894 by the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was enlarged between 1940 and 1959. [2] One daily passenger train, the Coast Starlight, operates through the tunnel.

References

  1. ^ Rice, Walter; Echeverria, Emiliano (2008). Rails of California's Central Coast. Arcadia Publishing. p. 87. ISBN  9780738555911.
  2. ^ a b Middlecamp, David (October 4, 2013). "Tales from the tunnels, the railroad and the Cuesta Grade". The Tribune. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  3. ^ Highest Elevations (PDF) (Map). Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved November 12, 2020.