Studies of the B&P Tunnel replacement options have produced many maps, such as this, that highlight the course of the tunnel's three segments through Baltimore City, north of downtown.

This tour will begin at Pennsylvania Station (right center of map) and proceed generally westward (left) to and through the B&P Tunnel segments.

Links: compressed PDF, source PDF (larger)

Baltimore's Penn Station began as Union Station, a replacement for the Northern Central Railway's Charles Street Station. That's Charles Street right-to-left in the foreground. As the quantity of taxis suggests, this remains a busy rail passenger station served by Amtrak, MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter), and the city's light rail.

Links: 1977, 1977, 1977

The main waiting area had this appearance during the late 20th Century. When a gate opened ticket holders would walk down stairs to platforms below.

Link: exterior and interior photos

At photo time the platforms were being remodeled. You might have boarded this DC-bound train led by Amtrak 946.

Link: more AEM-7 model photos

Your DC-bound train would depart along the near tracks while a light rail train arrived at left.

During 1917 your train could have been pulled out from behind the station (then named Union Station) by the steam locomotive near center of the zoom view at right, then followed a Z-shaped route into the B&P Tunnel near the top left.

Links: source DPC photo, similar 1952?

At North Avenue your train would duck into the B&P Tunnel segment known as the John Street Tunnel. Views of its portal from the Howard Street bridge are a bit obstructed but let you compare and contrast the portal (left) with one of the North Avenue's arches. By virtue of its greater height, the latter is likely to become part of a B&P Tunnel replacement route, should one get built.

Originally called the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, the agency responsible for building the Howard Street bridge over the Jones Falls was renamed the Public Works Administration in 1935 (not to be confused with the Works Progress Administration). It also performed the electrification of the Pennsy line between New York and Washington. Plaques supply details:

Links: PWA Wikipedia entry, similar with train

Many drive on North Avenue's bridge across the Jones Falls and never know its sidewalk offers the easiest clear view of the portal.

I was surprised to see nearby signage describing this as the "John St. Tunnel North Portal". Not east portal?

The adjacent sign reports this is Amtrak B&P Tunnel Zone E. The zones are labelled A to E from west to east. To facilitate ventilation the B&P Tunnel was built in two segments, later split into three, the John Street Tunnel being the easternmost.

The route between Penn Station and the tunnel is illuminated by these lamps that may also be heat lamps for deicing the catenary and tracks. Icicles and catenary do not go well together.

Across the tracks from the portal is this deteriorating building. Anyone know its former purpose?

At the other end of the John Street tunnel are two portals, the closer one disused and visible from North Avenue at Mount Royal, the other in use but behind brick walls.

You will find online no mention of the disused tunnel other than at this B&O photo tours site.

The now-disused tunnel likely connected to what is now a Norfolk Southern yard, inherited from the Pennsylvania Railroad which in turn acquired it from the Northern Central. I have not found the other (northeastern) portal of this tunnel and suspect it was closed off during construction of the JFX (I-83) that carved a \ diagonal route here starting during the 1950s.

Link: JFX under construction 1958

The old aerial photo above shows the in-use tunnel with a closed roof that was later removed. Into the 1930s the roof had been covered presumably to facilitate ventilation from the John Street North Portal all the way to fans sucking air west of here at the original other end of the tunnel.

The remaining brick structure provides a glimpse into the masonry style of this double-tracked tunnel.

Once smoke-belching engines became history, the roof was removed, leaving support beams across the top.

But why during the 1870s would engineers design an open cut here, then roof in the tracks? The answer is they did not. This stretch had indeed originally been underground like rest of the tunnel, but then opened during the early 20th century to facilitate removal of debris from a tunnel collapse. The area was left open, and stone portals added.

Links: collapse mention, 2013 artist walking tour

The opposite end of the cut at John Street shows just one portal, that of the next segment, known as the Wilson Street Tunnel.

This means either the tracks from the NCRY Yard and those from Penn Station had joined along this stretch, or the other portal has been covered over.

If the tracks had met here one would expect to find either an opening in the brick wall on the right, or different-looking masonry where such had opening had been patched closed. Neither are seen, which suggests the tracks had merged further west, underground.

From here the Wilson Street Tunnel rises at a 1.3% grade to its western portal at the Pennsylvania Avenue Opening.

Link: 2013 derailment

After the B&P Tunnel runs westward under Wilson Street it emerges here at the Pennsylvania Avenue Opening, where the Pennsylvania Railroad had operated large ventilation fans in a brick building above the portal. Baltimore's Metro Subway passes underneath the Wilson Street Tunnel less than 200 feet east of this portal.

Certain passenger trains stopped here, hence the stairways. Certain freights did too, but not intentionally: on rainy days the exposed rails at this opening would become slippery, causing locomotives to become unable to pull heavy trains up through the incline and curves.

You find few recent photos of this portal online because 1) the opening is very much fenced in, and 2) it is located just blocks from what by at least one metric (linked below) was the most likely place in the United States to experience a violent crime during 2015.

Link: 2015's most violent neighborhoods, trains stuck during rainy days

The B&P Tunnel resumes travelling westward underground via the Gilmor Street Tunnel whose eastern portal is difficult to view clearly without climbing over or around extensive fencing.

A sharp curve of the Gilmor Street Tunnel, another B&P Tunnel segment, just west of here has long been a speed-limiting factor for trains.

Link: better pic

Gilmor Street Tunnel opens to light on the west side of Fulton Avenue, near the bus at top left. Since the time of this photo trees and vines have grown to block easy clear views of the portal.

Link: LoC source photo

I have not found online exact definitions of Amtrak's Zones, but surmise they resemble:

• Zone A: western B&P Tunnel approach
  
• Zone B: Gimor Street Tunnel
  
• Zone C: Pennsylvania Avenue Opening
  
• Zone D: Wilson Street Tunnel
  
• Zone E: John Street Opening, Tunnel and approach

Link: NIMBYism makes a new route difficult (2014)

Studies have considered many alternative routes for a new tunnel. The 2014 report linked below eliminated for further consideration all but routes 2, 3, and 11. Route 2, which involves rehabbing the existing tunnel, is the only one that can preserve a connection with the ex-WM at Fulton Junction.

Rehabbing this tunnel as well as the B&O's Howard Street Tunnel is likely less expensive than building any new route. As a temporary bypass while the rehabbing effort is underway one tube of either the I-895 Harbor Tunnel Thruway or I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel could be adapted for trains. Extensive rail infrastructure already exists near the portals of both tunnels.

During December 2016 the Federal Railroad Administration announced 3B, a tweaked version of alternate 3, as its recommended route.

Alternative number 5 along US 40 was too quickly dismissed because it does not serve Penn Station. Disused ex-Nothern Central trackage already exists parallel to I-83 that could easily be rejuvinated as a short spur to Penn Station.

Links: 2014 B&P Report (huge 100m PDF), FRA 2016 decision

A site near this intersection of Payson and Mosher Streets has been chosen for a new tunnel's south/west portal, should it get built. At photo time roughly half the houses here were abandoned -- owned by Baltimore City -- and many others unoccupied, hence the paucity of parked vehicles.

The catenary beyond marks the existing Northeast Corridor route originally laid down by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad during the 1800s. Ahead and left is Fulton Junction where the B&P and Western Maryland had met in a wye. The distant, tall broadcasting tower stands about 2.5 miles away atop TV Hill.

Link: revising the route (2016)

The need for an expensive repair or replacement of the B&P Tunnel comes at a time when Amtrak lacks excess funds. Can we afford to lose the use of the tunnel? Can we afford to spend so much on a project that, without huge fare increases, will not return it? The debate continues...

Link: B&P Tunnel site