PRR Man, I too rode in every working day for almost 15 years. I do agree the tunnels will probably out last all of us, but the locomotives are old, and as you correctly pointed out the power system still runs at 11,000 Volts and the overhead wires use turn buckles rather than counter weights (unlike the newer NH to Boston section of the NE Corridor). The real problem will be the Portal Bridge which is the same age as the tunnels and how long that stays in operation is anyone's guess. Several years ago as you probably know there was a fire that came close to doing extensive damage to this critical structure. It's been 40 years of underfunding and very little maintenance, how long will this great rail system continue to operate?
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