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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.
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
![American Experience](https://image.pbs.org/contentchannels/zoZJOtC-white-logo-41-2rEQNrf.png?format=webp&resize=200x)
Preliminary Worries with the Pennsylvania Railroad Tunnels
Clip: Season 26 Episode 5 | 2m 6s
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.
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When is a photo an act of resistance?
For families that just decades earlier were torn apart by chattel slavery, being photographed together was proof of their resilience.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipCompressed air was used to keep the water out of the Pennsylvania RR's Manhattan tunnels. (2m 42s)
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)
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)
Behind the scenes at the country's busiest transportation hub - NYC's Penn Station. (3m)
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 under the Hudson river proved easy, but the East River was becoming a nightmare. (2m 17s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipCorporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.