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American Experience

Preliminary Worries with the Pennsylvania Railroad Tunnels

The Pennsylvania Railroad announced they would be tunneling into Manhattan.

Aired 02/18/2014 | Rating NR

American Experience

Preliminary Worries with the Pennsylvania Railroad Tunnels

Clip: Season 26 Episode 5 | 2m 6s

The Pennsylvania Railroad announced they would be tunneling into Manhattan.

When the Pennsylvania Railroad announced they would be tunneling into Manhattan, rather than building a bridge, people were stunned. Tunneling underwater was known to be dangerous, and once they were built, the tunnels would need to withstand hundreds of trains traveling through them every day. With a typical Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train weighing 700 tons, this was no small challenge.

Aired 02/18/2014 | Rating NR

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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Compressed Air in the Tunnels

Compressed air was used to keep the water out of the Pennsylvania RR's Manhattan tunnels. (2m 42s)

Confined Labor in the Tunnels

Excavation workers, called “sandhogs,” faced many dangers working in a confined space. (1m 24s)

Constructing Pennsylvania Station

Two city blocks, or 28 acres, were initially cleared for Penn Station’s construction. (1m 35s)

The Destruction of Penn Station

In 1961 the Pennsylvania Railroad announced it had sold the air rights above Penn Station. (2m 59s)

Hudson River Tunnel Shifting

Measurements showed that the Pennsylvania RR Hudson River tunnels were shifting. (2m 3s)

Inside the MTA's East Side Access Project

An exclusive look at New York MTA's subterranean East Side Access project. (8m 9s)

Mapping Engineering in America

Map history with us! See how engineering has changed America with our new map! (2m 15s)

Penn Station Central Control

Behind the scenes at the country's busiest transportation hub - NYC's Penn Station. (3m)

Penn Station Rising

The masonry work on Pennsylvania Station began in 1908. (2m 14s)

The Rise and Fall of Penn Station, Chapter 1

The engineering feat and architectural achievement that was torn down after just 53 years. (8m 42s)

The Rise and Fall of Penn Station Preview

The engineering feat would last, the architectural masterpiece did not. Premiering Feb 18. (30s)

Tunneling the East River

Tunneling under the Hudson river proved easy, but the East River was becoming a nightmare. (2m 17s)

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Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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